[Bodyslide] Armor Invisible

[Nichoice]

So I recently learned how to convert armors and copy bones and weights over for bouncy bouncy, and something peculiar happened. 

 

I was converting a piece of armor, in Bodyslde everything looks fine. In game however the armor is invisible. 

 

I have never have this happen before, does anyone know what would cause this? 

[myuhinny]

Does it appear that way in the CK when you added it? Do you have everything set correctly in the nif. Correct dismemberment for item piece and addon if you have the dismemberment set incorrectly that can cause the it to appear invisible. The dismemberment is where you set the slot that the armor will use. Also make sure you have the race set to default for both or that can cause it.

[Nichoice]

I never looked into the CK, I only converted the armor through Outfit Studio and the ESP was my own created with TES5Edit. 

 

The original mesh which I reverted afterwards was fine.

 

I noticed as well that when I set the weight slider to max, the armor would turn invisible. 

 

 

[deljason]

That happens if ALL bits of the armor don't have matching armor slots. The actual armor item and the armor addon as well as the nif have to have the same number. They also need to not use the default body slot (32) in many cases.

[Samustus]

 

I noticed as well that when I set the weight slider to max, the armor would turn invisible. 

 

The weight slider for the original piece or the bodyslided one? Either way this suggests the *_0.nif and the *.1.nif are different.

 

If you were referring to the bodylided piece, when you create bodyslide files they are generated from a single .nif inside the ShapeData folder, so I can't see how they can differ because they are both created from the same source. Also if the armor slots used were wrong, you wouldn't be able to see the armor piece at all on low or high weight. Did you change anything in the .nif files after they were created?

 

If you were referring to the original piece, then there is definitely an armor slot mismatch in the low and high weight.

 

There is another possibility, but unlikely, however it's worth mentioning. Depending on the size/location of the armor piece it could disappear 'inside' the body when the weight is increased and the body expands. This would suggest that the weight sliders are disabled for the armor piece. Open your .esp in TES5Edit and check that the weight sliders for the armor piece are enabled for the male/female type. Anyway, this route seems unlikely because you should have noticed when moving the weight slider.

 

I leaning towards myuhinny's assessment. It's most likely an .esp error somewhere.

[Nichoice]

In-game, when I slide it to max weight in racemenu the original mesh turns invisible. 

 

Moving the weight sliders does change the armor size so it looks to be weighted, its only when its all the way to the right that it turns invisible. 

 

After installing the bodyslide created meshes, the armor is invisible. 

 

I have never used CK and I have relied on TES5Edit for years, I am at work so I can't have a look at the ESP at the moment. 

 

But I can try and make a new esp by copying say a leather armor and just change the mesh path. That way I can be sure whether it was my screwup with the merge patch/esp or whether its the mesh. 

[Samustus]

 

 

After installing the bodyslide created meshes, the armor is invisible. 

 

 

 

That's the key right there. The original *_1.nif had it's 'armor slot' wrong, either in the .esp or the nif file. I'm guessing you converted the armor using that mesh, right?

 

Open your .esp and check the armor slot used in both the 'Armor' and 'ArmorAddon' are both the same and in the correct slot. Once satisfied it's ok, make a note of the slot used.

 

Now go to your created folder in the 'ShapeData' folder and open your .nif in Nifskope and check that the armor slot used is the same as the one you noted and if not, then change it (make a backup JIC). Once done, try bodysliding and it should work.

 

[Nichoice]

Thank you, I will check tonight once I get home. 

 

What is the correct slot if I may ask? Its a Cuirass that covers the whole body save for hands, head and feet. 

 

And I already deleted the shapedata when it didnt' work last night, but I can do it again. 

 

Best ensure the original Mesh _1.nif is correct. 

[myuhinny]

Depends on what is in the outfit and what it covers if there is a body in it you use SBP_32_body if there are boots/heels with it you also have to set SBP_37_feet. If you don't set feet when there are boots or heels used your players feet will be used and they will be sticking out of the them.

[Nichoice]

Feet is visible, so are hands and head. 

 

Body is fully covered, similar to the vanilla leather armor. 

[deljason]

If it covers all the body except hands, feet and head it is 32.

[Nichoice]

Thank you, I will double check the esp.

 

I ain't well versed with nif skope, where can I locate the armor slot

[Nichoice]

I just double checked the ESP, 32

 

Armor Addon 32,34,38 for first person

 

Nifskope NiTriShape Body [32] 

 

 

Armor_1.nif

[Samustus]

I just double checked the ESP, 32

 

Armor Addon 32,34,38 for first person

 

Nifskope NiTriShape Body [32] 

 

The .nif file you attached uses 'BP_TORSO'. I believe it should be 'SBP_32_BODY'.

 

The rest you mentioned seems fine.

 

Edit: You can find this by opening the 'Armor' tree and clicking on 'BSDismemberSkinInstance', then in 'Partitions' (maybe lower window) change 'BP_TORSO' to 'SBP_32_BODY'. Now do the same for the 'Body' tree part, change that to 'SBP_32_BODY' too.

 

Have a look at the Armor_0.nif while you're at it. It should be correct.

 

Once you're done, test it in-game and if it's ok then you're good to go for conversion using the 'Armor_1.nif'.

[deljason]

I just double checked the ESP, 32

 

Armor Addon 32,34,38 for first person

 

Nifskope NiTriShape Body [32] 

 

That should work then, as long as the armor and armor addon and nif all use the same slot.  The other possibility is if it covers the whole body you need those slots selected as well. (not in the nif, just in the 2 places in the esp).

[myuhinny]

Yes in your Armor_1.nif all you need is sbp_32_body you don't need forearms or calves not to mention the outfit doesn't cover the calves anyway. You pick the least amount of slots for a outfit this way you can mix and match stuff easier. If you try to wear something and both use the same slot the new one gets put on and the other one removed. 

[Nichoice]

Yea I understand that much, I have just never had a nif where the bodyslot was incorrect. 

 

Thank you everyone here for your help. 

 

I got it to work, the conversion itself didn't go very well. There is clipping around the shoulders and under the arms and they are very noticeable when moving around. 

 

Would increasing the mesh size around the arms help? Doing so might deform the armor. 

 

[deljason]

If you use outfit studio you can pretty easily make it fit better.

[Nichoice]

If you use outfit studio you can pretty easily make it fit better.

 

Duh

 

I meant the how, cause it only clips during the animations. 

 

Now some clipping is inevitable, but is increasing the mesh the only way? 

 

Increasing it too much only deforms the armor, or should I been reducing the back of the body even more before I go fix clipping with the brush. 

[Samustus]

 

Now some clipping is inevitable, but is increasing the mesh the only way? 

 

 

For me it is, sadly.

 

Proper weight painting is the way to go apparently, as the weights reflect the movement of the body and how the mesh reacts. Frustratingly, I have no idea how apply perfect weight painting without using programs such as Blender and 3DSMax, which I have no clue how to use. I keep meaning to try one out and learn, but then I check out a tutorial video using one of the programs and my eyes gloss over a few minutes into the video, hehe. There are programs such as 'Mesh Rigger' that can help, but the results are not always guaranteed and it's quite a learning curve to use it. Myuhinny is the go-to person to ask about that.

 

Looking at the nif you attached, though, you could get away with using 'zap sliders' because the armor covers a lot of the body. Essentially you just hide parts of the body under the armor, preventing it from clipping through the mesh. There are tutorials on using them. Then the only parts of the mesh you need to increase will be the edges of the mesh.

 

[myuhinny]

I alternate between increasing outfit size to shrinking body spot when in outfit studio if it looks like a outfit spot is going to get too big I undo what I did and shrink the body in that spot. Either that or I keep alternating the body size of the body I'm trying to put into it add it to the armor look at where it is clipping go back to bodyslid adjust those spots some more overwrite old file load it up with the new one and see and keep doing it till it gets good enough to work.

[Nichoice]

 

 

Now some clipping is inevitable, but is increasing the mesh the only way? 

 

 

For me it is, sadly.

 

Proper weight painting is the way to go apparently, as the weights reflect the movement of the body and how the mesh reacts. Frustratingly, I have no idea how apply perfect weight painting without using programs such as Blender and 3DSMax, which I have no clue how to use. I keep meaning to try one out and learn, but then I check out a tutorial video using one of the programs and my eyes gloss over a few minutes into the video, hehe. There are programs such as 'Mesh Rigger' that can help, but the results are not always guaranteed and it's quite a learning curve to use it. Myuhinny is the go-to person to ask about that.

 

Looking at the nif you attached, though, you could get away with using 'zap sliders' because the armor covers a lot of the body. Essentially you just hide parts of the body under the armor, preventing it from clipping through the mesh. There are tutorials on using them. Then the only parts of the mesh you need to increase will be the edges of the mesh.

 

 

Ditto, I have copied weights in the past using Outfit Studio. 

 

I have converted armors before to some success depending on the armor. 

 

I also have no experience with Blender etc. 

 

The reason I want to "get good" at converting is because of this => http://www.loverslab.com/files/file/2552-non-skimpy-cbbe-hdt-armor-replacer/

 

Someone made these, for all the vanilla armors. 

 

Many have attempted it, and while I haven't tested it all it seems promising. 

 

I have remodeled armors not as a replacement and I am currently using s666's High Poly Armors from Nexus. 

 

However, most of the armors have a neck seam and some have clippings. 

 

I plan on trying to convert all of them and hopefully release them here when I get around to doing all of them. But I am by no means an expert  

[deljason]

 

If you use outfit studio you can pretty easily make it fit better.

 

Duh

 

I meant the how, cause it only clips during the animations. 

 

Now some clipping is inevitable, but is increasing the mesh the only way? 

 

Increasing it too much only deforms the armor, or should I been reducing the back of the body even more before I go fix clipping with the brush. 

 

You can change the brush size to reduce how much it moves the bits and how large the area is moved, then just find the spots that clip during animations and adjust them slightly.