• You are somewhat comfortable navigating in Blender.
  
• You know how to create UV Maps in Blender.
  
• You know how to create items for sale in the Construction Set.

• Creating an EGM file to allow the helmet to conform to odd-shaped faces (Conformulator Tool)
  
• UV Mapping
  
• Model creation and design
  
• Full helmets vs Open-faced helmets
  
• Creating plugins to place the item(s) in the game.

• Open a blank view in Blender
  
• Import the Full Human Male Topless Import-Ready Body NIF
  Scale Correction = 10
  Import Animation
  Realign Bone Tail + Roll
  Send Bones To Bind Position
  
• Press CTRL + 1 to align the body looking at you. Place the 3D cursor at the forehead and Add --> Mesh --> Icosphere, Subdivision = 3, Radius = 1
  
• Adjust the sphere to look like a hat placed on his head.
  
• Add a UV Map and point it to any old PSD/DDS file that also has a normal map (this is purely for test). I used the iron helmet files.
  
• Select the Sphere, Press F9, Add Modifier, Armature, type "Scene Root" in the Ob field and press ENTER (do not click Apply)
  
• With the sphere still selected, press and hold SHIFT and right-click the skeleton (easiest at the fingertips)
  
• Press CTRL + P, Parent to Armature, Don't Create Vertex Groups
  
• Select just the Sphere, Press F9, Click the "New" button under Vertex Groups and type "Bip01 Head" where the name "Group" exists and press ENTER.
  
• With the Sphere still selected, change from Object Mode to Weight Paint mode.
  
• In the Paint tab, change Opacity from 0.200 to 1.00 and proceed to paint every bit of that sphere changing it from a dark blue to a solid red color. This is best done in a zoomed out view which makes painting everything quick (be sure to rotate it around to catch all sides).
  
• When done, change from Weight Paint mode to Object Mode.
  
• Select the Skeleton and press F9, then the "X-Ray" button, then the "Envelope" button, then the "Draw Names" button.
  
• Change from Object Mode to Pose Mode. Grab the "Bip01 Head" bone and move it around and press ESC to cancel the change. If you saw any part of the sphere remain in-place while the rest of it moved around, you missed painting at least one vertex. Keep trying until the entire object moves.
  
• Change from Pose Mode to Object Mode.
  
• Select and delete each part of the body/skin until only the Sphere and Skeleton remain.
  
• Press A until both the skeleton and sphere are highlighted and export to NIF
  Oblivion
  Export Skin Partition
  Flatten Skin
  Smoothen Inter-Object Seams
  Stripify Geometries
  Force DDS Extension
  Export Geometry Only (.nif)
  Scale Correction: 10.00
  ** Ignore Collision section on the right **
  
• Open the NIF in NifSkope
  
• Adjust the Texture paths if necessary to point to the correct DDS files.
  
• Select the Scene Root (0 NiNode), Select Spells --> Optimize --> Remove Bogus Nodes
  
• Select the Scene Root (0 NiNode), Select Spells --> Sanitize --> Adjust Link Arrays
  
• Select the Scene Root (0 NiNode), Select Spells --> Sanitize --> Check Links
  
• Save the NIF and close NifSkope
  
• Place the NIF file in your Oblivion\Data\Armor folder and load up the Construction Set, Open an Iron Helmet, change the form ID, change the model to your new model and leave the world model and icon alone. Click OK and create a new object.
  
• Place the object somewhere in the gameworld (Testing Hall) or in a vendor chest to make it for sale. Save the plugin and test it out.

• Blender 2.47
  
• Python 2.5.2
  
• Blender NIF Scripts 2.3.7
  
• PyFFI 1.0
  
• NifSkope 1.0.12

• Create your sword model
  
• Create your sword's scabbard model and rename the object to Scb:0
  
• Create a UV Map for your model and add a material with the appropriate settings and attach an image to it
  
• See example file called "MySword1.blend"
  
• Add an "Empty" and rename the object to Scb
  
• Select your scabbard, then Shift+RightClick the Scb empty and press CTRL + P, Make Parent
  
• If it was done correctly, you can grab the scabbard and move it around with an attached line always pointing to the Scb empty object and the Scb does not move
  
• If the parenting is messed up, select both objects and press ALT + P to clear the parent then try to re-create the parent relationship again
  
• See example file called "MySword2.blend"
  
• Select all objects and export to NIF such as MySword_WIP.nif
  
• On the export to NIF screen, make sure the following settings are made:
  - Oblivion button is depressed
  - Smoothen Inter-Object Seams is depressed
  - Stripify Geometries is depressed
  - Force DDS Extension is depressed
  - Export Geometry + Animation (.nif) is depressed
  - Weapon button is clicked (does not stay depressed)
  - Metal is depressed
  - Solid is depressed
  
• See example file called "MySword_WIP.nif"
  
• Take a vanilla sword such as the Steel Longsword (longsword.nif) and copy / rename it to MySword.nif and treat this as your template and end-result file
  
• See example file called "SteelLongsword.nif"
  
• Use NifSkope to open MySword.nif and delete both NiTriStrips but take care not to delete the Scb NiNode (this is the special scabbard container)
  
• See example file called "SteelLongsword_Template.nif"
  
• Open a new NifSkope window and load MySword_WIP.nif and Copy Branch the NiTriStrip called "Scb:0" which is your scabbard mesh
  
• Switch to your MySword.nif, select the NiNode called Scb and then Paste Branch which should put your scabbard mesh under the Scb NiNode
  
• Switch to your MySword_WIP.nif and Copy Branch the remaining NiTriStrips one at a time and paste them into MySword.nif at the Scene Root
  
• Save MySword.nif and delete MySword_WIP.nif since it is no longer needed
  
• We need to specify this weapon as a BackWeapon or SideWeapon. Right-Click on the NiNode called Scene Root and choose Node --> Attach Extra Data --> NiStringExtraData
  
• Change the value of NiStringExtraData to "BackWeapon" for a 2-handed claymore or "SideWeapon" for a 1-handed sword (for scabbards, you had better use "SideWeapon")
  
• Select the NiNode called Scene Root and from the NifSkope menu, click Spells --> Sanitize --> Reorder Blocks
  
• Save MySword.nif and exit NifSkope
  
• See example file called "MySword.nif"
  
• You might need to make adjustments to the collision model or create custom collision and if you do, you would also copy the bhkCapsuleShapes from your WIP file to replace the same objects in your target NIF file

• Place the 3D cursor at 0,0,0 by pressing Shift + C and press 1 to set your view to the Front.
  
• Press SpaceBar --> Add --> Mesh --> Cube
  
• Press F9 (Editing View), change the Mesh (ME) and Object (OB) name from "Cube" to "Cylinder"
  
• Press F7 (Object View), change Drawtype from "Shaded" to "Bounds" and the dropdown under Draw Extra from "Box" to "Cylinder"
  
• Press 3 (Right View), press R, 90, ENTER which will rotate the cylinder 90 degrees and should match the handle fairly close.
  
• Press TAB for edit mode and adjust the edges of the box so they closely cover the handle and possibly even the blade if it is straight enough. Be sure not to deform the box such as only moving one vertex...must move entire sides of the box along the x, y or z plane by selecting the verts and starting the grab mode and selecting a axis to move on (example: g, y, move mouse)
  
• Press TAB to exit edit mode and with the collision model still selected, press F9 (Editing View) and click the button called "Center New" in the Mesh panel.
  
• Press F4 (Logic View), click "Actor", "Dynamic", "Rigid Body"
  
• Change Mass from 1.00 to 25.00 (or however many pounds you think the object should weight.
  
• Change Radius from 1.00 to 0.2 (or whatever the max size of the object radius is)
  
• Click "Bounds" and "Cylinder" should already be selected.
  
• Click "Add Property", change "Float" to "String", change Name from "prop" to "HavokMaterial", add "HAV_MAT_METAL" and press ENTER.
  
• Press A to deselect all objects.

• Place the 3D cursor at 0,0,0 by pressing Shift + C and press 1 to set your view to the Front.
  
• Press SpaceBar --> Add --> Mesh --> Cube
  
• Press F9 (Editing View), change the Mesh (ME) and Object (OB) name from "Cube" to "Cylinder.001"
  
• Press F7 (Object View), change Drawtype from "Shaded" to "Bounds" and the dropdown under Draw Extra from "Box" to "Cylinder"
  
• Press press R, 90, ENTER which will rotate the cylinder 90 degrees and should match the crossguard fairly close.
  
• Press TAB for edit mode and adjust the edges of the box so they closely cover the crossguard. Be sure not to deform the box such as only moving one vertex...must move entire sides of the box along the x, y or z plane by selecting the verts and starting the grab mode and selecting a axis to move on (example: g, x, move mouse)
  
• Press TAB to exit edit mode and with the collision model still selected, press F9 (Editing View) and click the button called "Center New" in the Mesh panel.
  
• Press F4 (Logic View), click "Actor", "Dynamic", "Rigid Body"
  
• Change Mass from 1.00 to 25.00 (or however many pounds you think the object should weight.
  
• Change Radius from 1.00 to 0.2 (or whatever the max size of the object radius is)
  
• Click "Bounds" and "Cylinder" should already be selected.
  
• Click "Add Property", change "Float" to "String", change Name from "prop" to "HavokMaterial", add "HAV_MAT_METAL" and press ENTER.
  
• Press A to deselect all objects.
  
• Press Ctrl + W to save your model.
  
• Press A to select all objects.
  
• Click File, Export, NetImmerse/Gamebro (*.nif,*.kf)
  
• Type an appropriate name such as CustomSword.nif and click "Export NIF/KF"
  
• Set the following options on the NIF Export screen:
  
  • Click the "Oblivion" button (if not already set)
    
  • Click the "Weapon" button on the top-right
    
  • Scale Correction: 10.00
    
  • Depressed: Export Geometry Only (.nif)
    
  • Depressed: Force DDS Extension
    
  • Depressed: Stripify Geometries
    
  • Depressed: Smoothen Inter-Object Seams
    
  • Depressed: Metal
    
  • Mass: 25.00 (or however many pounds it should be)
    
  • Depressed: Solid
    
  • Depressed: Use bhkListShape
  
  
• Exit Blender
  
• Open your exported NIF with NifSkope
  
• Click the Render menu and make sure "Draw Havok" is enabled.
  
• Click the View menu and make sure the following are enabled: Block List, Block Details, Show Blocks in Tree
  
• Expand NiNode --> bhkCollisionObject --> bhkRigidBody --> bhkShapeList
  
• Select each bhkCapsuleShape and adjust the Radius value as necessary to size the object correctly
  
• Save the model and close NifSkope

• HAV_MAT_STONE
  
• HAV_MAT_GLASS
  
• HAV_MAT_METAL
  
• HAV_MAT_ORGANIC
  
• HAV_MAT_WOOD
  
• HAV_MAT_HEAVY_STONE
  
• HAV_MAT_HEAVY_METAL
  
• HAV_MAT_HEAVY_WOOD
  
• HAV_MAT_CHAIN

• Model preparation
  
• Create Material
  
• Add Textures
  
• Assign Texture to UV Map
  
• Export to NIF
  
• Adjust materials and DDS Path

• Model preparation
  
• Create Collision
  
• Configure Collision
  
• Export

scn aavLemBallScript

scn aavLemBallScript

Begin OnAdd player

scn aavLemBallScript

Begin OnAdd player

     if (player.GetItemCount aavLemBall == 1)

 
scn aavLemBallScript

Begin OnAdd player

     if (player.GetItemCount aavLemBall == 1)
          player.addspell "aavLemSpell"
          ;You might even want to throw in a message.
          message "You have learned a new Spell"
     endif
end OnAdd

scn aavLemBallScript

Begin OnAdd player

     if (player.GetItemCount aavLemBall == 1)
          player.addspell "aavLemSpell"
          ;You might even want to throw in a message.
          message "You have learned a new Spell"
     endif
end OnAdd

Begin OnDrop player

     if (player.GetItemCount aavLemBall == 0)
          player.removespell "aavLemSpell"
          message "You have forgotten a spell"
     endif
end OnDrop