Invisible Furniture



Timalk-ae's Furniture, V0.9
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1. Description
2. How to use the furniture
3. Possible issues
4. How it works
5. Contact & permissions






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1. Description
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This is the result of one of my weird ideas. It turned out to be kind of useful to me, so I decided to share it as a modder's resource.
This is invisible models you (and NPCs) can sit on or sleep in. Using the CS, you can put them wherever you want, and use about every static in the game as a chair or as a bed. Want to sit on a low wall? Want to sleep on a table? Well, now you can.
There are/may be some problems, though. That's why this is still a beta.

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2. How to use it
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First, you need to extract the files into your "Bethesda Softworks/Oblivion" folder.
Then, you can create a new furniture item in the CS.
I had some difficulties doing so. You may need to edit an existing item (don't forget to change its ID) instead of creating yours from scratch. Choose the nif file you want to use (InvisibleBedroll allows you to sleep on the ground, InvisibleSeatThin is suitable for thin seats like low walls, logs...)
Tick all the necessary furniture markers.
Then you can put it wherever you want. BUT if you want to be able to sit or to sleep on it, you've got to pay attention to the invisible model. Press F4 to view its collision box (which has the same shape). The upper red wires must jut out above the thing you're placing my model on.
Et voila ! You're done.

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3. Possible issues
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Even though there should be no 'serious' issue with my models, you may encounter some glitches :
  • The invisible furniture collision box may not fit the actual furniture shape.
  • You may get an error message while creating your furniture item. It seems to be harmless.
  • If you put the invisible seat/bed on the water surface, a hole may appear.
If you come up with a solution or if another glitch shows up, please inform me. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

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4. How it works
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I like to explain what I did because someone may find that I did it wrong or come up with a better idea.
I started by modeling the seat.
I used an existing Oblivion nif file as a basis. I created a box AND a collision box using blender and replaced the chair model with them (I needed both of them to be able to sit). In nifskope, I used an alpha value of 0 to make my model invisible. That's why there is a problem with water.
Then I did the same with the bed and the bedroll.
It might look quite simple but I had to experiment a lot because I'm not an expert yet.

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5 - Contact & permissions
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These are modder's resources. Feel free to alter and use my invisible furniture, but please give me proper credit.
If you have any question/suggestion/gift/chocolate, you can send me a pm on the official Elder Scrolls forums or leave a comment on Tes Nexus.

Timalk-ae