4-14-09 Python…

Dang python… Recently I have been modding oblivion, and today I decided I would try my hand at making my own meshes and testures. I mean, how hard could it be? I just have to run an installer to add the scripts needed for Blender and Gimp, maybe move a file or two between directories, and then I would be able to export Nif.’s, I mean how hard could it be? Unfortunately it couldn’t possibly have been that easy. It all started when I wanted to add the  scripts to blender that allowed me to export models as Nif.’s. So I downloaded the installer, easy right? Well the thing told me I didn’t have  blender. So I reinstall Blender, and it still seems unaware of it’s existance. So I said ‘no problem, I’ll just get the scripts in a Zip. file and extract them to the Blender scripts directory’ and so I pulled up the readme that went over installation, and it told me to use the Bat. installer the scripts came with. Unfortunately, I had to run it from a command prompt. So there I was for 30 minutes, fiddling around with the prompt trying to get the directories to change, when I realized It would be easier if I just extracted the files. So I did, and huza! I had the option to export as an Nif…Unfortunately, that’s all I had, the OPTION in the file menu, I couldn’t actually do it. Apparently I also needed a python plugin called ‘PyFFI-1.2.3′ so off i went to google. I downloaded YET ANOTHER installer and ran it, and guess what? It was convinced python wasn’t installed(which it was, it came with blender). So i reinstall python, to no avail. Once again I download the Zip. and hey, before I knew it, i was staring at yet another command prompt! It said to use the Python2.5 source to run the installer that came with PyFFI-1.2.3. I hadn’t a clue what exactly the ’source’ of python was, but I assumed it was the Python labeled ‘command line’. There were three python files I had to deal with, so i didn’t know which one was the one I needed to use, and no matter what I typed in, python kept on telling my that I had incorrect syntax. I tried everything, and everytime it gave me the smug response ‘incorrect syntax’. I Gave up on that, and in an attempt to exhaust all possibilities, I opened blender and took a look at the command line while it was running. And hey! I could just extract PyFFI-1.2.3 to my scripts folder! So I did, and it worked! I could import Nif.’s! I was so excited, I decided I’d get some practice with the program, and to my amazement, it was extremely easy to use! I was able to model a gear object in less than 16 minutes, somthing I didn’t expect to be able to construct until I had much more experience. Suddenly all the crazy ideas I had seemed closer than I ever imagined! I wanted to see my gear in action within oblivion, so I exported it as an Nif., and adjusted the export settings, overjoyed at my succsess, and then I pressed enter and…whaddyaknow! An error message…Telling me That I can’t make rectangular prisms and export it as an Nif…This was probably due to a mis-extracted file or somthing, but there were thousands of scripts that came with PyFFI1.2.3, and pinpointing ONE would be nearly impossible… Yea, It can never just be that easy can it? Well, I’ll have to keep trying, and speakign of mods, I got a few simple morrowind mods (and some oblivion mods) that I might post up here, so keep on the lookout.