[REQ] Subtle Shield Magic Effect : III

» Sat May 28, 2011 2:23 pm

I'm looking for a mod that replaces the (fire/frost/lightning) shield effects with something different. I've seen mods that make them invisible completely, but that's not what I want. I still want to know when the effect is active on someone. The effects from Spectacular Sorcery (http://www.tesnexus.com/imageshare/images/57416-1285623547.jpg, it moves up and down.) look really cool for enemies, but are incredibly distracting in first person.

I've tried http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.Detail&id=3466 but the effect is still too strong IMO. Does anyone know of any other alternatives? The ideal replacer would still indicate that an NPC has the effect active on them, but it should not be too distracting in first person or third person when you are using it.

» Sat May 28, 2011 8:43 pm

i second that!

so i'm toying with some of the textures though there are a lot better artists then I around here. i don't have a testable setup on this pc right now either but i'll see if i can find one.

» Sat May 28, 2011 5:22 pm

I am not sure whether this mod will be what you are looking for or not but it is only other one of which I am aware -
vfx_bubble plugin by Vilkacis.
It was on ElricM.com but that site now seems inaccessible? Reuploaded to Mediafire: http://www.mediafire.com/file/5uxe925r739phxu/vfx_bubble_final.zip

Edit: It might well also be at MMH; not sure.

» Sat May 28, 2011 3:49 pm

Oh thanks !

» Sat May 28, 2011 7:29 pm

A couple interesting tidbits that might be of use here (probably not, but hey, who knows):

- When creating env maps, if you use a sphere map and color the side and bottom borders (IIRC) with a particular color, it acts as something of a fresnel effect. A similar effect can be done with cube env maps, both of which MW support.
- Combine the above with a rather transparent surface, you can create a shield that is nigh-invisible when looking directly at it. From first person, that will reduce the effect a lot, but still won't be invisible.
- I'm also adding shaders to Gem that can handle this, and MGE has a very basic/crippled system to do materials right now, either of which could do any shield effect you could possibly think of.

» Sat May 28, 2011 2:36 pm

im no mod encyclopedia, has anyone ever removed the bubble, (or turned it 80~90% more transparent) while keeping the particle emission? i dont mind the bubble myself,but if i were to replace it, i'd want something that's mainly just a particle emitter.

» Sat May 28, 2011 10:55 am

here is my attempt it's a mesh/texture re-placer i haven't tested but if you want to here you go

let me know

edit: removied dead link

» Sat May 28, 2011 4:22 am

here is my attempt it's a mesh/texture re-placer i haven't tested but if you want to here you go

http://andersonart.com/marcus/Lighter_Shield_Effects.rar

let me know

It's not working, I'm getting these errors when I cast the spells:

Spoiler

TES3Stream Warning: Model "Meshes\e\lightning_shield.NIF" tex not found "lat\vfx_lightning_shield_lat.tga"!
TES3Stream Warning: Model "Meshes\e\lightning_shield.NIF" tex not found "lat\vfx_flare02_lat.tga"!
TES3Stream Warning: Model "Meshes\e\lightning_shield.NIF" tex not found "lat\vfx_lightningspark_lat.tga"!
Texture Load Error!: lat\vfx_lightning_shield_lat.tga
Texture Load Error!: lat\vfx_flare02_lat.tga
Texture Load Error!: lat\vfx_lightningspark_lat.tga
TES3Stream Warning: Model "Meshes\e\frost_shield.NIF" tex not found "lat\vfx_frost_shield_lat.tga"!
TES3Stream Warning: Model "Meshes\e\frost_shield.NIF" tex not found "lat\vfx_frostflare_lat.tga"!
TES3Stream Warning: Model "Meshes\e\frost_shield.NIF" tex not found "lat\vfx_frostflare02_lat.tga"!
Texture Load Error!: lat\vfx_frost_shield_lat.tga
Texture Load Error!: lat\vfx_frostflare_lat.tga
Texture Load Error!: lat\vfx_frostflare02_lat.tga
TES3Stream Warning: Model "Meshes\e\fire_shield.NIF" tex not found "lat\vfx_firealpha02_lat.tga"!
TES3Stream Warning: Model "Meshes\e\fire_shield.NIF" tex not found "lat\vfx_flare02_lat.tga"!
TES3Stream Warning: Model "Meshes\e\fire_shield.NIF" tex not found "lat\vfx_fireglow_lat.tga"!
Texture Load Error!: lat\vfx_firealpha02_lat.tga
Texture Load Error!: lat\vfx_fireglow_lat.tga

» Sat May 28, 2011 10:28 am

my bad try this

http://andersonart.com/marcus/Lighter_Shield_Effects2.rar

if it still has issues it's free to modify by anyone

» Sat May 28, 2011 7:18 am

The colour is lighter but it's still http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/3894/afterhz.jpg. Thanks for giving it a try though.

I think we need something completely different from the egg effect. I was thinking something along the lines of http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/3370/mgescreenshot24.jpg. The magic effect at his feet, being around that height, but not changing in size. And then a different colour for the different magic effects. Or it could be like the levitation effect, only slightly bigger/positioned higher, and also recolored for the different shields.

» Sat May 28, 2011 7:47 pm

i had only toned it down a like 75% it could go more. i'm going to look through the nif files and see if the effect on the bottom is a stand alone effect

» Sat May 28, 2011 6:01 pm

I have no experience with altering meshes/textures so I just messed around a bit. I think if we could turn the levitate effect under your feet upside down somehow, and replace the purple rings with lightning/fire/frost effects (the default shield textures seem to be fine for that, that much I've been able to replace) it could look pretty good.

» Sat May 28, 2011 10:48 am

So yeah, I attached some vanilla spell effects to the levitate mesh. http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/9207/mgescreenshot28.jpg (I'm not levitating). If anyone could turn the levitate mesh upside down, so that the smallest of the three rings still start at your feet, but the bigger two rings are going up instead of down, and then upload it somewhere, that would be great. Right now the lower 2 rings sink into the ground and the effect doesn't make a lot of sense as a shield this way. If the effect could be made slightly bigger that would be nice too.

» Sat May 28, 2011 7:39 am

So yeah, I attached some vanilla spell effects to the levitate mesh. http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/9207/mgescreenshot28.jpg (I'm not levitating). If anyone could turn the levitate mesh upside down, so that the smallest of the three rings still start at your feet, but the bigger two rings are going up instead of down, and then upload it somewhere, that would be great. Right now the lower 2 rings sink into the ground and the effect doesn't make a lot of sense as a shield this way. If the effect could be made slightly bigger that would be nice too.

Sorry, for not being of any help here but wow, i think this looks really nice and already provides a good replacement for the somewhat fugly levitation effect.
:foodndrink:
Is it animated?

» Sat May 28, 2011 1:16 pm

Latendresse76 is helping me out currently and has turned the mesh upside down and enlarged it a bit. http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/725/mgescreenshot31.jpg

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/8906/mgescreenshot30d.jpg

And yes, it's animated in the same way the original levitation spell was animated. Except upside down in these new shots. So it looks pretty cool.

While I'm at it I suppose I could have a look at replacing the levitation texture with a different Morrowind magic texture, for those who are bored with the purple.

Hurray for NifTexture...

Edit: http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/3507/mgescreenshot33.jpg (vs http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/1461/mgescreenshot34.jpg). Good, yes/no?

» Sat May 28, 2011 11:26 am

Latendresse76 is helping me out currently and has turned the mesh upside down and enlarged it a bit. http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/725/mgescreenshot31.jpg

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/8906/mgescreenshot30d.jpg

And yes, it's animated in the same way the original levitation spell was animated. Except upside down in these new shots. So it looks pretty cool.

While I'm at it I suppose I could have a look at replacing the levitation texture with a different Morrowind magic texture, for those who are bored with the purple.

Hurray for NifTexture...

Edit: http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/3507/mgescreenshot33.jpg (vs http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/1461/mgescreenshot34.jpg). Good, yes/no?

Me want! I NEVER use shield effects because the pulsing in the periphery makes me physically ill... but footy shield? THAT, I'd use! (And the alternate levitation texture? Delicious!) :thumbsup:

» Sat May 28, 2011 6:55 pm

i don't know if povuholo is going to make it a released mod i think he should. i have most of it but can't test to make sure it works correctly so i would rather he release it

» Sat May 28, 2011 4:10 pm

Actually I think I'll use that levitation texture for the regular shield spell, I forgot about that one. And then maybe something else for the levitation too.

When it's done I'll release it. I'll also make sure it has the right files in it to replace the shield effects for those who use http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.Detail&id=6621 as well.

» Sat May 28, 2011 6:58 pm

Yay!

Hey do you think you could do something similar for the Sanctuary spell too? I'm not sure what color you could make it though..maybe a seagreen like the icon?

» Sat May 28, 2011 2:20 pm

@ Povuholo: Those magic effects look pretty nice. Would it be a pluginless mod?

» Sat May 28, 2011 8:15 am

it's a mesh/texture re-placer. I was messing around with nfiskope and managed to swap the shield bubble with the rings so that the other sparkle dazzle still happens I'm waiting to hear back from povuholo to see what he thinks and post a screen shot (don't have MW running right now).

» Sat May 28, 2011 8:22 am

#snip

Edit: http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/3507/mgescreenshot33.jpg (vs http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/1461/mgescreenshot34.jpg). Good, yes/no?

Meh, it's the blurry purpleness of the (vanilla) effect that's most disturbing to me. Imho it was looking almost perfect in http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/9207/mgescreenshot28.jpg. Really breezy and windy.

Very good job nonetheless. :goodjob:

» Sat May 28, 2011 6:08 am

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/9817/mgescreenshot40.jpg (ignore the particle effects for now). How does that look? I still like the http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/8906/mgescreenshot30d.jpg too (when it's the same size as in the first shot).

» Sat May 28, 2011 2:44 pm

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/2838/shieldpic.jpg
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/5140/firepic.jpg
http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/5451/frostpic.jpg
http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/5045/lightningpic.jpg
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/6987/shieldcombopic.jpg

» Sat May 28, 2011 10:35 am

i was going to say the the new shields could be adjusted so that they don't absolutely over lap.