How To: Make Leaderheads! Ekmek's Guide

[cfkane]

So, I'm trying to put a leaderhead into Lincoln's suit. I've parented the suit to Justinian's armature. I had to do a lot of reweighting of the vertices to get it, but eventually I got it covered. Except now there are some vertices which appear to be moving with bones that they aren't weighted to.

Is there something I'm missing?

 

[Ekmek]

Except now there are some vertices which appear to be moving with bones that they aren't weighted to.

Is there something I'm missing?

do you mean its shaped weird? could you posta screen shot and maybe the nif?

 

[Huayna Capac357]

I was successfully able to install the scripts and I also installed PyFFI as per Python's instructions, and the Netimmerse/Gamembryo (.nif) showed up on the Import drop-down menu but when I clicked it it said "Error: PyFFI not found: check console for details" and "Error: Python script error: check console."

 

[Ekmek]

what finally did the trick? I 'd say 20% of people that try blender run into this and they never get back to me on how it resolved. was it just a mater of reinstalling?

as for your current error did that happen when you did this?:
File -> Import -> NIF -> Cancel.
File -> Export -> NIF -> Cancel.

or did you just try to import a nif?

 

[Huayna Capac357]

I tried to import a nif.

 

[Ekmek]

try the sequence above first (instead of picking the nif hit the cancel button)

then try importing a nif.

 

[Huayna Capac357]

I went File->Import->NIF but then I get the error message.

Where do I need to put PyFFI for this to work? I think the location of PyFFI is my problem.

 

[Ekmek]

I have a python25 folder right in my C drive. but I'm afraid that for you to install this PyFFI you might have to uninstall blender and nifscripts again first. also when you uninstall delete the blender folder in program files. I recall having a problem that blender left a config file in there so reinstalling still skipped a new install.

 

[Huayna Capac357]

But where does the PyFFI folder go?

 

[Ekmek]

I don't have a PyFFI but it looks like it makes the python folder so just pik your C drive (main directory) no subfolders

 

[Huayna Capac357]

It says in the console that I must have PyFFI in my Python path or in my Blender scripts folder. Where is this?

 

[Ekmek]

all my stuff are in these paths:

C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender

C:\Program Files\NifTools\Blender NIF Scripts

C:\Python25

 

[Huayna Capac357]

I reinstalled PyFFI and now the importing and exporting part works. I will continue with the tutorial and get back to you on problems.

EDIT: Your tutorial has the configuration methods for 1.5.7 nifscripts. I installed the 2.4.1 version. How do you configure later nifscript versions?

 

[Ekmek]

I reinstalled PyFFI and now the importing and exporting part works. I will continue with the tutorial and get back to you on problems.

great!

EDIT: Your tutorial has the configuration methods for 1.5.7 nifscripts. I installed the 2.4.1 version. How do you configure later nifscript versions?

not sure. I think its the same

worse case just use the 1.5.7 in my blender pack

 

[cfkane]

I know that certain leaderheads are compatible with other leaderhead's keyframes. For others, assigning another LH's keyframes would make the LH look distorted. Is there any way to tweak the bone structure to work with a different nif object? I've tried simply moving the bones around in blender but that doesn't seem to work.

 

[Ekmek]

I know that certain leaderheads are compatible with other leaderhead's keyframes. For others, assigning another LH's keyframes would make the LH look distorted. Is there any way to tweak the bone structure to work with a different nif object? I've tried simply moving the bones around in blender but that doesn't seem to work.

no, i tried to change the skeleton too without any luck. the best bet is to re-rig the textures so they arent attached to certain bones. but it will still get distorted like on the face. rerigging and shaping is the closest you can get.

 

[The_Coyote]

have you tried to add a node between the one you want to move in the parent node and move the added one until the position is ok in nifscope (not touching the positions of the original nodes)?

At least by units it´s the method how you can adjust the position of animation controlled nodes

 

[cfkane]

have you tried to add a node between the one you want to move in the parent node and move the added one until the position is ok in nifscope (not touching the positions of the original nodes)?

At least by units it´s the method how you can adjust the position of animation controlled nodes

Hadn't crossed my mind. No idea how to do it though. Is there a tutorial around that can take me through it?

 

[The_Coyote]

more or less the princip is quite easy [all steps in nifscope], go to the parent node of the node (nodes) you want to move, rmb - add new node - ninode. (after this perhaps give it a nice new name, so that you know what is the job of the node and change the flag to 6 [for safety reasons]). As next step add the child(ren) you want to move as child(ren) to the new node and remove them from the original parent node. Now all looks like before, but now you can move,rotate and scale your newly added node and the movement is not reseted by the animation.

If it is really useful for leaderheads, i don´t know, leaderheads have a lot more bones than units and when your are forced to adjust almsot all of them it could be painful and time extensive

 

[ripple01]

Hey Ekmek,

I am trying to take a background for one leader and use it for another and am running into some problems. Is there anywhere that describes how to work with leader backgrounds?

Cheers,
ripple01