what workflow allows face geometry editing in blender?

[timstertimster]

with static meshes I open nif in @ousnius wonderful outfit studio, export as obj, edit in blender, import back to OS, save as nif - works great.

 

but with face nifs things break. do i have to do that differently?

[greenmango12]

2 hours ago, timstertimster said:

with static meshes I open nif in @ousnius wonderful outfit studio, export as obj, edit in blender, import back to OS, save as nif - works great.

 

but with face nifs things break. do i have to do that differently?

I tried same things about SE facegen data before,

Then what I found is,

 

1. not directly export the shape, but make new empyt slider, then export the slider data, for each facegen part. edit in blender (keep vertex order, vertex count)

2 return the obj and import as slider data for all shape part (you may only need to export and import about modified shape)

3. set current slider data  value as base shape (you find menu in OS, which apply current slider value as zero, then apply to the shape as default shape)

4. save as nif.

 

but it still not worked in game. (some node positon or texture problem etc,, anyway it show strange thing in game)

so I assume, as officially OS not support to edit facegen data (SE version)

 

what I tried was, open original nif, and edit version nif (with BS and blender)  in nif scope.

and compare difference part, and re-edit my edit version.

 

then finally I could get it work in game. (so I could edit SE facegen nif in Blender with use OS as exchanger.

 thoguh I just hoped to move some vertex around cheek. at least it worked for me.

 

But  It was complex enough and I do not clear remember,,  what step was important. which I worked in nif-scope.

I really needed to check in game, everytime I tried some thing,.  

 

Basically  about LE facegen nif,  I can  still use nif-scope (but old version) then import to blender as obj,

and exprot as 3ds format, and can  overwrite  only about vertex position. then convert to SE. 

the process still work for LE version mesh with blender 2.8 (2.7)

 

I know, you hope directly edit facegen data, then return,  so if you test again and found way,, I really apreciate.

step 1 to step 4 is important, or OS should change vertex order of the mesh. when you import and export as obj.

but after that I almost confirm you need more work in nif-scope. (or I do not know if there is more simple way,

without use nif-scope)

 

 

 

[greenmango12]

LE version tutorial  (sorry it is not english, but you may try google translate etc) by gz

http://gzlife.sakura.ne.jp/ntnk-sky/?p=380

 

btw the way not work for recent nif scope. because it change vertex order.  so you must need to get the old version nif scope.

I still keep nifscope 1.13 only for the purpose. (though nowdays I seldom try to edit facegen in blender,,but still hope if someone offer

more stable plug in which can manage SE facegen nif)

 

Then I do not know if OS can easy import and export about LE facegen, without problem (if it work you need not get old nif scope)

 

[greenmango12]

OK now I could confirm, it work (but you still need to use nif-scope) at least about head mesh. (I did not test with other part, but basically it should work)

 

after step 1 to step 4 (import nif in OS> export  obj as new slider data,> import obj to blender,  edit,  then export as obj > import obj as slider data to OS,    > set slider value as 1 , and apply shape as base shape then remove slider data.)

 

5  save the editted mesh as newface.nif  (or anyname you want)

 

6 run nifscope,   open the oriignal.nif (facegen data, which you imported for OS to edit ),   and open the newface.nif (which you edited and hope to see in game) in new window .

 

(recent version nif scope 2.0 is ok because I do not import and export obj but just use to copy and paste only about shape data)

 

3.  in Newface.nif,  serch  head part. NiNode>  NiTrishape (FemaleHeadXXXX)>NiTriShapeData then r-click >Copy

 

4  in original.nif  serch head part NiNode>  NifTrishape (FemaleHeadXXXX)>NiTriShapeData then r-click >Paste Over

 

You should see, original.nif  Headpart change shape  if it suceed.

 

5 save the original.nif  (Usually 00XXXXXX.nif)

 

I only test with Head mesh, but bascially you may need same step, about all head parts (eye etc) which you edit.

and even though it work for my custom NPC facegen data, (it was converted from LE before), I do not know it should work for your mesh.

so please keep original facegen .nif   then test with copy data please.

 

 

[greenmango12]

Sorry I test with NPC which use Old NiTriShape.. (I do not know why the follower still work with SE without problem,, but it work for me)

Then I test another Follower which use BsDynamicTriShape

 

Almost same procedure work.

 

but you need to "copy" and "paste over" The BsDynamicTriShape from edit nif to original nif. for Each Head parts in  nif -scope.

 

This time I tweked eye part and face parts , eyeblow too.. then it worked for me. Though I miss edit in blender,(not adjust all mesh part correctly,but edit individually, and did not adjust again,, then maybe detail broken a little..before > after

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lux77]

Thanks this is great...works like a charm...i must say bodyslide is better than i expected it to be...It can od a lot of things Blender cannot do.

This tutorial works like a charm,it's easy and effective.

Before after photos:

 

Before:



 

After:



 
 

[greenmango12]

So I have got some same requests, to clear discribe how to edit SE facegen with , BS, blender, and nif-scope to work it as same as before.

 

about blender editing part,  you just need to export and import as slider data, but set blender option correctly. 

(or I hope if someone can offer detail option guide, with  good english)

 

Then if you not hope to edit with blender but hope to edit OS, you can do it . only problem is after you edit and  save SE  facegen.nif with  OS, the facegen may not work in game anymore. or you often see, strange problem (eg head or hair  locate too far away.   etc)

 

To avoid it, we need only swap mesh data, with use nif scope. about this way, it not need to import obj,, so all recent version nif scope should work.

 

1.  import the character " facegen.nif " which you hope to edit, in OS..  I usually import as out-fit (and use import file option)

 

2.  Edit the each shape of facegen.nif, in OS,  or export as slider data, then edit in blender, and re-import the slider, data, >set base shape to bake the slider deform as default shape.

 

3.  export your edit facegen.nif and name as "Faceedit.nif"  this nis becom donner nif which transfer mesh-data to your character facegen. 

 

4.  load your character facegen.nif (original, which you hope to edit and will use in game)  in nif-scope

 

5.  keep open the facegen.nif,  to get easy to know I call the nif-scope window = "Target Window"

then from top menu, file >new window, then you get new nif-scope empty window.

 

6  in the new nif-scope window,  load your edit facegen.nif = "Faceedit.nif" (donnar) , I call the nif-scope window = "Donnar Window"

 

7.  About the  "faceedit.nif" in Donnar window, extract BSfacegenNiNodeSkinned. (if it not exracted), you may see BsDynamicTriShape of each head parts.

 

8.  R-click one of  BsDynamicTriShape  (the shape part which you edit in BS or blender) Block>"Copy"

 

9.  then activate nif-scope  "Target window", extract ,then serch the BsDynamicTriShape, then r-cilck the  Block>"Paste Over"

 (  eg if it is FemaleHead that you copied, you must select  BsDynamicTriShape of FemaleHead part. not for eyelash or mouth part.)

 

10 do same step about all shape part "BsDymanicTriShape", which you editted in BS.  (of course if you not edit about mouth, you need not do it for mouth)

 

11.  when you paste over, you should see, your edit deform applied to the head part. like this pic,, (yes I deform hard to show clear

, so please do not laugh her face?)

 

 

12  if you believe your god , pray your god , then save (overwrite)  facegen.nif.

 

13 check in game.. then if you do not like your work..,, do same step or simply return to default face,,

 

 

14 if you find something wrong  about eye shape, you may try R246 offered famous mini tutoriall , 

https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/5058135-sse-nif-optimizer/page-102#entry54592653
though I do not clear remember, we needed it or not, about this case,, (it needed when convert LE facegen, with nif-optimizer before,

so it may need not )

 

[timstertimster]

hey @greenmango12 thank you SO MUCH! for all these detailed posts, it is truly helpful. I wish I had more time to mod but will try this soon. 

[timstertimster]

To help out, here is some blender specific info that may be lost to some.

 

you select the head mesh you want to edit, right click in OS, export as OBJ.

 

when you import in blender, don’t change the view yet so you have the default view intact. you have to be sure that your axes are set correctly, if your mesh looks like it’s laying flat, your import settings are using incorrect assignments. The shape deformation will fail in OS.
 

during modeling, it’s imperative you don’t change the vertex count, some tools like sculpting dynamically create geometry, so watch your tool settings

 

when you export the deformed obj, you need to watch your options. Ensure you set Keep Vertex Order active. Also be sure you keep the axes set correctly again. Some checkboxes might accidentally save face groups as objects and mess it up.

 

in a nutshell, accidentally changing vertex count in your edited model is really easy.

[timstertimster]

So the key thing is to copy the BSDynamicTriShape node from the OS-exported nif into the original nif, thus ensuring only the vertex coordinates are changed, since OS exports all meshes with flag 14 by default.
 

I’m wondering if editing the flag would do the trick as well. But the effort would essentially be the same.