[Blender Tutorial]Import custom model in Civ4

Hmm. I'm having a problem. Blender doesn't seem to recognise my DDS files. Do I need a plugin?

 

No, blender can't recognise dds files. You need to convert them to an other format (TGA would be the best because it keep the alpha channel map and isn't compressed). PNG is still good too.

When you export your files, you can link it to a dds texture, but if you want to see your model textured in blender, you will need a tga version of it.

 

Ah, I see. Now, though, when I add the DDS as a texture it won't let me export it. It says that there is a 'non-UV' texture and I need to remove it before exporting. Instead, I use it as the UV map and then export. I'll see if it works correctly in-game.

I should add that I'm exporting at 20.0.0.4 because I want to add it to a leader.

 

That isn't thr format, the problem is that your texture isn't considered to follw the UV map. Click on UV of your map input menu (Step 13.4)

 

I found this model on the web:

http://3dcadbrowser.com/preview.aspx?ModelCode=2438

what is the best format to download it in (see the drop down)?

 

C, I've got the texture working fine, but now I'm having some problems in-game.

Any ideas?

 

On the first look, I would say that there is two possiblity.

1. the cross is'nt atached to any bones
2. the cross is attach two more than one bone or it is attached to the wrong bone

If the problem is number one, the cross wont move. If the problem is number two, it will move but it won't move at the right time.

Do you attach the cross via nfskope, nifviewer or in blender ?

 

Well, I tried for myself and I get the same problem. Here are the steps I took:

1. I opened 'fdr.nif' in SceneViewer.
2. I added the file 'cross.nif' and moved the model to the NiNode Torso. *
3. I saved the file and opened it with NifSkope.
4. I moved it around, rotated it and scaled it so that it looked right.
5. I saved it and replaced the 'fdr' folder with these files in a test mod.
6. I run BtS and enter the pedia to look at the LH and you see the cross as in the screenshot previously posted.

* In SceneViewer, you can only see the parts of the model visible in the screenshot.

Is this helpful?

EDIT: It moved with the torso correctly in-game.

 

Post your files, I'll check this.

 

Okay, the original download is here, and the modified files are here. Good luck and Happy Christmas.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that there is also a strap which does not appear at all.

 

Any luck, C?

 

Great tutorial. i think. my problem comes before i can even use your tutorial . When I unwrap the thing, it turns out a shambles. random triangles everywhere on the uv map. any idea what's going on?

 

Sorry I forgot to check this. I just went back from my trip to Paris. I'll try to check when I'll have time. I just have a new har disc, so for me moment, I have to reinstall blender and all the stuff and school is keeping me busy.

 

Check out Unwraping tutorial on the net to be sure that you do clean unwrap.

 

It's cool, I figured it out Am currently working my way through your guide to produce a Truck to be used as a modern settler and a troop transport truck to get infantry into the heart of battle quickly. Cheers

 

it´s the best thread where i think my question makes sense, exporting a normal blender model works right, but this weekend i tried to export a figure with armature (tried to fix the red glow on the japanese general).

Importing works, when i export the model it looks good in Nifviewer and Nifskope, the part which should be affected by the nodes of the armature react (when i scale them). But every time i go ingame the figure is completly monsterlike, it´s still animated but looks a bit strange (see pic).

After hours of trying to get it work, even tried to import the standard warlord and export them, every exported model don´t look right, i have no idea what could be the reason. (Tried so far: open model -> change texture -> export | open armature -> import model and link to armature (automatic by import) -> export | import -> merge head and body -> merge vertices -> link head to head bone -> export | same as before -> added SkinPartiton in Nifskope | used several methods to link: nif direkt after export, bone transplant, exchanged mesh in the working nif | some tries resulted in nif which crashed NifViewer right on the start but worked in NifSkope | i didn´t tried to relink the vertices manuel to the armature)

Later i imported an easier model, the M270 and linked them to the MobileSamArmature [imported Armature -> imported model -> linked model to armature (manuel) -> exported) and it worked ingame.

Use Blender 2.45 and BlenderNifScripts 2.2.11, Nif of one of my experiments is also included.

Have i made a mistake? Do i use the wrong NifScripts?
any help would be really appreciated.

Ciao
The_Coyote

Edit: found a solution for the model, but not for the problem itself: imported the warlord armature (i had problems to import the armature of the japanese FX model - when i try to export there was an error message), imported the model, deleted the body, linked new head to the armature, exported the linked head, copied the head in the working nif (made the other unvisible - deleted texture).

Still any ideas what is going wrong exporting the complete model are appreciated.

 

I've gotten the Blender NIF scripts to import the game models and see how they work. Also, it seems that through importing the heads, all the nice quads the designers undoubtedly put in get converted to tris. Is there any way to preserve these?

Now I want to build my own head, but in importing the model, only one animation .kf file can be imported at a time, as far as I've seen. Were I to rig my leaderhead, (Indira Gandhi btw) how could I also export the animation keyframes? All this seems to me a fun little project to help me improve my modeling, skinning, and rigging skills. Not to mention her fame and infamy. Should these resolve well, I could try other heads I have in mind, like Eleanor of Aquitaine and Barbarossa.

 

Thought I'd bump this with a list of .dds tools (including .dds -> .tga scripts for GIMP) as tangentially useful for importing .nif models into Blender, and still use their textures.

http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/DDS_Tools

 

Okay, I have finished my model and the skin, but when I go to export it, once I click NetImmerse/Gambyro, I get a message that says "Python Script Error: Check Console". What do I do to allow me to export it as a nif?

 

do you have the same error even if you have no model in blender but you want to start the script? Have you followed the instruction in the niftools forum (Blender version, python version, etc)?