actual modifications of buildings possible, with Blender and Niftools!

[Neomega]

It's not hard, there are just a lot of things that really I can't explain without writing a full blown tutorial. Creating low poly models is pretty easy, it's the creating them to match the Civ IV engine that is difficult. (as you can see form my screenshots I still ahev not quite accomplished that)

 

[woodelf]

It's not hard, there are just a lot of things that really I can't explain without writing a full blown tutorial. Creating low poly models is pretty easy, it's the creating them to match the Civ IV engine that is difficult. (as you can see form my screenshots I still ahev not quite accomplished that)

Maybe in time you'll write a tutorial on just getting this stuff into CivIV!

Seriously, I'll be begging if I keep up with this.

 

[Tyranausaurus]

Neomega, I'm really interested in this. First the LH's and then the buildings. I heard that the SDK will include some plug-ins. Any ideas on the progress of the project, will we be able to alter/fabricate 3D objects?. Thanx

 

[Neomega]

Eventually, with niftools and blender, yes. I don't really know much about the tools they are working for at firaxis. Someone in this thread quoted Soren as saying it would be 3ds max tools.... so if they are a plug in, 3ds max may be required, if it is an importer/exporter, then the options are a lot less limited.

 

[WildWeazel]

He actually said Studio Max. I guess those are essentially the same program or something?

<-- doesn't know squat about 3D graphics

 

[Throttle]

Eventually, with niftools and blender, yes. I don't really know much about the tools they are working for at firaxis. Someone in this thread quoted Soren as saying it would be 3ds max tools.... so if they are a plug in, 3ds max may be required, if it is an importer/exporter, then the options are a lot less limited.

Hi all,
it seems that the combination Niftool/Blender has already been tested by others in a different thread with no luck. Actually they say it doesn't work at all. If you are interested, you may read the following thread:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=153314

 

[Neomega]

Hi all,
it seems that the combination Niftool/Blender has already been tested by others in a different thread with no luck. Actually they say it doesn't work at all. If you are interested, you may read the following thread:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=153314

Did you read the whole thread? I posted a link in that one to this one to show that it can be done.

Actually, did you even read the first post in this thread?

 

[vbraun]

I think that feature nifs (such as for Ice) use some other version and expect that version. I can't get my cube used as a Feature.

Can someone confirm this?

 

[C.Roland]

I try to export a nif file from blender and it didn't work, it looks like a red ball in civ 4.

I changed the script to 4.2.2.0 in the Scripts Config Editor.

What is the problem ? Did i forgot to do something ?

N.B. Sorry for my bad english.

 

[matthewv]

I try to export a nif file from blender and it didn't work, it looks like a red ball in civ 4.

I changed the script to 4.2.2.0 in the Scripts Config Editor.

What is the problem ? Did i forgot to do something ?

N.B. Sorry for my bad english.

I actually had exactly the same problem. I never did manage to get it to work.

 

[Neomega]

I think that feature nifs (such as for Ice) use some other version and expect that version. I can't get my cube used as a Feature.

Can someone confirm this?

Which cube? Post a blend, and I can try to convert it. If it is a transparent cube, you will need to
have a .dds texture with an alpha channel.

I have never got the red ball, but others have.

 

[vbraun]

The one I made here:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3607014&postcount=39

I'll upload a .blend, .dds, and my resulting .nif file here soon.

 

[Neomega]

The one I made here:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3607014&postcount=39

I'll upload a .blend, .dds, and my resulting .nif file here soon.

What do you mean as a "feature"? right now I can only import buildings. That mecha thing I did is just a palace replacement, I did it mostly to test the alpha mapping.

 

[vbraun]

Like Tree, Jungle, Ice. The things defined in CIV4ArtDefines_Feature.xml

 

[Neomega]

Like Tree, Jungle, Ice. The things defined in CIV4ArtDefines_Feature.xml

Those have bones, so they cannot be done yet, I think. There are some models that require bones, and cannot be 4.2.2.0 compatible if they do.... even if the bones aren't used. The only thing I have been able to import to civ IV so far is buildings.

 

[kandalf]

It is possible to export bones and other things from 3dsmax7 to .nif and .kf files at this point. http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=159481

 

[C.Roland]

I have some problems with UV texture when i export my model. My model is almost white except for some little place where the skin is fine. I attached my model(.blend) and my texture(.tga and .dds). Maybe someone can help me and try to export it to see if it work for you and tell me waht i'm doing wrong.

N.B. Sorry for my bad english.

 

[Kael]

I don't know if this will help you C.Roland but Neomega had posted this a few pages ago in regards to controlling the brightness (I guess vbraun was having his buildings show up bright too).

I think it may be the ambient color getting exported with the texture.....

under the world tab, my zenith and horizon colors are 0.42 0.42 0.42 gray, and mine is really dark. See if yours is 0 0 0 white, if so, then that's probably the problem. I haven't experimented with the tools since I posted this thread. My ambient is 0 0 0... but as you can see, the material recieves .5 of it... not sure right now why mine is so dark, and your is so washed out.

RE: SDK

I think, Firaxis may not be allowed to release any tools, under the contract they have with Gamebryo. I also do not believe there are any plugins for .nif tools unless you buy the gamebryo engine. There is very little information about .nif tools on the net, and what information I could find said gamebryo is pretty proprietary about them. This is not uncommon for th eindustry, and the only attemtp ever at bridging modders, games and 3d software was gmax, for 3ds max, which was cancelled.

That means open source may be the only hope. And right now, there are no max tools, but niftools also has a maya exporter, allthough it is not as advanced as the Blender exporter.

I really would not consider this "hackery", since it can't get much simpler than a 3d program and an export script. (except maybe if blender supported .dds files, so its 3d program, export script, and dds convertor).

 

[Neomega]

I have some problems with UV texture when i export my model. My model is almost white except for some little place where the skin is fine. I attached my model(.blend) and my texture(.tga and .dds). Maybe someone can help me and try to export it to see if it work for you and tell me waht i'm doing wrong.

N.B. Sorry for my bad english.

This has to do with the specularity setting I believe... it was a bug in the older exporter.. have you upgraded to 1.4 yet?

If not, try turning your specularity all the way down.

EDIT:

three things:

1. your texture in Blender has to path to the .dds, you will not be able to see it in blender, or when rendering, but it will export correctly when using the niftools convertor, (the other way would be to change it in the nif viewer... either nifskope, or the firaxis viewer)

2. If this is supposed to be a tent, the bottom tris are unnecessary, they will never be seen, (the bottom circle of the tent)

3. This could be wrong, but in general, you want the models bottom edge, to be at the same poitn as your object center, 9The pink dot currently in about the center of the model), wherever that pink dot is, is where you can imagine as being ground level in civ IV.

 

[C.Roland]

Thanks Neomega, it work.

I was using 1.3 version.

My model is simple and I should change the scale to make it bigger, but it work.