Yeah that istvanfile is messed up. the regular cyrus won't loaded (as you probably noticed) and the nonshaded on loaded but when I exported I got the scaling error etc. So 3 things:

1) You are just as unlucky as I was with charlemagne to pick a leaderhead that doesn't work right on the first go, so its not you its the nif :D

2) Too save you weks of heart ache, I took the hat and beard off of Zerver's Istvan and then exported them as a nif and then imported them into my separated cyrus and then removed the crown. So attached is a cyrus, no crown, with a beard and hat. But note for the cyrus it reads tgas not dds so it might appear pink if you don't convert the dds to tga via gimp.

3) I hope doing it for you doesn't stop you from LH making :D I recommend trying out some other leaderhead, standard game, and mess with that to get proficient. Atleast you got tenacity to stick with it so post or PM if you have questions.


PS: I wrote down some tips HERE (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=6470761&postcount=7)

Thank you for your efforts. I tried to replace the nonshadered nif with your one, but no effect. The shadered cyrus is merged with parts from other lhs. So I also tried to open the cyrus.nif with Sceneviewer (with lots of errors) and simply replace the mesh with the one of your file. That seemed to work, but Sceneviewer crashed when I tried to save the file. Maybe this is also possible with nifSkope but I am not experienced with that program. I have to read some tuts.

you'll have to use nifskope. You'll need to have two different nifskopes open. what you'll do is open a cyrus (shaded or non) then remove the branches (trisahpes) of the body and crown etc and with my file you'll copy branches (trishapes) and paste the trishapes on the node where similar stuff is. For the hat and beard just apste the branch in the same ninode. Then check it out in sceneviewer where you'll have to put the eyes back in etc.

Hmmm... I've done what you said and I followed the instructions of C.Roland at the beginning of this thread. These shadows disappeared (so that problem is solved), but I got other troubles instead.

Have a look at these pictures (the texture is a bit blurry, because of my graphic preferences in civ4; my machine is a bit weak):

a)
http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/113482/problem.jpg
(before changing anything, I have marked the shadows for you, there were more, but not visible on this picture)

b)
http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/113482/pisti.jpg
(after NifSkope-work, ingame screenshot)

c)
http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/113482/pisti_b.jpg
(after NifSkope-work, in Sceneviewer)

So firstly some parts of his body disappeared / are malformed. I have already corrected the pasted parts in Sceneviewer and had a look at the values twice. I am wondering that the head seems to be alright, because both parts belong to the same mesh... There are also parts (for example the hands) that have totally disappeared. I knew that sometime parts are not displayed in Sceneviewer. On my laptop lots of parts are not displayed (the eyes fly in the air because there is no head), but in the game it's correct. These pictures are taken on my desktop pc where the LH was displayed correctly before I made these changes. I also get some errors when open the LH in Sceneviewer (they were already in before these changes):
Cannot find shader TLeaderheadShader_20, Implementation -1
Failed to find shader TLeaderheadShader_20, Implementation -1
(twice)
Cannot find shader TLeaderheadShaderNoSkin_20, Implementation -1
Failed to find shader TLeaderheadShaderNoSkin_20, Implementation -1
(also twice)
I got similar errors when I worked with some of Zervers units. Do these errors man something?
Secondly his face looks a bit glassy / shiny / plastic. Can that be corrected?

I can add shaders on to it, as far as I know I've been the only one successfully to do it without 3Ds max. :p

I was planning on writing a tutorial a while back but the demand didn't seem very large until now, I'll try to get around to it when I can.

coola32,

THe missing stuff is because when you imported you didn't assign it to a vertex. The best way (I know) to do this is in blender click on the part you want to add (say charlie's suit) the go to edit mode and hit A (select all) then go back to object mode and making sure the suit is still selected (it should be unless you clicked somewhere in object mode) SHIFT-Click what you want to join it to, in this case cyrus's body (you can click his head BUT NOT the skeleton triangles sticking out) the go to mesh join objects. the objects are now joined. go to edit mode and select torse in the lower left corner (making sure the suit is still highlighted) and then click assign. this assigns the suit to the torso. if you want it to replace arms etc you'll have to reassign stuff.

I hope this helps - reading bernies how to rig tutorial has pictures and will help. but thats the problem you need to rig the suit to cyrus's body.

Well, I would do that if I could only import that file in Blender... Haven't tried that again, but I bet it won't work. At least not the "merged" shadered Cyrus.

EDIT: I tried to import it in Blender again, but no chance. I get a python error. The console writes slightly different stuff as in the screenshot above. I had also a closer look at Sceneviewer. After replacing the cyrus part of Zervers LH there are two errors less. Don't know if I could open the LH if I would solve those problems. Is there a way to find the causes for these errors (compare with post #254)? I couldn't find out how to search for those automatically, neither in NifSkope nor in Sceneviewer.

Okay, I've done some further work to solve this problem. My idea was to find a solution for those errors Sceneviewer reports hoping Blender will be able to import the nif then. I was successful, after I searched the corresponding entries for an hour, to make the nif loading in Sceneviewer (not Blender) without errors. There were 4 entries of "has shader" with value "yes" that have referenced to "TLeaderheadShader_20" or "TLeaderheadshaderNoSkin_20". I have switched them to "no". As I said Sceneviewer loads it without any trouble. I hoped I can do what ekmek said and then switch the "has shader"'s back to yes, but no success: damn Blender still fails to import. I get some mysterious python errors... I do not know much about nifs. I guess I have switched of the Shaders of the LH, so it should be nonshadered now. According to Ekmek it should be possible to import this kind of nif. Well, it isn't. I couldn't import the nonshadered nif before, maybe the versions of Blender, import script etc. I have installed on my system don't work correctly together. Could one of you try to import that file, please? You can load it from here (http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/113482/Cyrus7.rar). Ah, I made the model using the dds texture again, so you only have to add this file to the files I have posted some days ago (link is above in one of my previous posts in this thread).

coola32,

we didn't abandon you. your file was lost in the DB hack. could you reupload it and I'll take a look. I'm afraid though that it might be better to start from scratch than messing with the modified leaderhead.

Ups... yeah I forgot that little thing... I have uploaded to adrive: click (http://www.adrive.com/public/d7cd9e44cbbf7a548fcdc316a28a3d042158206ff6f6652a06 24749314ef2f42.html)

I really don't want to redo the whole thing, I already get headache when only doing changes...

Isn't there an other method to assign that to a vertex (without Blender)?

Isn't there an other method to assign that to a vertex (without Blender)?

dutchking would know better. I tend to do most things in blender which I think is easier once you get the hang of it.

EDIT: no luck importing it or why. Makin your own from scratch is all I can recommend. sorry.

You ain't gonna find any other way better than Blender, and no one else supports the .nif file format besides 3Ds Max, which costs some 3,000$.

Yeah... So it is not possible to assign it to the vertex with nifskope or sceneviewer?

Nope.

You can do lots of things but that's not one of them.

I'm working on a blender tutorial that I should finish next week. thats the one thing I don't see in these threads a blender basics. So I started a leaderhead but I'm documenting all the steps i do - removing parts, adding parts, assign vertices, etc. I hope you guys take a look at it and help me make it as simplified as possible.

okay i need help bro. im trying to do a a simple torso mount, where his arms wont move but his face will. im trying to attach Zara Yaqob to FDR body. can you help me out bro plz! im not getting very good results

you trying it in blender? I do everything through that.

In blender you would first open up Zara. Go to edit mode and then go to the vertices and select the torso, biceps, clavicles, and then forearms. then click mesh mark seams, and then separate it. Save as a blend.

Do the same to FDR but delete everything but the suit, then export as a nif. go back to your zara.blend. import the fdr suit. line it up and size. go to edit mode select all. then go back to object mode and join the objects. go to edit mode and assign the whole highlighted suit to the torso.


then select al the parts of both hands, including fingers. separate and the press xto get rid of them. export as a nif.

NIFSkope
open your zarafdr nif and open a copy of the original zara nif. remove the original zara branches and then copy the branches of your new zara and paste the branches in the same ninode your original zara trishapes were.

thats how i do it. sorry not too much detail but its late. my blender guide has more details. see my sig ;) This is maybe a three hour job at most (well once you get used to blender)

ok i will check out what you got on your tut then i will get back to you with more questions...


dont worry, the leader im making will be good!!! :goodjob:

All you do is open up Zara, delete everything but his head and then delete FDR's body and export a 3DS and attach it to ninode torso in Zara.

Not sure if this is the right place to ask: I have some finished LHs that I want to see in-game. So I want to know which lines in which files I need to change.:confused:

Not sure if this is the right place to ask: I have some finished LHs that I want to see in-game. So I want to know which lines in which files I need to change.:confused:I think it's not really the right place - this thread is about making them. And because of: Sticky: Reminder: QUESTIONS BELONG IN THE MAIN CREATION FORUM! (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=163616).
Still:
You will need to change XML\Art\CIV4ArtDefines_Leaderhead.xml, XML\Civilizations\Civ4LeaderHeadInfos.xml and XML\Civilizations\Civ4CiviliztionInfos.xml. Look (Copy&Paste) how the existing LH's are set up in those files or look/ask for more information in the appropriate frorums/threads.

Sorry and thx a lot!:)

I'm not sure what I did wrong but I can't seem to get it to work in game. I'm using Asoka, and have removed the stone on his forehead and his earrings. I followed all the instructions but doing a quick test in-game, instead of showing the leader, I get a blown up picture of whichever leader was selected before. In the Civpedia, it doesn't appear at all, just a brown square in the top left.

Any ideas?

Any pics ?

There's nothing to show :p Attempting to pick him as a leader crashes the game.

There's nothing to show :p Attempting to pick him as a leader crashes the game.

Have you made the Nifskope switch correctly ?

I think so. I'm pretty sure I followed the instructions to the letter. Should I post the file?

Sure, post the file.

Okay, here it is. You may notice that there are some gaps in his hair, but I didn't think that'd matter for a test version.

Well, he's missing a skin instance. Meaning you lost the skin modifier (or whatever its called in Blender) - that "connects" the geometry with the skeleton - somewhere in process.

Can't tell you exactly how or when it happened tho. Most probably your import/export script is not set up properly. Perhaps take a look at Ekmeks tutorial - i think he has a section on editing Vertex Weights...

That's odd. Can you put it back without re-exporting?

I think not.

You could try using NifScope, copy the Skin instance from original Asoka (Its one of the nodes under NiTriShape) and paste it into yours in the same place. Never tried it, but i expect the whole thing to meltdown and implode when you try that...

The only proper way to do it, would be re-exporting. (Perhaps re-importing as well - depends on, in which step the skin got lost.)

Okay, I'll try doing the whole thing again.

I just tried re-assigning the Skin instance via NifScope. Surprisingly it did not crash, but it did not help a lot either (Because Asokas Skin Instance does not really fit the new Geometry data).
http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/6804/civ4screenshot0000or1.jpg

Check out Ekmeks tutorial if you didn't already. He also uploaded his configuder NifScripts...

I have looked at his tutorial. I don't remember seeing any configuration data, and I don't really want to download his Blender. I'll have another look over it.

Oh, and I tried importing and exporting again and it's still not there.

I just tried re-assigning the Skin instance via NifScope. Surprisingly it did not crash, but it did not help a lot either (Because Asokas Skin Instance does not really fit the new Geometry data).
http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/6804/civ4screenshot0000or1.jpg

Check out Ekmeks tutorial if you didn't already. He also uploaded his configuder NifScripts...

Whoa, this is why I try to stay away from creating leaders. ;):lol:

Setting it up for the first time is a major pain. It becomes easier, once you exported one succesfully.

@NikNaks: By configuratin, i meant his uploaded Blender scripts. Perhaps you dont need to use those, but could compare the config files of the importer/exporter to check if you missed something.

Having read through it, he's using the old scripts and an old version of Blender.

Okay, I think it may have something to do with saving it as a blend file in between import and export. If I'm right, this should work. I'll post if it does in a mo.

Nope, didn't make any difference. I've managed to get the NiSkinInstance nodes to export, but it still doesn't work, even without a change to the model :sad:

Thats odd... Can you post the new file ?

Best would be the freshly exported one (before merging in with NifScope)...

Another note, as you mentioned saving in between. I noticed, that the NifTools on max sometimes do need to restart (Completely restart max) between 2 actions. So i need to impoert, save tha scene, close, restart, open the saved scene, export... Perhaps they have the same issue on Blender ?

I was able to follow the tutorial up until I had to paste the modified LH over the original in nifskope. I got the message, "failed to map parent link "NiNode|Scene Root.00" "

What might I have done wrong during the blender stage?

Did you hide or delete (or add ?) some of the Nodes / Bones from the scene ?
I.g. you get this when the object hierarchy in your exported file is different from the one you are merging to.
Might be some setting of the ex- (or im-) -porter making it to skip certain stuff.

If everything else fails - the issue can be fixed in NifScope, by taking apart the hierarchy in the exported file and i.e. removing the offending node - but it's some trial and error, as most of the time you don't really know which one it is.
Make copy of a file you just exported, then go and try deleting (just "delete", not "delete branch") some nodes, so the mesh node will "drop out" from the hierarchy. Then try copy/paste it into the target file again.
The SceneRoot and/or the parent node of the mesh are best candidates for deleting. Don't delete any bones.

I was able to follow the tutorial up until I had to paste the modified LH over the original in nifskope. I got the message, "failed to map parent link "NiNode|Scene Root.00" "



EDIT: added more clarity

I think you imported a second nif into a nif you were already working on in blender. I get around the root.00 by renaming it to scene root, but it still messes up the skeleton. so far this doesnt work as a away to get around rigging.

the way to do it is by nifskope. try to copy the part from the original nif into the nif you want to add it to and then import that combined nif. thats the only way to see if there are compatible bones. thismay requiring separating the part in blender keeping the skeleton then exporting it, then adding it to the other nif.

ek green light, OK ! chek C.Roland blond girl please in Gfx Modp section please.

Did you hide or delete (or add ?) some of the Nodes / Bones from the scene ?
I.g. you get this when the object hierarchy in your exported file is different from the one you are merging to.
Might be some setting of the ex- (or im-) -porter making it to skip certain stuff.

If everything else fails - the issue can be fixed in NifScope, by taking apart the hierarchy in the exported file and i.e. removing the offending node - but it's some trial and error, as most of the time you don't really know which one it is.
Make copy of a file you just exported, then go and try deleting (just "delete", not "delete branch") some nodes, so the mesh node will "drop out" from the hierarchy. Then try copy/paste it into the target file again.
The SceneRoot and/or the parent node of the mesh are best candidates for deleting. Don't delete any bones.

Hm. I'll try that. I did add some parts to the main mesh, so that might be what's messing it up.

Another question: Is it easy to add a shader to a non-shader nif using nifscope?

Another long overdue follow-up question...

How would you remove a shader from a shader LH? I've already tried just toggling "has shader" in Nifscope, but for some reason it still gets warped whe you import to blender.

Just compare a shader nif to a no-shader nif and you will see the differences.

Another long overdue follow-up question...

How would you remove a shader from a shader LH? I've already tried just toggling "has shader" in Nifscope, but for some reason it still gets warped whe you import to blender.


whenever i imported a shaded LH to blender than exported the shader was always gone. geting it back i never figured out but i may have an idea now.

Guys, how come when I merge my new model (freshly exported out of blender) with the old model/animation, and I replace the old body mesh with the new one, the new body sort of flips sideways and warps considerably ?

I did some weight painting for a new head I'm sticking on it; I need to be able to export it with the skin. However, putting a skinned version of the old body or new head in nifskope results in the body/head being rotated sideways and warped.

How can I get my own skinning data in there without it being warped?

I would originally have guessed I did a bad job skinning/weight painting, however, it does this even when nothing's been changed

Guys, how come when I merge my new model (freshly exported out of blender) with the old model/animation, and I replace the old body mesh with the new one, the new body sort of flips sideways and warps considerably ?

what leader head are you using?

are you pasting the node in sceneroot?

screenshot?

Oh, I didn't realize blender messes with the format. Instead of having to copy over just the mesh, I had to copy over everything starting two nodes up (unlike in this tutorial).

It is crashing when I choose the leader in-game, I have no clue what to do with it, if you have any suggestions, and if it's not too hijacking, please let me know

(it's a modified cochise head on a george washington body without the little tufty thing on his chest, and will later be retextured... the leader I'm making is Alexander McGillivray)

you need to deleton the skeleton of GW and export to nifjust the parts you need. then go new and import cochise then import the GW with no bones. then rig or join it. see my blender guide thread.

Alright, thank you. But I am using Washington's animation. Would the process still be the same as what you wrote?

if you want adam's head on washington's body with wash's animation, that may cause major distortion because there are so many bones in the face. try pasting adams on to washington's skeleton in nifskope to see if it distorts. and please post these question in my blender guide thread. i dont want to hijack and the info here is old:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=267233

I have this problem: I've added a new "object" and when I exported it from 3ds max it's shown as a separate branch:
http://i39.tinypic.com/9qv1p3.jpg

What should I do so the new body and the helmet are the same branch?

It doesn't have to be one branch; it actually can be better anyway so you can assign it to a different texture source.

I was trying to follow the tutorial step-by-step (total newbie at leaderheads so please be patient :)) and what should I do to import ALL parts from my exported-non-animated nif to the original one? This tutorial suggests to replace Children but I can do it with just a single NiTriStrips?

Also somehow by simple replacement of the body I've got teeth "floating in the air", could you join the #civfanatics chat channel please?

P.S. Sorry for the double post, it's in case you've read my previous retarded message and gave up (I've edited it already). I've managed to replace "main body", but what to do with "attachments", how to import them from unanimated NIF to animated and attach to the "main" body?

Just copy them to the same parent as the body, and as long as they are weighted properly, it should work.
Screenshots are also helpful. ;)

Here we go:


1) I open my modified nif and copy the branch:
http://i44.tinypic.com/63zlo6.png

2) I paste the branch and it appears under NiNode:
http://i39.tinypic.com/6tmech.png

3) I open NiNode and find Children object for body:
http://i44.tinypic.com/2rg25h5.png

4) I replace the number so the original body swaps with the imported:
http://i41.tinypic.com/5u390z.png

5) I delete the unneeded branch:
http://i41.tinypic.com/34t645u.png

6) In the game the teeth and eyeshades are animated (they float) but the body stands still:
http://i44.tinypic.com/1yo0tg.png

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

So basically I've replaced the body but it lost animations. What do I do wrong?

Also where and how to put other brancher from the "clothed" file (with helmet) in the original NIF?

The body should be a child of 0NiNode.

If you still have problems, let me see the nif.

Image 3-4: replace 307 with 313 (child of 0NiNode). What's wrong there?

There's something wrong with these 2 values:
http://i43.tinypic.com/24cfdzm.png
Because imported body has just 1 instead of 2 there:
http://i39.tinypic.com/k27v8.png

When I replace the numbers for the new body with the numbers for the old body there for both values I get a nicely animated leaderhead however this replacement "lowers" the body so I recieve normal eyes and mouth animated in the air and the body animated underneath (it's translated down via the vertical axle).

P.S. I've managed to "fix" the translation by manual movement the body up and forth, however is there a way to automatically adjust the body position for the previous one?

I've spent some time in Blender (I decided to try it and to switch to it since it's coded in python) and I've modeled my leaderhead, but when I tried to export it (followed all instructions, LH is based on Gandhi) I've got a Python Error: something about "need more than 1 value to unpack",
here's the console log of the error:
http://i42.tinypic.com/344p011.png

It's a bit sad because I've spent a lot of time trying to solve it, but no avail.
I was going to finish this ghoul today (texture is a placeholder):
http://i40.tinypic.com/2re5s8p.png

Wierd, I've never seen that one before. There has been some problems with the newer scripts lately, but I'd ask about this at this forum (http://niftools.sourceforge.net/forum/).

They will likely know what is wrong, and probably can fix it better than anyone here.

Thank you. It looks like I've broken some bones (poor Gandhi, everybody is hitting him :D) but now I redid it and it works. First Citizen Linnette is my next try.

A question: in tutorial in the edited file the branch is called NiTriShape, but in my case it's called NiTriStrips. What's the difference?

I don't really remember, but NiTriStrips is just a stripified version of NiTriShape. They are similar, but one is more efficient than the other. (I'm sure someone else knows more, but don't worry too much about it. :crazyeye:

I ask because I followed this tutorial step-by-step when I got Blender but when I replace my body mesh with a modified mesh it doesn't take skin instance from the original mesh, and if I apply it manually the model is stretched and twisted...

I will try to be more specific. I encounter 2 kinds of a problem

1) When my exported file has no Skin Instance, and when I replace original body mesh with mine, the skin instance remains on the OLD mesh, so attached new mesh has no skin instance (the field is empty). If I manually change the skin instance to the old one, it twists the model and in game it looks like a thousand of separated triangles.

2) I can export NIF from blender with skin instance etc, but it crashes the game (I use defaut export settings for Niftools CIV4 format). When I try to place the mesh on original one and apply old skin instance again it twists the model and breaks it in triangles.

P.S. I think I could miss something with import/export.

These are the settings:
Import:
http://i41.tinypic.com/bgqqv6.png
I am quite worried about "combine multi-material shapes" by default, won't it screw i.e. body + glasses combining it in one object?

Export:
http://i44.tinypic.com/vid1df.png

What is wrong there?