Novice FX woes

[Scorpion13mk2]

So finally, 10 years after the game came out I have finally worked up the nerve to start doing stuff like putting in custom FX manually and not using EZFX or something like that. I already have the latest EZFX for  from Alex's installed, and when I downloaded Gren's Beta Ray Bill, and took a look at the Storm Breaker FX he had in there, I decided to try putting it in manually since the instructions were so simple and easy to follow. Well, it worked...almost. The FX is in there, but it's blank white.

I made sure to throw in all the TGA files in there into the textures folder, so Im kinda stumped on what I should do. What am I doing wrong on this?

Also, heartened by my near success, I decided to try my hand at the old Sentinel's FX pack from back in the day. For years, YEARS, I wasnt able to get the various eye, hand and chest beams to start at the appropriate nodes. Stupid me, all I had to do was open up the FX tab FFEdit and that apparently fixed it. Welp, thats not the only thing.

It seems that I am without the ability to find the Sentinel Missles in the pack itself. EZFX doesnt have them showing up in the Projectiles tab, and when I thought to try to remedy that manually, I noticed that there arent any Missle textures/skins in the Sentinels pack ADClaw put up at FX Force. What is it Im missing here?

Id appreciate the help.

[Cyber Burn]

For the Sentinel pack, look under "Rocket_Fist" under "Projectile", but there are no (.TGA) files associated with them, however, I think that the colors could be changed with Nifskope, I think.

EDIT: There are no (.TGA) files associated with the fist itself, and you can use Nifskope to re-color the Rocket fist Nif itself. It's time consuming, but doable.

[Scorpion13mk2]

Well thats the thing, the fists are all there; no problem with that.

Its the actual missles. Like Acid Missle, Plasma, Atomic, etc.

They dont show up in the listing of Projectiles in the hero creator in  , and neither can I find them in the FX pack ADClaw put up. I mean, all the NIFs are there, but none of the TGAs.

Its kinda confusing.

[Cyber Burn]

Let me see if I can find my  disk and I'll take a look.

[Cyber Burn]

DO you have a link to the Sentinel FX?

[Cyber Burn]

For the Stormbreaker_FX, rename the "Stormbreaker" (TGA) files to "extras", that should fix the white FX issue.

[Scorpion13mk2]

DO you have a link to the Sentinel FX?

http://www.fxforce.com/ADCLAW.html

This page here is where I just downloaded it from.

[Scorpion13mk2]

Now I think I understand what's happening, because I was in there making up another Sentinel, and when I was giving the Sentinel missles, the Sentinel missles showed up ONLY when I was browsing through the projectiles WHILE the planned in-game animation was the projectile launcher from the Sentinel's belt buckle. Ive never heard of this before! What the hell?

[Cyber Burn]

That I'm not sure, I tried a different mesh (My Avatar), and the FX showed up fine.

[Cyber Burn]

Hey Scorpion, just thought I'd check in to see how your FX problems are going, did you try the Stormbreaker fix? Did it work alright for you?

[Scorpion13mk2]

No, actually. When I renamed the TGA files, the mesh and all disappeared from the Projectile list.

As for the Sentinel FX, eh, after screwing around with it in FFEDIT I managed to get the Sentinel Missles to work on occasion anf the Sentinel Eye Beams to work almost 90% of the time. As for when they dont, I have no clue why they wouldnt, When they dont work, the beams just shoot right at the ground, it seems.

Anyways, I had another question that maybe you could help me with; I remember having downloaded a program before, but for the life of me I cannot remember the acutal name of it. It was a program dedicated to freedom force that you could use to edit Keyframes and also resize meshes. I was gonna try it out and see if I couldnt rename mesh nodes with it, so I could get other giant robot/monster meshes to use the Sentinel FX.

Do you know what it is Im talking about? Ive used the thing enough times, but I always forget the actual name of it.

[Cyber Burn]

No, actually. When I renamed the TGA files, the mesh and all disappeared from the Projectile list.

Anyways, I had another question that maybe you could help me with; I remember having downloaded a program before, but for the life of me I cannot remember the acutal name of it. It was a program dedicated to freedom force that you could use to edit Keyframes and also resize meshes. I was gonna try it out and see if I couldnt rename mesh nodes with it, so I could get other giant robot/monster meshes to use the Sentinel FX.

Do you know what it is Im talking about? Ive used the thing enough times, but I always forget the actual name of it.

That should not have happened. When I did it, it worked fine for me. Now I'm stuck, maybe someone with more knowledge about FX could step in here?

As for the editing tool, you could either be talking about M25's Keyfram Tool, or Nifskope, not sure which.

[Cyber Burn]

I altered the Stormbreaker Core.Nif with Nifskope to accept the Stormbreaker (TGA) files, you've got mail, let me know if it works.

[Scorpion13mk2]

SUCCESS!!

Its works spot-on! Thank you so much, Cyber. I appreciate youre taking time out to help me with this.

I gotta say its liberating for me to finally, after all this time to manage to install a FX with FFEdit. And just in time for FXForce to close down! Ah, my impeccable timing.

Anywho, I appreciate you helping me remember that I needed that Keyframe editor, but thats not what I was thinking of.

Is there some kinda list of Freedom Force tool programs out there? Im almost certain its a M25 thing, but I cant be sure. Im certain, though, that when I do finally find it again Ill feel stupid because it was probably under my nose all along.

[Cyber Burn]

Glad I could be of help. 

http://freedomreborn.net/forums/index.php?topic=50675.0

Lots of useful stuff here.

[Scorpion13mk2]

Just wanted to drop in to say that I did indeed find the program I was looking for; it was Hex's Mesh Editor on the Hexes part of FX Force.

Also, I was able to install my second FX today! Manually! Now Im looking to figure our how to install a map!

[Cyber Burn]

As for maps, I have actually never installed one. 

[ShawDAMAN]

Heh I could never get storm breaker to work either. But thanks to this remark

I altered the Stormbreaker Core.Nif with Nifskope to accept the Stormbreaker (TGA) files, you've got mail, let me know if it works.

Now it does for me also Thanks CB- lol. Vicarious problem solving

[Cyber Burn]

Always willing to give my services if at all possible.