I rigged a model and exported it eventually, but when i tried to replace the NiTriShape data of an existing mod with my mesh, i got an error message saying "failed to map parent link NiNoe lHead Anims"
Did i miss out on a step or am i doing it completely wrong?
If anyone's knows of a tutorial specifically related to this step it'd be well appreciated. Thanks

I'm no expert in this tho...but I think you rigged the mesh to a bone that isn't in the nif file you try to paste it in. can you post a screenshot of the nif and the model and what bones you want to assign it to?

Btw why do you want to replace the NiTriShape data? Just copy the whole block from your nif file and paste it in the vanilla one you want to use, then you can remove the blocks you don't need instead of replacing the mesh...

here's some pictures. The model i'm trying to replace is a torumekia cape by experimental and the model i made is a sword which is equipped as armour

Cape model:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50868892@N08/5122827565/

My model:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50868892@N08/5122827289/

I tried that thing but It says that the versions differ, they're both rigged to the Fo3 skeleton though and apparently there's too much data to copy. I'm only quoting so i don't really get it either

Yep, Geonox is right. The vanilla meshes only contain the bone nodes that the current mesh uses. Copy-paste the node from your copy source, and then rename it to match the node. Name strings are from an index now, instead of stored in the mesh itself, so you'll have to change the index name. Same goes for the mesh itself. If it pastes over and its name index goes to a bone node, expect funkiness in the game.

Also, replacing the NiTriShapeData is useful when attempting to avoid the need to redo Texture Set overrides in the GECK. When you do that, Robert, make sure you transfer over the BSDismemberSkinInstance as well, as the one in the mesh is not valid with your new NiTriShapeData.

Reason being weight paints?

yeah, vertex weights and the dismemberment partitions(this may crash). At best it'll be a jumbled mess

yeah basically what you are trying to do is to replace a model that has been weight painted to be replaced by a model which is not weight painted. So that gives you the "exploded" mesh. Just copy and paste the branch

thanks for all the help., you guys are amazing. But how would i import this into NV since they aren't any similar items?

I don't understand the question lol. You should just be able to use nifs that are compatible with fallout 3 with nifs for NV. You need the G.E.C.K if you really want to place them somewhere in the game itself [if that's what your asking].

Anyway, i got the thing to replace the other thing in NifSkope and it didn't stuff up the GECK. There was a different problem, when i quip the item, my whole body disappears, there's this head bobbing up and down with some hand hovering below it... quite disturbing... any ideas?
Sorry about having so many questions and being so demanding

Set up your armor and follow this tutorial step by step, it's quite simple...it seems like a long tutorial but it also explains how to model in blender but you can skip that part. But make sure you have a look at the uv mapping if you don't set it up right the texture strip wont show up in nifskope and it can go messy. So read the whole thing and take out what you think is important for you to know. It's a really easy tutorial....

http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=963

Thanks for the tutorial, it's really helpful, but i'm still stuck on my initial question. Being that the nif versions differ and part of my mesh disappears in NifSkope.