Morrowind Mod:Creating Morrowind Meshes Using New Versions of Blender

You need:

• Blender v 2.49b
• The blender nif scripts
• Python 2.6.6
• PyFFI 2.1.11

(links)

• Nifskope v 1.0.9

(link)

What are the blender nif scripts and python for?

They are for importing and exporting .nif files to and from blender. Nif is the file format used for Morrowind 3D models. You also need the right version of python, the programming language, for these scripts. Your newer blender uses a different version of python.

Why do I need blender v 2.49b? I thought the title said "new version"!

2.49b is the newest version that the nif scripts currently work for. If you prefer to use a newer version of blender, you can have 2 versions installed at your computer in different places: 2.49b, and your preferred version. This is how to work using 2 versions of blender:

Open up the 2.49b. Import the .nif file you wish to edit or use as reference (e.g. a head if you want to create a hair). Save the blender file; you can call it "import" or something similar and always use the same file for importing/exporting nifs. Close 2.49b and open up your regular version of blender. Choose "append", pick your "import" file, and choose your imported mesh. This will make your imported mesh appear in the new blender.

Create your creation.

When your work is finished, click "save as" (even if you've already saved your file). At the "save as" screen, there will be a little checkbox in the lower left corner, where it says "enable legacy mesh", "legacy mesh format" or something similar (the wording might be different in different versions of blender). Check that box. Then save.

Open up blender 2.49 b. Click "append or link". Choose your saved creation. This will make your saved creation appear in the 2.49b. It will probably show up as colorless, but don't do anything with it. Just export it as a .nif file. Open your .nif file in Nifskope and re-assign the textures if necessary.

Why do I have to go through all these complicated procedures?

Because new blender versions have a different mesh format than the old. If you just try to open a file created in the new blender with the old, your mesh will look like a wireframe and be impossible to work with. If you try to open a file from the old blender with the new, the workspace will be organized like old blender, and if you are not familiar with using the 2.49b and don't want to take time learning it, this will be frustrating.

Why do I need the old blender at all? Aren't there any workarounds?

Both blender and Nifskope can import and export other file formats, such as .obj and .3ds. But transferring .obj and .3ds files between blender and Nifskope doesn't work smoothly. Your mesh will get messed up. Using the old blender is in fact the simplest solution.

Ok, so what about the Nifskope version?

Newer versions of Nifskope for some reason don't like Morrowind .nif files. If you load a Morrowind .nif file in a newer version of Nifskope, you'll get a popup message saying "Unsupported 'Startup Version' 4.0.0.2. specified, reverting to 20.0.0.5". If you save a Morrowind file in a Nifskope version that gives you this message, the mesh will not show up in your game. Instead you'll get an error marker. Newer versions of nifskope might be useful for other things, so you might want to have two versions of Nifskope as well - 1.0.9 and the latest version.