<edit>
I have uploaded a slightly updated version of the tutorial to the niftools wiki.
http://www.niftools.org/wiki/index.php/NifSkoping_Morrowind

Any updates will be added there.
</edit>



Everyone keeps asking me for a tutorial, I don't know if I'm the right person for the job, but I will try.

So far this is a very very rough draft, I was sleepy when I typed it so there grammar and spelling mistakes, and general confusion. It's not meant to be the tutorial to end all tutorials or anything, but with help from others it might turn out actually useful. I don't aim to cover any Oblivion or other game specific uses, this is focussed on Morrowind.

I would appreciate feedback, help, additions, revisions, corrections, etc.

I haven't done any pictures, I will assume the reader can use the graphic user interface and drive operating system known as Windows, and at the very least can manually install a mod with meshes and textures.

okay, here it is,


At the time of writing this v 0.9.6 is the latest version.

Contents
Setting up Nifskope
Using Nifskope
Linking Blocks
Retexturing
-Material Property
-Changing texture source
-Export texture template
-Flip texture map
-Transparency and transparent textures
-Glowmaps
Mesh Editing
-Collision
-Moving and Scaling
-Copying Branches and Blocks
-Exporting/importing OBJ
-Vertex coloring
-Moving vertices
-Animating Nodes


Setting up nifskope
Views

Make sure your block list and block details are checked in the view options. I set my block list to hierarchy most of the time. This helps give a visual of how the blocks are linked to each other.

Render Options

-Draw axis- shows the center of the mesh, this is where the pivot point will be in the CS and scripted rotates in game, and also where weapons and body parts will attach themselves to the biped skeleton of NPC actors. This also shows the X Y Z directions.

-Draw Nodes- Shows the position of each node in 3D relation to the center axis and parented node and the links between the nodes

-Show Hidden- shows hidden trishapes, usually collision and creature shadows that don't show up in game

-Draw Havok- Oblivion collision shapes

-Draw Furniture- Oblivion furniture markers for sitting/ sleeping animations


Textutre Folders

Nifskope can't render textures on meshes if it doesn't know where to find them. The texture folder can be set in the render settings.

You can set multiple texture folders with nifskope. I have 4 folders set most of the time, the texture folder in my morrowind installation, the data folder in my Oblivion installation, the data files copied from my CS disk and expansions, and the data files extracted from my Oblivion BSA file.

I think nifskope will render textures if they are in the same folder with the nif, I don't usually do it this way, I suggest setting texture folders
Baked in textures (textures included in the nif) no longer render in newer versions of nifskope. Some earlier versions allow you to import textures to NiPixelData blocks or extract textures to TGA format


Using nifskope
Nifskope can do many things, Always refer to working meshes for reference and settings.

The arrow keys and W A S D will move the render view around the mesh, left click and mouse also rotates view, and scroll wheel zooms.
Clicking on the mesh can select trishape branches, the wireframe will highlight and so will the block in the block list, the block details will show in it's window
Double clicking on settings in the block details lets you change settings

To make new blocks, in the block list, right click, select Block>Insert, and select the type of block to insert.


Linking Blocks
Everything must be linked to the parent node whether directly or indirectly, any loose blocks won't function in game and may cause errors. The 'parent' node will be a NiNode, block number 0.
It is a generic node object for grouping. It will be the 'parent' to all other blocks in the mesh. You can have multiple blocks and nodes linked to the node, and multiple blocks and nodes linked to those. They are linked in the children array of the node.

There will be other types of blocks that aren't linked to in the children list. These will be linked to according to block type.


Node block Details
The block details for nodes you will use most of the time are:

-String- name of node for organization.
-Extra Data- input block number to ExtraStringData block, mostly used for animation and particles, most meshes won't need anything here
-Controller- input block number of animation controller, static meshes won't use this
-Flags- special settings assigned by number variable, used to hide mesh or set collision. Right click brings up flag menu, usually.
-Translation- the x, y ,z coordinates of the node in relation to the center axis or parented node, affects all children of node.
-Rotation- the rotation of the node in relation to the center axis or parented node, affects all children of node
-Scale- the scale of the node, will affect all children and controllers of node.
-Num properties- the number of properties in the properties array.
-Properties- the array assigns blocks by number to the node.
-Bounding Box- used for creature collision.
-Num of Children- the number of child blocks assigned to the node
-Children- the array assigns blocks by number to the node, usually other nodes or trishapes branch.


You do not want to set the translation, rotation, or scale of the root parent node, It's best to leave it's translation and rotation settings at 0 and scale at 1.0. Change the settings of it's children or link a child node in between them



Linking
To link a child node or other block, In the block details, you must first set the number of children, then right click on children and select update array. Then input the block number you want parented to your node.

If creating a new node, you can right click on the node you want to be the parent, select attach node, and select the type of node. It will automatically update the array and link the new node.

Properties are linked to in the same manner, set the number of properties and update the array, then input the block number of the property. Selecting attach property works the same way as attach node.

Extra Data and Animation controllers are linked by block number in the node block details.

Trishapes blocks must have a TriShapesData and a Material Property to be visible in Morrowind. I refer to it as the 'Trishapes branch' but thats not an official name. Most of the time it will also have a Texturing Property with an external texture file path (NiSourceTexture) or sometimes pixel data block. The block named NiTriShape has the object settings, and the triShapeData the mesh data itself. The block details for the TriShape block must have the block number for the triShapeData, and the material and texturing properties listed in the properties array. Different Trishapes can share the same material property and texture source.



Retexturing

Material Property
Setting the colors in the material property can change the color of the mesh, and how it reflects light

Changing Texture Source
If your mesh uses an external texture source and you wish to retexture it, just input the filename of your new texture in the NiSourceTexture block attached to the NiTriShape you wish to re-texture. If you are using a sub folder in your textures folder, you must include the texture in the file path, example: textures/subfolder/texturefile.dds otherwise if you have your texture in the root texture folder, all you need is the texture filename.

If the mesh you are retexturing has an internal texture, aka baked texture, you can change it to use an external texture by changing the NiSourceTexture setting Use External to 1, and input the file path as I just mentioned. Then to save loading times and file space, remove the pixel data block from the mesh.



Export Texture Template
Right Click on the NiTrishape block, and select Texture>Export Template.


Flip texture map
Right click on the NiTriShapeData block and select Mesh>Flip UV. There are 3 options for the direction you wish to flip.

Transparency and transparent textures
To make a mesh transparent or use transparent textures, it must have have an Alpha Property.

Make a new NiAlphaProperty block. For Morrowind set the flag in the alpha property to 237. In your NiTrishape block, set the number of properties, update the array, and select the NiAlphaProperty's block number in the array.
You can also right click on the NiTrishape, select Node>attach Property, and then NiAlphaProperty. It will update the array, link itself, and set the flag to 237 all by itself.

Now If you use a transparent texture it will be transparent. You can make the mesh translucent by setting the alpha float in the Material Property. 0 is completely invisible, 0.5 is half opacity, and 1.0 is solid.

Glowmaps
Right Click on the NiTexturingProperty, select texture>Add Glow Map. Select your glow map texture in the new NiSourceTexture that attached itself

Mesh Editing

Collision
Setting the flag on your node and trishape will use it's triangles as collision detection, however many meshes will use a RootCollisionNode, a specific Morrowind node. The trishape parented to this node will be hidden with collision enabled. It is especially useful for steps and tree branches which otherwise could let actors become stuck due to the odd shapes with opposite sided faces. Thats my guess anyways.

Moving and Scaling
Moving the position of a node or trishape branch, is pretty straight forward. In the translation, set the x, y, and z setting to move it along the 3D axis.

If a trishape parented to a rotated node, the x y and z may be off from the center mesh axis, for instance if the node is rotated 180 degrees on the x or y, the trishape will be upside down, so giving it a positive Z translation will actually move downwards instead up upwards. You can usually just input the same translation settings for each trishape if you need to keep a multiple part mesh intact but want to move the whole thing. However if the trishapes don't have the same pivot point, rotating them can screw things up. The pivot point of the mesh can't be changed with nifskope, as far as I know, but an easy fix is assign all the trishapes to a node, and rotate the node. Rotating the trishape does not change the translation direction. Likewise, rotating a node, does not change it's own translation settings, only on it's children.

Setting the scale is as easy as doing it in the Construction Set. Again, different pivot points and translations can break multipart meshes up, the fix is the same, assign them to a node and scale the node.

To repeat what I typed earlier, don't change the settings of the root parent node. keep it centered and scaled at 1.0

Copying Branches and Blocks
Right click on a block and select Block. You can copy just one block, or the whole branch of children nodes and properties attached to that block. With 2 windows of nifskope open, you can copy blocks or branches from one NIF to another. Right click in the block list to paste, or paste branch. You can also paste over blocks. You can combine 2 meshes by selecting the root parent node of one mesh, and copy branch the whole mesh into the other. If you paste the branch onto a node, it auto-links the branch to the node.

Exporting and Importing OBJ
OBJ is a 3D model format. You can import and export OBJs with nifskope by right clicking on a NiTriShape block and selecting OBJ> then import or export. Importing an OBJ will overwrite the trishape Data.

Vertex coloring
In the block details of the NiTrishapeData block, click on the No on the line Has Vertex Colors. It should now say Yes. Then right click on Vertex Colors and select Update Array. Now click the plus left of the vertex colors to expand the array. clicking on the vertices in the list should highlight the vertex selected, It's not the best display but it's better than nothing. Once you've selected the vertex you want colored, click the color wheel and set the color, or input color hex number. If it's a high poly mesh, good luck.

Moving vertices
You're better off importing the mesh into a modeling program if you need to edit it. Blender is free so theres no excuse for not having one. However there may be some cases, such as a skinned mesh, where the importing may complicate things, so editing the vertices would be easier. Select the TriShapeData block and scroll down the block details list to the vertex list. Expand the array the vertices will highlight in the render window. Sometimes it's easier to see the selected vertex from the opposite side of the mesh, rotating often. Once selecting the vertex you want moved, set the x y z translation. This is relative to the mesh data pivot point, which was set in the model program that built the mesh.
With morph animated meshes you will have to edit the morph vectors also, if it's high poly, good luck.


Animating Nodes
Heres where the fun begins. Remember the translation and rotation settings from earlier? Well thats how animations are made. A KeyFrame Controller sets different rotations and/or translations to a node according to the timer. You can even animate scale. If a Controller has rotate, translation, or scale keys, they keys override the settings of the node.
I'm no animation expert, but I will try to share what little knowledge I have.

The method I will be using makes a self-contained animated mesh, it won't have a xmesh.nif or xmesh.kf file with it, and cannot be be scripted with playgroups. It simply loops it's animation no matter what. Not unlike how particle emmiters are usually used.

Refer to act_sotha_dicer.NIF located in the data files/meshes/i folder on the tribunal CD for an example.

Link the trishapes branches you want animated to each their own node. If the trishape has the pivot point already where you want it, set the trishape translation to 0 0 0. If not, Set the translation and rotation of the Trishape Details so when you rotate your node the trishape pivots properly. If you aren't going to use rotation keys then don't worry about it.

Create a BsAnimationNode. set the flag to 106. Add a NiKeyframeController and link it to the controller of the BSAnimationNode. Create a KeyframeData block. In the KeyframeController block, set the flag to 8, active cycle, Frequency to 1.0, keep the start time 0 and input a stop time. Set the Data to the block number of the KeyFrameData block you just created, and the target to a node with a trishape branch. You are now ready to input the keyframe data

Set the number of rotation, translation, or scale keys, and update the arrays. For key type, I use Quadratic Keys for translations, and linear keys for rotations. I'm not sure what is best. On your keys, the first key in each array should start with the float time 0.00 and the last key should be the stop time you set in the keyframe controller. The keys float times will be set in increments from 0.00 to the stop time of the animation loop.
You want to have the same settings in the first key, as the last, so the loop doesn't 'skip' when it starts over.


Note, you can also Clamp the animation on body parts and equipped items to the base animation of NPC actors. It is limited and is different for 1st person view, and beast races. Refer to the animation files for keyframe timing.

Hello,

Definitely very useful and worth bookmarking.
Thanks a lot Trey!

Bjam

Very nice! If you like, we'd be honored if you would add this to our NifTools wiki =)

If you do add it, I suggest putting links to it here and here, and adding it to the Morrowind, Tutorials, and NifSkope categories.

Thanks Yes I will definitely upload it to the wiki, I'd like to refine it a little first, if you see anything thats wrong or particularly confusing let me know

Didn't notice anything wrong on my first read =) Only thing I saw was some uncapitalized sentences and "nifskope" instead of "NifSkope," but other than insignificant things like that it looks fine to me

Very thorough... I even learned things from it! <G>

Thanks a ton Trey! This may be just the info I need to actually work my Maya models into Morrowind. Thank you again and again and again!

ahhh, I've noticed a boo boo in my animation section. I was really sleepy, and I did say it was a rough draft. anyways, I'm pretty sure the KeFrameController must target the BsAnimationNode. while the BsAnimationNode must have the controller selected. In other words, they both must point to each other. Like I said, refer to working meshes for proper settings Anywho, I'm re-writing that section.

On another note I've discovered a different way to use the BsAnimation node. unlike the sotha dicer, which used an animation node with a controller, with a child to a normal node, I have used an animation node with a child to a normal node with a controller.
Anyways heres an example balls.nif

Gr8! Thanx a lot.

May be I am missing something but how to link a particular NiTriShape branch to a biped bone? You mentioned once that this could be done in NifScope.

This information should be definitely uploaded to NifTools wiki: here it will be lost soon.

It is also worth mentioning that NiTextKeyExtraData block details contains very useful for animators time tags and notes (Idle: Start etc.) information.

Do you know by chance what “Has Shader”/”Shader Name” in the block details of the NiTriShape node and “Num Shader Textures”/”Shader Textures” in the block details of the NiTexturingProperty could mean?

I can answer that... those are details that start to exist in NIF files in later versions which specify shaders and the textures they use. For some reason, Bethesda did not opt to use these in Oblivion, instead using a fixed set of shaders that work or not based on the presence of specially named textures. Not sure why they did this, since encoding the info into the NIF seems like it would be more flexible... but anyway that's what they are =)

So just to make it clear, they don't have anything to do with Morrowind because they don't exist in version 4.0.0.2 NIF files. That's why they're all grayed out in Morrowind files.

Clear. Thanks, Shon.
I thought that grayed features are not every time correspond to the lack of functionality e.g. Bump Map Textures and Gloss Textures are not working in MW but they are not grayed.

To be honest I havent tried it on NPC bipeds. It does work just great on creature bones. As far as nif files are concerned, bones are nothing more than a generic NiNode. Simply adding a trishape to the children list of a node attaches it to the 'bone'.

The animated weapons I was toying with used animated nodes timed to the float times of the base animation file, but weren't actually 'attached' to the biped bones in the mesh, the game engine attaches the mesh's root node to the biped on whatever bodypart it's being used as, whether it's a head, hair, shield bone, weapon bone, etc, it becomes part of the biped and bound to the base animation.
Sorry thats a long sentence, I'll see if I can run some more experiments on the matter.


Yes, I agree, I'll probably add a section on animating body parts and equipped items, though I'm still experimenting with it and haven't got it really figured out


Great, then I need not add them into my tutorial

I am not very familiar with MW creatures, I checked two: wolf and guar. Both have similar node structure: NiTriShape nodes are not linked to a particular bone node other than the root bone (Bip01). They are children of either root scene node or of the Bip01 node. Actually these creatures have similar to NPC, skinned clothes, etc. node structure that is not working for me. Creatures are strange e.g. reflection maps are working for them but the same technique produces no results with NPCs.
Could you point to a working creature nif that has the structure you are describing? I would like to check details in the NifScope.

Thanx.

The Wolf mesh is a complex one, to me anyways. The trishapes in that one are linked to the bones through the skin instance and skin data thnigies, but also seem to have to be linked to the root bones, It confuses me. The head is simply linked to the head node but uses a morph controller. The body is physiqued and the head is morphed. I still have no idea what the extra hidden head trishapes do.
But an example of linking a simple trishape is in the HircineWolf.NIF . the mask is linked to the head node. though indirectly through a couple of other nodes, I think it's just overcomplicated than it needs to be, but there might be a reason why it was done that way.
Almelexia also uses unskinned trishapes for her pauldrons and some other parts of the mesh.
Well this drink is kicking in I hope this makes sense.

Trey, thank you for what you've written so far. I changed the main wall texture in the imperial small interior statics. The shading was fine in the corner tiles, but the same texture in the just-a-wall static and the door jamb showed up as very bright. Changing the vertex colors in the TriShapeData so that they are darker fixed the problem and look much better!

I wouldn't have known what to do or how to improve the situation if not for your tutorial. I still don't understand a lot of it or some of the terms used but I'm sure that will come with time and fiddling with it. Thank you for making effort to write the tutorial. I look forward to learning more.

Your welcome, glad it helped

edit: that reminds me, if the mesh has a vertex color property you need to remove it for the vertex colors to show up. At least in niskope, I'll check it in game to be sure.

Thanks for taking the time to write this up!

Good work!

Thanks for this tutorial adapted to morrowind!
I'm trying to add a quiver to an armor.
I open the armor and the quiver. I copy the node branch of the quiver (which contains 4 trishapes) and I paste the all branch into the node of the armor. I save into a nif.
When I test in TESCS, I see the quiver on the bodypart when I put it on a cell, but I can't see it on a npc: the cuirass appears without the quiver

Can you help me please?

PS: scuse for my bad english, I'm a french modder...

Bonjour OraNN,
Unfortunately I have had no success adding pieces to a cuirass either. I tried several different bones, and even tried adding the cuirass lower on the heirarchy but the same thing would happen, as soon as it's equipped on a NPC it disappears It's beyond my understanding, it seems the extra pieces would have to be physiqued using 3dsmax. I'm trying to figure out how to add a skin instance with nifskope, but I don't exactly know how to do it with 3dsmax

This is exactly the problem we discussed above in this thread: not skinned meshes (just linked to e.g. a bone node disappear in the game).

OraNN, other problem could be also the wrong location of quiver mesh or its pivot. Do you see all correct in the NifScope?

The basic problem is how to get skinned (probably your cuirass) and not-skinned (quiver) meshes for armor, clothes etc. in one nif file. So far I am only able to assemble such items from different nifs in the TESCS.

NIBLE is claimed to be able to solve such problems (I have never successfully used this program myself). I case you understand German here is a tutorial for that:

http://www.pmm-projects.de/Portal/index.ph...&Itemid=110


To recreate/edit NiSkinInstance/NiSkinData might be a very tedious task.

In Max it is easy: rigid items like quiver or metal armor parts can be skinned (Skin modifier, all vertices with weight 1.0. Do not use envelops or paint weights tool, just select all vertices and assign the weight directly) to one of the biped bones (import the skeleton from any appropriate nif file first). NifTools exporter will create NiSkinInstance. Interestingly this works fine also for symmetrical armor parts like boots.

English Nible tutorial:
http://www.pmm-projects.de/Portal/index.ph...&Itemid=122

It says it doesn't work for skinned meshes like robes, cuirass, gloves, or skirts.

oooh, whats this I see? Nible can do non-uniform scaling! Nifskope can't do that.


On my end I could see the attached quiver I added to the cuirass in the CS when dropping the body part into the render window, but not when equipped on a NPC.

Thanks for links. I tried for creatures and it works! But I have the same result than Trey Leavens for the quiver
Thank you all.

“It says it doesn't work for skinned meshes like robes, cuirass, gloves, or skirts.”

I understand their explanations a little bit differently.

The tutorial ends with this phrase:

“What can be done, what can't? You only can add parts that correspond to a single Biped-bone, so you can't add cuirasses, robes, skirts or gloves. But you can try to add some smaller parts to those regions - rings to a finger, piercings like the ogrim wears one - as long as the object doesn't have to bend in animation. Go out and be creative!”

So, it is possible with this program (unfortunately, it is not working for me in general and I cannot check what this “mysterious” merge nif to a bone node does with a node tree structure) to add a quiver to a skinned cuirass as soon as it (quiver, and it is not skinned or can be made not skinned with NifScope) will “correspond to a single Biped-bone” e.g. Bip01 Neck or Bip01 Spine2 of the original cuirass mesh. Why a quiver should be weighted to several bones? That was the reason why I have recommended to check this program.


I have also faced situations when the TESCS render window and in-game results were pretty different.

You can add to a skinned base, but you can't add skinned stuff, because I don't link the bones. Nible only does that for Oblivion, which skinns a bit different by ading all the shapes to the root node. If I find the time, i will have a look at this in Morrowind, too, but iCan't promise. On the other hand, Morrowind displays unskinned parts in skinned Meshes and moves them with the Biped Bone that is their parent, oblivion doesnt (at least in clothes, didn't try this on a creature yet).

Offtopic: what's your problem with NIBLE? no Java Runtime installed?

"You can add to a skinned base, but you can't add skinned stuff"

I'm not sure to well understand your post: you think I can add some unskinned stuff?
My quiver is just a "static" made with 3dsmax without bones or other skinned properties. When I try to add it on the ninode bip01 clavicleL of a cuirass, it appears in TESCS on bodypart, but it doesn't on NPC.

You think it's because I do a mistake, or it's because of the limitations of Nible?

OraNN. How you are adding the quiver to the Bip01 clacicleL: in NifScope or in Nible?
As far as I understand Nible skeleton tutorial this should work. Export your mesh (I guess pivot: center to object and R0,0,0 T0,0,0; reset/collapse XForm etc.) from Max in a nif file and merge it to Bip01 clacicleL, just according to the tutorial.
Manual addition in NifScope does not work for me.
Perhaps, NIBLE merge file does this job differently that’s why it works for them with skeleton.

Elim. Java Runtime is installed, NIBLE is running, I am able to open nif files.
Unfortunately, sometimes the program looses parts of its functionality: does not show the information on the right panel, does not save files etc. I cannot detach/delete some nodes (e.g. NiTextureEffect) and so on.
I tried Nif Block Editor V.05 DB 25.01.2007. There is no “merge-button” so I tried Insert: !File button (or “merge to top node” function from the File menu) and nothing was inserted anywhere in the file.
I cannot exclude that the problem is outside of NIBLE somewhere in my system.
Could you recommend any mod that uses nifs similar to the result of the “Skeleton in Glass” tutorial and created by NIBLE.
Thank you.

Nible changed alot since that Tutorial, i know. If you'd like to try a mesh made with the described Method, have a look at my Skeleton Pirates Modders resource - unfortunately I don't know of anyone who ever used them for a finished plugin.

insert: !File - Button in the actions panel of "modern" Nible editions is the same function as described in the tutorial, so that's not the problem. With all the strange additions Beth used to make to the NIF-Format for both games, i wouldn't be surprised if creatures work once again different then armor/Clothing.

Elim, thank you so much for this great mod. It is very interesting not only from the artistic point of view (is excellent IMO) but especially from the technical at the moment.

The node tree structure is different from the original regular creatures. Let’s hope that this approach will work also for armor and clothes. I believe that this structure could be reproduced in Max and other nif editing programs.

Now it is necessary to spend some time for the digesting of this very important information and for testing.

I am highly recommending everybody checking this great Mod Resource Pack.

Please, share you experience.

Squeleton pirates are very nice! I use Nible V0.4. The V0.5 works for Morrowind or just for Oblivion?

[edit] Sorry, I just see screnshots which shows Nible V0.5 is compatible with Morrowind

I have uploaded a slightly updated version of the tutorial to the niftools wiki.
http://www.niftools.org/wiki/index.php/NifSkoping_Morrowind

Any updates will be added there.