error on exporting with NiAlphaController

[Arcimaestro Antares]

hello!

I am trying the latest blender scripts

blender_nif_scripts-2.5.6-beta1.95eedcc-windows
When I try to export a model that should have a NiAlphaController, I get the error

"next block does not start with a NiString"

I noticed that all that comes after the NiAlphaController, is not exported. I tried to export from blender files that I previously could export successfully with NiAlphaController.



what can I do?

[amorilia]

Sorry for the slow response - I checked, and the test suite exports NiAlphaControllers successfully. Can you post or email the blend file (you can strip stuff from it if you want, I just need to be able reproduce the problem)?

[Arcimaestro Antares]

thank you for yuor support!

Here is the file

http://arcimaestroantares.webs.com/Mehr ... on02.blend

I could export correctly this file a while ago, but now I can't anymore.
I tried also to make new files with just a cube, and export it, but it failed.

[amorilia]

Works for me - are you sure you're using the latest PyFFI as well (2.1.7)?

http://sourceforge.net/projects/pyffi/f ... ffi/2.1.7/

(Note that you'll see some harmless "invalid enum" errors during export. For the moment you can safely ignore those: I'll fix this in a next release.)


EDIT: Scrap that - the exported file does not load in nifskope... Hang on...

[Arcimaestro Antares]

I have the latest Pyffi, but I still I get this error

" "next block does not start with a NiString" "

[amorilia]

The latest beta builds of pyffi and of the blender nif scripts should fix it:

https://github.com/amorilia/pyffi/downloads
https://github.com/amorilia/blender_nif ... /downloads

Let me know if you still find any other regressions with the beta.

[Arcimaestro Antares]

wow!

Yes, it worked!

Can I include this Nif script, and maybe the pyffi, in my tutorial zip downloldable at Planet Elder Scrolls?
I provided a link to pyffi and the nif scripts in my tutorial, but maybe the links will change in future, or the new scripts could loose features.
So, including them, I'll be sure people download a working version.

[amorilia]

Of course you can include them in your tutorial!! Although, I would suggest that you include release versions. I guess it makes sense for me to release the scripts any moment now, and I don't really mind releasing pyffi 2.1.8 as well, even if it isn't that well tested (there are no "high profile" changes anyway, so should be fairly safe).

When do you plan to release the next version of your tutorial? I'll try to make sure to have scripts + pyffi released by then.

[Arcimaestro Antares]

oh great!

I receive often messages by people telling me which version to download, that the version they downloaded didn't let them import/export the files, etc...
so I am sure they can work with them.
I could do it in a couple of weeks, if I understand a lates thing

THe latest thing I have not understood about Npcs import/export, is why the Bip01 (I am talking about morrowind animatin files), when imported, is named in Blender Bip01.00, and all the extra bones are named with a .00 at the end, so we have "Shield Bone.00", "Weapon Bone.00", etc...



But, if I export the animation, they are exported correctly as Bip01, "Weapon Bone", etc.. and works fine

While if I rename them, in Blender, Bip01, Weapon Bone, etc... then they are exported as Bip01.00, Weapon Bone.00 etc.. and do not work in game


BUT

if I import any other item, say a chair, to test a sitting animation, and then export the animation, the armature and the extra bones (that in Blender are named Bip01.00, Weapon Bone.00 etc) are not automatically renamed as Bip01, Weapon Bone etc... in the exported file, and do not work in game.
But in this case, if I rename the Bip01.00 as Bip01, and all the other extra bones without the ".00", they are exported correctly.
(I tried also just importing and deleting a chair, and then export the animation, and I got the same result)



SO:
- the Bip01 imported, and the extra bones, are named Bip01.00 and so on, but they are exported correctly, while if I rename them withou the ".00" in Blender, they are exported as Bip01.00 etc..
- if I import any other item other than the "xAnimation.Nif", the Bip01.00 is exported as Bip01.00 and doesn't work and so all the other extra bones. In this case, when I import any other item, I have to rename in Blender the Bip01.00 to Bip01 and so all the other extra bones, before the exporting.

[amorilia]

Curse that name buffer!! Short explanation: when importing, some information is stored in a text buffer. But this buffer is overwritten on each fresh import. The good news is that Blender 2.5 has "properties" which will make those global buffers no longer necessary, and things won't be overwritten anymore on new imports.

Anyway, sorry to ask such silly question, but what exactly is your workflow to import animations? Can you give an example (preferably pointing to actual nif/kf files of the game or from mods)? Is it just what is currently described in your tutorial? (http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/V ... il&id=8118)

EDIT: Just looked through your tutorial again, but this is export only, right? So what do you do to import an animation?

[Arcimaestro Antares]

I import the Animation.Nif file.



I deselect the Combine NiNode + Shapes insto single mesh (that is selected by default) because it merges NiNode and NiTriShape, turning the NiNode into NiTrishape and in Morrowind the body parts (chest, head, groin, neck etc... and that are represented by those colored cubes) must have their own NiNode, otherwise the game apparently doesn't see them, and in game do not appear.

Below, there is a comparison between the original Dancing girl animation (the first image), the second is the same animation imported without the combine Ninode, and exported. The structure is about the same with the original, and it works in game.
The third image, is the animation imported with Combine NiNode, and then exported.
The body parts (chest, head, groin, neck etc...) are turned to NiTriShape, and in game they do not appear.



This happens also if I import clothes, pants, robes etc... if I active the combine NiNode, the NiNode are turned into NiTrishape, and the clothes do not appear in game.

[amorilia]

Sure, indeed, in Morrowind, you have to disable the "combine" option for anything that has body slots (in fact that's exactly what the button is for), but where do you see the Bip01.00 issue in your workflow?

[Arcimaestro Antares]

I tested the import/export with the latest script you linked in one of the posts above, and it worked correctly.
No more Bip01.00....
I tested it with creature and animation.
Good!!

[amorilia]

Ah, great! Just let me know if there's anything else that might be fixed/improved before you release your tutorial.

[Arcimaestro Antares]

particles!