NWN2 Character models in NWN:EE

Neverwinter Nights 1 Enhanced Edition
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I’ve been thinking that with the various enhancements in NWN:EE it might be possible to use custom character models, heads and hair from NWN2 in NWN:EE. Basically convert the custom bodies from NWN2 into robes in NWN:EE including a neck as part of this robe model. On the phenotype models with the various nodes in NWN:EE (pmh0.mdl etc, don’t know if it’s different from original edition NWN) move the node for the neck to the exact same location as the node for the head.

Now convert custom NWN2 head models from the NWN2 Facelift Pack and add various combinations of facial hair and jewellery etc to make them look like better versions of the original NWN heads, But name them as if they were neck models. Then some of the better looking custom hair models from NWN2 into NWN:EE models, but name them as if they were head models. This way helmet models from NWN2 would only replace the hair from a head while leaving the face and head there to be seen inside the helmet.

Tattoo colour 1 & 2 can be assigned to hair colour and hair highlight on the hair models, and what was hair colour in NWN:EE can be assigned to eye colour in the irises of the eyes on the head models. This would require renaming parts of the character creation GUI since the head selector would now cycle through hairstyles instead, and maybe the button for selection tattoos can be modified to cycle through different neck models (thus letting players select different heads since they have been named as neck models).

If I were any good at modeling and animation I would try to do this myself, but all previous attempts I made at modeling for NWN a few years back were very crude to say the least. But I do think this might be possible to do.

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This is some task and we did some PMing on this. For others to follow, I decided to copy over some words here. I made a suggestion regarding the first steps to get this going:

  1. Get a NWN2 model to import (Blender or [G]Max)
    https://neverwintervault.org/project/nwn2/other/tool/blender-mdb-importe…
    https://neverwintervault.org/article/tutorial/gmax-beginners-guide-riggi…

  2. Get a NWN1 Skeleton/Armature to rig your NWN2 mesh to.
    https://neverwintervault.org/article/tutorial/rigging-blender-279-tutori…

For more work in Blender you’d also need Neverblender:
https://neverwintervault.org/project/nwn1/other/tool/neverblender-28

  1. Import a robe as a reference, so you know how to position your model - from here I can not tell you exactly the steps. If you want to replace a whole body you could link your meshes to your reference robe, make the reference robe meshes not to render and export it into the override to test it. I’m not sure about the animations, because creatures refere to a supermodel to fetch the animations. I’m not sure (I’d have to check) if the reference model base is pointing to a supermodel…

  2. Adjust the ROBE.2da! Her you can set, which bodyparts of the original NWN1-model should still be shown. So, for a complete body replacement, you’d have to switch of everything else (Example for the torso/chest setting: HIDECHEST -> 1.

I wouldn’t care about the texture right away. Biggest part will be to make it show up and work in the TS and IG. If that works, start fiddeling with the texture.

For the textures with its color changing ability, you need to rework the textures into PLTs. It should be possible to make the hair color change when altering the tatoo color, because it’s just a matter of defining the alpha-regions within the PLT layers.

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