Fallout 3 Making a custom weapon tutorial

Another tutorial from Prosper!

Needed

Blender 2.48a
Download Place: http://www.blender.org/download/get-blender/
Main Website: http://www.blender.org/

Gimp 2.6.3
Download Place: http://www.gimp.org/downloads/
Main Website: http://www.gimp.org/

Gimp Normal Map Plugin 1.2.2
Download Place: http://nifelheim.dyndns.org/~cocidius/n ... /#download
Main Website: http://nifelheim.dyndns.org/~cocidius/normalmap/

DDS Converter 2.1
Download Place: http://eliteforce2.filefront.com/file/D ... rter;29412

Nifskope-1.0.18.4332
Download Place: http://www.sendspace.com/file/h84nzl
Main Website: http://niftools.sourceforge.net/forum/v ... f=4&t=2037

FO3 Archive Utility
Download Place: http://fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=34

Recommended
Experience with Blender, Gimp, Nifskope, and the Garden of Eden Creation Kit.

The Tutorial
1. Open up Blender. You will have a cube. Click on Add-> Mesh-> UVSphere. Set segments to 4 and rings to 4. Click OK. In your view the newly added mesh will not be visible. This is because it is covered up by the cube. However the mesh should be already selected and a set of arrows should be visible. Left-Click on the green arrow and hold the mouse button down and move your mouse till your mesh is exactly above your cube.
Click on Add-> Mesh-> Cylinder. Set vertices to 6. Left-Click on the green arrow of your newly created mesh and hold the mouse button down and move your mouse till it is exactly below your cube.
Switch to Edit Mode. Left-Click Mesh-> UVUnwrap-> Unwrap (Smart Projections). Click OK. Switch the Window type to UV/Image Editor. Left-Click UVs-> Scripts-> Save UV Face Layout... Set size to 256. Click OK. Now click on the Save
UV (tga) button. Switch the Window type back to 3D View. Switch the mode to Object Mode. Select the cube by Right-Clicking on it. Switch to Edit Mode. Left-Click Mesh-> UVUnwrap-> Unwrap (Smart Projections). Click OK. Switch the Window type to UV/Image Editor. Left-Click UVs-> Scripts-> Save UV Face Layout... Set size to 256. Click OK. Now click on the Save UV (tga) button.
Switch the Window type back to 3D View. Switch the mode to Object Mode. Select the last mesh by Right-Clicking on it.Switch to Edit Mode. Left-Click Mesh-> UVUnwrap-> Unwrap (Smart Projections). Click OK. Switch the Window type to UV/Image Editor. Left-Click UVs-> Scripts-> Save UV Face Layout... Set size to 256. Click OK. Now click on the Save UV (tga) button.
Switch the Window type back to 3D View. Switch the mode to Object Mode.You are done with exporting the textures.Now you are going to export all the meshes.
Left-Click on File-> Export-> Wavefront (.obj)... Name it I.obj and then click the Export Wavefront OBJ
Button. Set it to triangulate. Unset it to Rotate X90. Set it to Normals. Click on the Export button. Select the cube mesh by Right-Clicking on it. Left-Click on File-> Export-> Wavefront (.obj)... Name it Love.obj and then click the Export Wavefront OBJ Button.Set it to triangulate. Unset it to Rotate X90. Set it to Normals. Click on the Export button. Select the cylinder mesh by Right-Clicking on it.Left-Click on File-> Export-> Wavefront (.obj)... Name it PrincessStomper.obj and then click the Export Wavefront OBJ Button. Set it to triangulate. Unset it to Rotate X90. Set it to Normals. Click on the Export button. You are now finished with Blender!

2. Open up GIMP.File-> Open. Select _Sphere.tga and click on the Open button. Texture it how you want. When done with texturing File-> Save As. Set the Name to I.tga and click on the Save button.
Uncheck RLE compression and set the Origin to Top left. Click on the Save button.
We are now going to do the normal map. Layer-> Transparency-> Color to Alpha. Set the color to 00000.Filters-> Map-> Normalmap. Click on the 3D Preview Button. Left click and hold the middle of the big white square until it is leaning back. Click on the Rotate light button. Now click in the top left corner of the big white square and drag until your cursor is in the middle of it. Switch to the Normalmap window and checkmark Wrap. Set the Height source to Alpha. Now set the Scale to 6. And the filter to one of the following:
# 4 Sample – Very grainy. Use for rock or other rough textures.
# 3x3 – Grainy. Use for scratched metals or other rough textures.
# 5x5 – Smooth. Use for smooth metals and wood.
# 7x7 – Smoother. Use for cloth and furniture.
# 9x9 – Very Smooth. – Use for polished metal and gems.
When you have done that click the Ok Button. File-> Save As. Set the name to I_n.tga and uncheck RLE Compression and make sure the origin is Top left. Click the Save button.
Open up GIMP.File-> Open. Select _Sphere.tga and click on the Open button. Texture it how you want. When done with texturing File-> Save As. Set the Name to I.tga and click on the Save button.
Uncheck RLE compression and set the Origin to Top left. Click on the Save button.
We are now going to do the normal map. Layer-> Transparency-> Color to Alpha. Set the color to 000000.Filters-> Map-> Normalmap. Click on the 3D Preview Button. Left click and hold the middle of the big white square until it is leaning back. Click on the Rotate light button. Now click in the top left corner of the big white square and drag until your cursor is in the middle of it. Switch to the Normalmap window and checkmark Wrap. Set the Height source to Alpha. Now set the Scale to 6. And the filter to one of the following:
# 4 Sample – Very grainy. Use for rock or other rough textures.
# 3x3 – Grainy. Use for scratched metals or other rough textures.
# 5x5 – Smooth. Use for smooth metals and wood.
# 7x7 – Smoother. Use for cloth and furniture.
# 9x9 – Very Smooth. – Use for polished metal and gems.
When you have done that click the Ok Button.
File-> Save As. Set the name to I_n.tga and uncheck RLE Compression and make sure the origin is Top left. Click the Save button.
File-> Open. Select _Cube.tga and click on the Open button. Texture it how you want. When done with texturing File-> Save As. Set the Name to Love.tga and click on the Save button.
Uncheck RLE compression and set the Origin to Top left. Click on the Save button.
We are now going to do the normal map. Layer-> Transparency-> Color to Alpha. Set the color to 000000.Filters-> Map-> Normalmap. Click on the 3D Preview Button. Left click and hold the middle of the big white square until it is leaning back. Click on the Rotate light button. Now click in the top left corner of the big white square and drag until your cursor is in the middle of it. Switch to the Normalmap window and checkmark Wrap. Set the Height source to Alpha. Now set the Scale to 6. And the filter to one of the following:
# 4 Sample – Very grainy. Use for rock or other rough textures.
# 3x3 – Grainy. Use for scratched metals or other rough textures.
# 5x5 – Smooth. Use for smooth metals and wood.
# 7x7 – Smoother. Use for cloth and furniture.
# 9x9 – Very Smooth. – Use for polished metal and gems.
When you have done that click the Ok Button.
File-> Save As. Set the name to Love_n.tga and uncheck RLE Compression and make sure the origin is Top left. Click the Save button.
File-> Open. Select _Cylinder.tga and click on the Open button. Texture it how you want. When done with texturing File-> Save As. Set the Name to PrincessStomper.tga and click on the Save button.
Uncheck RLE compression and set the Origin to Top left. Click on the Save button.
We are now going to do the normal map. Layer-> Transparency-> Color to Alpha. Set the color to 00000.Filters-> Map-> Normalmap. Click on the 3D Preview Button. Left click and hold the middle of the big white square until it is leaning back. Click on the Rotate light button. Now click in the top left corner of the big white square and drag until your cursor is in the middle of it. Switch to the Normalmap window and checkmark Wrap. Set the Height source to Alpha. Now set the Scale to 6. And the filter to one of the following:
# 4 Sample – Very grainy. Use for rock or other rough textures.
# 3x3 – Grainy. Use for scratched metals or other rough textures.
# 5x5 – Smooth. Use for smooth metals and wood.
# 7x7 – Smoother. Use for cloth and furniture.
# 9x9 – Very Smooth. – Use for polished metal and gems.
When you have done that click the Ok Button.
File-> Save As. Set the name to PrincessStomper_n.tga and uncheck RLE Compression and make sure the origin is Top left. Click the Save button.
You are now finished with Gimp!

3. Open DDS Converter 2.1. Click on the Options button. Set the DXTc format to DXT3. Checkmark Build mipmaps and set the number to 9. Click the Ok Button. Make sure the output format is DirectDraw Surface. Select I.tga. Click the convert button. When that is finished you Select I_n.tga and convert it to. Then Love.tga and then Love_n.tga and then PrincessStomper.tga and finally PrincessStomper_n.tga. You are now finished with the DDS Converter!

4. Use FO3 Archive Utility to extract 10mmPistol.nif

5. Open Nifskope. Load the 10mmPistol. View-> Show Blocks in List. Select iHeader. Open Strings. Set 10MMPistol to PrincessStomper. Find 10MMPistol:0 and set it to PrincessStomper:0 and View-> Show Blocks in Tree. Find and Right-Click-> Block-> Remove Branch on all of the following:
##Slide
##Trigger
##Catch

Select BSFADENODE. File-> Import-> Import OBJ. and choose OK. Find I.obj and the click the open button. Select the newly created NiNode. Now select the NiTriShape it has. Mesh-> Stripify. Select the NiTriStripsData. Set TSpace Flag to 16. Then Right-Click-> Batch-> Update all tangent Spaces. Now right click on NiTriStripsData and Right-Click-> Block-> Copy. Then Right-Click on NiNode and Block-> Remove Branch. Finally find the PrincessStomper:0 NiTriStrips. Select it's NiTriStripsData and Right-Click-> Block -> Paste Over.
Select PrincessStompers:0's BSShaderTextureSet and for textures set the first to
textures\I.dds
set the second to
textures\I_n.dds

Select BSFADENODE. File-> Import-> Import OBJ. and choose OK. Find Love.obj and the click the open button. Select the newly created NiNode. Now select the NiTriShape it has. Mesh-> Stripify. Select the NiTriStripsData. Set TSpace Flag to 16. Then Right-Click-> Batch-> Update all tangent Spaces. Now right click on NiTriStripsData and Right-Click-> Block-> Copy. Then Right-Click on NiNode and Block-> Remove Branch. Find the NiNode called ##Clip. Then find the NiTriStrips ##Clip:0 and select it's NiTriStripsData and Right-Click-> Block -> Paste Over. Select ##Clip:0's BSShaderTextureSet and for textures set the first to
textures\Love.dds
set the second to
textures\Love_n.dds

Select BSFADENODE. File-> Import-> Import OBJ. and choose OK. Find PrincessStomper.obj and the click the open button. Select the newly created NiNode. Now select the NiTriShape it has. Mesh-> Stripify. Select the NiTriStripsData. Set TSpace Flag to 16. Then Right-Click-> Batch-> Update all tangent Spaces. Now right click on NiTriStripsData and Right-Click-> Block-> Copy. Then Right-Click on NiNode and Block-> Remove Branch. Find the NiNode called ##Hammer. Then find the NiTriStrips ##Hammer:0 and select it's NiTriStripsData and Right-Click-> Block -> Paste Over. Select ##Hammer:0's BSShaderTextureSet and for textures set the first to
textures\PrincessStomper.dds
set the second to
textures\PrincessStomper_n.dds

File-> Save As. Goto Fallout 3's Data\meshes\ and name it PrincessStomper and then click the Save button.
You are now done with Nifskope!

One last thing to do is place all your .dds files in your textures folder of Fallout 3.


The tutorial is over with now. I would like to say that I left out a couple things. 1. I didnt explain how to redo the collision and 2 you may need to resize your nif.

EDIT: I edited your Tutorial abit so it's easier to read. Hope you don't mind
Mayu Valentine

Thanks for this, Exo!

Bundled versions of that software with install dox can be found on the Nexus as well:

Blender
GECK
DDS Converter 2
GIMP
GECK Wiki Backup (for offline viewing)

Thank you so much Exo!

Here is my mighty weapon (the coloured ^^):

Small, but veeerryy powerful

What are those objects next to the pistol?