Okay so one time I was messing with nifskope and I added a property that turned out to have the strange effect of making the model always be on top of everthing else. Like, it would show through walls and everything. Wasnt the effect I was looking for and I couldnt think of a use for it at the time. Now I want to do it again and I cant remember how. Anyone know? My idea is to use it combined with the billboard property to make halos of light around torches and stuff that DONT clip into the walls.

On a related note, one time I added the nifog property (something like that) it makes models not gradually grey and fade out as you get further away. Instead they just disappear entirely when you get far enough. Has its uses...Does anyone else know any potentially useful effects like that? Please share.

I am guessing that you changed the filtering property of the NiTexturingProperty, if you expand the "base" texture under that property it will show the filtering mode, most likely Trilerp, however, I think if you change it to Filter_Nearest it will give the effect you are after, may require testing as I'm not sure that is accurate, but I am pretty sure it has to do with texture filtering bias on weather it will show on top of everything.

The only thing that filter_mipnearest does in my experience is that it makes all of the textures look pixelated. In some versions of Nifskope when adding a map effect, filter_mipnearest is the default filtering mode and you must change it to filter_trilerp. I will have to test whether it shows through everything else when I get home- though I still can't quite figure out what the Op needs it for- swome kind of light haloes that show throw walls? Why on earth would you want any texture to ignore Occlusion Culling?

Anyways some of my favorites.

NiSpecularProperty seems to give cleaner reflections to meshes that use a combination of a gloss map and omnilight env map. Use this in conjunction with modifying the specular amount under the relevant NiMaterialProperty node. IMO high values are usually desirable if you are trying to make a shiny surface, I set mine around 100 to 150 (default is 0).

Adding a NiVertexColor Property to the mesh can be used to change a meshes default vertex lighting mode- extremely useful when used in conjunction with mods that add mapping effects like Glow, bump, env, gloss etc... You must however change the Lighting mode in the relevant Block Details that pop up from LIGHT_MODE_EMISSIVE to LIGHT_MODE_EMI_AMB_DIF.

I can think of a few reasons. Maybe I didnt explain myself well enough though... You know what the billboard property does, right? Makes models rotate so they always face the player making even flat meshes appear to be round. Now, if i painted a billboard model with a 'circle of light' then placed them near torches it might look pretty cool. Ive already used billboards for a similar effect in my sewer tileset to make lightbeams shine down from above-just like in the OB sewer set. Anyway...using this trick on wallmounted torches would make the halo clip into the walls when you are at certain angles. If it always shows through however...

Another reason I can think of is to simulate the effect that detect creature has in Oblivion. You can see npcs through walls when you activate it, right? I bet you a million dollars thats how Bethesda did it-by using the nif property I am trying to remember.

Oooh, so maybe someone can find the model used in Oblivion for detect creature and give it a look in nifscope? I know nothing about OB modding...

As I recall it morrowinds particle effects usea completely different set of FX then the standard nifs. Might be a little more difficult then you anticipate. But I can at least understand what you mean about billboards- though I still am not convinced your solution is the best. I think this could be better accomplished through an MGE Shader. But whatever you feel is best.

Maybe like http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.Detail&id=5282?

Hey thanks. Im looking at the nifs now, they definitely show through walls so somewhere in there is the effect Im looking for. If it was anything but particles it would be easy to find the difference. Im going to experiment for a while, might end up asking fliggerty.

Woot. NiZBufferProperty - flags 0 is the solution. Im going to try out my idea now. Ill post pics.

Meh, I made an oversight. Sure, they dont clip into walls but they also show through walls very far away. I was only thinking in the immediate area. Still, the theory is sound. Might work better without the Nibuffer property. At least now I know how to do it. Maybe I can come up with something really interesting to do with the effect.

Turning off ZBuffer isn't what you want for a light halo, like you see it'll work no matter the distance. Billboarding without being restricted to the Y-axis, plus changing the blend mode (you probably want one/add) should do it.

As a NIFSkope noob, I REALLY wish there was some easy to find simple explanation info on these kind of things.

ST the noob