Hi there,

I've been practicing in 3ds max and from what I have read there is no .nif plugin to open files in the latest version of max at this time. I basically want to make alterations to an existing creature model instead of starting from scratch this way it will already be rigged with animation.

I opened one of the .nif files in Nifscope and exported it as an .obj file so I can open it in 3ds max. When I clicked save, it prompted me that "The shape LowFox is Skinned, but the obj format does not support skinning. This mesh will be exported statically in its bind pose, without weights". I ran that prompt by my boyfriend who is soon graduating from a game design college and he said that this means I can edit it fine in max but it will need to have the bones or rig added again before it can be animated in game. He also said that I could just start from scratch but modeling, skinning, and rigging takes a very long time to do.

Are there any tutorials out there on how to make edits to a creature model while preserving the animation? Thanks.

Base your new creature around the skeleton of an existing creature and rig the creature you make to that skeleton (so say the frostbite spider)

Then, when you import to the CK, use that skeleton in the Race Form.

At least that's what I've read others have done, not tried it myself

best of luck