Mesh Resource Uploads Involving DLC question

[Pheo3309]

I have a question about uploading meshes that have sensitive data regarding the DLC, mainly the ingredients. In the middle to late last month I finished doing a static mashup of ingredients in jars. All ingredients other than Salmon Roe. The idea was based off of a resource package on the Nexus, however I didn't use his models and decided to make all of them that I could on my own. This includes ingredients from Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn. My question is, if I only upload the meshes (not the textures), would this be okay since the textures give the mesh it's color and wouldn't display correctly in either the game or NifSkope? Or would I need a plugin file with it? The reason why I ask that is not only for clarification, but mostly for the fact that I would much rather allow modders to use these jars than to have a mod depending on mine. =/ Being that it's for the modding community, or rather giving BACK to the modding community that has given me so many things to play with since Morrowind, I wouldn't want to step on toes and whatnot. Especially here!

 

Thank you for any clarification and any advice regarding to this!

[Hanaisse]

A resource containing only new meshes should only include those meshes. No need to include duplicate vanilla textures.

[Pheo3309]

So if it had meshes relying on the DLC textures I wouldn't need a plugin file either? Cause if that's the case I can have this stuff up today! I'd separate them of course according to Skyrim and it's DLC.

 

At least I'd hope to have them up today. As long as my cats behave.

[Hanaisse]

Nope, you won't need a plugin file. Make it very clear in your description/ReadMe though that certain objects rely on DLC textures to work.

[Pheo3309]

Sweet! Thank you very very very very very much! I'll get to work on packing these up and throwing them up here for you guys! <3

[BrettM]

Let me know when they're done. I might want to add some of them to the FPI Gallery mod that I'm working on, though I already have something like 45 jars between Oaristys's and Blary's packs, plus a couple I made myself. I added a lot of stuff from all the DLC to the Gallery, but none of the jars contain any DLC ingredients.

[Pheo3309]

I'm packing them up now! Just editing my readme's and what not for things like that. Even though the packs will be separate downloads, I'm going to try to keep them on the same download page to help keep things neat and organized! Hopefully they'll be up in a couple of hours, if my cats behave. >.> I moved the router and didn't think about the blinking lights. They tried running off with it once already. >.<

[BrettM]

Nice work!

 

However, for my purposes, I need them to have ol_static collision instead of ol_clutter.  Would you have a problem if I put altered copies in a folder within my own mod? You would, of course, still receive proper credit, just as with the other resource creators whose work I had to alter similarly.

 

Geez, I've turned so many nifs static that I can practically do it in my sleep now. OTOH, if you want to make your own static-version subfolders, you won't hear me complaining.

[Pheo3309]

That'd be fine! Usually with collision anymore I just use Collision Primitives. The jars themselves when I had tried to make it where physics wouldn't act upon them, I couldn't activate them as a container properly. So I could use the models as static too. The jars themselves are pretty finicky from my experience. Still working on that though!

[BrettM]

Hmmm. All you need to do is open them up in NifSkope, go into the bkRigidBody settings, and change them to make the object static. I'm not sure why that would affect the use of them as containers, since almost all of the containers in game are already static objects.  Just copy the collision settings (two Oblivion Layer fields, motion type, and motion quality) from some chest or piece of furniture. They're all the same.

 

Anyway, thanks for the go-ahead. I can't possibly include all of your jars, but I will certainly include the DLC ones and some of the vanilla that are very different from the Blary and Oaristys collections. Fish in a jar? Heh. Doing that many jars is an incredible undertaking!

[Pheo3309]

Yeah, that's what I had initially done, but then again there were other things that I switched around as well. If this is the case, then there'll be an update with the lot of them in a week or so.

 

And yeah. I eventually will be finishing a possible fix to the Salmon Roe (it's what I've been currently working on as we speak), though it's hard to see with that warp mesh. I've no idea why Bethesda put that on there.

[BrettM]

In my experiments with glass, it seemed to me that the warp is needed with rounded objects of completely-clear glass, like jars or flasks, to add definition to the edges. Sort of a refraction thing that makes a noticeable, though subtle, difference. Maybe one of the real artists here would have a better explanation. Insanity has certainly done a LOT of stuff with glass. I didn't find it to be necessary or useful at all when working with flat glass panes.

 

I agree that it is a real pain in NifSkope, though. I have to keep transforming the layer off to the side to see what I'm doing, then remember to put it back before I wrap things up. But I did manage to get a live ancestor moth in a jar.

[Pheo3309]

Actually, with the warp and rounded edging, I got it to work without it with another mesh resource I've been working on. They're completely clear as well. When I had removed the warp before, it was much the same. What really does a lot with refraction, is tweaking the numbers within the ShaderProperty. The resource I'm working on however has proven more difficult as there's no warps for boundaries and everything I do is test and see in the kit. I could see them using it as something for them to position things properly, but once you have a general guideline, it's always in the way. Only good I found them for was making sure that nothing was poking out.

 

But here's an example of what I mean with the mesh I've been working on. I hate to release teasers, but this is what the soul gem containers will look like, the only difference is gems will be inside it. The reason why these are taking so long is that I'm going to have to use the vanilla soul gems as I've not only made three soul gem mods that were incompatible with each other, compatible... But they replace the old ones. Which that's not the long issue, it's just making sure I don't derp and copy someone else's meshes on accident. So I've been taking my time on them.

 

 

Obviously 2D imagery doesn't do this thing justice, BUT! You can see how the light refracts on all parts of it. It took me FOREVER to understand what WillieSea was saying, but once I sat down, breathed, I got it together on how I wanted it in around 2 weeks. Now it's just shoving those soul gems in there and in the palm of the hand and they're good to go.

 

Edit: And yes. I know it's a bit flamboyant and flashy and magey, but that's how eccentric my mages are. Even Albus Dumbledore had style.

Edited September 7, 2013 by Pheo3309

[BrettM]

Holy frijoles! That thing is beautiful! Can't wait to see it finished so I can have one.

 

It is nice to see someone working on magey clutter instead of just alchemy stuff. There's just so many things for alchemists out there and almost nothing but some scroll sets for the enchanters.

 

Now I want to stick a magic light spell in there and turn it into a really cool lantern.

Edited September 7, 2013 by BrettM

[Pheo3309]

It'll even have an empty jar to do what you want with it too! Eventually I'm going to try and hook things up where the top of the jar is interactive, and script it to hold one that you can place in there.