Creating body mod for Skyrim

[s4ndm4n2006]

I'm kind of new to modding Skyrim but I've gotten a handle on armor creation for the most part, modeling it and exporting it and getting it work in the game.  Just so you know what my level is.  I have not done any of the creation kit stuff yet but plan to create a new race. 

 

My question is, I know I can create a copy of a race and make it a new one with the creation kit but it's the 3ds Max side and nifskope that I want clarification on.  If I use an existing body as a base, are the steps going to be similar to exporting to skyrim as it is for armor, or are there a lot of extra steps to doing so?  To start with all I want to do is modify the looks a little to get a handle on it, nothing major, no animation changes or anything like that.  

 

I'm having a hard time finding any tutorials that cover this, it's all weapons, armors and texture modding that i find. 

 

Hope someone can help me with this,  Thanks in advance!

 

[Downstroy]

Try Autodesk Maya

[gregathit]

This section is for posting tutorials and guides and not asking questions.

 

Moving to skyrim general section.

[Arngrim11]

if you can export a working armor then you can tweak a body mesh not a lot of difference between the two if that's what you're asking. As long as you don't delete or add vertices you can export and just copy the "NiTriShapeData" (not the whole NiTriShape branch) and paste over the one found in the original.nif. Then just save under a new name this saves a lot of steps when making basic edits. As for the settings found in the "NiTriShapeData" node I have seen some different ones between the bodies. But a safe bet it to leave all as is but change the has normals to no.