Skyrim NIF Module

Read and manipulate NIF (NetImmerse Format) 3D mesh files using Spooky's AutoMod Toolkit.

Prerequisites

Run all commands from the toolkit directory:

cd "C:\Users\spook\Desktop\Projects\3. Development\skyrim-mods\spookys-automod-toolkit"

Overview

NIF files are the 3D model format used by Skyrim for meshes (weapons, armor, architecture, etc.). This module provides read capabilities and basic transformations.

Note: This module cannot create new meshes from scratch. For that, use Blender with the NifTools addon.

Command Reference

Get NIF Info

dotnet run --project src/SpookysAutomod.Cli -- nif info "<nif>"

Output includes: Filename, file size, header string, NIF version.

List Textures

dotnet run --project src/SpookysAutomod.Cli -- nif textures "<nif>"

Lists all texture paths referenced in the mesh.

Scale Mesh

dotnet run --project src/SpookysAutomod.Cli -- nif scale "<nif>" <factor> [options]

Copy NIF

dotnet run --project src/SpookysAutomod.Cli -- nif copy "<nif>" --output "<file>"

Copies and validates the NIF file.

Common Workflows

Inspect Mesh for Troubleshooting

# Get basic info about a mesh
dotnet run --project src/SpookysAutomod.Cli -- nif info "./Meshes/Weapons/Iron/IronSword.nif"

# Find what textures it uses
dotnet run --project src/SpookysAutomod.Cli -- nif textures "./Meshes/Weapons/Iron/IronSword.nif"

Example texture output:

Textures (3):
  textures\weapons\iron\ironsword.dds
  textures\weapons\iron\ironsword_n.dds
  textures\weapons\iron\ironsword_s.dds

Scale Weapon/Armor

# Make weapon 50% larger
dotnet run --project src/SpookysAutomod.Cli -- nif scale "./Meshes/weapon.nif" 1.5 --output "./Meshes/weapon_large.nif"

# Make weapon 50% smaller
dotnet run --project src/SpookysAutomod.Cli -- nif scale "./Meshes/weapon.nif" 0.5 --output "./Meshes/weapon_small.nif"

# Double the size
dotnet run --project src/SpookysAutomod.Cli -- nif scale "./Meshes/weapon.nif" 2.0 --output "./Meshes/weapon_huge.nif"

Find Missing Textures

# 1. Extract BSA to get meshes
dotnet run --project src/SpookysAutomod.Cli -- archive extract "SomeMod.bsa" --output "./Extracted"

# 2. Check what textures a mesh needs
dotnet run --project src/SpookysAutomod.Cli -- nif textures "./Extracted/meshes/myarmor.nif"

# 3. Verify those textures exist in the extracted files
# If missing, that explains purple/missing textures in-game

Troubleshoot Invisible Items

# 1. Check if mesh file exists and is valid
dotnet run --project src/SpookysAutomod.Cli -- nif info "./Meshes/MyWeapon.nif"

# 2. If info fails, mesh is corrupted or wrong format

# 3. If info succeeds, check texture paths
dotnet run --project src/SpookysAutomod.Cli -- nif textures "./Meshes/MyWeapon.nif"

# 4. Common causes of invisible items:
#    - Mesh file not found (wrong path in ESP)
#    - Mesh is wrong format (LE vs SE)
#    - Textures missing

NIF Format Information

Skyrim NIF Versions

Common Node Types

Texture Slots

Vanilla Mesh Paths

Useful vanilla mesh paths for --model option in ESP module:

Weapons

Weapons\Iron\IronSword.nif
Weapons\Iron\IronDagger.nif
Weapons\Iron\IronWarAxe.nif
Weapons\Iron\IronMace.nif
Weapons\Iron\IronBattleaxe.nif
Weapons\Iron\IronGreatsword.nif
Weapons\Iron\IronWarhammer.nif
Weapons\Bow\HuntingBow.nif
Weapons\Staff\Staff.nif

Armor

Armor\Iron\Male\IronCuirass_1.nif
Armor\Iron\Male\IronHelmet.nif
Armor\Iron\Male\IronGauntlets.nif
Armor\Iron\Male\IronBoots.nif
Armor\Iron\IronShield.nif

Limitations

This module CAN:

• Read NIF file information
• List referenced textures
• Scale meshes uniformly
• Copy/validate NIF files

This module CANNOT:

• Create new meshes from scratch
• Edit mesh geometry (vertices, faces)
• Retexture meshes (change texture paths)
• Create or edit rigging/skinning
• Convert between NIF versions (LE to SE)

For advanced mesh editing, use:

• Blender + NifTools addon - Full mesh creation/editing
• NifSkope - Direct NIF editing
• Cathedral Assets Optimizer - LE to SE conversion

Important Notes

1. LE vs SE meshes - SE uses optimized BSTriShape, not compatible with LE
2. Texture paths are relative - Start from Data folder (e.g., textures\weapons\...)
3. Case sensitivity - Windows ignores case, but be consistent
4. Scale affects all nodes - Uniform scaling only
5. Use --json flag for machine-readable output when scripting

JSON Output

All commands support --json for structured output:

dotnet run --project src/SpookysAutomod.Cli -- nif info "./Meshes/weapon.nif" --json

Example responses:

{
  "success": true,
  "result": {
    "fileName": "weapon.nif",
    "fileSize": 45678,
    "version": "20.2.0.7",
    "headerString": "Gamebryo File Format, Version 20.2.0.7"
  }
}

Textures response:

{
  "success": true,
  "result": {
    "textures": [
      "textures\\weapons\\iron\\ironsword.dds",
      "textures\\weapons\\iron\\ironsword_n.dds"
    ]
  }
}