CK Problem Adding Custom Hair to Existing NPC

[Martianman]

Hello, 

 

I'm having trouble adding one of the KS Hairdos to an NPC using the creation kit. I load it up normally and tick skyrim, update, and KS hairdos, then I edit the selected npc, use the "full" image after selecting the right hair piece and it looks fine, and click ok to close that window. I then find her name in the big list of actors without using the search box, select it, then press "control + F4" then save it into a new esp and close. When I turn it on and load up the game (I use MO) she has grey face and her default vanilla hair. If I reload the CK with the new esp as the active file and edit the same npc, her hair did not save and has been reverted back to the default. I notice that there are some errors during the full image as I use the HDT system and it says there are issues about connecting bones etc which I just ignore, as I don't think that would be the reason that the selected KS hairstyle doesn't save.

Am I missing a step? Also, is there a way to add a custom hair color if I wanted to do this with another npc?
 

Any help would be appreciated! 

[Azazellz]

Just forget about editing NPC in CK and edit their heads (facegen files) directly.

Until you do not touch their skin colour or weight - it is the best way.

You can use NifMerge (just google it) for simple and quick "injecting" hairs from one NPC to another. And, of course, you can paste hairs into NPC facegen file directly, using only NifScope.

P.s. NPC hair colour also coded into nif file, Look for "Hair Tint Color" string in BSLightingShaderProperty block.

[allsunday]

Just forget about editing NPC in CK and edit their heads (facegen files) directly.

Until you do not touch their skin colour or weight - it is the best way.

You can use NifMerge (just google it) for simple and quick "injecting" hairs from one NPC to another. And, of course, you can paste hairs into NPC facegen file directly, using only NifScope.

P.s. NPC hair colour also coded into nif file, Look for "Hair Tint Color" string in BSLightingShaderProperty block.

Can you tell me more how to paste hair and change the color in the Facegen nif? I tried to change color under BSLightingShaderProperty but I don't know the number to change it to. Thanks.

[Azazellz]

Read instruction for NifMerge at this mod page on nexus (look on images)

For change hair color - just click on rainbow circle near hex-code and choose your color.

[RW311]

Sometimes ck will not save masters you added, or will save them when you didn't need to.

Use tesedit to fix or assign masters and if it's a small mod for just hair change duplicate the hair and headpart data into your mod so to avoid ck breaking all dependency paths and causing you to have to redo the mod again.

If you are editing certain npcs that use a base model and not the model you see in the preview it will not work when you export the facegen data unless you edit the base model instead, this is npcs that are not unique or are part of a quest where they are replaced by a duplicate for some scenes.

Also verify the load order when you are ready to test to be sure your mods changes are not being overwritten by another as some popular mods contain npc changes including facegen data.

I recommend if you are making npc changes keep USLEP as a master if you use it as it has many npc changes and if you change any of the same npcs you will lose the ai routines and fixes.

With all that said, nifmerge is faster and easier for simple hair fixes but greyface is still possible if you edit the facegen data of an npc and don't know that it has been modified by another mod in your load order.