Unique Beast Races [WIP]

[Danidragon]

Wait up,when I put up the setup,the earlier version of blender didn't work with python.Then I got told that I needed the newest,which python worked with.Doesen't have the im-and export things,but you can download the scrypts separate,then put them in.At the official site it isn't the newest version of blender,download it from somewhere else. Perhaps that was your problem all along ? I had problems with making things work too until I found that out.

Edited April 24, 2013 by Danidragon

[Drohung]

I've got an idea. When I can get into contact with either of you two, Dani and Derok, I can host a short Livestream session for you to help me figure the programs out with what I have. Does that sound like a good idea?

[bilotheretard]

First of all, don't worry if you hadn't time to work on the mod. After all, modders are not gods or something. Just normal people and normal players.

 

I actually tried to make it digitigrade and tested it on a vanilla body. The result? No visible changes. Everything was exactly the same. But then I tried to open the console and type "resurrect" on an Argonian npc. He appeared in the default pose, loaded from the skeleton, with arms open. His legs were successfully distorted to be digitigrade. What this means? Animations are just an array of bone coordinates. So, the only way to make beast races digitigrade in such way would be to change EVERY and I say EVERY animation. You said that there's some mods that change body proportions trought the skeleton. This is because animations are not applied to all bones. Just standard ones, like legs, arms, head etc... and not the quiver bone, for example.

I don't want to be offensive about Bethesda artists, but look at what they did with claws for example. They litterally just stretched a bunch of vertices! And they weren't even able to do it well, mheh...

So, I created some new claws from scratch for meh Argonian character. How much time it took me? Try to guess... More or less, one day of casual modelling.

 

Ok. I don't really understand how to paint weights, so everything I did was to use the bone weight copy script from the vanilla body to the ubr body (given by Senviro). And it worked.

Yes, I'm not kidding. I can tell you the result is surprisingly good. I can explain you in the detail how it looks, but I think it's better if I repack everything and I post an updated alpha here (the old one is un the first page of the thread), so everyone will be free to test the last version of UBR.

About the tail, I'm not sure if merging it with body is a good thing. It would probably look weird... And almost surely we'll need to tweak animations.

 

The script... Well, as I said in the description, I'm not too sure about it.

The idea was that just some footwear are wearable by beast races (falmer, footwraps...). The rest of them are not compatible with beast races. But with the use of the forge, you can create some kind of leggings wearable by beast races. I know, I can just make boots look different for beast races trough body addons, but I don't like that they magically change shape when weared by beast races. It's already weird when you equip an armor from someone of the opposite sex.

Thanks I appreciate it.

 

I'll get back to you regarding the skeletons. re: Bethesda artists, what you're talking about is not really related to technical workings of the game though, and anyway to each their own but I really like what vsions did for the beast races, working with what he could(shared body parts). Apparently beast legs were planned but there was no time. The "claws" actually don't look bad if you consider that they're more supposed to be like sharpened nails, but yes yours do look rather magnificent, good job.

 

I see, so we still don't have someone who can skin %*-{. I suppose I should put myself to really learn it. The copy script works pretty well but did you move the vanilla body and elongate the feet to match yours? Oh well I guess as long as you're satisfied with the results. Yes I'm very interested to see what you've done.

 

About the tail, I think merging it with the body is a very good thing. I think it would be a sorely missed opportunity if we didn't do it, since all the cuirasses need to be redone for the legs anyway. Personally that's the second biggest thing that bothers me, maybe not on the Khajiit since it looks quite natural with their small tails, but on Argonians it looks like a pole joined onto a butt, and clips through clothing back and forth. Argonians really shouldn't have butts at all.

It does work and there's no need to tweak the animations. As you can see in my screenshots. Like I said in my previous post it's only the transition between the tail and the torso that skinning needs to be revised. Discovering that I can actually do that was one of the highlights of my working on the mod, because I wasn't even sure we can use the tail bone on the body mesh. I'm willing to handle everything with the tail if you'd rather not.

 

Yeah, I missed morrowind where women could wear trousers and men could wear skirts. Sure yea, it's great that you know how to script as well btw. How about a script that just stops the player from equipping normal footwear (using the exact message from morrowind would be a nice touch), then we have the new beast specific armour that can be crafted or looted from beast npcs. Since there aren't many beast npcs I think it shouldn't be too hard to manually remove footwear from some and give some the new foot armour.

 

Oh lastly, you haven't told me what you'd like me to do with the file page. Do you want to start a new one or shall put you as the author on the old one?

 

 

Regards,

Justine

[bilotheretard]

@Drohung those are fairly common problems with setting up Blender. Try googling them or contacting Blender support. I can tell you you don't want the newest version though, I think it's 2.49b

[Drohung]

Alright, thanks, Bilo. Also, do NOT do skeleton work. It is COMPLETELY incompatible with the Dragonborn DLC. Seriously. If you use a custom skeleton, it does not work. I have no clue why.

 

Also, I am resolving my Blender issues. I can do a few things for this mod to help things along once it works.

 

1.) Vanilla game footwear conversions for UBR wearing. I have come concepts drawn I could post later.

2.) Helping with armor conversion. Even once we get armor, though, I'm still gonna run around as a naked lizard.

3.) DLC armor conversion. This would probably be added on the side, so no add-ons are REQUIRED for use, but are instead OPTIONAL.

4.) Custom armor for the mod. My lists of concepts are:

- Argonian male-based "Wayward Reptile" armor set. Models are actually somewhat prepped. Of course, this armor set might be my personal one. IDK.

- Khajiit female-based "Fierce Feline" Armor set.

- UBR universal cold survival gear (I've already got some of it done. It's made from a few other mods I have permissions for. I'm going to tear them up and combine some models for this one)

- And a few other goodies.

 

So, one the full models for UBR are finished and I have my programs working, everyone can have a bit more protection without sacrificing the looks! Or, so I hope my time permits me to give everyone this protection. *shrugs*

[shawno]

I'd also be down for seeing the tails attached to the body mesh as bilo has described, provided the animations still work correctly. It would make the tail look more like its actually connected to the body. Less noticeable on the khajiits since the tail is so skinny but on the argonians it could make a difference. But I'm not the one doing any of the work so its your guys call!

 

Just wanted to add that I've tested this mod with becoming a werewolf and can confirm that you keep the digitigrade feet bonus if you become a werewolf, but you lose it if you become a vampire. I checked right before and after I acquired each of these abilities to see if it was in my Active Effects or not. Would be nice if you could fix this for Vampirism as Argonian vampires look totally badass :)

[Drohung]

Ha ha! Success! My Blender and NIF tools work now! Alrighty, if ya got anything ya need me doin' on the mod, I'm right here! In the meantime, Imma going to be making armor for the mod. I already know what I'm doing thanks to MANY tutorials. *nods* If ya need help, just holler.

[Senviro]

Minor visual update:

 

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o237/ZeladisXoi/ShowKH.jpg

 

Ignore the claw placement; zero f***s have been given about them for the topology thus far. Once the texture seam is less obvious, this version ought be ready to send off to Derok (unless things come up or further adjustments are needed, seeing as how I miss a lot of things.)

 

And 'ello again, Bilo. Free time's not been kind to you. :P

[Danidragon]

Hm,I know we're not at the clothing yet,though I think we should consider tail armor.

[Drohung]

Actually, while we speak I'm making tail armor, since I got Blender working and all. It looks good, but since I don't have the final version of the actual tail, adjustments will have to be made.