QUESTION: how to add unit effects?

[SaibotLieh]

Ah sorry, you'll have exchange the NiTexturingProperty node of the new Hwacha with the one from the original Hwacha.

 

[j_mie6]

Ok I will look into that also regarding the animation ranged strike where you said find the effect things, where are they

Also will I need to use a new effect because the rocket will need to be scaled down or it will look weird could you explain any special processes or is it just scale to 0.5 and then edit the EFFECTINFOS.xml?

3. I can't believe I just said color..... Colour

 

[j_mie6]

I replaced the NiTexturingProperty node and it had no effect... it is under the NiTriShape for the Car (top half) I removed the old one and replaced with the Other Hwacha one.. after that I replaced the Alpha Property and also the NiMaterialProperty was renamed the the original and it's Alpha child was put it with it... no effect...

Don't worry silly me decided to name the DDS file wrong...

 

[SaibotLieh]

Ok I will look into that also regarding the animation ranged strike where you said find the effect things, where are they

Also will I need to use a new effect because the rocket will need to be scaled down or it will look weird could you explain any special processes or is it just scale to 0.5 and then edit the EFFECTINFOS.xml?

3. I can't believe I just said color..... Colour

Hm, good question. First I forgot to tell you that you'll have to add the EFFECT_Rocket_Fire nodes from the original Hwacha.nif to your new unit, too. I think these define the starting point of the rockets.

I don't know if there is a simple way to just scale down the rocket size. You definitely can define a new effect in the EFFECTINFOS.xml. Just use the original Hwacha_Rocket.nif as base and resize it. I made something similar for my newest unit (Werdandi). Maybe you can take that one as example for your unit.

 

[j_mie6]

If you could post a screenshot of the nodes I need to look at (the rocket_fire etc) and where they should be going in the FX or any animations etc then that would be great!

 

[SaibotLieh]

Oh, they are very easy to find. Just open the Hwacha_FX.nif and click once on the Hwacha. They are all children of the MD NonAccum and should be put in the new unit's MD NonAccum as well.

 

[j_mie6]

so would the CrossbowBolt in the chokunu nif be the counter part of the rocket fires?

Do I just delete the CrossbowBolt and replace with all 4 fires (which I have found have a scale on the Rocket_Fire2 etc by default so I wonder if that is all I need to change...)?

 

[SaibotLieh]

I think that should be the one. You don't need to delete the CrossbowBolt node, but you should do it to create a cleaner nif.

I don't know about the scale part. I'd say just try it and you'll see if it works.

 

[j_mie6]

Ok ill try it, About changing the weapon... Will it be any different because of the circumstances that involve the hwacha top or because of the ranged weapon OR will it be the same as I would have done for Ninja? (btw did you like him?)

 

[SaibotLieh]

Just change it like you would change swords. That should work I think.

Your Ninja looks quite nice (as well as your generals do of course ).

 

[j_mie6]

well I tried that.. I took the Intire Node for the top and put it where I had removed the Mesh for the crossbow from and it worked except the box was not in his hands so somethings wrong... i'll attach the Edited top and the chokonu

(btw I hasn't been edited at all yet because i'm waiting on the box before I do the effects)

 

[The_Coyote]

Hm, good question. First I forgot to tell you that you'll have to add the EFFECT_Rocket_Fire nodes from the original Hwacha.nif to your new unit, too. I think these define the starting point of the rockets.

I don't know if there is a simple way to just scale down the rocket size.

I would first try to scale the dummy node for the effect in the nif ... (it works for sure)

 

[SaibotLieh]

well I tried that.. I took the Intire Node for the top and put it where I had removed the Mesh for the crossbow from and it worked except the box was not in his hands so somethings wrong... i'll attach the Edited top and the chokonu

(btw I hasn't been edited at all yet because i'm waiting on the box before I do the effects)

Just move the box via transfrom->edit to the right place. The box has a different place in it's mesh because it's root point is the one the Hwacha has (on the ground level) while the crossbow's root point is in the middle of the crossbow.

 

[j_mie6]

well, I attached an animation to see if it works and it doesn't, I can't remember if it did move along side the animation when it wasn't moved (I think so) but after moving it into the place that the crossbow was it just sits there any ideas?

 

[SaibotLieh]

Hm, looks like the crossbow is a bit more complicated than I though. The problem is, that it has some bones on it's own (it has a NiSkinInstance node). It is moved via these bones instead of the movement of the hand. Maybe you can try to make the box a child of the right hand instead an see if the animation works well enough.

 

[j_mie6]

ok that works perfectly!(had to move it around a bit though) now what will I need to do about the extra 4 rockets and the effects for them etc can you walk me through the adding of the match (should be easy enough though), the adding of the new rockets and the removal of the bolt effect/adding of rocket effect

Also when I add the rockets won't they just stay still contantly? Will I need to make them a child of the right hand aswell?

And then how will they be animated in the ranged strike (such as the hwacha they go back and forward) it's not nessicary and I would prefer that this is left untill EVERYTHING else works!

Thanks
Jamie

 

[SaibotLieh]

I don't really know if you can make the effects a child of the right hand. At the moment I don't see a reason why not, so you could try that. If it doesn't work, check where the box is at the time the rockets should be fired and put the nodes via transform->edit to that place. Remember, the effect nodes in the nif define the starting point of the flying rockets.
If you have also changed the entries in the RangeStrike.kf you should be good to go.

The match can be added like a weapon, make it a child of the left hand. Further you'll have to make it invisible and visible at the right times, but how to do that you already know now.

 

[j_mie6]

I haven't done anything with the kf... I have no idea what to do with it... can you post some screenshots anotating the KF editing and anything else such as where to put the effects etc

with the rockets that will fill the 4 empty gaps:
1. will they be animated like the Hwacha ones are
2. should I make them children of the box?

 

[SaibotLieh]

Further you'll have to modify the NiTextKeyExtraData of the RangeStrike.kf. Look into the Hwacha one first. There should be some Effect entries that trigger the flying rockets. These must be put into the RangeStrike.kf of the Crossbowman instead of the Crossbolt effects. That should be it more or less (I guess), maybe some of the sound entries will have to be changed as well.

Spoiler :

Just toy a bit with the entries. You'll see if they work right or not.

There won't be any additional rockets in the box only by adding the effects. These are only for the flying rockets. If you want any rockets in the empty spaces, you'll have to add them manually and make them appear and disappear manually, too. And yes, I would make them children of the box to make them move like the box.

 

[j_mie6]

Where will these rockets fire from and how do I change where the effect starts?

And why is your back ground green?