Creating Custom Leaderheads!

[Firehazurd]

Oh! and sorry for the multiposting but:

@ asioasioasio, I'll send it to you in an PM or something when I have the time (tomorrow). If anyone else wants a crack at it just let me know.

I want to try and make a tutorial once this is all done and over with, so if you do want to look at the model, make sure you document everything you do so we dont miss anything that could make a difference.

 

[Firehazurd]

UPDATE:

So I've made some headway. I've added a couple things to the Do/Dont list and here is a screenshot of the leaderhead. A little squished, I know, but it's getting there.

 

[Ploeperpengel]

Hey great this almost looks as if we can do it without nifscope. How you managed?

Here's something on animations:
_greeting_ec0
_friendly_ec1(loop)
_pleased_ec2(loop)
_cautious_ec3(loop)
_annoyed_ec4(loop)
_furious_ec5(loop)
_negativ_ec6
_affirmative_ec7

I couldnt test negative and affirmativ actions yet and greeting plays weirdly greeting + idle_pleased while turning the whole scene around an axis towards the player with my current project but the loops seem to work with these eventcodes.

 

[Firehazurd]

I've never used NifScope so I dont know what I shouldnt be able to accomplish with out it.

I did manage to figure out the animations, though I dont remember seeing the ec doodads on them. I just copied the names from Shaka's animations. I figured that would work. I'll try with your names and see what I get.

 

[Ploeperpengel]

At the moment we're only able to have shaded custom Leaders copying the changed model into an existing scene.
Your pic above looks like we can have a better way.

the ec+number at the end of each animationsequence is what the civIVanimationscripts use to create the eventcodes for the animations so that the games knows which animation sequence to play when. Nifscope makes many properties of nifs visible that's how I found them.
So how you got that model on screen?

 

[Firehazurd]

Well I basically played around with the settings a lot. I made sure that the materials were Civilization4 type, I made sure that there were animations included, I basically made sure that everything that was included in other Leaderheads was included in mine.

I plan on making a tutorial showing all the steps once I can actually make this work properly and once I reproduce the success.

 

[Firehazurd]

Looks like the event codes didnt change anything. They may help later on though. Right now we need to figure out why he's all squished like he is. Any suggestions?

 

[Ploeperpengel]

About cameras Civleaders indeed have them usually and a lot of different lights.

No idea if that will change anything:
Did you try the normal Leadershader not the noskin one?
In example Alexander has TLeaderheadshader applied to his eyes and body, TLeaderheadshader_noskin only for teeth

Maps all should be applied to the shaderslots available below the shader you choose(4 slots), except the basemap - at least that seems to be the way they are applied in the original files.
Example Alexander(my guess):
Basemap = _DIFF
shaderslots:
Normalmap = alexander_NRML
SpecularIntensity = alexander_SPEC
EnvironmentIntensity = alexander_ENV?
EnvironmentMap = alexander_ENVMASK?

alexander_gold_ENV seems to be a Glowmap

Also it seems Alexander got a lot of hiddenconrollerobjects attached to bones. Idea(!) you might want to check if your export removed any bones that had seemingly nothing attached to them(or remove the script from the exportprocedure that removes "unnecessary" bones.

 

[Firehazurd]

He actually doesn't have bones yet, I removed them and made him a solid mesh. for the purpose of expirimentation.

The materials seem to be working well, but I'll play around and see if anything works.

 

[Firehazurd]

Still rigging, I'll soon create some animations and see if they work... There is still the problem with the squished image. If anyone has any suggestions I'd be much appreciative.

 

[Firehazurd]

Still Rigging (I hate this part). Also, I'm working full time so please forgive my sloth like speed.

If anyone wants to take a whack at the model, here it is:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/112809/Aborigini.zip

This is actually the entire civ addition including special unit and building (which both still need work)
however, everything is set up so you can make changes to the model and save it then check on it and so forth. So please, take a whack at it and help me get past this dead end.

 

[asioasioasio]

could you share also .max file?

 

[Richard Murdock]

Iam following the post here to learn about it. I am learning animation with a couple of tools but it takes alot of time. This is something Idid with a skin below-I know alot of people love Isabella so Ill show ya my version of her. I like this and alot easier to go to war with her character now she looks spanish.

All I did was put the DDS by itself into MY DOCUMENTS/ MY GAMES/SID MEIER'S CIVILIZATION 4/CUSTOM ASSETS/ART/LEADERHEADS/isabella
I know you guys are looking for more than skinning, I hope I can get it myself with custom animation.
It seems that by using transparancy, her appearace could change as well without having to deal with animation. I didnt want to get the Isabellas lovers mad so I posted the pictire to see what kind of feed back it would get. I really have'nt noticed anything mush I wanted to change but this as far as leaderheads, But a custom animation could get the whole body as well as other movements that Id like to try sometime.

 

[snipperrabbit!!]

I think it's better if you start your own thread in this forum. I suggest you ask a moderator to move your post.

 

[Richard Murdock]

I figured this thread would be ok to talk alittle about leaderheads.
I wanted to be updated on this topic also. Plus show a little of what I did and what I wanted to accomplish with them.
Give me some time ,if you mean me snipperrabbit.
I can do better than this. I got couple of ideas about the animations in leader head I am working on and this thread will be the place seemed like.

 

[Vrenir]

Though retextures aren't on-topic, programming animations are, so as long as that is part of what you are trying to accomplish, it could be considered relevant.

On a side note, that's a nice retexture.

 

[Firehazurd]

I've still had no luck getting rid of the squishedness. This is a major barrier that we need to break through. I'm making real animations for the leaderhead now, but the aspect ratio problem needs to be fixed. I havent heard any suggestions

Has anyone gotten any headway with the model?

 

[asioasioasio]

Without .max i can't make any progress

using only .nif doesn't help me much

maybe you could change aspect ratio in max so when the head is thinner make it in max more thicker

 

[Firehazurd]

Oh, sorry man. I missed your comment entirely. Here it is. It's for Max8... hopefully thats the version you use. If not let me know and we'll figure something out.

 

[asioasioasio]

Thx Yup Max8 It would easier to exchange ideas and work Hopefully there'll be some breakethroug - if it would work it would be great jump for community