NWN2 :: Create your own Custom Appearance Items

Dungeon Master (NWN 2) Gender: Age: 27 Joined: 10 Apr 2007

This post contains an instruction of at least one method on how to create your own custom appearance items, as well as related information, including how custom appearance items might get distributed into the game, requirements/restrictions, and how to take advantage of the maximum potential of the NWN2 toolset. Not all of these things have been yet fully planned, so feel free to add suggestions within the discussion.

Requests for more items is common. Some discussion leading to this post lies here:
http://www.dungeoneternal.com/phpBB2/ftopic6672-0-asc-0.php

At some point it is likely that custom item tokens may be event rewards, though this can also help players who wish to make their own faction items (which would lessen the burden which is currently placed on Seed).

The instruction below may not be adequate; If you find that it is not completely comprehensive, please reply with your suggestion on how to improve the instruction and I will keep it updated within this top post.

INSTRUCTION TO CREATE YOUR OWN CUSTOM APPEARANCE ARMOR

Quote:

Download a plugin called SinPlug from IGN Vault at this URL:
http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Nwn2plugins.Detail&id=12

You only need one file from this download, SinPlugin.dll. Place SinPlugin.dll file into your
C:/NWN2/nwn2toolset/plugins folder

Open your NWN2Launcher.exe

Select Toolset (this will open the NWN2Toolset)

To enable your plugins, within the Toolset, you'll need to go into View - Options, then within the Security section, in the Allow Plugins field, set it to Load all plugins

Within the top upper left hand corner to the Obsidian Neverwinter Nights 2 Toolset window, find the Plugins menu. Click on it, and then click on Sin Plugin within the resulting dropdown menu.

This will bring a new menu bar into your Obsidian Window, specific to the Sin Plugin. Click on Item Laboratory.

Now look in the resulting Sin’s Item Laboratory window, on the lefthand side.

Don’t fill in the Resref, Name, and Tag fields, these will get filled in automatically when you set the armor type.

The Description field is optional. This is what you will read when you examine your armor while its in your inventory. Not important as no one else will ever get to read it, unless you give them your armor.

Within the Settings area:

In the Base Item field, select Armor.

Insure that the “Droppable” and “Identified” tick-boxes are checked, and that all of the others are not.

Select an icon (for what your armor will appear like within your inventory) by selecting one from within the Icon field. Note that you can see a preview of your armor’s inventory icon immediately to the left.

Select the appropriate Armor Type from the drop down menu in the Armor Type field.

Select Non-Specific within the Material field.

Now you are ready to customize your armor’s appearance. This is done on the right hand side of the Sin’s Item Laboratory window.
Remember to view all three tabs (Primary Armorset, Accessories, and Tinting), and play with all of the various configurable options. You can switch back and forth for hours if you like, tweaking your custom armor to your liking.

Note that while making changes, you can manipulate your view of your custom armor:

PAN: Hold (middle or right) mouse button while moving mouse

ROTATE: Hold CTRL + (middle or right) mouse button while moving mouse

ZOOM: Use the scroll wheel of your mouse

Finally, once you have the armor appearance exactly how you like it, click on Save in the bottom center of the Item Laboratory window. Only click it once. It won’t appear to do anything.

Minimize your Sin’s Item Laboratory window (don’t close it yet just in case)…

Now go back to your Obsidian Neverwinter Nights 2 Toolset window.

Click File – Export…

Within the Type field, select ItemBlueprints from the drop down menu.

Highlight only the armor you just created (it will likely be titled it_armor###. Then click on Add, then on OK.

Save it in a location where you won’t lose it (perhaps your desktop is best), and name it
armor_(your DEX forums login ID).erf, for example armor_weaverofshadow.erf

You can begin playing with the toolset and creating your own items at any time.
The potential of the toolset is nearly unlimited!

There are the base items that come with the game to start with, which are somewhat limited.

There is some custom content available at the IGN Vault.

But then, you can re-texture any model (I will likely create an instruction on how to do this, depending upon your response/interest), which is not difficult to do, especially if you have proficiency in Photoshop (or any other image editing tool, though preferably, it can save in .dds format, though other formats can also be accepted provided they can be opened in PS (then I can convert them for you).

Beyond re-texturing / re-skinning models, you could even create your own models, though this may take quite some time to learn how to do proficiently and is not recommended for someone with no modeling experience (unless you have a lot of spare time and are willing to invest in a modeling software and learn). There is at least one tool available for converting obj files to NWN2 mdb (model) files, though it places a fair amount of criteria on your obj file for it to work successfully. And there is one Obsidian released tool for converting files made from 3DS MAX.

Any custom textures and models would add size to the hak in order for other players to see it, so will be subject to aesthetic review/approval before being implemented.

Rules:

No deceiving appearance items:
i.e., if you wear platemail, you can not make it look like cloth, and vice versa. If you wield a falchion, it should look like one and not look like a dagger. No invisible shields or weapons, etc.

Materials:
Only basic materials on armors (at least until we start getting any alternative material armor items in game).
If you have an alternative material weapon (adamantine, alchemical silver, cold iron), exchange it along with your custom item token(s) to the DM when he imports and gives you your custom item. Check the items being exchanged during the barter) to insure the properties are the same.

To provide me with your erf file, its preferable to attach it to a PM, or host it remotely and provide the remote host URL in a PM.

After that point, I (or other DM) will need some processing time. I’ll need to:
Import it into a mod, view the properties to insure they are correct,
Place the item in the mod
Play the mod so that I can view it to insure it meets appearance requirements,
And pick it up into inventory,
Then export the new bic file with the item in inventory

And finally, enter the mod via the DM console with the newly saved bic file
At the same time the player is on for me to make the exchange (that might be the toughest part).

Dungeon Master (NWN 2) Gender: Age: 27 Joined: 10 Apr 2007

I've been informed of some problems with the particualr plugin illustrated above, Sinplugin. What happens with most plugins is that they need to be re-compiled each time there is a NWN2 Update. Sinplugin is not up to 1.10.1116 at this time. Sometimes that author is quick (might be up to date within an hour), though at some points in the past, his updates have lagged for much longer periods.

So its good to know that there are som alternatives out there, and likely as simple to use as Sinplugin (and perhaps even easier or more efficient).

Here is one I just came across:

http://nwvault.ign.com/fms/Image.php?id=83287
RDR Item Creation Wizard

This plugin has been combined with several other very useful plugins into a package called Replug. Replug is maintained by Tanita (a very well known, responsible community contributor), who normally gets updates done the moment they are needed. Replug is 1.10.1116 compatible.

You can download Replug here:
http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=NWN2PlugIns.Detail&id=47

After unzipping it, simply grab the two files with RDR in their title, and place those in
C:/NWN2/NWN2Toolset/Plugins

Note, do not simply grab all the files and put them there or you might experience errors (see the readme file if you are interested in using the other plugins that come with Replug).

I haven't got a tutorial yet, though its probably easy enough to figure it out. Anyone needs help can post here or send me a PM.

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 9:59 am

faction templates: http://www.dungeoneternal.com/phpBB2/sutra93099.php#93099

Dungeon Master (NWN 2) Gender: Age: 27 Joined: 10 Apr 2007

Sinplugin has been updated for 1.10.1116

http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Nwn2plugins.Detail&id=12

Dungeon Master (NWN 2) Gender: Age: 27 Joined: 10 Apr 2007

Congradulations to Ambit. He was the first to create his own custom appearance item. For taking the initiative, I gave him the item. You'll see him in game with his new custom digs!