I tried to get an animated head to work but somehow the morpher animation is never stored in an exported nif. I tried to import an animated head to Gmax just to discover it had no morph anim either.
So either I'm totally dumb or the importer/exporter for Gmax somehow got screwed up or it is simply impossible to do.
but the MaxNifPlugins readme clearly states it is implemented.


i tried several settings on the exporter. neither nif-Gmax nor the common Gmax worked.
even the demigod of ultimate knowledge (aka google) haven't found anything relating morphing animations an nif files
so can anyone probide me with some usefull hints? (and please don't consider "use Blender" as a usefull hint)
are there some export settings i have to take into account? or is it just not possible to mak orphs in Gmax?

I use Gmax 1.2 and niftools max plugins 3.5.5.4728 for Gmax

[cough]BLENDER[/cough]



TheDaywalker :rock:

*sigh* i knew someone would suggest using blender. thats why i wrote this:



i see there must be some advantages in using blender (even if i can't see any right now, besides an apparently working morph).
but i have to confess I'm too stupid to use it. heck, i can't even manage to move/rotate the VIEW porpperly. :facepalm:
but i keep blender as an ultima ratio.

anyone else got a hint?

I just tested- I exported morphs to MW nif version from max8 with the same plugin you used. I'm not completely familiar on the MW workflow, and nif setup these days, but I have a NiGeomMorpherController in there doing its thing in nifskope.

I suppose if it isn't a gmax thing. It must be your scene setup/export setings that is incorrect. I take it you have a root bone and keyed the animation and all that etc? iirc you don't want a controllermanager in there, and just need the nimesh object with the morpher in there?

I have tested gMax1.2 (original MW heads) with NifTools plugin build 3.0.10.4079.

Import is working as expected (some clean up is required, specify morph targets in morpher modifier).
Export does not correctly creates NiMorphData: only one morph.
I have tried plugin settings that are working fine in Max.
Perhaps, Blender is the only option for you (NifScope will not help: vector arrays are missing).
That’s a bad news. Maybe I am missing something.

Ok, now i'm at a dead end.
first of all the exporter seems to ignore the morph targets while everything else is just fine. so the head actually DOES morph... but with itself as target.
i never noticed the anim-bar in nifscope was actually moving since i just watched the head itself.
So i think it COULD be my mistake.
so i'd suggest to eliminate possible error sources.

First:
which settings should i use with the exporter?
(the exporter interface in Gmax is the same as in 3ds Max)
i noticed on some settings the head was "looking up", i.e. it was aligned to the z axis in nifscope. on other settings the animation slider in nifscope didn't move an inch so most likely the animation haven't been exported at all.

Second:
I followed http://www.tamriel-rebuilt.org/?p=modding_data/tutorials§ion=2867, as well as http://www.psychodogstudios.com/forums/showthread.php?t=131 http://fishinstitution.com/downloads/morrowindheads.pdf step by step. is there anything missing? any steps not covered up properly?

A1x2e3l mentioned XForm modifier http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1101494-new-head/page__p__16127318__hl__head__fromsearch__1&#entry16127318. so what about them?


oh and by the way: i tried Blender again in my despair (and be it just as a propper exporter). but i can't use it. literally. PyFFI doesnt recognize my VC++ and the Niftools Blender Plugins tell me to install blender first, even if i launch the NIFPlugin installer out of the blender installation folder.
so i feel quite a bit pranked... :meh:

In Max these tutorials are working fine, I guess this is a plugin bug specific for gMax.
XForm modifier plus collapsing the stack is used so to say for removing the history of transformations (scaling etc.) that were applied on the mesh. I do not think that this could be responsible for such dramatic error like missing morph targets.
These settings are working for me (check “Extra Nodes on Mesh” for NPC/PC animations export when using recent NifTools exporter):
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n45/AxelIP/MWMaxImportExport.jpg
When exporting morphs I am also unchecking “Collapse Transforms” and “Zero Transforms” in export options.
I have no idea how to resolve this gMax problem at the moment. This is not a solution but you can send me your nif (or nifs) with the head and both morph targets, I will check what I can do with that.

Hi, op of the thread you linked here.
The tutorials you linked aren't perfect, for one you'll end up with no Nitextkey. I do like Xaphod's interpolation settings though.
I suggest you give Blender a go, gmax isn't even supported anymore and Blender has some very useful features that even 3dsmax doesn't. For example, I remember that morphs(shape keys) can go beyond 0 and 100%- say you find your morph target doesn't open it's mouth quite wide enough, you won't have to move all those vertices again. The user interface may be vastly different from max's but I wouldn't say it's worse. It was the first modelling program I played with, and when I tried max I must have felt the same way you do about blender or worse. In particular I still find having to hold down middle mouse button for a while before being able to use Alt to Pan extremely irritating.

Edit: Well after you make it work!

That’s not true. In Max You can set any morph channel value in Curve Editor (as well as many other things). Btw, you can do that in NifScope either as well as set exact values used in original MW heads.

ok, now it's official: Gmax Nif Exporter is not able to export Morphs (while bone animations work fine).
And since the Niftools Blender Plugins as well as PyFFI refuse to work on my PC, i see only 3 options:

1. Spend the money i saved for a car to buy a 3ds Max license (most unliekely, but it IS an option)
2. Quit animating
3. find someone who applies the morphs to my model.

anyway. i put this project on hold and continue with others until i find a propper solution.
thanks for the help!

Are you sure there isn't a fourth option you haven't considered? coughunlincensedcough

i don't know what you're talkoing about... *whistles innocently* :whistling:

Are you sure about that? Well I mean you're right you can set the morph to anything you like in the curve editor, but it all it changes is how soon the morph reaches 100%, then it just stays there until it reaches the key. In Blender you can actually make the vertices move further. I'm needing that now so I might have to relearn blender again