Rifleman with Melee Combat Animations

[SaibotLieh]

You get that error after only exchanging the NiSkinInstance and the NiTriShape? That's rather strange, because I didn't. Anyhow, you can try to click on each green cycle-arrow in the Block Details of the Vertex Color node.

An array size mismatch happens normally if the value of the number of entries doesn't equals the number of nodes that are entered in the array. The green arrow is a refresh button that makes the numbers of entries equal to the given value number.

 

[PPQ_Purple]

This is what I do (when in NifScope:
1. Open the infantry model
2. Use the import function to replace the model with the pikeman
3. Open the NiVertexColorProperty (Node number is 2)
4. Click the green button a bunch of times
5. Click save, get error
Edit, got it to work now.

A bit buggy around the arms but otherwise saved at least.


The skeleton seems to have renamed automatically for some reason. As I can only find nodes with the names: Bip01 #something

But the animations (once I attack the KFM) look like an explosion happened.

 

[SaibotLieh]

Hm, that sounds like the model and the skeletons mismatch. That would also explain why the bones are already named the right way. Just to be sure, what is the import function you used?

The way I swapped the models goes like this:
1. Open the pikeman model, rename all BIPs into Bip01
2. "Copy Branch" the NiSkinInstance of the pikeman model
3. Open the infantry model, "Paste Branch" the NiSkinInstance into that nif
4. Change the NiSkinInstance of the infantry model to the new model
5. Copy the NiTriShapeData of the pikeman model
6. "Paste over" this NiTriShapeData over the infantry NiTriShapeData
7. "Copy Branch" the NiTexturingProperty of the pikeman
8. "Paste Branch" this NiTexturingProperty into the infantry nif, change the NiTexturingProperty of the infantry model to to the new NiTexturingProperty
9. Delete all nodes that are not childs of the Scene Root node (all old branches that got replaced, bottom of the list)

And that's it.

 

[PPQ_Purple]

I used your post as a check list and made a new model. These are the results.

1. Open the pikeman model, rename all BIPs into Bip01 - Done
2. "Copy Branch" the NiSkinInstance of the pikeman model - Done
3. Open the infantry model, "Paste Branch" the NiSkinInstance into that nif - Done
4. Change the NiSkinInstance of the infantry model to the new model - Done
5. Copy the NiTriShapeData of the pikeman model - Done
6. "Paste over" this NiTriShapeData over the infantry NiTriShapeData
There is no "Paste over" option anywhere.
I did a standard paste instead.

7. "Copy Branch" the NiTexturingProperty of the pikeman - Done
8. "Paste Branch" this NiTexturingProperty into the infantry nif, change the NiTexturingProperty of the infantry model to to the new NiTexturingProperty - Done

9. Delete all nodes that are not childs of the Scene Root node (all old branches that got replaced, bottom of the list) - They are definitively not on the botom of the list at all. And I have no idea what nodes are the old ones and what are the new ones.

And the model appears like an abstract sculpture with loads of huge faces that stretch around like the victim of a horrible bomb attack.

 

[SaibotLieh]

And the model appears like an abstract sculpture with loads of huge faces that stretch around like the victim of a horrible bomb attack.

This sounds like you are on the right way.

After step 5 you must rightclick on the infantry NiTriShapeData, then "Block->Paste over". If this does not appear, repeat step 5. The memory function of NifSkope is a bit strange sometimes. If this does not work at all, you can go another way by just paste the NiTriShapeData to the bottom of the node list. Then change the entry "Data" in the Block Details of the infantry model.

To step 9. Normally there should be a NiSkinInstance and a NiTexturingProperty at the bottom of the list after step 1-8 are done. You can make sure that you don't need them by fold the Scene Root node (click the little triangle left of the node). Everything that isn't part of this node is not necessary for the unit. However, this step is not really necessary, it just helps to keep the nif clean and as small as possible.

 

[PPQ_Purple]

I have a question.
I have, for fun or what ever I guess tested a model of the pikeman, no changes at all, except that I have renamed the nodes from BIP to Bip01 (so after step 1 pikeman) like you said by ataching the ranged combat Kf file.

And it works like that.
As in the animation works fine.

So can I just copy over the rifle from the infantry model into that one?
And how hard would it be to copy the rifles so that the whole weapons becoming invisible thing remains?

 

[SaibotLieh]

Hm, that could work, too. The pikeman has two pikes, Pikeman_weapon and Pikeman_weapon_HIP. The first one is used during the combat, the second one for the other animations. You should remove the second one. Then you must copy the Rifle_Springfield node from the infantry nif.

The Pikeman_weapon weapon will be visible during the melee combat, the Rifle_Springfield weapon all the other times.

 

[PPQ_Purple]

So:

1. Delete the Pikeman_weapon_HIP node via Block -> remove
2. Copy the Rifle_Springfield node via Block -> Copy Branch
3. Paste branch into the pikeman model anywhere
Newer mind. After that failed repeatedly, (something about the whole thing not reckognising the Rifle_Spritnfiled node) I did some swaping with the SceneViewer and that did it.

Now all I have to do is rotate the weapons and fix the strange bug with the position of the arms.
That and the fact that the wrong weapon is visible in the pedia.

 

[SaibotLieh]

Hm, can't help you with SceneViewer, I've never used it for unit modification. I'd still advice you to try to finish the Nifswap. You were almost finished and maybe some of the problems you might have with the SceneViewer could be solved this way.

 

[PPQ_Purple]

Since the model is 99% done, do you think I could upload it here and you could take a look at it?
The only thing that really needs checking is the thing with the pedia bug. The rest is not important really.

 

[SaibotLieh]

Sure thing. I'll take a look at it.

 

[PPQ_Purple]

Alright, here it is.
PS. The spears are replacements I got from a unit in VD since the pikes would look bad once it is done. I will be doing a reskin as well later so they will fit.

 

[SaibotLieh]

Okay, I've taken a look at it. First thing, when you open the nif with NifSkope, all nodes that can be seen except for the Light.nif can be deleted (node #75, 77, 78 & 80).

Now to your main problem. This can be fixed easily, it just something I often forget myself until I try the unit the first time. The problem is, that the Rifle_Springfield node isn't a child of the NiMultiTargetTransformController node yet (thats the node you already use for the renaming). All nodes that are child of this node can be modified by the kf files, others cannot. In fact that is more or less a rule of thumb. For example, I forgot to add the Pikeman_weapon node to my infantry, none the less the unit works like it should. But to be sure I would always add the changeable nodes to the NiMultiTargetTransformController node.

Anyhow, if you add the Rifle_Springfield to this node, your unit should work. To do this, click on the NiMultiTargetTransformController node and look at the bottom of the Block Details. There is an entry "Num Extra Targets" and "Extra Targets". As you can see by the green arrow, this is an array. Now to add the node to this list, you normally should raise the "Num Extra Targets" value by one, then refresh the "Extra Targets" array and then unfold it. Now you see the same list of nodes you see in the Block List. Go to the end of that list and you should see an entry with the value none. Replace this none with the number of the Rifle_Springfield node and you are finished.

I said normally at the start of this, because the array already has an empty entry because you deleted on of the pikes earlier. So you can skip the raising of the entry "Num Extra Targets" this time.

 

[PPQ_Purple]

Thanks, I just knew it was something simple that I was missing since I newer did this before.
The unit works perfectly now. All that is left to do is the reskin. And that I can handle my self.

 

[SaibotLieh]

 

[donalpanko]

i thought that the riflemen needed some melee combat like the archery units