NIF creation 101

parksbanyon · Gunner Posts: 565 **13127 Gold** -

Link to the exopath sword (sword 2) and the katana (sword 3) download and dump em in ur custom folder.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3742149/sword%202.rar
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3742149/sword%203.rar

Also the proa.nif, rename tartane.nif and dump in ur custom if I remember the textures are the same one used by the tartane.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3742149/Proa%20Z30.nif
and pic of proa:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3742149/Proa%20sailing.png

parksbanyon · Gunner Posts: 565 **13127 Gold** -

Rereading another post just realized I'm all over the place. As anyone reading this thread knows I have a pinnace class in game. I had working animations before reduced from 400 to 100 frames, but now I can not get them to work correctly. Once again I feel this is a 3ds max problem if failing to correctly export.

fleetp · Boatswain Posts: 3729 **36090 Gold** -

This is a wild guess on my part, but see if there are updated drivers for your video card.

parksbanyon · Gunner Posts: 565 **13127 Gold** -

After a several month absence I have returned. Had to read my old nif post to remember how to work nif files.

Just redid the tartane/proa to more accurately reflect the actual sail plan of the original proas' (also the sail art showed up sideways B4).
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4722c9tqwoirzd5/PraoNew1.png?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5schhlu65sas02z/ProaNew2.png?dl=0

And redid all the uniforms ...
https://www.dropbox.com/s/v7x89tfiz25c49x/Admiral.png?dl=0

Now back to trying to finish getting a NEW PC/NPC character in game. The skin weights must be done with Blender using the rigify option. Still can't get comfy with blender.

fleetp · Boatswain Posts: 3729 **36090 Gold** -

Nice work! I'll delete the posts you made in the wrong section.

Red Rabbit · Cutthroat Posts: 414 **327 Gold** -

Whoa! You guys have some skills.

parksbanyon · Gunner Posts: 565 **13127 Gold** -

as of now it has been verified it is possible to use 3ds max (2012 64bit) and nifskope to create a new nif.

The niftools plugin is only available for 3ds max, maya, and blender 2.49. For the correct settings for blender look up mandiuscreels threads.

For 3ds max: I use the same settings as blender import (well whatever you want) game custom or user check only vertex co0lors, skin modifier, auto smooth mesh, remove illegal faces, flip uv, render textures in view, use niftools shader, import skeleton. Remember less is more every additional check allows something else to go wrong.

Export: game custom or user version (this is tricky sometimes the vanilla model is version 4.0.0.2 sometimes 10.0.0.1. This will be addressed momentarily.) default texture (blank) hidden nodes, vertex colors, update tangent space, collapse transforms, zero transforms, export skin modifier, enable multiple partitions bones per (1 Cool

bone per vertex (4) nif w/o animations, transforms, sort nodes, root node type (ninode).

once exported: start nifskope and open the original vanilla model. Next to it open the new model you made. The upper LH corner of nifskope is the tree branch outliner window. Navigate (open the dropdowns) until you reach the NiTriShape branch you modded (BTW you can rename that) It will contain a NiTriShapeData branch and a NiSkinInstance branch. Select the NiTriShapeData branch (mouse left click) then right click to open the pulldown that contains (Block) navigate to (copy branch), then go to the original nif same exact branch when you right click block select (paste branch) it will go to the bottom of the tree. Delete the ORIGINAL NiTriShapeData branch. navigate to the upper branch NiTriShape and left click. At the bottom is the info screen scroll to the (Data) line Below it should be Skin Instance with a blue arrow and a number that corresponds to the skin instance tree branch. The (Data) line should say (None) click on the (None) and replace it with the number for your pasted NiTriShapeData at the bottom of the tree. It should have moved to the correct area. Follow this exact same procedure with the NiSkinInstance. You can name your dds anything you want as long as the NiTexturingProperty that points to it is correct. There will be a purple "flower" icon click it navigate to your texture and open it. At this point it will have the full path delete everything but the name and the dds extention. This tells the nif the dds is in the same folder (which will end up your custom folder) SAVE your nif. Once placed in the custom folder (with its related dds texture) the NIF MUST have the name of the original vanilla nif it replaced. The game engine only sees original named nifs .

At this point in time mandiouscreel is workin on animations. I will finish cleaning up my Ching Shih and vampirella characters (skinning) for use. Then I will see weather or not the collision option of NIF's can be made to work.

parksbanyon · Gunner Posts: 565 **13127 Gold** -

As for the "version number tricky" in the post above: If you go to paste the NiTriShapeData and NiSkinInstance and nifskope gives you a version difference warning STOP. Read the versions and re-export the nif with the version number of the original vanilla nif. OTHERWISE it will NOT work. It only took 3 years to figure out but for unknown reasons even if your nif is a number by number carbon copy of the original nif IT WILL NOT work in game. You have to do the cut and paste into a copy of an original vanilla nif.

parksbanyon · Gunner Posts: 565 **13127 Gold** -

Sorry for the VERY late reply, yes but it is a remesh i.e. 3d modeling program and nifskope.

themodelcitizen · Gunner Posts: 865 **14653 Gold** -

corsair91 · Sailing Master Posts: 8211 **206011 Gold** -

The link you posted is parksbanyon Dropbox collection
which is the best source for all his content

PraoNew1.png
Proa sailing.png
Proa Z30.nif
ProaNew2.png

If the file you want isn't in the Dropbox collection
all I can suggest is send parksbanyon a Private Message

He does visit the forums, now and then

Parksbanyon Mods Info
http://hookedonpirates.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7905

List of Thread links

Pirate · Helmsman Posts: 5589 **109759 Gold** -

I liked the female pirate he made but she doesnâ€™t show up in the game. Seems like a found that and barmaid projects he was working on in the Pattaya invades Pirates mod which was his version of my Pirates of the East Indies mod. He basically used my mod with my permission of course and changed some stuff around added his swords mail runner uniforms and other textures like naked daughters and hooters barmaids. I think he doesnâ€™t mod anymore. Last I heard he was having vision problems and I donâ€™t think he is overly all that well but I certainly hope he is ok.

themodelcitizen · Gunner Posts: 865 **14653 Gold** -

Thanks to this epic mod of the pinnace-class ships, instead of war canoes, pinnaces, and mail runners, the East Indies (2020) now have proas, outriggers, and Caracoas patrolling their waters.

I've changed the exe so that the Dutch no longer use the pinnace as a warship, preferring the brig.

You may still see European nations using outrigger-class ships - although Spain cracked down on Caracoa-building by the end of the 17th century, our East India Companies are known to seize them from the local Austronesian peoples and use them for their own ends.

I added some DDS files for the pirate-o-pedia entries and icons for the sword and proa as well. Incredible work, parks, if you have any of your other old models like the Chinese Junk laying around I'd love to see them

themodelcitizen · Gunner Posts: 865 **14653 Gold** -

Bumping this in case Parks ever gets a chance to read this stuff, hope you're doing well mate