[TUTORIAL] Using Blender to create building art: From scratch to ingame buildings

[merijn_v1]

The problem is same for 2.79. In fact, there are some pre-release versions targeted for 2.8+ versions.

I didn't notice they started working on a plugin for the new blender version. But it looks like it is still in development. When a stable version is launched I might update to a later version. But for now we have to stick to an old version.

What did the error say?

FILES_LOCATION\Addons\io_scene_nif\\modules\property\texture\ does not exist, so I cannot do the req fix.

Is that the literal path you used? Or did you replace FILES_LOCATION with your installation path of blender? It should be the latter of course.

 

[sleepground123]

It is the latter. in folder "modules", folder "property" does not exist. Instead, there are only __init.py file, and nif_export and nif_import folders.

 

[merijn_v1]

I see that the development version of the plugin for later versions has a different structure and indeed doesn't have that folder. Are you using that one? If so, I don't know how to fix it.

I'm using v2.6.0 of the plugin. And blender 2.79b. You can check your plugin version in Blender. Open the preferences (Ctrl-alt-U) and go to the addons menu. Then go to the Nif plugin. It should mention which version you are using.

 

[sleepground123]

I'm also using 2.6.0 and blender 2.79b.

 

[merijn_v1]

I downloaded v2.6.0 again today, and it seems they restructured the plugin. My version is also called 2.6.0, but it is from 2020-01-11. The current download is v2.6.0 from 2020-05-07 and has the new file structure. I will try to find out how to use the new plugin without errors. I will report back when I have more information.

 

[sleepground123]

I tried 2.5.9, but that version also didn't have property folder.

 

[sleepground123]

When will be the error fixed?

EDIT: I got the old 2.6.0 plugin with GitHub repository history page. It had the appropriate folder.
EDIT2: no module named pyffi. this is driving me mad.
EDIT3: With the new plugin, without the required fix, I SUCCEEDED! (btw I can't do req fix)

 

[merijn_v1]

EDIT3: With the new plugin, without the required fix, I SUCCEEDED! (btw I can't do req fix)

Do you mean that the new plugin works fine without the fix? If so, that's great.

 

[sleepground123]

Yes. I used the new 2.6.0, and it did not required any fix in code.

 

[sleepground123]

When I actually added the model into the game, when I selected to build that building, the game crashes.

 

[merijn_v1]

A common reason for that is a problem with the button. Please check if you have done the following.
1. Make sure that the button is exactly 64x64 pixels. (IIRC 128x128, or any power of 2, will work as well. But 64x64 is the standard button size)
2. Make sure that the path to the button in the XML does NOT start with a comma. It will not crash when viewing the button in the pedia, but for some reason it will make the game crash when you try to build a building with that button.
If this doesn't solve it, let me know.

 

[sleepground123]

1. I made the button to be 64x64.
2. ALL the technologies have leading comma for the button path, but it works perfectly well.

My created 3D Model fails to load in Civilopedia.

 

[merijn_v1]

ALL the technologies have leading comma for the button path, but it works perfectly well.

First of all, most technology buttons are in an atlas. The mechanics for those are a bit different and they do require a comma. (If you look closely at the path, so see that it first points towards a single button file, which is ignored. After that there is another path that points towards a button atlas) An atlas is only used if you have many buttons. And even then most modders chose to have each button having there own file instead of putting them into an atlas.

Secondly, if the button path starts with a comma, it will show up in many places, like the pedia, just fine. Only when you try to build it in a city it will cause a crash. (So basically it only effect buildings, units, projects and processes) So it can appear to work fine until you try to build it.

My created 3D Model fails to load in Civilopedia.

Do you get a red bulb? Or is it invisible.
If it is the first, the path to the nif file in the XML is wrong.

If it is the second, there are a few possibilities:
1. The size is too small, making it virtually invisible. Make it bigger using <fScaleInterface>.
2. The size is too big and the camera is inside the building. Make it smaller using <fScaleInterface>.
3. The building is placed underground. (Happened to me when I created the Energy Academy just last weekend). Make sure that translation in the nif file is correct. (See screenshots) First, set the translations of both the NiNode and NiTriShape to 0. If the building then needs to be moved, use only NiTriShape.

 

[sleepground123]

It is completely invisible. There isn't even a 3D model window, and any subsequent windows. In my mod, I used non-Atlas dds files as buttons for newly added techs. I kept the comma before the path, but there was not a problem in researching that techs.

 

[sleepground123]

There ARE commas before the image path in Civ4ArtDefines_Buildings, but non-mod buildings have atlas path after that. I think that it was the reason the game crashed. Because there was a comma, the interpreter failed to identify the image.

 

[merijn_v1]

It is completely invisible. There isn't even a 3D model window, and any subsequent windows.

Then the might art not be the problem. IIRC a mismatching ART_DEF_BUILDING_WHATEVER between the buildingsInfos or buildingArtInfos could cause such error. But it could be something else.

In my mod, I used non-Atlas dds files as buttons for newly added techs. I kept the comma before the path, but there was not a problem in researching that techs.

That is because you can't build a tech in a city. If you hypothetically could, it would crash. I don't know why, but if you build something in a city that has a button path which starts with a comma, it causes the game to crash. You can simply avoid this by not placing a comma in front of the button path.

So technically you only have to do this with features that you can build in cities. (buildings, units, projects and processes) I simply never place a comma in front of any button path and I don't have to pay any attention to it.

There ARE commas before the image path in Civ4ArtDefines_Buildings, but non-mod buildings have atlas path after that. I think that it was the reason the game crashed. Because there was a comma, the interpreter failed to identify the image.

I know. And that comma should be there because of the atlas. I don't know how it exactly works, but it seems that everything that is between the starting comma and the comma that devides the button path and the atlas path is ignored. In some mods this is just a space or a hyphon and it works fine. I assume that the starting comma is a requirement to tell the interpreter that the first part should be ignored and only the path to the atlas should be considered.

Anyway, it doesn't really matter, because you said you don't use an atlas yourself. The path to a single button should not start with a comma.

 

[sleepground123]

When I removed the commas, the game did not crash.

 

[merijn_v1]

Like I said.