Editing mod/leveled NPCs to use other hairs than default lists?

[Solemn]

Hi, I've been mostly getting along fine with online help without asking for input, but I seem to have hit an impasse.

 

I've got a heavily modded Oblivion with MPB, XEO, Lovers, 8 or so extra NPC mods. Switched out the meshes of default armor for sexy armor/clothes from all over the place, using the DMRA stock armor/clothing as a base to copy over the clothes I wanted to see on the women. All the default NPCs look very nice and the hair selection is great. Except all the other mod-generated NPCs. Like special characters from Tamriel Travelers, Crowded Cities, Colorwheels' sexy imperial legion. None of them use the good-looking faces or heads. None of the fancy hairdos as well. They look downright butt-ugly, apart from their body, so much for adding NPCs to the game world!

 

I've looked at the esp files and started modding them from the existing files. Changing gender to female for generic NPCs without names, switching out the default hairs for fancier ones and so on. It works fine for any of the missed ones in XEO or NPCs from Crowded Cities.

 

Except I can't get it to work for NPCs within ESM files like Obscuro's Overhaul, which are used as leveled lists specials from what I understood. Unless I'm missing something, they are not affected by any of the beautification mods I've got. Editing the NPCs within ESP files loaded after xeo lets me use it as a master and gain access to the pretty race switches and their hair/eye lists. That doesn't work on the ESM loaded up top.

 

I've tried copying the NPC list to a standalone ESP override file that I could then edit like I do the others, but that makes Oblivion hang during its startup if I do that. Even if I copy to an existing ESP. Obviously, there is something I am missing.

 

...help?

[Guest ThatOne]

Yeah, you're missing actually copying the race record. The CS records the face data, but without a race assigned... Well, it doesn't really work.

You can access any hair model if you add it's record, same as race records.

 

Another thing you can do is simply add Xeo or MBP as a master to your mod. This way, you don't have to mess around with records.

Note that, if you are not using the CSE, you will need to add the mod as a master each time (with wrye bash). This doesn't apply to ESMs as masters (they do not get removed).

[Solemn]

Yeah, you're missing actually copying the race record. The CS records the face data, but without a race assigned... Well, it doesn't really work.

You can access any hair model if you add it's record, same as race records.

 

Another thing you can do is simply add Xeo or MBP as a master to your mod. This way, you don't have to mess around with records.

Note that, if you are not using the CSE, you will need to add the mod as a master each time (with wrye bash). This doesn't apply to ESMs as masters (they do not get removed).

 

Thanks for the info, I did forget to mention point though: I put xeosp++.esp as the master of my extra ESP for editing those NPCs, without that, I can't select the races/hairs from the menu in TES4Edit, still had the issue with Oblivion freezing on loading the main menu.

 

I tried without any modifications. As soon as I copy the Non-Player Characters portion of Oscuro's_Oblivion_Overhaul.esm to another ESP, it crashes the game on load if it's anywhere in the load order. The ESP does no changes, it carries the vanilla NPCs from the mod, yet that causes the crash. It's only really an issue with that particular file, since otherwise I could switch it so it loads after XEO, put XEO as it's master, then edit it to use the races/hairs I want it to use.

 

I'm using TES4Edit to do this, the official Construction Set conks out when I'm using it, although looking up CSE leads me to believe I'd need the extender for it to work right. I'm loading everything through OBMM when I start up the game, haven't tried Wrye Bash since this setup has worked fine before I started actually wanting to change the NPCs from mods.

 

-EDIT-

 

CSE or CS launched with OBSE both give me the same problem, it fails to display the face when I go to an NPC with any kind of custom race/hair, I can go to another tab, but as soon as I go to face for a second time, it crashes back to desktop, looks like TES4Edit it is...

[fejeena]

Example how to add hair to a race with Tes4Edit.

 

 

 

 

In the load order your new race-hair esp must be after the original race esp (master file).

Now you can choose the new hair for your NPCs

 

 

 

 

Or you can create a new NPC esp with the new Race-hair esp as master.(and in the load order after the master, or your game CTD)

 

It is important that the hair be added to the races, or you can not choose the hair for NPC of these races.

[Solemn]

Example how to add hair to a race with Tes4Edit.

[...]

Or you can create a new NPC esp with the new Race-hair esp as master.(and in the load order after the master, or your game CTD)

 

It is important that the hair be added to the races, or you can not choose the hair for NPC of these races.

 

Oh nice! That seems to have fixed my problem, now hair selection works for those NPCs up in Oscuro's. But I've hit another roadblock concerning face shape and texture. I've copied the FaceGen data from pretty ones of the same race to my new ones, which works.... somewhat. 

 

For some characters, this leads to a CTD when they are loaded.

 

I've taken IgnaWindEye from ExtendedImperialCity. Gave that mod all the hairs and the female races from XEO through your method, switched her hair and race to NordG02. The hair works, but her face looks strange and her left eye is glitched. Changed the eye to one of the XEO selections, still no headway on the face.

 

I took the FaceGen from OlavaTheFair from XEO, as she's a NordG02 as well. When I call up Olava with PlaceAtMe, she pops, all is fine. Call up Igna and I get a CTD. Same thing seems to happen with some of the mob types if I touch their FaceGen data.

 

I've bit off more than I can chew with this project.

[fejeena]

The eyes: there are two different eye meshes and textures
example textures

 

 

 

 

example the texture placement of the 2 meshes (check it with NifSkope)

 

 

the other one

 

 

you must select a fitting mesh for your race-eye-textures.

 

The FaceGen
Yes Tes4Edit can not copie it right.

 

 

 

 

There exists special FaceGen Programs, and there is a way to copie it in the CS. (but I forgot how to do it)
 I only know a complicated solution with Tes4Edit.
1. your desired FaceGen NPC must be in the Master file of your new NPC esp.
2. rename the ID number of the targed NPC with the ID number of the NPC with the good FaceGen.(note down the original number, you need later)
3. now you can drag drop the FaceGen Data, left click and hold, drag in the Target NPC ( and the whole number will be added)
4. rename the ID number of the target NPC back to the original number.

5. close Tes4Edit (save)

 

 

 

 

 

[Solemn]

 

There exists special FaceGen Programs, and there is a way to copie it in the CS. (but I forgot how to do it)

 I only know a complicated solution with Tes4Edit.

1. your desired FaceGen NPC must be in the Master file of your new NPC esp.

2. rename the ID number of the targed NPC with the ID number of the NPC with the good FaceGen.(note down the original number, you need later)

3. now you can drag drop the FaceGen Data, left click and hold, drag in the Target NPC ( and the whole number will be added)

4. rename the ID number of the target NPC back to the original number.

5. close Tes4Edit (save)

 

 

faceGen3.jpg faceGen4.jpg

 

 

 

So that was the problem! I never looked to see if the entire string was there, just the beginning of it. Thank you! I've already fixed the eyes on most of the NPCs as well.

 

There's only one issue left, I still have problems with editing Oscuro NPCs, here's what happens:

 

 

[fejeena]

???? don't know. Seems all OK.

But in the load order your new esp must be under Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul ( OK a esp can not be placed above a esm in the mod-manager), And both Mods must be activated ( your new esp must have his master file).

Sorry i don't use and have  Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul to test and to better help you.

[Solemn]

???? don't know. Seems all OK.

But in the load order your new esp must be under Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul ( OK a esp can not be placed above a esm in the mod-manager), And both Mods must be activated ( your new esp must have his master file).

Sorry i don't use and have  Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul to test and to better help you.

 

Yeah, it's under, Oscuro's ESP is pretty high up in my load order. My new ESP has Oblivion.esm and Oscuro's_Oblivion_Overhaul.esp as its master - In that order. If the NPCs were in the ESP, I could work around it, but they're in the ESM file.

 

And that's OK, you've already been a huge help! Even if I can't fix those, I'll have fixed the other ones. I get the impression the Oblivion engine is looping without end on startup. Would there be a tool I could use to log what it is doing?

[fejeena]

i tested it with a esm with NPCs (not Oblivion.esm, I  took DibellasWatch.esm), copied the whole NPCs (deap copie) in a new esp. Master files: Oblivion.esm; DibellasWatch.esm

Load order Oblivion.esm; DibellasWatch.esm; new esp

Load game, no Problem, no CTD.

So I really don't know what's wrong with your esp.

[Solemn]

i tested it with a esm with NPCs (not Oblivion.esm, I  took DibellasWatch.esm), copied the whole NPCs (deap copie) in a new esp. Master files: Oblivion.esm; DibellasWatch.esm

Load order Oblivion.esm; DibellasWatch.esm; new esp

Load game, no Problem, no CTD.

So I really don't know what's wrong with your esp.

 

The vast majority of NPCs in Oscuro's are part of leveled lists for mobs, it might be related. Booting the game up with just Oblivion, Oscuro and my ESP gives me the same result.

 

-EDIT-

 

Found it by process of elimination. There's several NPC records, I don't know exactly which, but I know about where they are, that cause the freeze on loadup.

 

Haven't found why, but I've isolated those and my ESP works now. Thanks for all the help!