Importing NIF to Blender

[oldrayzor]

I'm sure this has been asked a zillion times and I apologize for the repetition. Trying to install so I can import nif files to blender, but having difficulty locating some of the out-of-date components (specifically blender_nif_scripts-2.5.5) http://wiki.tesnexus.com/index.php/Installation_of_Blender

 

Python-2.6.5
Blender 2.49b.exe
blender_nif_scripts-2.5.5
PyFFI-2.1.5

 

Are these versions still recommended or could someone please direct me to a more up-to-date tutorial, perhaps for Blender 2.79?

[Kingpln]

Bundle pack 2.49b

https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/12248

Get the 2.5.9. for nif scripts

http://niftools.sourceforge.net/wiki/Blender

[myuhinny]

There is a thread here on LL somewhere that stuff that allows you to import nifs into the newer blender.

[oldrayzor]

4 hours ago, Kingpln said:

 

Get the 2.5.9. for nif scripts

http://niftools.sourceforge.net/wiki/Blender

And there's the rub. 2.5.9 needs upgrade of PyFFI which will require an upgrade of Python. No problem, will screw around until something works. Thanks for the reply.

[oldrayzor]

3 hours ago, myuhinny said:

There is a thread here on LL somewhere that stuff that allows you to import nifs into the newer blender.

I'll continue to search. I think there must be something here for sure. Thanks.

 

There is the niftool plugin, which I have tried and it sort of works but generates a bunch of errors: blender_nif_plugin-2.6.0a0.dev4-20-jun-16. I'll research this more. I did clean the nif in nifskope first but perhaps more is involved.

 

UPDATE: It does import in 2.79 with just the plugin. All errors generated are related to not finding the textures. You can even export as an .obj file and drag and drop it into Outfit Studio. However, it is a colossus! Not sure how you would scale it back to insure it was the exact, proper size.

 

Spoiler

 

[myuhinny]

That's because .OBJ format doesn't support skinning rigging and other things so when you export items in .OBJ format those things get removed.

 

So when you load the file/files into outfit studios you have to scale them down to the correct size. If a outfit has multiple pieces you must load each one into outfit studios 1 at a time till they are all in and then high light them all and scaled the whole outfit down at 1 time.

 

One way to prevent the scaling issue is to load it into outfit studios and then export the parts out in .OBJ format then load them into blender to modify and then export them out again and when you load the files back into outfit studios they'll still be the same size as they were before you exported them out and all you'll have to do is readd the weighting.

[Vortec]

2 hours ago, oldrayzor said:

I'll continue to search. I think there must be something here for sure. Thanks.

 

There is the niftool plugin, which I have tried and it sort of works but generates a bunch of errors: blender_nif_plugin-2.6.0a0.dev4-20-jun-16. I'll research this more. I did clean the nif in nifskope first but perhaps more is involved.

 

UPDATE: It does import in 2.79 with just the plugin. All errors generated are related to not finding the textures. You can even export as an .obj file and drag and drop it into Outfit Studio. However, it is a colossus! Not sure how you would scale it back to insure it was the exact, proper size.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

You can set Object export scale, don't have it handy but i think it's 0.10

[oldrayzor]

myuhinny and vortec, thank you both for the reply. To be clear, its scale is enormous when initially imported as as nif to blender. I will try the scaling you mention here. Will import a body nif for comparison in outfit studio. Thanks again.

 

UPDATE: You're so right, why even bother with nif. Just want to edit the meshes. Have to conform the weights anyway. Import and export obj works brilliantly. Thank you so much.

[oldrayzor]

On 1/15/2018 at 1:08 PM, myuhinny said:

One way to prevent the scaling issue is to load it into outfit studios and then export the parts out in .OBJ format then load them into blender to modify and then export them out again and when you load the files back into outfit studios they'll still be the same size as they were before you exported them out and all you'll have to do is readd the weighting.

Are you exporting the modified mesh from blender in obj file format?

[myuhinny]

Yes I export them out of blender in .OBJ format since I imported them in .OBJ format and I have to be able to load them back into outfit studios after modifying them.

 

I export the outfit pieces out of outfit studios in .OBJ format load them into blender do the modifying in blender and then export them back out in .OBJ format again. Then I load the nif up into outfit studios and delete out the part/parts that I modified in blender (if you don't do this it'll cause outfit studios to crash because it can't handle 2 items with the same name) then I use the file - load outfit - browse - outfit/mesh and drop the first .OBJ file into the box and select it to load it in then repeat for each item. Once all modified .OBJ are in export the file and name it then close outfit studios.

 

Start outfit studios again and select new project then select the body you want HDT/NON HDT and then select the nif you just exported and load it up. Select the parts you added and then select the bones you want to add to those parts and go to shape - copy selected weights then shape - transfer selected weights then hit export to have a newly weighted outfit. Then all that will be left to do is re add the texture paths for the pieces.

 

 

[Vortec]

35 minutes ago, myuhinny said:

Yes I export them out of blender in .OBJ format since I imported them in .OBJ format and I have to be able to load them back into outfit studios after modifying them.

 

I export the outfit pieces out of outfit studios in .OBJ format load them into blender do the modifying in blender and then export them back out in .OBJ format again. Then I load the nif up into outfit studios and delete out the part/parts that I modified in blender (if you don't do this it'll cause outfit studios to crash because it can't handle 2 items with the same name) then I use the file - load outfit - browse - outfit/mesh and drop the first .OBJ file into the box and select it to load it in then repeat for each item. Once all modified .OBJ are in export the file and name it then close outfit studios.

 

Start outfit studios again and select new project then select the body you want HDT/NON HDT and then select the nif you just exported and load it up. Select the parts you added and then select the bones you want to add to those parts and go to shape - copy selected weights then shape - transfer selected weights then hit export to have a newly weighted outfit. Then all that will be left to do is re add the texture paths for the pieces.

 

 

 Don't you also have too add Partitions in OS as well?.

[myuhinny]

@Vortec

 

Negative outfit studios automatically adds a BSDismemberSkinInstance when there isn't one present and adds all the things that go with the BSDismemberSkinInstance like partition and bones.

[yatol]

On 1/15/2018 at 10:54 AM, oldrayzor said:

 

Spoiler

 

your nif have a scale and a rotation (there's pictures with the nexus blender tuto...)

Spoiler

you apply the scale, rotation or translation before importing since outfitter doesn't handle that

Spoiler

 

no need for outfitter to import/export .obj

Spoiler

.obj it's the nitrishape

if you delete a part of the mesh, and import 900 verticles nitrishape on original 1000 verticles nitrishape, it's no good (bsdismemberskin is for 1000 verticles)

because of that the tutos don't use .obj

[TheRealMissAmber]

*munch munch munch*

Yep

[oldrayzor]

10 hours ago, myuhinny said:

Yes I export them out of blender in .OBJ format since I imported them in .OBJ format and I have to be able to load them back into outfit studios after modifying them.

 

I export the outfit pieces out of outfit studios in .OBJ format load them into blender do the modifying in blender and then export them back out in .OBJ format again. Then I load the nif up into outfit studios and delete out the part/parts that I modified in blender (if you don't do this it'll cause outfit studios to crash because it can't handle 2 items with the same name) then I use the file - load outfit - browse - outfit/mesh and drop the first .OBJ file into the box and select it to load it in then repeat for each item. Once all modified .OBJ are in export the file and name it then close outfit studios.

 

Start outfit studios again and select new project then select the body you want HDT/NON HDT and then select the nif you just exported and load it up. Select the parts you added and then select the bones you want to add to those parts and go to shape - copy selected weights then shape - transfer selected weights then hit export to have a newly weighted outfit. Then all that will be left to do is re add the texture paths for the pieces.

 

 

myuhinny I really appreciate you taking the time to provide a detailed procedure. Unfortunately it didn't work for me. Can't say as to why, I'm very new to this, but I did chronicle the steps so you wouldn't take me for a slacker.

 

Used the very simple (and familiar) UUNP HDT Chef Outfit from Tiwa44Minidresses strictly for testing

 

 

I then generated the _0 & _1 in bodyslide selecting the newly saved project as the outfit along with the preset for the referenced body. Sadly didn't work. Wasn't visible in Nifskope either.

 

FYI - I think I have the latest version of Outfit Studio and it does allow you to import duplicate copies (even annotates the duplicates with "_2") which is handy if you tire, as I do, of endless hours trying to paint weights on long skirts! Please let me know if I missed anything.

 

[myuhinny]

When you exported the nif did it throw up any weight painting error?  If it did then that would be why you can't see anything in nifskope. If everything in a nif isn't weight painted and there is one stop that has nothing when you load the nif it'll be invisible.

 

If you are not sure just load one of your finished nifs back up into outfit studios and try to export it and see if it throws up a error.

 

I didn't really care for the newer versions of bodyslide and outfit studios so I keep using the one I like.

 

 

[oldrayzor]

14 hours ago, myuhinny said:

When you exported the nif did it throw up any weight painting error? 

Only the intermediate nif. The finished nifs are fully weighted.

 

Spoiler

 

[myuhinny]

Upload the bugged file with the invisible mesh and someone can take a look at it and see if they see the problem with it.

[oldrayzor]

2 hours ago, myuhinny said:

Upload the bugged file with the invisible mesh and someone can take a look at it and see if they see the problem with it.

Sure. That would be great. Thanks.

 

chef_1_final.nif

[yatol]

22 hours ago, yatol said:

.obj it's the nitrishape

if you delete a part of the mesh, and import 900 verticles nitrishape on original 1000 verticles nitrishape, it's no good (bsdismemberskin is for 1000 verticles)

 

Spoiler

nitrishape have 1900 verticle

bsdismemberskin have 441+1454+301+....

bsdismemberskin don't have nitrishape number of verticles

so it's no good

 

[myuhinny]

You did something in the mesh not sure what but the fastest and easiest way to fix it is to first take the bad nif and load it into outfit studios.

 

Now click the top and select the shape - export shape to .OBJ then delete the old top out and click shape - import shape from .OBJ and select the one you just exported out and once loaded export the file.

 

Now start new project and select the new exported file and select the top then go to the bone tab and select the ones you want and go to shape - copy selected weights then shape - transfer selected weights then hit export to have a newly weighted outfit.

Whatever got messed up with the file will be removed and it will now appear in the nif when looking at it in nifskope.

 

*Note*

 

I did  hit a error in the body as well after saving so what I did was copied the barkeep mesh from the new nif deleted out the old one from the old nif and then pasted the new mesh into the old nif and then saved and had no errors pop up.

 

chef_1_final.nif

[oldrayzor]

2 hours ago, yatol said:

nitrishape have 1900 verticle

bsdismemberskin have 441+1454+301+....

bsdismemberskin don't have nitrishape number of verticles

so it's no good

Aw, so the bsdismemberskin generated by Outfit Studio is inaccurate. Understood. @yatol Thank you for looking at the file.

[oldrayzor]

@myuhinny Thanks, will follow up shortly.

[oldrayzor]

 

 

@myuhinny Thank you for your time. I have spent several hours trying to follow your guidance above as well as improvising and simply can't get anything to work. To be honest, I'm not as much interested in salvaging this file as trying to learn your procedure. If you are able to produce consistent results using Outfit Studio & Blender 2+ then that would be extremely valuable, certainly to me, but I imagine to a lot of other folks as well. I suppose it could be a matter of using an earlier version of OS. Anyway, should you be interested,  I've attached the original nif file and the obj export from Blender. Perhaps you can spot something wrong.

 

Spoiler

chef_1.nif

chef_1_edited.obj

 

[myuhinny]

I loaded both the chef and chef final into outfit studios 1 at a time and exported the top out in .OBJ format then I loaded both of them into blender so that I could use your original as a template as to where to cut at.

 

Clicked the full dress and turned object mode to edit mode then I made sure the dress wasn't all yellow and I held down the shift key and clicked the dots in a line with the right mouse button till I had gone all the way around. Then I hit X and selected delete vertices then touched up any spot that still had a piece holding on to the skirt part. Once the skirt is no longer attached you hit P and click on separate by loose parts this will unhook any part of the outfit so that it'll be in pieces. Now turn object mode back on and delete out the skirt part as it's not needed. Next hold down the shift key and start clicking the pieces with the right mouse key till most pieces are yellow then hold down the CTRL key and hit J to join them back together. 

 

If you look in the top box that shows it item you'll see a eye ball thingy if you click it then the part will become invisible so that you can see if there are any parts left that need to be joined with the hidden piece. If there is hold shift and right click them till they are all highlighted then click that eye ball thingy again to make it reappear and while still holding down the shift key right click on the part that was hidden and hold down the CTRL key and hit J to fuse.

 

Then start a new project and load the chef nif up and delete the dress out and load the new piece in and add your weight painting. Redo texture path if needed.

 

There is one other way to do this as well that only involves outfit studios.

 

First load the chef nif up into outfit studios and click on the tab with the square on it.  Hold down the left mouse button and paint the area you want to remove black make sure to watch so that you don't turn other parts black if you do use the undo buttons. Once you have what you want masked click mask - invert mask. This'll turn what you masked to normal and the top part will turn black. The black part will be what will be saved while the other part will be deleted. Click slider - new zap slider - save project as and save the display name as chef and hit ok.

 

Go to the bodyslide page and click outfit/body and look for the file you just saved and click it also make sure you have clicked the preview button so that you can see how it looks. 

 

 Now click the new zap little box and the skirt part should disappear. Click build to build the new nif and then redo the _0 and _1 nif and then make the nif to work with your bodyslide body.

 

 

Spoiler

 

Nif was modified through the blender way.

 

chef_1.nif