Attempting to edit slave collar mesh to conceal neck seam, won't work

[Marisa Kirisame]

So, here's the situation. I have the slavecollar.nif file, I can edit whatever I want with nifskope and it'll show up fine in-game (change the textures, emissive colour and whatnot), but anything involving changing the position, rotation and scale (with the exception of "scale vertices") of the collar simply has NO EFFECT whatsoever (the same appears to happen with other headgear).

 

This is really getting on my nerves, I can't stand looking at those awful neck seams. Neck seams that, from what I've heard (and tried myself), are completely unfixable.

[A.J.]

After the edit, did you right click and then select Apply?

If it tells you that the result couldn't be as you would expect, and in game it effectively doesn't change, I guess the only way would be Blender.

 

Also, when testing changes on meshes in game, sometimes' not bad to drop and take back the item (re-equip)

[Marisa Kirisame]

Actually, changes to meshes on FNV apply after a whole game restart. And no, I haven't applied changes (if it's actually necessary, then I'll try)

[A.J.]

I remember a thread of a pretty famous mesh artist which was describing how the headgear she was working on, it was updated only after drop / re-take the item, the restart wasn't enough. Everytime I have unexpected issues, I tend to double check even obvious things... because, essentially, when you think you finally understood how the game engine works, you realize it still can surprise you with unexpected behaviours

[Imperfection]

Actually, changes to meshes on FNV apply after a whole game restart. And no, I haven't applied changes (if it's actually necessary, then I'll try)

 

Just my two cents from my own experience in Nifskope

 

In Nifskope if you translate mesh part position on x.y,z values you have to hit apply, then select the NiTriShapeData or NiTriStripData node of that mesh part and select Mesh > Update Center/Radius. Then save the nif. Rotation values and scale can also be "applied" in this manner.

 

If the mesh already has translations on the x,y,z (i.e. you did not add these, it came that way) and you try to increase those values it most likely will not work even after the above, just my experience. These values must be "zeroed out" first and then the nif saved and reopened before additinal translations can be applied as above. To zero out the existing translations is not hard. In Blender (2.49b) this is caused by moving mesh parts in Object Mode, they should only be moved in Edit mode with all the mesh part verts selected.

 

1. Select the BSDismemberSkinInstance of the mesh node your working on, expand it, select the NiSkinData node.

 

2. In the block details expand Skin Transform, select Translation, right click and select "Normalize"

 

3. Select the colored axis in value column just above it and select Transform > Clear.

 

4. Select the NiTriShape node of the mesh part and select Transform > Clear

 

5. Do not hit Transform Apply in this instance, just save mesh and reload before applying any other translations.

 

The above does not apply when you use Transform > Scale Verticies, execept for the Mesh > Update Center/Radius should still be done anytime you move the mesh via translations.

 

Hope this helps,

[Marisa Kirisame]

Oh, thank you, it worked :3

 

[Imperfection]

Hey that turned out really well, no ugly neck seam, nice work.