Problem(s) about importing faces into Creation Kit...

[nehaberlan]

Hi,

 

I wanted to created new face for the NPC(s) of my mod.

 

First of all, I used RaceMenu. I save the the preset. When I exited from RaceMenu, I used "spf" command to be able to import the face I created into the Creation Kit.

However, when I import the face in the Creation Kit, I get almost completely different face.

So, I try to get similar face by using the Creation Kit's face settings as much as I could.

 

I tried another way.

In the RaceMenu, in the "Sculpt" part, I exported the face.

I got .nif and .dds files.

By using NifMerge tool, I tried to replace the NPC's face .nif & .dds file.

When I did that, I've always gotten CTD.

I couldn't figure out what went wrong.

 

I checked another follower mod.

When I opened the head preview in the Creation Kit, it was totally different, flat, basic face.

However, the face .nif in the FaceGeom was completely different, that was the face that you see in the game.

How that follower made the specific settings for that face, and didn't get any CTD?

 

If you can help me anyway, I'll appreciate...

[Swe-DivX]

Importing a face in to creation kit needs a new tri file for a new headpart.
I can create one for you if you want.

Best is to use the default 996 head nif as base or hipolly.

 

 

[nehaberlan]

9 hours ago, Swe-DivX said:

Importing a face in to creation kit needs a new tri file for a new headpart.
I can create one for you if you want.

Best is to use the default 996 head nif as base or hipolly.

 

 

 

It would be great!!!

 

I would like to learn how to create a .tri file too.

 

I have no idea what is "default 996 head nif" and how to use it.

 

I don't know where to get a high-poly head.nif, and use it in the Creation Kit.

I've never tried to use head.nif file in the Creation Kit.

I don't know how to use them also.

 

These are 6 faces' meshes & textures that I've exported from RaceMenu.

 

Maybe, you would like to check them out:

Faces.7z

 

 

Edit: I think that I understand what you've meant while saying "default 996 head nif".

 

I checked the vanilla femalehead.nif file.

 

It has 996 vertices.

I think, it's Low-Poly head.

 

High-Poly femalehead.nif has 3832 vertices.

 

Edited January 28, 2025 by nehaberlan

[nehaberlan]

By the way,

 

I can't sign in the Vector Plexus. I can't create a new account too.

It says that the same user name and the e-mail have been already used.

It's totally wrong. Because, I've never created an account in the Vector Plexus.

 

There is no way to get a high poly face created by Vector Plexus.

 

Do you have any suggestion?

 

PS: I found it somewhere else.

I think, other people had the same sign in/ create an account problem(s) that I had.

 

Edited January 28, 2025 by nehaberlan

[Swe-DivX]

Forgot to ask what Race this will be, the name needs to be in the tri file. You can always open this later in Blender and change it.

[nehaberlan]

1 hour ago, Swe-DivX said:

Forgot to ask what Race this will be, the name needs to be in the tri file. You can always open this later in Blender and change it.

 

All of them are Nord Race.

 

I've used Blender long time ago for editing femalebody.

I've gonna needed a tutorial how to use Blender for the .tri files.

 

Another question...

 

As I noticed, there are .tri files named "femaleheadchargen.tri" and "femaleheadraces.tri".

Do they need to be recreated as well for these heads?

 

It's really nice gesture that you help me.

Thank you.

If I can learn how to create .tri files (not only for the head, for the other body parts also...), it'll be great.

Do you know any good tutorial that can be helpful?

 

[Swe-DivX]

femaleheadraces is the only one to edit. Let other mods update the other tri files.

 

First one. I can write down how to do in Blender.

This is the femaleheadraces.tri file.

Tera_Patrick_Head_1-9-2025_16-50-10.zip

[Swe-DivX]

1. Import the head.nif in Outfit studio
2. Rotate the head mesh Z 180 and use Zero
3. Right click on the head mesh and Export to OBJ
4. Transform to gloabl NO
5. Import as obj on Blender
6. Set Rotation X 0
7. Export as Tri
8. Import the femaleheadraces.tri in Blender
9. Click on the upside down triagle on the right.
10. You will now se a Shape Keys List. Delete All, only keep the Default. Use the grey - icon on the left.
11. Import your new tri file
12. Mark your new tri file in the list. Hold down ctrl and mark femaleheadraces
13. Click on the dark smal button on the right with a black arrow pointing down. Beside Shape Keys list
14. Click join as Shapes. Rename you new shape to your Race form name.
15. Export to a new folder femaleheadraces.tri
16. Add this new file in your esp as a new headpart.

Edited January 29, 2025 by Swe-DivX

[nehaberlan]

3 hours ago, Swe-DivX said:

1. Import the head.nif in Outfit studio
2. Rotate the head mesh Z 180 and use Zero
3. Right click on the head mesh and Export to OBJ
4. Transform to gloabl NO
5. Import as obj on Blender
6. Set Rotation X 0
7. Export as Tri
8. Import the femaleheadraces.tri in Blender
9. Click on the upside down triagle on the right.
10. You will now se a Shape Keys List. Delete All, only keep the Default. Use the grey - icon on the left.
11. Import your new tri file
12. Mark your new tri file in the list. Hold down ctrl and mark femaleheadraces
13. Click on the dark smal button on the right with a black arrow pointing down. Beside Shape Keys list
14. Click join as Shapes. Rename you new shape to your Race form name.
15. Export to a new folder femaleheadraces.tri
16. Add this new file in your esp as a new headpart.

 

I can't open .tri files in Blender. .obj files don't appear correctly, and/or Blender can't open them.

I was using Blender 2.48 to open .nif files. It was much simpler.

It has been needed to make some specific for the .nif files to run in that Blender version.

Right now, I have 2.81 and 4.3.

They are really confusing for me.

 

 

Edited January 29, 2025 by nehaberlan

[nehaberlan]

23 hours ago, Swe-DivX said:

1. Import the head.nif in Outfit studio
2. Rotate the head mesh Z 180 and use Zero
3. Right click on the head mesh and Export to OBJ
4. Transform to gloabl NO
5. Import as obj on Blender
6. Set Rotation X 0
7. Export as Tri
8. Import the femaleheadraces.tri in Blender
9. Click on the upside down triagle on the right.
10. You will now se a Shape Keys List. Delete All, only keep the Default. Use the grey - icon on the left.
11. Import your new tri file
12. Mark your new tri file in the list. Hold down ctrl and mark femaleheadraces
13. Click on the dark smal button on the right with a black arrow pointing down. Beside Shape Keys list
14. Click join as Shapes. Rename you new shape to your Race form name.
15. Export to a new folder femaleheadraces.tri
16. Add this new file in your esp as a new headpart.

 

From now on, I have to check and learn how to use Blender by looking at the Blender Tutorial.

Then, I have to read again, again, again until I understand/comprehend each step that you write.

It'll take time.

I don't expect that I'll be successful at first attempt.

 

Thank you a lot.

[nehaberlan]

On 1/29/2025 at 11:32 PM, Swe-DivX said:

1. Import the head.nif in Outfit studio
2. Rotate the head mesh Z 180 and use Zero
3. Right click on the head mesh and Export to OBJ
4. Transform to gloabl NO
5. Import as obj on Blender
6. Set Rotation X 0
7. Export as Tri
8. Import the femaleheadraces.tri in Blender
9. Click on the upside down triagle on the right.
10. You will now se a Shape Keys List. Delete All, only keep the Default. Use the grey - icon on the left.
11. Import your new tri file
12. Mark your new tri file in the list. Hold down ctrl and mark femaleheadraces
13. Click on the dark smal button on the right with a black arrow pointing down. Beside Shape Keys list
14. Click join as Shapes. Rename you new shape to your Race form name.
15. Export to a new folder femaleheadraces.tri
16. Add this new file in your esp as a new headpart.

 

I stuck at step 7.

 

I installed Blender 3.6 with the NifTools.

 

When I attempted to export as .nif file, I got several errors.

 

1. Could not find node with 'Combine UV0' name

2. No game selected.

3. No shader applied to mesh

 

I could solve the second and the third problems. However, I couldn't find any easy information how to solve the first problem.

Do you have any suggestion?

 

Edited January 30, 2025 by nehaberlan

[nehaberlan]

On 1/29/2025 at 11:32 PM, Swe-DivX said:

1. Import the head.nif in Outfit studio
2. Rotate the head mesh Z 180 and use Zero
3. Right click on the head mesh and Export to OBJ
4. Transform to gloabl NO
5. Import as obj on Blender
6. Set Rotation X 0
7. Export as Tri
8. Import the femaleheadraces.tri in Blender
9. Click on the upside down triagle on the right.
10. You will now se a Shape Keys List. Delete All, only keep the Default. Use the grey - icon on the left.
11. Import your new tri file
12. Mark your new tri file in the list. Hold down ctrl and mark femaleheadraces
13. Click on the dark smal button on the right with a black arrow pointing down. Beside Shape Keys list
14. Click join as Shapes. Rename you new shape to your Race form name.
15. Export to a new folder femaleheadraces.tri
16. Add this new file in your esp as a new headpart.

 

I created a femaleheadchargen.tri for Rachel Steele.

Is it correct?

 

Can you check it for me please?

 

Riley_Steele_femaleheadchargen.7z

 

As I understand, femaleheadchargen.tri file has the main head.nif inf of that has been created by by RaceMenu, not the FemaleHead.tri, nor femaleheadchargen.tri.

 

I didn't know that there has been a tool named Blender tri tools.

By that tools, I have been able to import/export the .tri files. Blender 3.60 can open the .nif files. That's cool.

Blender is really difficult to use for the beginner(s).

However, you explained what to do as a child can understand.

There was no option to delete under the "Shape Keys". I could only deselect the others. There was no "Default". Only "Basis". I selected that one.

I hope that It'll work.

 

PS: I'll check the Tera Patrick's femaleheadchargen.tri file when I add it in my mod.

When I do the correct settings, and make it run without any CTD, I'll send you a screenshot.

Thank you for that file.

It means a lot.

 

Edited January 31, 2025 by nehaberlan

[Swe-DivX]

On 1/30/2025 at 9:26 PM, nehaberlan said:

 

From now on, I have to check and learn how to use Blender by looking at the Blender Tutorial.

Then, I have to read again, again, again until I understand/comprehend each step that you write.

It'll take time.

I don't expect that I'll be successful at first attempt.

 

Thank you a lot.

My first was 30 steps for LE, the hell was to create the base hipolly head before it was release.

 

....

 

Type tri femaleheadchargen i only face morp. Let this file be overwritten by other mods, if you are not going to create a news face morph.
Use type Race Morph femaleheadraces.tri for headpart

Edited February 1, 2025 by Swe-DivX

[nehaberlan]

4 hours ago, Swe-DivX said:

My first was 30 steps for LE, the hell was to create the base hipolly head before it was release.

 

....

 

Type tri femaleheadchargen i only face morp. Let this file be overwritten by other mods, if you are not going to create a news face morph.
Use type Race Morph femaleheadraces.tri for hedpart

 

My next problem is to add head with the new femaleheadraces.tri

In the Creation Kit, I couldn't find anywhere a "head" in the head parts. There are only eyes, brows, hair. I couldn't see head-parts for the mouth also.

Where are they?
They should be somewhere, and there must have settings for them.

 

Edit: I found the "Head" in the Head Parts.

I just duplicated the FemaleNordHead, and rename it by using my NPC's name.

I got black face.
Instead of using Ctrl+F4, I'll try to use the Make-up skin that I saved as texture.

I hope it'll work.

 

Maybe, you should share your 30 steps tutorial too.

 

Maybe, you would like to add screenshots for each steps to make people understand much more easily.

Yes, adding screenshots, preparing a tutorial is really pain in the ass.

Eventually, it'll worth.

 

Edited January 31, 2025 by nehaberlan

[nehaberlan]

I still have black face problem.

I'll try Ctrl+F4

 

My femaleheadraces.tri files don't work at all.

 

I don't get RaceMenu faces at all.

 

I followed all the steps.

 

I created new heads for each NPCs.

 

What problem might be?

 

 

[nehaberlan]

I used your FemaleHeadRaces.tri that you prepared for my NPC.

 

I created FemaleHeadRaces.tri files for my other NPCs. However, I couldn't get the face changes.

 

What could be the problem?

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 1, 2025 by nehaberlan

[Swe-DivX]

You need to change the Valid Races to Nord. The Race has to be in the tri, you can add the vampire race to the same tri file later.
Model needs to be the vanilla 996 head. This is a clean nif, and its only a headpart in this nif.

Point Model tri has to be vanilla. And Chargen Morph to vanilla until you have everything working.

I can add a images how to do it. Or a video.

[nehaberlan]

15 hours ago, Swe-DivX said:

You need to change the Valid Races to Nord. The Race has to be in the tri, you can add the vampire race to the same tri file later.
Model needs to be the vanilla 996 head. This is a clean nif, and its only a headpart in this nif.

Point Model tri has to be vanilla. And Chargen Morph to vanilla until you have everything working.

I can add a images how to do it. Or a video.

 

You make me confused.

I totally need pictures to understand them all.

I have to admit.

I'm dummy.

I prepared several screenshots/pictures for each steps for my NPC Chloe Cherry, who is Nord Race.

The problem is uploading pictures is P.I.T.A.

They don't appear at first attempt. I have to try more than 20 times for a single picture some times.

 

PS: I prepared the pictures/screenshots.

You can look at them in the next post.

 

Edited February 1, 2025 by nehaberlan

[nehaberlan]

Screenshots and Pictures that I prepared...

 

 


 

Chloe_FemaleHeadNord_Outfit Studio:

 



 

Chloe_FemaleHeadNord_Outfit Studio_Rotate Shape 180

 



 

Chloe_FemaleHeadNord_Outfit Studio - Head After Rotation:

 



 

Chloe_FemaleHeadNord_Outfit Studio_Transform to Global

 



 

Chloe_FemaleHeadNord_Outfit Studio_Transform to Global - Select No



 

Chloe_FemaleHeadNord_Outfit Studio - Click Save

 



 

Blender - Import Head as .obj

 



 

Blender - Import Chloe_FemaleHeadNord.obj

 



 

Blender - Chloe_FemaleHeadNord

 



 

 

Blender - Chloe_FemaleHeadNord - Rotation X: 90

 



 

Blender - Chloe_FemaleHeadNord - Rotation X: 0

 



 

Blender - Chloe_FemaleHeadNord - Export as .tri

 



 

Blender - Chloe_FemaleHeadNord - Export ChloeNewHead.tri

 



 

Blender - Import femaleheadraces.tri

 



 

Blender - FemaleHeadRaces tri - Data

 



 

Blender - FemaleHeadRaces tri - Delete by Minus

 



 

Blender - FemaleHeadRaces tri - After Deleted Races

 



 

Blender - FemaleHeadRaces tri - Import New Head

 



 

Blender - FemaleHeadRaces tri and New Head

 



 

Blender - FemaleHeadRaces New Head - Selecting Both

 



 

Blender - FemaleHeadRaces New Head - Join as Shapes

 



 

Blender - FemaleHeadRaces New Head - Shapes with Head

 



 

Blender - Export Chloe_FemaleHeadRaces tri

 



 

Chloe_Cherry Face Folder

 



 

Chloe_Cherry Head - HeadPart

 



 

 

Edited February 1, 2025 by nehaberlan

[Swe-DivX]

  Hide contents

Remove the NordRace to

 

Blender - FemaleHeadRaces New Head - Shapes with Head

And rename the new Shape to NordRace

 



 Dont copy FemaleHead.nif, FemaleHeadChargeGen.tri or FemaleHead.tri to a new folder. Let them be in the original folder.



 

 

[nehaberlan]

16 hours ago, Swe-DivX said:

You need to change the Valid Races to Nord. The Race has to be in the tri, you can add the vampire race to the same tri file later.
Model needs to be the vanilla 996 head. This is a clean nif, and its only a headpart in this nif.

Point Model tri has to be vanilla. And Chargen Morph to vanilla until you have everything working.

I can add a images how to do it. Or a video.

 

I added Nord Race & Basis in the new FemaleHeadRaces.tri

In the new folder that I created in the Meshes/My Mod/, I copied all the vanilla 996 head .nif, head.tri, FemaleHeadCharGen.tri files.

In the Creation Kit, I created a new Nord head for my NPC.

I assigned all files for these files.

I copied/pasted the new FemaleHeadRaces.tri in that folder also. I assigned the races for that new .tri file.

 

I think, I did something wrong while importing the vanilla FemaleHeadRaces.tri, making its settings, then importing the new head of my NPC's .tri file in it.

 

I opened the FemaleHeadRaces.tri that you prepared for Tera Patrick. It looks like flat/vanilla face. Basis and Nord Race are selected. However, there is no her head.

In the game, the face is as you prepared.

 

It's confusing.

 

Because I got black faces, I had to use Ctrl+F4.

I couldn't find any other solution to solve that problem.

 

 

 

[nehaberlan]

17 hours ago, Swe-DivX said:

You need to change the Valid Races to Nord. The Race has to be in the tri, you can add the vampire race to the same tri file later.
Model needs to be the vanilla 996 head. This is a clean nif, and its only a headpart in this nif.

Point Model tri has to be vanilla. And Chargen Morph to vanilla until you have everything working.

I can add a images how to do it. Or a video.

 

 

I check another follower mod.

 

It has vanilla head part settings.

NCK30 Annika\head\femalehead.nif (It's a vanilla 996 head.)

Actors\Character\Character Assets\FemaleHead.tri

Actors\Character\Character Assets\FemaleHeadRaces.tri

Actors\Character\Character Assets\FemaleHeadCharGen.tri

 

So, there is no changes in the FemaleHeadRaces.tri.

 

 

 

In the Creation Kit, her face looks like that:

 

 

 

However, her face in the FaceGeom looks like this one, and she appears with this face in the game:

 

 

 

How this could happen? If it's possible, what the author did about it? What he did?

If it's about replacing the head via NifSkope, I tried that. I used my NPC's FaceGeom face. Then I opened it in NifSkope. I opened the face that I created via RaceMenu in NifSkope. I selected the face and copied it. I deleted the Facepart of my NPC's face, then pasted the face branch in my NPC's head. I've always gotten CTD.

 

So, it doesn't work that way.

 

What went wrong?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[nehaberlan]

3 hours ago, Swe-DivX said:

  Hide contents

Remove the NordRace to

 

Blender - FemaleHeadRaces New Head - Shapes with Head

And rename the new Shape to NordRace

 



 Dont copy FemaleHead.nif, FemaleHeadChargeGen.tri or FemaleHead.tri to a new folder. Let them be in the original folder.



 

 

 

It worked.

 

However, because some faces that I've prepared in RaceMenu look terrible, I decided to use the default FemaleHeadRaces.tri file.

 

 

[1whirled]

The way you guys are going about this is quite far afield of what is required to get it functional on npc's in game. There is absolutely no reason to import the facegen into CK, at all which neatly sidesteps almost every problem you have. Literally I don't even bother with SPF command or files at all anymore & have not in many years. NifMerge also isn't needed either, and is less than useful for this.

 

Skin tint RGB values are right there in the exported facetint file, employ any image editor capable of .dds editing to color sample them and type values straight into CK, preferably an editor capable of exporting in BC7 format if SSE is in play which will save you a load of memory usage over uncompressed. Photoshop, or even Paint.net if you need a free easy to use option. GIMP if more functionality is required, but you'll have to set it up to handle BC7 with plugins, cuz by default it doesn't. I recommend sampling from the very corners of the facetint file, since makeup does not get applied there for a clean sample negating it's shading influence. 

 

 

I'll show you an enormous shortcut and end your troubles, but first I need preface with a question before I detail the methodology.  Custom race in play, or no?

 

 

 

If not, this is more straightforward, but nbd either way. If custom race, you will need Xedit too, since racial leveled lists dumbly cannot be altered in CK once created, even if generated anew from scratch.

Edited February 3, 2025 by 1whirled

[nehaberlan]

1 hour ago, 1whirled said:

The way you guys are going about this is quite far afield of what is required to get it functional on npc's in game. There is absolutely no reason to import the facegen into CK, at all which neatly sidesteps almost every problem you have. Literally I don't even bother with SPF command or files at all anymore & have not in many years. NifMerge also isn't needed either, and is less than useful for this.

 

Skin tint RGB values are right there in the exported facetint file, employ any image editor capable of .dds editing to color sample them and type values straight into CK, preferably an editor capable of exporting in BC7 format if SSE is in play which will save you a load of memory usage over uncompressed. Photoshop, or even Paint.net if you need a free easy to use option. GIMP if more functionality is required, but you'll have to set it up to handle BC7 with plugins, cuz by default it doesn't. I recommend sampling from the very corners of the facetint file, since makeup does not get applied there for a clean sample negating it's shading influence. 

 

 

I'll show you an enormous shortcut and end your troubles, but first I need preface with a question before I detail the methodology.  Custom race in play, or no?

 

 

 

If not, this is more straightforward, but nbd either way. If custom race, you will need Xedit too, since racial leveled lists dumbly cannot be altered in CK once created, even if generated anew from scratch.

 

I couldn't understand how to create similar face via editing colors.

 

This is a picture of celebrity that I want to create is:

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, the closed that I could get is this one:

 

 

 

 

 

So, I was not successful.

 

I tried everything to get.

I tried to get the same angles of her face. The right positions of her mouth, nose, etc...

Still, it doesn't work.

 

Edited February 3, 2025 by nehaberlan