How To: Make Leaderheads! Ekmek's Guide

[The Capo]

Hey, thanks, that at least showed me how to remove objects (sort of), but I decided (at Wolfshanze's suggestion) to use Van Der Donck now as the base, although I'm just really using his face and his collar.

Then I am going to use Fontenac's torso.

Anyway, so far I managed to move things away without screwing everything up, which is a big step-up for me, considering how clueless I am. I've also removed the hat, because I'm either going to replace the hat altogether, or give him different hair, whichever one proves to be easier.

Anyway, now basically I have to bring in Fontenac's torso. And that is what I need help with. Oh yeah, and I haven't saved anything yet should I save it at this juncture?

 

[The Capo]

Whoops! Here's a screen shot.

 

[Ekmek]

yeah at this point definetely save. I usually do a lot of saves in case I have to go back.

So after this save of VDD. you will start new (either by closing blender or going to File->New)
then import fontenac. - separate out his torso. essentially it similar to how you separated stuff on VDD but like I described in the joao beard after you separtae (by Edit_>Vertices->Separate) you'll need to get rid of the old skeleton. then export as nif

then open your blen of VDD that you've been working on. import the nif of LDF's torso. tthen line it up. now you need to add it to the object and then assign it to a bone like I describe for joaos beard. (from previous page) ->

EXCEPT don't assign to the head (of course) find the torso. highlight only the parts you want to the torso. Repeat the tediuous polygon selecting for assigning to biceps and forearms

now to position the beard click on it and drag into position. its not lining up because the body is weird. your goingto use 'R' to rotate it but you are going to have to do it from many angles - the same view button gives you top, front, side but use your numpad to rotate other ways

whew... after this you are going to attach it by selecting the beard then shift clicking the body and going to object->join object (ctrl+J)

now click object mode and choose UV mode you 'll see it all black (unless you figured how to map UVs) click one part of the beard then go to select->same UV note: lined faces is another way bonly will do the beard and if you pick moustache only moustache (usually its stuff that touches each other)

now go to the part where its UV mode and select edit mode. with beard and moustache highlighte it will be all lines and dots. you'll see the part in left corner that says vertex groups. click the double arrows and find the head (in this case the bone is called 'Bip01 Head' now click assign. it is now attached to the head. (select everything that is attached to that bone etc this is another way to chooose parts and delete or move)

That should get you going. If the steps don't sound clear just quote it and ask what I meant. I'm using you as a guinea pig to fix my leaderhead guide

 

[The Capo]

I can't figure out how to delete stuff.... I'll reread your instructions.

By that I mean the sleeves, shirt and hat/s that I have on the sidelines, how do I delete those?

 

[The Capo]

Alright, so I did that, and I've separated the Cuirass, or Torso, that I want to use on VDD. What I don't quite get right now is how to ONLY take that piece and use it on the other blend I saved.

 

[The Capo]

I am also loosely basing him off of this picture, so I think I am going to (try and) use Alexander's sleeves (maybe make them a bit darker with a golden/brownish color) and if possible give him gloves. But this is the general idea I am going for. I may add a hat though because I've effecitvely "chopped off" the top of his head when I removed VDD's pilgrim hat.

 

[The Capo]

first do you have joao's beard? I have it in my lh parts collects, if not you have to start from scratch or "new"; import joao's nif then select everything but the beard. the easiest way to do this is in object mode click the beard then go to select and choose 'inverse' this will select everything but the beard. the either press x or go to object->delete and delete everything. you will then have just the beard and no skeleton to it. then select the beard and go to file->export->netimmerse (nif). save it to your Gustav folder.

Alright, if you look at my last screen I'm in this position (with the torso/cuirass) and I don't see an object->delete command anywhere. Also pressing x didn't do anything. So where is this stuff?

 

[Ekmek]

I can't figure out how to delete stuff.... I'll reread your instructions.

By that I mean the sleeves, shirt and hat/s that I have on the sidelines, how do I delete those?

you can only delete stuff in edit mode (not UV) and object mode.

object mode deletes everything that is clicked. in edit mode only the stuff that is highlighted is deleted. to do it you need be in edit mode (ifts the drop down box whwere you go to UV mode) and then click "mesh" to the left of it. The pick delete. It will giv you options - choose "faces"

Alright, so I did that, and I've separated the Cuirass, or Torso, that I want to use on VDD. What I don't quite get right now is how to ONLY take that piece and use it on the other blend I saved.

According to your picture you didn't FULLY separate it. in the view you have now (which is Edit) go to UV mode (click where it says edit and switch it to UV mode). highlight the entire torso, then go to Mesh->vertices->Separate it will now become an "object"

select just that torso piece then go to select and Inverse and then delete (Press X ) or in object mode to the left click Object->delete (on the dropdown)

that'll delete stuff.


Try this out and see if you get the hang on it. I'l lbe checking in periodically/every few minutes over the next 3 hours

Edit:

Alright, if you look at my last screen I'm in this position (with the torso/cuirass) and I don't see an object->delete command anywhere. Also pressing x didn't do anything. So where is this stuff?

that position is EDIT MODE - I think my instructs above will help. in this mode you can do the Mesh->delete to just do the torso. if you go to object mode you'll find the object->delete

 

[The Capo]

Alright, what I am going to do now is go back to the fontenac screen and start over because I deleted the skeleton and head and everything then it flipped all of the other stuff in a weird position.

I think instead of trying to combine too many different things I'm just going to take the whole torso and recolor these sleeves, rather than use Alexander's sleeves (although I think that would look better/more unique). Here is what happened when I deleted all of the "extra" stuff I didn't want from the fontenac screen.

 

[Ekmek]

DONT GO BACK! you can use CONTROL-Z TO UNDO!

 

[Ekmek]

I think instead of trying to combine too many different things I'm just going to take the whole torso and recolor these sleeves, rather than use Alexander's sleeves (although I think that would look better/more unique). Here is what happened when I deleted all of the "extra" stuff I didn't want from the fontenac screen.

I think you did the right ting actually. I think the weird skeleton makes it flip. you just have to reposition. But you'll probabaly have to do it whne you import it.


EDIT: I just check on mine. and it does flip. So you did nothing wrong you just have to rotate it from differnt angles when you import it.

 

[Ekmek]

I reallized my blender instructions on deleting were incomplete (d'oh)

attached is the picture with instructions


BLENDER – Separating parts
Once you have select the part you want to remove or separate
In edit mode, go to ‘Mesh’ (step 1)
Select ‘Edges’ (step 2)
Then select ‘Mark Seam’ (step 3)
In edit mode, go to ‘Mesh’ (step 1)
Then select ‘Vertices’ (step 5)
Then select ‘Separate’ (step 6)



If you want to delete the part go back to object mode and select the part with the right click then press ‘X’
Or Mesh -> Delete… (its located below vertices)
If you just want that part select everything else or select all by pressing A and deselect the piece you want then go to the export part of this guide.

 

[The Capo]

I got the hang of deleting stuff, thank you very much for that. But when I tried to export the torso from Fontenac it didn't work for some reason, I'll try again though.

 

[The Capo]

DONT GO BACK! you can use CONTROL-Z TO UNDO!

Too late! My bad.

 

[The Capo]

Alright, well anyway, I think I've successfully deleted the crap from the VDD blend I was working on, so now I just have to import the torso.nif from Fontenac, but when I tried it last time it didn't work.

 

[Ekmek]

I got the hang of deleting stuff, thank you very much for that. But when I tried to export the torso from Fontenac it didn't work for some reason, I'll try again though.

I'm "ghost modding" with you so I went to LDF. Man what a crappy skeleton. on the plus side after this you'll know a lot about blender.

click on the object you want to export and hit the keys CTRL+A. I guess there is some scaling done by the skeleton. CTRL+A will fix (its also what you have to do if you stretch it on an X, Y, or Z axis under transform in object mode)

once you hit CTRL+A it will ask you to apply scale and rotation which you click on it the "apply scale and roation part"

then with the object highlight (pink line around it) then you export to nif
(file->Export->NetimmerseGambryo (nif)

that should do it, i just did it.

 

[Ekmek]

PS click on the square box and then shift+click that circle and light thing (in object mode) then hit 'X' to delete them. you donn't nee dthem

 

[The Capo]

But when I do that it asks me to save it as Gustav.blend, which is the name of my Gustav blend (coincidentally ), so if I am trying to save it as a nif why is it telling me to save it as a *.blend? Did I make a mistake here?

BTW: Sorry for putting up so many screen shots, but I think using visuals makes it easier to understand what I am talking about, in case I'm not very clear.

 

[Ekmek]

no prob on the screen shots. they help me see what your seeing as well.

as for the save as blend part. thats a quirk of blender. it uses your last saved blend name. if you export it, it will then be a 'gustav.blend.nif ' you can type on that line to rename it. so you made no mistake.

since this is your first i do recommend keeping it simple for now - just removing and adding parts. bringing in a lot of different parts and reshaping the face is stuff we can work on after you get the hang on mixing the parts and make it appear in game.

 

[The Capo]

Yeah, I was just planning on attaching this torso to the head, and maybe giving him either the Fontenac hat or maybe Freddy's hat and calling it a day. Of course I'd recolor a few things (gotta learn that too) just so he doesn't look exactly like VDD wearing Fontenac's clothing, but that was about as far as I was going to go with this. Alright anyway, so do I save it as gustav.blend.nif or should I call it like torso.blend.nif or does it matter?