Suggestions for dynamically changing securitron screens/faces

[devinpatterson]

I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for changing the securitron screen/face dynamically in game. Isabelle and I are putting together a Marilyn Monroe Securitron companion and we'd like to be able to switch out various faces/screens (happy, surprised etc) depending on the conversation or game circumstances.

 

I think it could be done with having all the separate screen nif's and a niVisController node on each, but I havn't cracked that code yet.

 

My 2nd idea was an animated texture, with a playGroup command to move the texture from one face to another, but that apparently doesn't work on rigged models.

 

The vanilla securitron has a nif for the screen and an associated kf (specialidle_screentransition1.kf), but I think that may only be for special effects (rolling pic, etc).

[viennacalling]

Ah how nice, the game still has interesting technical details to discover.

 

Scripts that upgrade the securitrons (e.g. VFSSecuritronSCRIPT) call the following command in one way or another:

 

SetSecuritronExpression rSelf Infantry Neutral

 

There was no relevant Infantry in the FalloutNV.esm file but the Fallout - Textures.bsa file has a folder textures\creatures\securitron\ which had the file infantry_neutral.dds among others. I extracted infantry_neutral.dds and infantry_alert.dds, renamed them but kept the "word underscore word" convention and fired up New Vegas. I paid Victor a visit and in the console tried the SetSecuritronExpression command on him with the renamed files and it worked.

 

I have no idea if this will break anything later on but it seems potentially like the way to go.

[devinpatterson]

Excellent, thanks Viennacalling :thumbsup:

 

You should add that to the geck functions page as well, it's a very interesting find. Can't wait to give this a shot with the various Marilyn faces, not to mention It's great that the function is a straightforward and simple solution.

[DizzasterJuice]

You can also make securitron faces work like VR Pod mini videos in Tranquility Lane and Operation Anchorage; there's 1 texture with 4 panels on it. All the posters also work the same way. In your case you would put 1 expression on the top left panel, another on top right, etc. Then you make an animation nif with controller to operate it. Edited November 30, 2012 by DizzasterJuice

[devinpatterson]

You can also make securitron faces work like VR Pod mini videos in Tranquility Lane and Operation Anchorage; there's 1 texture with 4 panels on it. All the posters also work the same way. In your case you would put 1 expression on the top left panel, another on top right, etc. Then you make an animation nif with controller to operate it.

 

Yeah that's what I was referring to re: the animated texture, but I was under the impression that doesn't function with rigged models. If it does could you provide any details on the differences between the two (I have a basic understanding of using the animated textures with a static nif, but no clue in re: to a rigged nif).

 

Because if it does work, I see a great number of applications (small status screens on powered armor, robots with various little crt's etc).

[EvanskiStudios]

I know this is really old, But I've always wondered about the unused Alert Faces and got it working

 

[devinpatterson]

I know this is really old, But I've always wondered about the unused Alert Faces and got it working

Yep, but you're not limited to *just* the unused textures for novelty, you can add your own. For example;

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vneAdVvOuYM

 

or

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgXXQQ_YHHk