Hi all, as some of you may know, a while ago I started work on a few sets of armour purely for Argonians.

I was originally going to make it for the vanilla argonian body, but I've since decided not to as it now looks pretty damn poor when compared against any other bodies. The vanilla version is pretty much done, it just needs a few things sorting out. I may release it at somepoint as an option for those who don't use Liztail's body.

What I would really like to accomplish is a much more detailed version for Liztail's better argonian body. I don't have any difficulties actually modelling the armour, it's just a case of getting it working in game and setup as it should be.

This is what I want to ask. Is there anyone out there with experience in making BB armour using 3DS Max, that is willing to speak with me on messenger or the like and guide me through getting it from 3DS to morrowind smoothly. I know this is alot to ask from someone, but if anyone was willing to show me how it's done I would then go on to making lots of sets of armour, and if I get quick enough at it maybe start taking requests. I just need to know how to make BB armor, its something I would love to be able to do, and like I said, if someone showed me how to do it, no-one would be able to stop me modelling armour.

So if there are any willing souls out there who are up for giving me a hand in ceasing this nightmare im facing, I would really appreciate it no end.

Thanks in advance everyone.

It should be a relatively painless process as you just need to convert .3ds files to Morrowind's NIF format using an http://www.ageinc.com/Morrowind/Thanos_Tower/utilities1.html that works with your version of max. If not then converting .3ds files to NIFs using Blender is a fairly simple processs providing the model doesn't have too many vertices, but as a general guide line , if your .3ds model is smaller than 400 kb in size then you should be able to convert it without difficulty assuming you haven't added any weird and wonderful animations/effects.

http://www.tamriel-rebuilt.org/files/tuts/nif_importer_tutorial.pdf has some editing tips that may come in handy.

Once you have created your nifs you then need to set up your armour in the construction set http://www.tamriel-rebuilt.org/?p=modding_data/tuts/dblad/armor should give some clues if stuck then look at other armour mods to see how to set up the models properly.

Thanks for the input Slartibartfast1. Unfortunatley thats not quite what im after. I know all about setting armor up in the CS, And i know how to make vanilla armor fine.
But ideally i need help with setting up the skeleton, adding wheights and the like for a BB armor set. Ive not found any tutorials on it, nor do i can i think of anyone who knows how to do it. Apart from Dirnae, and he's long since vanished.

Dude, leave the dark side and come over to Blender, i can feel your inner conflict!!!

If you insist on doing it in max, you might want to ask Throttlekitty over at Canadian Ice's Forum, he's a good armor smithy and IIRC he does work with max.


TheDaywalker :rock:

NEVER!!! If i moved onto blender i would have to spend a while figureing out how to even move the camera, let alone install the peice of crap

You got a link to the canadian ice forums? Can't find it

SGMonkey :rock:


:bonk:

Too bad, I think with some training and assuming we could have get rid of your bad manners, you'd probably have become quite a good padawan!!!

Anyways, here's the link...

http://grotto.moddersrealm.com/index.php


TheDaywalker :rock:

Here are some old screens of the vanilla version, for those who havn't seen them.

http://i974.photobucket.com/albums/ae229/SG-Monkey/Amanita/TESConstructionSet2010-07-2015-42-3.jpg
http://i974.photobucket.com/albums/ae229/SG-Monkey/Amanita/TESConstructionSet2010-07-2015-42-4.jpg
http://i974.photobucket.com/albums/ae229/SG-Monkey/Amanita/TESConstructionSet2010-07-2015-4-1.jpg
http://i974.photobucket.com/albums/ae229/SG-Monkey/Amanita/TESConstructionSet2010-07-2015-43-0.jpg
http://i974.photobucket.com/albums/ae229/SG-Monkey/Amanita/AA2.jpg
http://i974.photobucket.com/albums/ae229/SG-Monkey/Amanita/AA1.jpg

Maybe i'll give blender a go. And what's wrong with my manners? I'm always as polite as one can be. :flamethrower:

I posted links to such tutorials last Februrary in your argonian armor thread:
http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1075299-wipz-argonian-only-armor/page__view__findpost__p__15650554
They explain how to create rigged armor parts using the physique modifier. One of the links is now dead but you can find it thanks to google (cached version). The tutorial from psychodogstudios is a very simple read and explains the bases of creating rigged armor meshes to be used with BB.

As I also said in that argonian armor thread, the only thing you have to keep in mind since you're using max2009 (I think) is that you have to use the skin modifier instead of the physique modifier, but it's basically the same workflow. To learn how to use the skin modifier there are many tutorials available on the web, not made specifically for morrowind but they still explain how it works. Although Dirnae said in, again, the argonian armor thread that he explained to you how to use the skin modifer, so I'm really not sure what kind of info you're looking for??? With all this you should have everything to make rigged armor parts (for BB or the vanilla bodies)??

To set up the skeleton you can just open one of the source files from BB (available from their website), there's a skeleton included. I think you can also import one with the niftool importer, I don't really remember though as it's been a while since I tried doing that.

Well the tutorial on this page
http://mantodea.tygirwulf.com/tutorials/physique.html

Was obviously no use to me atall. And ive not been able to find any tutorials on the psycho dog website either, only the Diagrams detailing the vertex weights, the vertex weights are helpful too, but thats all i can find.

Just google the address and it will show up. Then click on "cached"
There's also the wayback machine, it could be there.



http://www.psychodogstudios.com/betterbodies/vw_tutorial.pdf

Ha, i have googled it, and google doesnt cache images, so, not only can i not see what he's trying to explain, but the tutorial is for physique

Thanks for the second link, i will check it out now

Yeah, I just noticed that. It's a shame, as it was a great tutorial

You could also look for a tutorial made by "Phyntoswap", he has (had?) a personal website where you can read a tutorial on how to physique stuff for morrowind. You'd just have to adapt the instructions so that it works with the skin modifier. It is really not that different from the physique modifier.

edit: looks like Phyntoswasp's tutorial is gone His website is not here anymore and on the wayback machine I can only get the http://web.archive.org/web/20060105163640/www.bear371.com/mods/Tutor/Tutor.htm of his physique tutorial Ah, well, I learned everything I needed to know from the tutorial at psychodog studios

edit2: just had a quick read through Montodea's (aka Braddock) tutorial, even without pictures looks like it is still readable, the text is very descriptive.