Parents in Nifskope

[allsunday]

First off, what's a parent in nifskope?  All threads I've read seem to assume everyone magically knows what a parent in nifskope is but I don't.  Is it the top-most level of a category on the left column of nifskope?  Like the names "0 BSFadeNode" and "1 NiNode" and so on?

 

Secondly, how do you copy & paste a branch of a .nif mesh under the correct parent in Nifskope?  I know how to copy and paste a branch, it's under the BLOCK tab when you right-click on a part in nifskope but I don't know how in blazes to add it under the correct parent... or even what a parent is for that matter.

I just want to copy the hairstyle and hairline of a haircut to a face mesh because I hear this actually works better without screwing the face like the Creation Kit always does but the guy who wrote this is either not a native English speaker or writes like a software programmer and everything I've read are closed threads from over 2 years ago.  

[wishnot4]

You are correct that the 0 bsfadenode is the parent node.  But there can be more than one parent node, for example, in the skeleton you have the npc node and then the npc com node, and all the subsequent branches.  And you can't always copy a node from one nif to another.  If the source nif doesn't have the same naming structure as the created nif, then the copy will have issues.

[allsunday]

You are correct that the 0 bsfadenode is the parent node.  But there can be more than one parent node, for example, in the skeleton you have the npc node and then the npc com node, and all the subsequent branches.  And you can't always copy a node from one nif to another.  If the source nif doesn't have the same naming structure as the created nif, then the copy will have issues.

This reddit thread appears to say the opposite.  Only the guy generalized what he did so much that I can't even understand it. 

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/skyrimmods/comments/3trpcq/combining_meshs_in_nifscope_where_i_went_wrong/?st=j2dlg3ec&sh=abf7e419

[PsychoMachina]

Any node that expands (those nodes with an arrow symbol to the left of it) into additional nodes is considered the Parent while those additional nodes under it are the Children.  This means there are multiple Parent node appearing anywhere in the hierarchy.

 

When copying a branch (the children) from one NIF to another, the base node names (the first node of the whole hierarchy) needs to be the same for both source and target NIF.  Nifskope with throw an error (basically telling you the base node of the target NIF is different.  READ: it's a different name) and prevent the transfer.

 

When you successfully add the branch to the target NIF, it may not appear where it should or out of order.  Click on SPELLS (from the toolbar) > Sanitize > Reorder Blocks.

You may also need to fix the names of the nodes you transferred, sometimes Nifskope will change the names after successfully adding the branch(es).

[wishnot4]

Any node that expands (those nodes with an arrow symbol to the left of it) into additional nodes is considered the Parent while those additional nodes under it are the Children.  This means there are multiple Parent node appearing anywhere in the hierarchy.

 

When copying a branch (the children) from one NIF to another, the base node names (the first node of the whole hierarchy) needs to be the same for both source and target NIF.  Nifskope with throw an error (basically telling you the base node of the target NIF is different.  READ: it's a different name) and prevent the transfer.

 

When you successfully add the branch to the target NIF, it may not appear where it should or out of order.  Click on SPELLS (from the toolbar) > Sanitize > Reorder Blocks.

You may also need to fix the names of the nodes you transferred, sometimes Nifskope will change the names after successfully adding the branch(es).

Yeah, that's a lot more detailed version of what I was saying. I'm a bit lazy, sorry.

[allsunday]

Any node that expands (those nodes with an arrow symbol to the left of it) into additional nodes is considered the Parent while those additional nodes under it are the Children.  This means there are multiple Parent node appearing anywhere in the hierarchy.

 

When copying a branch (the children) from one NIF to another, the base node names (the first node of the whole hierarchy) needs to be the same for both source and target NIF.  Nifskope with throw an error (basically telling you the base node of the target NIF is different.  READ: it's a different name) and prevent the transfer.

 

When you successfully add the branch to the target NIF, it may not appear where it should or out of order.  Click on SPELLS (from the toolbar) > Sanitize > Reorder Blocks.

You may also need to fix the names of the nodes you transferred, sometimes Nifskope will change the names after successfully adding the branch(es).

 

"When copying a branch (the children) from one NIF to another, the base node names (the first node of the whole hierarchy) needs to be the same for both source and target NIF.  Nifskope with throw an error (basically telling you the base node of the target NIF is different.  READ: it's a different name) and prevent the transfer."

 

It doesn't prevent the transfer for me nor does it give me an error.  Nifskope just places the copied branch right at the bottom and it shows up properly on the model in the Nifskope window.

 

 

"When you successfully add the branch to the target NIF, it may not appear where it should or out of order.  Click on SPELLS (from the toolbar) > Sanitize > Reorder Blocks.

You may also need to fix the names of the nodes you transferred, sometimes Nifskope will change the names after successfully adding the branch(es)."

 

I guess I did "successfully" add the branch to the target NIF because the model looks EXACTLY how I want it to look in the render window but clicking Reordering Blocks does nothing.  The branches I copied over to the new mesh are still not appearing under the correct parent and... back to square one:  How do you add branches under the correct parent in Nifskope?

[Farmthat]

with Ctrl_V.

 

AKA "paste."

 

For example, you have NiTriShapeData, and you have that selected after copying "BSLightingShadingPrperties" from another nif, paste, and it should plop down in there.

 

one other consideration is that there are TWO ways to view the tree in Nifskope. One order the links based on parents, and another way sorts all the nodes numerically, which is basically unreadable.

 

Switch it to ordered, tree-like view. I cannot explain how because I literally have to run out the door, but I hope that helps. I will monitor this thread, and I'm happy to answer questions later. I have a lot of experience in nifskope.

[allsunday]

with Ctrl_V.

 

AKA "paste."

 

For example, you have NiTriShapeData, and you have that selected after copying "BSLightingShadingPrperties" from another nif, paste, and it should plop down in there.

 

one other consideration is that there are TWO ways to view the tree in Nifskope. One order the links based on parents, and another way sorts all the nodes numerically, which is basically unreadable.

 

Switch it to ordered, tree-like view. I cannot explain how because I literally have to run out the door, but I hope that helps. I will monitor this thread, and I'm happy to answer questions later. I have a lot of experience in nifskope.

Good lord, the people on here.

 

What part of saying, "I know how to copy and paste a branch, it's under the BLOCK tab" in my original post makes so little sense to someone that they find it necessary to tell me how to ctrl+V.  Plus, it's an addition symbol (+) to signify... ADDING.  Not an underscore.  WTH?  Lol.  Ctrl_V.  Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

 

I highly, highly, highly, highly, highly doubt that simply having the NiTriShapeData highlighted in the target .NIF will automatically place the branch under the correct parent.  Highly doubt it.

 

Yup, just tried it right now and it didn't work.  Surprise, surprise.

[Bazinga]

For a guy asking for help you are surprisingly unfriendly...

 

I think I remember you. 

[allsunday]

For a guy asking for help you are surprisingly unfriendly...

 

I think I remember you. 

Me, unfriendly?  If describing how someone was being condescending without a good reason at all is unfriendly then how about your smartass validate his behavior?  Mr. What-the-hell-is-a-leveled-NPC's-breast.  

 

Guaranteed your next excuse is:  "Waaah!  English is not my first language!  Waaah!"  English isn't my first language either but you don't see me use that excuse like a scared little child.

That's like getting involved into an argument and then giving up because you realize you suck at talking and hoping someone will feel bad for you.  LMAO.

 

Don't pick battles you don't even want to fight, little boy.  Have some common sense.

 

If not, the next response is someone saying, "This got toxic really fast!  Toxic = wrong.  That's what my mommy taught me and I'm the coolest because my mommy said so."

[allsunday]

I think I know what to do now.  Just going to skip Nifskope because it's such a user-unfriendly program.
As I mentioned in the original post:  

"I just want to copy the hairstyle and hairline of a haircut to a face mesh because I hear this actually works better without screwing the face like the Creation Kit always does"
I'm going to use this video tutorial below to add the NPC's face on a new Playable Character and customize it exactly the way I want.

 

Then I'll use this tutorial below to add the new face back on to the same NPC.

 

http://wiki.tesnexus.com/index.php/Using_a_face_made_with_Chargen_Extension_on_an_NPC_for_Skyrim

[Bazinga]

What a charming fellow. 

[allsunday]

What a charming fellow. 

 

Says the idiot who goes around irritating people but too scared to respond to me directly.

[allsunday]

I think I know what to do now.  Just going to skip Nifskope because it's such a user-unfriendly program.

As I mentioned in the original post:  

"I just want to copy the hairstyle and hairline of a haircut to a face mesh because I hear this actually works better without screwing the face like the Creation Kit always does"

I'm going to use this video tutorial below to add the NPC's face on a new Playable Character and customize it exactly the way I want.

 

 

Then I'll use this tutorial below to add the new face back on to the same NPC.

 

http://wiki.tesnexus.com/index.php/Using_a_face_made_with_Chargen_Extension_on_an_NPC_for_Skyrim

 

This worked flawlessly.  No more awful face morphs from Creation Kit.  Not only did it work, but I was also able to change the brows on the NPC and the eye color to the way I wanted..