3ds Max, cannot export to nif.

[fucojr]

I've been trying to make a HDT-physics enabled cloak for a while (which is 3 days straight) and still no luck.

 

Until the final nif export step, everything works just fine. Even the physics works fine when tested with the havok preview tool. When I export it to nif though, only the cloak gets exported and not the skeleton. Also, all hierarchy gets completely destroyed in the process as well. Everything is linked to the ground as you can see in the third pic below. 

 

My work thus far looks like this

 

And the hierarchy looks like this.

(I delete the capsule thing before exporting)

 

 

When exported, the result is like this. 

I don't even know why the middle part is gone. (Probably some render bug? Mesh's intact when re-imported to 3ds max again)

And no, I didn't check flatten hierarchy or something similar in the export options.

 

I use 3ds max 2012 with 3ds max NIF plugin from skyrim nexus.

 

Any help greatly appreciated. 

 

[Emberheart]

From what I remember, you create bones in a particular manner, I believe they're separate nodes, not Max's own skeletal system. There may be a box to tick to export or convert skeletons. Also keep in mind there's a few different exporters for different versions and the Max2010 NIF exporter is the one I'm using now as it gives me little to no problems.

 

Then again I never bothered exporting a skeleton from Max, preferring to instead copy over a pre-excisting skeleton from another NIF through NifSkope and fiddling with that to work for the new model. The main reason for that is to avoid having a lot of settings or properties copied over from Max, which may not work the way Skyrim wants them to. By purely important the TriShape and using a pre-existing similar model to influence collision, the skeleton etc I have a sense of security that I won't break things. It's better to borrow from a working concept, than creating a broken concept of one's own.

 

I then use OutfitStudio to weightpaint the armour, treating it as if it were a body instead. That last part is ironic, as I use UNP based bodies while OutfitStudio was originally meant for CBBE, but that's not important.

 

For the missing middle part, maybe normals etc, try fiddling with them in NifSkope. I also suspect it may possibly be the skeleton, which may not properly work with your cape.

[Yoo]

Would you be so kind to show me a pic of your export settings?

 

 

Ok, now I'm at home and I can look closely to your pics.

 

Looking at your select from scene dialog, I can tell that you dont have a skeleton. All the "bones" that you see are just dummies created by the importer when you check the "Import Skeleton" option but you dont have a valid skeleton file on the "Skeleton Path" thing. And when you export, the NIFExport wont use those dummies as bones.

 

When you import a body/armor always select a valid skeleton. Unless you already have a skeleton on your scene.

 

 

 

Btw, to save your work, you will have to save the Skin modifier (On the modifier, go to Advanced parameters then "Save"). Once you do that, delete the cape and the dummies, re import the cape with the skeleton and then add a new skin modifier. Add the bones that you used and go to advanced parameters, "Load".  Check that all the "incoming" bones match the current bones and that should be enough.

 

Also, you are using multiple bones on your cape, so be sure that all the vertices are affected by a max of 4 bones (that's the skyrim limit). If you see ingame that some parts of the mesh can be seen when they are behind another mesh, means that you have more than 4 influences on that area.