mALX

Oh, thank you so much for the tips! I do remember "Snap to Grid" being mentioned in Lesson #1, and read the full article on that link provided in Lesson #3 - I'm just not understanding how to work it or work with it. The linked article said it could all be done in the editor just by changing the Z access in the editor to the degree of angle from the starting section. (90, 180, etc.) - the image he posted showed all Y & X access set to zero and the Z access on the right set to 90. I tried that and the piece ended up inside the starting section. So I ended up moving it manually - all of it. The numbers on the X axis were becoming astronomical for some odd reason. Did I mention I never took geometry? Urg! For the first five section (first section through the first two attaching 90 degree angle pieces) I thought I was doing great. After that things got a little ... off. I decided (for some reason unknown to me) to do the two 4-way pieces next. That is when everything started going all to H. It was grueling, but I finally got it where it looked pretty decent. I put the outer sides on and began doing an inspection for tiny gaps or overlays before moving any further. (moving pieces at a rate of 25% so as not to over- or under- correct). Gaps could not be seen from some angles, but were glaringly obvious at other angles. The "Snap to Grid" was on through-out all this. Am I supposed to see a grid? Because I didn't. So finally I had everthing looking immaculate ... till I tried to put in the last piece, the "LThree-Way." It was way too small to fit in the large slot left for it, had huge gaps on all three connecting sides. I fiddled and fiddled and nothing worked - so I started from the beginning again, thinking that had to be where the original error was that was leaving a larger gap on just one piece of the Basement...but if that was the case, why was everything else fitting so perfectly? I scoured the list for another piece that may work there, none did. After that, the more I fiddled the worse it got. Finally I got everything back to looking great, smooth as glass everywhere - and once again the "LThree-Way" was like 2X too small for the hole left for it to slide into. Rather than pull my hair out screaming, I made the last piece 1.7X its original size (and it still didn't fit) - and shut down the CS. . I know I can't leave one overgrown piece in there - but I'm out of guesses on what I've done wrong and how to fix it. HEEEEELLLLPPP !!! Please?

Here is a link to my Lesson #3 homework and extra credit. (still struggling with the Credit Challenge: Basement...really struggling with it, lol. ARGH!) http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/Maxical1/TESAlliance%20Homework/ *

WHEW !!! Thank you so much !! Er ... while I was waiting, I did Lesson #3 (plus the extra credit for the Lesson). I have been struggling with the "Credit Challenge" Basement though. My issues with it are directly related to not understanding how the "Snap to Grid" works. I followed that link you posted; there were crucial places where the author glided over sections (most likely because it seemed rudimantary and fundamental knowledge). The remedial basics are essential for me, though. (have a as a bribe). Er ... is there any more detailed and precise explanation (and by precise, I mean "step by step")? I would so appreciate the help, (before I tear my hair out over one ridiculously ornary "L-Way" piece). Any assistance that takes the form of "Snap to Grid for Dummies" would be greatly appreciated!

This happened to me too. When your mod is active, sometimes things get inadvertently changed in other cells that you happen to glance into - or possibly in trying (unsuccessfully in my case) to duplicate things - you can have a lot of stuff floating around in your interior and world space that you never meant to have. You can check the items list for both your interior and world space and if you see something that shouldn't be there (that you didn't place, (or say ... 4 farmhouses) ... (urg!) you have to click on that item to bring it up in the render screen and delete it there, not on the list. If that doesn't solve your problem, download TES4Edit and let it show you where you have issues. There is an excellent tutorial on its use in the CS WIKI. I had to clean my tutorial house mod (and don't make the mistake I did and remove references to deleted items in it - you'll have to delete them all over again like I did, lol). Another thing that will help a lot is to put this tutorial house at the bottom of your load order in the OBMM if you use it. The cleaning in TES4Edit helps it tremendously, I was shocked at how I created 6 duplicates of J'Ghasta's basement when all I was doing was trying to copy pieces of his stuff. I'll bet he had trouble walking around in there too.

OMG maxtg09 !! Your house is a showcase !! I'm so ashamed of mine now! Urg! Awesome Job you did on this!

I started to bump my earlier posting yesterday, but thought I saw something on the rules here about that being a no-no - so stopped myself. These fixes have been posted since the 30th of July (see above), if there is more I need to fix before passing on to Lesson 3 (plus the extra credit on Lesson 2) - please tell me what more to fix? I notice my grade is still reflecting only Lesson 1's points...argh. *

I've made a copy of the above to get working on it, meanwhile here is an edit to the Pathgrid. I didn't know how to handle it when two pods were in the same place. I tried deleting one of them and lost a bunch of yellow lines with it. (control Z didn't undo the delete, lol) . Anyway, this pathgrid is a little cleaner, but still may have issues because of two places that have the pods stacked ontop one another. Pathgrid Rework: http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/Maxical1/mALXLesson2Pathgrids2-1.jpg Proofs of custom containers: http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/Maxical1/mALXLesson2CustomContainer2Proof.jpg http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/Maxical1/mALXLesson2CustomContainer1Proof.jpg Door Fixed: http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/Maxical1/mALXLesson2DoorFix.jpg Chair in floor fixed: http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/Maxical1/mALXLesson2ChairFix.jpg Books fixed: http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/Maxical1/mALXLesson2BookFix.jpg Bear Rug fixed: http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/Maxical1/mALXLesson2BearRugFix.jpg Barrel sunk in floor fixed: http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/Maxical1/mALXLesson2BarrelFix.jpg * Was there more I need to fix?

Homework Done! Yeah! (and extra credit extras). I was unable to get my mouse to drag, so everything was done via "edit" function. Pathgrids: http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/Maxical1/mALXLesson2Pathgrids.jpg Door: http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/Maxical1/mALXLesson2Door.jpg Dinner for four & food clutter: http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/Maxical1/mALXLesson2DinnerForFour2.jpg http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/Maxical1/mALXLesson2DinnerForFour.jpg Custom Containers (2, Barrel & Chest at foot of bed) and Clutter: http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/Maxical1/mALXLesson2CustomContainer2.jpg http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/Maxical1/mALXLesson2ClutterCustomContainer.jpg http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/Maxical1/mALXLesson2ClutterGrayFoxCowl.jpg Bookshelf stocked with all guides, cloth, & Letter from Todd Howard signed ... "Love, Todd" http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/Maxical1/mALXLesson2ClutterBooksToddLetter.jpg *

Thanks, that is hugely appreciated. The mouse is the generic that came with the (URG ... Hewlett Packard with Vista ...) PC. It has problems dragging things in Word.doc's too, but I was never sure if it was my own lack of skill or the mouse. I'll try to change it out and see if that helps, thank you!

I am having a LOT of trouble trying to do Lesson #2, and don't want to take so long on it that I get eliminated from the class. I am hoping I have not passed the time limit on this. 1. I know it probably sounds basic, but I'm having a lot of problems with "dragging and dropping" items in the Render Window. I can drag them to the Render Window from the Inventory Lists with no problems (other than they land very high up in the house, sometimes OUT of the house). However, once the object is in the Render Window I can't drag it at all anymore. I can click on it and it responds, but won't drag. I have to double click on it and use the edit screen to move it around (which is how I did the entire Lesson #1). 2. Lesson #2 - I haven't even begun my gridpaths yet - or loading books into the bookshelf. So far I am still on setting the table. My problem is, even though I am getting the camera view set to the table, the tiny knives and forks are still showing up way up in the eaves of the house somewhere. I have to search them out, and I can't see them. I had to run it through TESEdit to make sure I didn't have knives floating in the air or ceiling of the house, lol. I finally got one place setting up, and could get that finished now with the tip on duplicating and dragging - if the drag function worked. Could it be that something isn't right with my mouse? If you know any tips that wouldn't be considered cheating for me to know, please tell me. I am loving this course, by the way - and thank you for offering it!

Meow's vid is hilarious !! Loved it !! (by the way, I would def be interested in Khajiit tail animations too!)

Yeah! I finished lesson one, (posted it on the "Basics Overview" by accident ... sorry Here is my homework, and the extra credit work as well. I swapped chairs with the original you had us put in by the fireplace because I wanted a frontal entry chair so I could put it in the corner - I hope that is okay. I made a vid of my visit to the mod, I hope it is okay to upload that instead of screenshots of each room. I tried out every chair and the bed, opened every cupboard and drawers - everything worked, but some of it didn't get on the film because of the 30 second FRAPS kept running out without my noticing it. Here is my homework :

So my character must be already using the skeletonBeast.nif then, lol. Okay. I was assuming since there have been no mods to date that give the tail animation that it is an overwhelming skeleton changing task - which is why I started looking into the skeletons issue and found this post. But you said above that there is a modder working on them? (YEAH!) I had been wondering why no one had modded tail movement for Khajiit and have haunted the boards at Nexus looking for them. The only thing I'd found so far was Drake the Dragons work on his Dragon character's tail animations, and I just noticed JazzJaRa has a vid out where he has animated the tail beautifully as an idle motion, but said he is having difficulties when the character is in motion. I am keeping my fingers crossed that he works out the bugs, this is a long awaited mod for Khajiit lovers!

Is there any difference in the AI package when using the skeletonBeast.nif ? For instance, will it have idle tail movements that are not available if your player character is currently using the human skeleton?