[Blender Tutorial]Import custom model in Civ4

http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com

Here are tons of files convertable for civ4 with blender. But be aware of high polycount I just will use files which wont exceed the size of 40Kb, this is still high but better than attaching a whole unit to another just to have another head. Not sure if I understand what you don't understand. With bits I mean attachable nifs like weapons or heads(!) to create new units with them in the nifviewer. If you want create headattachments for playing with the nifviewer remember to delete the animations.

 

by the way roland, do you perhaps know how to export models with subsurf and such.....

and what about post-blender stages?

 

Can your process be reversed? Can I import a model from Civ4 into Blender and then save out as 3DS or LWO for example? How would I do that? Where do you find the model files in the Civ4 file structure?

Steve

 

Yes you can. You'll have to unpack your model, (make a quick search in the tutorial forum, I think all the skinning tutorial will show you how to do it) and than simple clik on the import menu and after you can export it.

 

is is for reskinning buildings???

 

This is actually for making paper models of the in-game models, which you can do with a free program called Pepakura. Basically it unfolds the models, adds numbered tabs, and then you can print it out and put it back together. After a while I stumbled onto how to do this with Civ4 models.

Just use Blender to import the model with the texture, then export it as a .OBJ file. Pepakura can import OBJ, then apply the texture in Pepakura and there you are.

Check out cardmodels.net for more info on paper models.

 

Hello i am using 3Ds Max 7 and have a F14 phatam that i created not textured yet my question is how can i convert my model in playable civ unit

 

I don't have 3ds Max. You may ask Rabbit White, he's using 3ds Max 7.

 

just finished my first object! *proud*

 

very helpful tutorial

 

Doesn't the model need animation files? Can you create these with Blender?

 

We can create animation with blender, the bad thing is we can't export it in a formal that Civ4 will read so you have to bone your model on a vanilla armature or only modify an existing model. Of course, you can simply create buldings/wonder/improvement/ressources or equipement that you can add via nifviewer/nifskope or blender itself.

 

I keep getting a python error when i try to export or import saying

Import error: no file named _niflib

I searched my files, and found several files named niflib, and checked the python where the problem is coming from, and can't figure out what is going wrong. niflib is there!

the same problem shows itself whether i import or export, and if you want i can show you the screens in both blender and the console window where the problem is occuring

 

You should ask assistance to the niftools forum. It seems beyond my competence.

 

hello, I hope some one can help...i have had some luck making small modifications to models in blender, like changing the shapes of heads provided by Chalid and making some heads of my own by chopping off bodys ....however, recently, i have wanted to add some extra flavor to mech and modern armor by making some modifications in blender to "vanilla" mech and modern armor NIF files, for example to make a modern british challanger tank (from modernarmor.nif) or various APCs, such as the german boxer, M113 or french VAB (from mechanizedinfantry.nif) i can get the nif in blender, i can choose and edit/delete edges, faces, etc, I can save as .blend file and models comes up normally in blender, BUT when i export to nif...."python script error: check console" .....yes, my nif export script is set at 4.2.2.0

i have included a "mechbase.blend" file in a zip....all i have done is remove the rocket launcher box thing on the left side of the turrent.....the .blend file opens fine, but when i go to object mode, click "A" to select all, and try to export to nif.....I GET THE ERROR

EDIT: Python v2.4/NIF export sript v1.5.7/Blender v2.42a/console "AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'ImageFLages'

 

I have the same problem. Solution from the NifTools Forum(Problem with the blender plugin)

Works fine for me.
Blender 2.43
Python 2.44

 

ALSO....tried with script set at 20.0.0.4, with Blender v2.43 (w script at 4.2.2.0 and 20.0.0.4, looked at nif tools and blender forums.....VERY FRUSTRATING .....

ALSO...the line in the console prior to the error is "1152 in export_trishapes" whatever that means ..... if anyone with some experience can DL the .blend file and successfully export to NIF, it would be a GREAT help in being able to create new units (I seem to have the same trouble with mech, modern armor, mobile SAM, but NOT with "human-like" nifs, I have been able to export those)

 

Thanks for this tutorial.
I've DLed Blender and all the nif stuff.
Does Blender import and export Nif files by itself or do you need to put a plugin into one of the Blender folders to make this feature work? I'm not on my home PC so I can't look in Blender right now to check.
As I say I have all the Nif files but I'm not sure which I need, or where they need to be placed

 

So how do you use blender to export objects with armature? I've been struggling like hell to get this to work, but no joy. It shows up fine in nifskope but always stuffs up in-game. Even just taking an existing unit, importing and exporting, then copying the branch over to the relevant node of the original nif of the same unit in nifskope (which works fine without the blender bit). Either there's no animation at all, or the game freezes as soon as I try to load the model up in worldbuilder. Am I missing something in the export procedure?

I'm using Blender 2.45/python 2.5.1/nifscripts 2.1.8

 

Tou can to dowload the niftools plug-in (see first post)

@ Polycrates : Be sure to select the armature with the model before exporting