I have two meshes that I need merged together for a shield: It's the shield front and the grip. I tried making them two trishapes but the CK displays it as only the shield front and no grip, so I'm thinking I need to merge the meshes together. I tried merging with attach and exporting, but it got exported as two trishapes anyway...any idea how to fix this? Like how to merge it into one trishape?

No one knows?

My first guess? If the second object has its own texture (or thinks it does), it HAS to be its own mesh. As far as I know, Nifs do not support multiple UVWs and materials on one mesh like 3DS does.

If you can use the texture from one part on the other, reassign your texture to your model in MAX and then use a UVW unwrap modifier to fix the UVs on your newly added part. If not, make a new texture (Multiple of 2) in photoshop and rearrange things as needed to acomidate both textures on one image. Save and re-adjust UVWs to match your changes.

Final step, post pictures of your success

Put them together, collapse (modifier, right side of screen, right hand button with reset uvw etc, then uvw unwrap so you can adjust the uvw map to fit where you want. Then export, one mesh.

I didnt understand that... =/.

Can you please explain it in a bit more detail? I'm still new to max.

Ok, I think youre trying to take two meshes and make them into one single mesh, with a texture to fit them both. Such as a shield and a handle yes? You have a shield and a handle, you want to put them together and lock them into one mesh. You then intend to take one texture and apply it to both.

In max select both handle and shield (make sure they are lined up how you wish to keep them).

Now go to the collapse modifier. Right hand screen menu, right hand tab, the little hammer button next to the little television button type of thing. This will give you a selection of buttons. Click collapse.

Your two meshes are now one mesh.

Now go to the second button from the right (of the hammer, televison and so on selection) and press it. From the modifier list go all the way to the bottom, UVW unwrap. Make sure you have your texture map applied. Click on UVW unwrap and select edit. You can now shift your mesh bits around and slide them over parts of your texture map to fit. There are a few other modifiers in here such as convert to mesh, vertext etc (I think off the top of my head) try mucking with them until you unwrap the mesh as pieces over the texture map. This bit is trial and error to find your own best way of working.