NifSkope for Mac

[AlanH]

/opt only gets created if you install a MacPorts application. That's why I didn't have it, either.

So your question was actually "How do I use MacPorts?" ... Well, that's a long story, so I suggest Google is your very best friend.

 

[Flintlock1415]

I'm not certain here, but since the application is already compiled, shouldn't he be able to just create the directory? I don't have a full understanding of how Macports works (and I'm further confused as to when I must have tried using it in the past), but I don't think you have to actually *use* Macports since the app is already packaged.

Or am I missing something here?

 

[AlanH]

I've no idea. /opt is normally created when you install a non-native *nix application on OS X, and I seem to have backed myself into trying to answer the wrong question.

If you can get a self-contained installer for nifskope that does all this for you, then great. Please can you simply tell j51 what he needs to do to install it?

 

[Flintlock1415]

Well, I just downloaded Nifskope.app that Sedna17 compiled. Then I got the libpng file and placed it in /opt/local/lib and it worked. That's it; I did not mess around with any compiling or Terminal use whatsoever.

I'm just saying I think he should be able to create the directory himself, since it doesn't exist, unless the app has any other dependencies from Macports that I'm not aware of (which I doubt.)

 

[j51]

So i just tried creating the directory myself, but it still gives me this error message:

Library not loaded: /opt/local/Library/Frameworks/QtXml.framework/Versions/4/QtXml
Referenced from: /Applications/NifSkope_Intel.app/Contents/MacOS/NifSkope
Reason: image not found

So I guess I have to install MacPorts? Oh boy.

 

[Flintlock1415]

You're going to need the qt framework, but I don't think you need to install with Macports. You can get it from this page. (I think you need to pick the Mac SDK option.)

I think I got Qt installed with the Apple Developer Tools, if I'm not mistaken. If you ever think you might need to develop, I'd go that route. Both are big downloads (Qt alone is near 450 Mb and the Dev tools are a few gigs iirc) but are worth it if you want to learn to program.

 

[j51]

Wow thanks, it totally worked!

 

[Xyth]

I'm trying to set up Nifskope on my new computer but it's crashing. I've attached the report. I installed the QT SDK and I've put that file in opt/local/lib. Any idea what's going on? It worked fine on my previous system (also Intel), only difference is 10.6.3 vs 10.6.4.

 

[Xyth]

Argh this is driving me crazy, it just refuses to work no matter what I do. Has anyone got Nifskope working on 10.6.4? Is it a clash with the latest version of QT (I don't know what version I used before but I installed it earlier this year)? Or could it be something else I haven't installed?

So I've been trying to compile it from the source but it fails because the ./makeconfig.sh step doesn't work. I skipped the MacPorts and git bits cos I figured I could just download the Nifskope source and QT SDK without cluttering my harddrive with yet more oversized software that I don't what it does. Is that the problem? I've already installed over 3GB of developer stuff just to get this stupid 3.5MB application to run. Does QT need to be compiled first or something? I didn't have to do that last time.

Do I need to set up a build environment of some sort? No clue how to do that. My style of programming are scripts or a single file that you compile and run, all these .h and makefiles and such make no sense to me :/

Here's the link to the source: http://sourceforge.net/projects/niftools/files/
Here's the link to the really crap instructions: http://niftools.sourceforge.net/wiki/NifSkope/Compile#Mac_OS_X

I've been using terminal for these commands, is that right? I've also tried building it in QT Creator but that just throws many errors and fails.

I really need help with this. Sorry for sounding desperate but without Nifskope I'm screwed - it was an essential tool to develop History Rewritten, I pretty much can't continue without it

 

[AlanH]

I'll have a look at it, but no promises!

 

[Xyth]

Thanks Alan. Even just a confirmation that the version posted by Sedna/Flintlock does/doesn't work for someone else under 10.6.4 would be a great help as then I'd know whether to keep pursuing the compile option or look for what's broken/missing on my system.

 

[AlanH]

I've just been following the instructions on the "crappy instructions" page you pointed to. So far I've installed MacPorts and am installing qt4-mac. MacPorts decided to install everything including the kitchen sink before embarking on building qt4-mac. I've no idea why it decided it needed half the stuff it has installed - I know for a fact that openssl is running in OSX already, because I run https on my web server. And a lot of the other items must be there as well. It has been building qt4-mac now for an hour or more. Gotta love FOSS!

[UPDATE]
Some answers to the questions in your post:

So I've been trying to compile it from the source but it fails because the ./makeconfig.sh step doesn't work. I skipped the MacPorts and git bits cos I figured I could just download the Nifskope source and QT SDK without cluttering my harddrive with yet more oversized software that I don't what it does. Is that the problem?

Could be. I never skip steps in instructions unless I'm pretty sure I know what I'm doing. Since I haven't the foggiest what this lot does, I've followed the recipe as far as possible.

've been using terminal for these commands, is that right?

Correct.

Having said that, here's where I am now:

The qt4-mac build finally completed. I moved on to the next phase, and had to download and install git before I could do the next step, to install nifskope. The next step said type: qmake. qmake doesn't exist. A Google or two later I found that qmake is specific to qt. So I looked in the qt stuff that was installed by MacPorts into /opt/local/, and found qmake-mac buried in the bin/ directory. Typed qmake -mac and that seemed to work. I then typed make, and the compiler leapt into action. Eventually it threw up 'Undefined symbols' errors for various GLee.o references. Under investigation now.

 

[AlanH]

I've emailed sedna to ask for advice on the linker errors I am getting when trying to compile n
Nifskope.

Meanwhile, I tried downloading the sedna/Flintlock compiled copy of Nifskope, and that gives me a different error when I try to run it. I get a crash report:

Process:         NifSkope [73240]
Path:            /Users/alan/Downloads/NifSkope_Mac/NifSkope_Intel.app/Contents/MacOS/NifSkope
Identifier:      NifSkope
Version:         ??? (???)
Code Type:       X86 (Native)
Parent Process:  launchd [343]

Date/Time:       2010-06-26 17:46:13.375 +0100
OS Version:      Mac OS X 10.6.4 (10F569)
Report Version:  6

Interval Since Last Report:          313582 sec
Crashes Since Last Report:           15
Per-App Crashes Since Last Report:   1
Anonymous UUID:                      BFE4BA3E-603C-450F-9924-5BAC47540C89

Exception Type:  EXC_BREAKPOINT (SIGTRAP)
Exception Codes: 0x0000000000000002, 0x0000000000000000
Crashed Thread:  0

Dyld Error Message:
  Library not loaded: /opt/local/Library/Frameworks/QtXml.framework/Versions/4/QtXml
  Referenced from: /Users/alan/Downloads/NifSkope_Mac/NifSkope_Intel.app/Contents/MacOS/NifSkope
  Reason: no suitable image found.  Did find:
	/opt/local/Library/Frameworks/QtXml.framework/Versions/4/QtXml: mach-o, but wrong architecture

Sounds as if there's some sort of Qt incompatibility. I've referred that to sedna as well!

 

[Xyth]

I've emailed sedna to ask for advice on the linker errors I am getting when trying to compile n
Nifskope.

Meanwhile, I tried downloading the sedna/Flintlock compiled copy of Nifskope, and that gives me a different error when I try to run it. I get a crash report:

Process:         NifSkope [73240]
Path:            /Users/alan/Downloads/NifSkope_Mac/NifSkope_Intel.app/Contents/MacOS/NifSkope
Identifier:      NifSkope
Version:         ??? (???)
Code Type:       X86 (Native)
Parent Process:  launchd [343]

Date/Time:       2010-06-26 17:46:13.375 +0100
OS Version:      Mac OS X 10.6.4 (10F569)
Report Version:  6

Interval Since Last Report:          313582 sec
Crashes Since Last Report:           15
Per-App Crashes Since Last Report:   1
Anonymous UUID:                      BFE4BA3E-603C-450F-9924-5BAC47540C89

Exception Type:  EXC_BREAKPOINT (SIGTRAP)
Exception Codes: 0x0000000000000002, 0x0000000000000000
Crashed Thread:  0

Dyld Error Message:
  Library not loaded: /opt/local/Library/Frameworks/QtXml.framework/Versions/4/QtXml
  Referenced from: /Users/alan/Downloads/NifSkope_Mac/NifSkope_Intel.app/Contents/MacOS/NifSkope
  Reason: no suitable image found.  Did find:
	/opt/local/Library/Frameworks/QtXml.framework/Versions/4/QtXml: mach-o, but wrong architecture

Sounds as if there's some sort of Qt incompatibility. I've referred that to sedna as well!

That's the problem I had initially but it stopped when I installed the QT SDK (LGPL) from this page. But I started getting the crash that I attached a few posts up instead.

My interpretation is that initially it couldn't find the QT frameworks in opt/local/lib, and indeed they're not there, but when the SDK was installed it could somehow find them in Library/Frameworks where they actually are. But from there it seems said frameworks are incompatible somehow.

 

[AlanH]

Well, the error message I posted indicates that it *did* find the framework it was looking for, because it *is* in that location. But it has been compiled for the wrong architecture:

Library not loaded: /opt/local/Library/Frameworks/QtXml.framework/Versions/4/QtXml
Referenced from: /Users/alan/Downloads/NifSkope_Mac/NifSkope_Intel.app/Contents/MacOS/NifSkope
Reason: no suitable image found. Did find:
/opt/local/Library/Frameworks/QtXml.framework/Versions/4/QtXml: mach-o, but wrong architecture

It rather looks as if Qt needs to be recompiled.

 

[Xyth]

Well, the error message I posted indicates that it *did* find the framework it was looking for, because it *is* in that location. But it has been compiled for the wrong architecture:

It rather looks as if Qt needs to be recompiled.

Ah yeah, I was comparing with the wrong crash log. I think I'm going to uninstall everything and start fresh, losing track of what I've done.

 

[s.bernbaum]

If the hard drive from your old computer still works, you can install it in an external drive case and then boot into it from the Startup Disk System Preference. In that case you will be running the setup that you had on your old computer when it died. This doesn't solve the problem you are having but it does let you pick up where you left off on your mod.

 

[coffee junkie]

Argh this is driving me crazy, it just refuses to work no matter what I do. Has anyone got Nifskope working on 10.6.4? Is it a clash with the latest version of QT (I don't know what version I used before but I installed it earlier this year)? Or could it be something else I haven't installed?

Anyhow, from 10.5.8 to 10.6.4, I never successed to make Nifskope working on the Mac. Have to do all the .nif job on Parallels with a Nifskope.exe release

 

[Xyth]

If the hard drive from your old computer still works, you can install it in an external drive case and then boot into it from the Startup Disk System Preference. In that case you will be running the setup that you had on your old computer when it died. This doesn't solve the problem you are having but it does let you pick up where you left off on your mod.

Anyhow, from 10.5.8 to 10.6.4, I never successed to make Nifskope working on the Mac. Have to do all the .nif job on Parallels with a Nifskope.exe release

I'll see if Alan gets any response from Sedna but otherwise I think my best option is to look into Parallels, Fusion, Crossover or the likes. Any recommendations? I'd like one where I don't have to boot Windows in it's entirety, but instead Windows apps launch as 'integrated' into OSX as possible. I vaguely seem to recall that one or more of these can do this.

 

[AlanH]

I use Parallels. You can choose from various levels of integration between OS X and Windows. At one extreme (the one I favour) you have Windows running in a separate OS X window. At the other extreme you can use 'Coherence' mode, where the Windows windows float among the OS X ones. You can even choose to have the windows displayed in OS X style, with the Close/Max/Min buttons on the left, looking like OS X ones. So they become almost indistinguishable from OS X ones. You can also choose the degree of file sharing, from separate home folders to a single shared home folder. And running Windows apps can appear in the dock, replacing the Windows start menu and so on.

I haven't looked at VMWare Fusion for a couple of years now, but I imagine it offers similar capabilities, since the two are head-to-head competitors.

Crossover saves you from having to have a Windows installation disk and license, as it emulates the Windows API. However, I have had poor experiences with its compatibility with the WIndows software I've tried to use. YMMV.

Nothing back from sedna yet, and I haven't had much time to investigate the problems further myself.