Mesh won't appear on Geck, UVW template is all that shows up.

[Polyfemus]

Edit 2: Please disregard the original body of text. I have since refined my question after understanding my problem more. Please read the Edit 2 paragraph instead.

I've been working on making a green crystal skull into the game but hit a big snag. I just don't even know what's going on. Okay so here's a pic of how it looks in nifskope: %5Burl="http://i.imgur.com/hXIBsUU.png"]http://i.imgur.com/hXIBsUU.png[/url] Also I got the mesh for the skull from the vanilla mesh nv_crucifix-skeleton.nif It's a cruxified skeleton seen in The Fort. So I got the skull by deleting the other polygons and vertices from the other parts of the mesh to leave me with the skull.

The texture and mesh seem to load just fine. But when I open the .nif file with the GECK I get this: %5Burl="http://i.imgur.com/9I1Sd3Q.png"]http://i.imgur.com/9I1Sd3Q.png[/url] That's the uvw template stretched across the ground. And then the mesh is nowhere. Is it possible I did something wrong when I exported the .nif from 3ds Max?

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: I should probably add that the same thing happens to whatever .nif I import to 3ds max and export to view in the Geck preview. I've been experimenting with the export/import options of the niftools for 3ds max but nothing seems to work.

Edit 2 paragraphs:

It seems the .nif file gets corrupted somehow whenever I either import or export it don't know which. So my mesh is supposed to be a green crystal skull. For the skull I used the skull from the vanilla mesh called nv_crucifix-skeleton.nif. This mesh is a crucified skeleton you can find in the Fort. Anyways I imported the nif into my 3ds max 2012 then I deleted the polygons that made up the other parts of the mesh except the skull. When I was left with the skull I exported that .nif file. Then I opened another clean 3ds max project, imported my exported skull .nif then I UV unwrapped it so I could texture it. After I did that I exported the .nif once again. (Note that I hadn't applied or created any specular or normal map textures but to my understanding that shouldn't have anything to do with my issue). Lastly I moved the mesh in the appropriate /mesh folder in my Data folder so that I could view the mesh in the geck. When I did that I again opened the skull .nif in nifskope to make sure the .nif has the directory of my texture in the /textures folder. Then I opened the .nif in the geck 3d preview and it was invisible. Actually more confusing that just invisible. Here are pics:

How it looks in nifskope: %5Burl="http://i.imgur.com/hXIBsUU.png"]http://i.imgur.com/hXIBsUU.png[/url]

How it looks in Geck 3d preview: %5Burl="http://i.imgur.com/9I1Sd3Q.png"]http://i.imgur.com/9I1Sd3Q.png[/url]
For some reason the texture template is strected across the ground but there is no sign of the actual 3d model.

This happens with all my .nifs that I import and export to 3ds max by the way not just this. I checked to see if the same thing happens using vanilla meshes doing nothing to them in the 3ds max viewports just importing exporting. Then when I open them in the Geck preview the same thing happens. I don't know that it's a collision issue or something because with my skull .nif I did the thing involving "deleting the NiTriStripes branch and copying the NiTriStripes branch from my .nif" to borrow the collision or bone data from vanilla meshes but the same thing happens.

Edited May 6, 2013 by Polyfemus

[DizzasterJuice]

Change your file path from C:\users\Randy...etc. to absolute. First locate the texture file in Data/Textures/Skull then the path should be "textures\skull\texturename.dds". It will not work in game or GECK unless you have the textures in the game/data/textures file.

[Polyfemus]

What do you mean change file path to absolute? If "absolute" means that I should be bringing my mesh and texture in the proper Data folders I don't think that's the issue. I did that with multiple attempts. I now realize the image I posted doesn't show it. Here I'll show the problem again this time with the proper file paths.

So here's a picture of my .nif with the file paths fixed up in the proper locations in the Data folder: http://i.imgur.com/iwsoeyS.png

This image shows what the Geck 3d preview shows: http://i.imgur.com/sdB502c.png

The same thing the 3d model itself is invisble and the UVW texture is stretched across the ground. Over the course of my independent research trying to get this to work I think the issue is with the way I'm importing/exporting .nif files through my 3ds max 2012 but I don't know what the issue could be. I know when importing/exporting nif files in 3ds max 2012 with the niftools plugin there is a dialogue box with various options with tick boxes that ask me what I want to import/export like collision or whater likeso: http://niftools.sourceforge.net/wiki/3ds_Max/Guides/Exporter. Now I've been all over the internet and I've gotten conflicting reports for what tickboxes I want checked and unchecked but I feel like I've tried them all. I've tried the Generate Strips option, Update Tangent, etc. But nothing seems to work. Everytime I import/export anything through my max the Geck shows the 3d model as invisible.

I'm understanding now that my topic post for this thread wasn't very refined and I may have to make a new topic about it to give my question more focus but I guess I'll do it right now in this post: I cannot seem to import/export .nif files through my 3ds max 2012 without it becoming invisible to the Geck.

 

PS: I'm sorry if I'm coming off as very kurt or snapping in this topic I appreciate any input. I'm just super frustrated and confused at the moment with this issue.

Edited May 6, 2013 by Polyfemus

[DizzasterJuice]

"I cannot seem to import/export .nif files through my 3ds max 2012 without it becoming invisible to the Geck."

Your original comment didn't mention exporting from max. Max 2012 DOES NOT export the BSShaderPPLighting correctly. Paste one from any vanilla object then correct the file paths.

 

I would also re-name the textures from skull - uvw texted.dds to skull_uvw_texted.dds. Spaces and hyphens may be invalid characters? Not sure on that because I've never seen it named like you have it before.

 

Export settings:

Under Export:

Uncheck all unless your static model has a collision to export, if so check "Collision"

Under Mesh:

Check "Generate Strips" for NiTriStrips, uncheck for NiTriShapes.

Also check flatten hierarchy, update tangent space, collapse transforms, zero transforms

Under Skin Modifier

Leave the first 2 checked and check "Remove Extra Bones" if working with rigged object.

Check "Generate Partition Strips" for NiTriStrips and uncheck for NiTriShapes.

Under Animation

NIF w/o Animation

Check "Transforms"

Priority 0.0

 

Typical export settings for NiTriShapes: http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=19121

[DizzasterJuice]

PS: I'm sorry if I'm coming off as very kurt or snapping in this topic I appreciate any input. I'm just super frustrated and confused at the moment with this issue.

It gets easier I promise. :biggrin:

[Polyfemus]

Thank you very much for your input and suggestions I'll try them out later this week cause I've got class atm. But yeah I think I'm understanding the problem a bit more. After viewing whatever nifs i export from max in nifskope I can see certain properties are changed from the vanilla mesh.

[Polyfemus]

"I cannot seem to import/export .nif files through my 3ds max 2012 without it becoming invisible to the Geck."

Your original comment didn't mention exporting from max. Max 2012 DOES NOT export the BSShaderPPLighting correctly. Paste one from any vanilla object then correct the file paths.

 

I would also re-name the textures from skull - uvw texted.dds to skull_uvw_texted.dds. Spaces and hyphens may be invalid characters? Not sure on that because I've never seen it named like you have it before.

Here's an update on my attempts. It hasn't worked yet. I followed your export settings guide, and all. I also what I did was I imported a vanilla mesh .nif (in this case ball01.nif), then immediately exported that .nif with the help of your guide. I also toggled the export .nif root file to BSFade whatever because I noticed that was the root node for the vanilla mesh. Anyways after I exported it I brought it to the Data/Meshes folder, I made sure the texture paths were pointing to the correct location (and loaded them in), and I checked line by line on nifskope on the BSShaderPPLighting to see that it was identical to the values in the vanilla (except for the line number that pointed to the texture files I couldn't change that value) then I saved the .nif file. Loaded it up on the Geck 3d-preview and the exact same thing happened.

 

I guess I'll try to figure it out and follow the most basic tutorial line by line and relearn everything. I just don't know what it could be I'm doing wrong but seemingly something during the export/import process goes wrong and I'm not correcting it properly. I'm this close to thinking that I installed the niftools plugin wrong or python or whatever. Well if I follow the simplest tutorial I should find my way. Thanks for your help.

 

Edit: I've just realised something. Everytime I double-click for the drop box for the Shader Flags line on the BSShaderLightingProperty branch the options become blanked out. I've even made pictures of the problem.

 

This image is before I double-click it. By the way the .nif file shown is dlc04shotgun.nif, don't know where it's from. Also I didn't load the textures but that's not the point here: http://i.imgur.com/QGMTAC4.png

 

This is after I double-click: http://i.imgur.com/z0QEEGM.png

 

I don't know what it is maybe my installation of the niftools or python or whatever is wrong and I need to start from scratch all over. The drop list on the line right about it - Shader Type - works fine though.

Edited May 8, 2013 by Polyfemus

[DizzasterJuice]

and I checked line by line on nifskope on the BSShaderPPLighting to see that it was identical to the values in the vanilla

You have to replace it...I've tried numerous times to repair them with no sucess. It only takes a few seconds to copy and paste a new branch from a working nif. Make sure you select the options "remove branch", "copy branch", and "paste branch" and not "remove", "copy" and "paste".

 

If you want you can post the mesh here and I'll take a look at it.

[Polyfemus]

Okay wow! So. I finally got it to work. I followed this tutorial: http://wiki.tesnexus.com/index.php/3ds_Max_exporting_custom_assets That tutorial deals with a custom helmat but what I was looking for was to see how they exported the nif and/or what they did post-export in nifskope to make it work. And what they did was in the BSShaderPPLighting node line there is a data line called Shader Flags. Tutorial said to uncheck all the shader flags except SF_Empty and SF_Unknown_31 but I couldn't find one labeled SF_Unknown_31 so I only had SF_Empty checked. And after that I copied the NiTriStrips data to a vanilla mesh, loaded up my texture, loaded in up for the Geck 3d-preview and Bam! It worked. I've got pictures:

 

This is a picture of the nifskope Shader Flags dropdown list: http://i.imgur.com/PWeYBwW.png

 

This is a picture of it successfully in the Geck 3d-preview: http://i.imgur.com/Fc8Uay6.png

 

Please note that the images show this ugly black crap on the texture. That's because the uvw texture I used for this particular skull is off by more than a bit. Also I didn't make any normal maps or whatever but I'll get to it later. Also I mentioned in an earlier reply that I my nifskope wouldn't show my Shader Flags drop down list after I double-clicked it (as shown in this pic: http://i.imgur.com/z0QEEGM.png). I reinstalled nifskope and then I noticed I could do it.

 

Special thanks goes out to DizzasterJuice for their patience and advice during this noobish trial of mine.