I've been looking for the last two days. I can't find the animation or IMOD or whatever it is that has the 'bats flying in the cave' when you traverse certain dungeons/caves.

I want to use the effect in my mod.

Okay I found the bats

They're a mesh.

Is it possible to use the effect of the bats on the character and loop it without changing the race of the player? Since the bats are a .nif

Okay so help me out with this idea.

I want to create an item that uses the fxbatgroup.nif. I want the animation for that mesh (fxbatgroup.hkx) to loop in play whenever the item is worn by the player.

I want this item to be added ONLY when the 'Bat Form' spell is added (or used) to the player and I want it automatically equipped so that the effect of flying bats shows.

THEN (lol)

When the effect of the Bat Form spell is ended by the player I want the item to be unequipped and then removed. And this has to happen every time the spell is used.

Is this possible or am I daydreaming?

Or perhaps there's a way to have the spell set a marker at the player that summons the nif and the animation. Hmm, but then is there a way to have the animation/marker follow the player as he moves and then disappear after the spell is ended.

I can't be the only one wanting to utilize some bats...

Well you can create scripted spell thats will move activator with such effect to actor, similar how many Midas Magic spells work before.
Also take a look at Nocturnal birds its animated objects what attached to an actor.

So essentially I could have it summon at the player and do it's thing but then it wont go anywhere from there. I'll take a look at Nocturnal Birds and see what you're talking about. I'm not familiar with those.

http://www.gamesas.com/user/458956-draeka/, I've used this model in my "Blink"/"Phase Walk" effect for my Vampirism Mod. It is actually used as an Activator. Check in WorldOBjects->Activators for FxbatGroupACT. The nif model is animated so I'm not sure how useful it will be for you for that purpose (I had a similar idea). I ended up retrofitting it for it's current purpose instead.

-MM