How to Refit Armor for HIMBO
In this tutorial, I will cover how to convert armor mods that are intended for vanilla body into HIMBO body with HIMBO sliders.
For this purpose, I will use Toughened Traveler armor by QuarantineCouture who has kindly made their armor assets free-to-use.
First install the mod you want to refit.
If it has a BSA, you need to unpack it to access the meshes, but you can delete the unpacked files afterwards because your BodySlide file should still be able to read from BSAs (but Outfit Studio cannot).
First, right click below the armor mod you want to refit in MO2, and create an empty mod.
Give it an appropriate name.
If it hasn't already, drag the new empty mod under the original mod and activate it.
Expand the drop-down next to the
Run button of MO2 and choose Edit.
Tick
Create files in mod instead of overwrite; open the drop down and select the empty mod you just created.
This will ensure every files created by BodySlide goes to that folder. You may do the same thing toOutfit Studio; if you'd prefer. But opening Outfit Studio from BodySlide will ensure this as already (unless you indepently run Outfit Studio not from the button on BodySlide).After you're completely finished with your refit,remember to set this to blank again so you don't build your entire future outfits from other mods into your mod folder.
Now you can launch BodySlide.
Setting Up BodySlide & Outfit StudioA couple things here.
ExpandAdvancedtab, setOutput Pathto your mod folder. This will set Bodyslide to build the outfits you made into your mod folder. Again, after you're completely finished with your refit,remember to set this to blank again so you don't build your entire future outfits from other mods into your mod folder.
Also, in the Reference Skeleton, browse to the skeleton.nif inside your MO2 mods folder. The path should be at :
your directory\ModOrganizer\SkyrimSE\mods\XP32 Maximum Skeleton Special Extended\meshes\actors\character\character assets\This is important for SOS-based meshes, or you'll get gaps in your mesh.Refitting ProcessClick the Outfit Studio button on the bottom-right corner of BodySlide window.
Start a New Project.
Choose
From Template, expand the drop down, select Convert: Vanilla to HIMBO.If you're refitting armor from SAM or SOS, pick the appropriate one instead.
Enter the Display Name you prefer. This is what will show up in
HIMBO "Author's name/Series" - "Body Part" - "Armor Name"
But obviously, you can name it whatever you like as long as you're consistent.
Below it, tick From File, and navigate to the original mod folder in MO2 and choose the _0mesh. If the armor is a single-weight mesh, you may pick that one as well. When working with HIMBO, do not pick the _1 mesh, unless you know what you're doing.
Hit Finish when you're done.
If you're lucky, the armor will stay in place with the reference body. If you're not, the imported armor will be under the reference.
When that happens, right click on each of the meshes and click
Properties.
Go to
Coordinates tab, uncheck Recalculate geometry's coordinates.These numbers worked for me, hopefully it works with yours.
Major kudos todldrzz000onOusnius' discord for this solution.
To confirm you did it correctly, go to the
Bones tab and tick Show Pose. The mesh shouldn't stay in place and doesn't move at all.
If the meshes float above your reference despite you doing every previous step correctly, drop me a comment and a link to the mod/nif in question so I can help you figure it out. From most my tests, this method alone should resolve that already unless there's another variable I did not account for.
I personally never see the need for the base body that's visible under the skin and would rather replace that with HIMBO body. As such, you may delete it. Though do remember its position on the mesh list. In my case, the nude body is on the first slot and the clothing is on second slot (obviously not counting the conversion reference since those will not be part of the final bodyslide).
> You want to keep this consistent when working with armors/clothing that has texture variants using TextureSet (TXST) formid, as they will 'break' if the order is different.
Use the main five brushes underlined on the image below to brush your armor.The goal here is to make sure the armor covers the reference body, so that there are no body parts poking through the mesh.
Ensure that you are brushing the armor by having the armor mesh selected; and not the reference itself.
Another alternative method offered by kamicaneonOusnius' discord:
- Import the vanilla male body with PyNifly.
- Select the armature, import the armor with PyNifly.
Until PyNifly supports normals we also need an obj from Outfit Studio, to not lose the original normals.
- Open the armor with outfit studio, file -> export obj -> say NO if you get a prompt.
- Import the obj in blender (Y Forward, Z Up).
- Scale the obj 10x (press n -> info -> scale), apply scale.
The nif and the obj should match in size, location and scale.- Select the obj armor, the nif armor, then the male body.
- Press N, go to info tab.
- Right click location -> copy all to selected.
- Right click rotation (if any) -> copy all to selected.
The obj, the nif, and the male body should now have the same position.
- Click the nif object, click auto smooth in object data properties -> normals
- click the nif object, add data transfer modifier in modifier properties
- Source -> the obj object, face corner data -> custom normals, mapping: topology
- Apply the modifier
- The nif now has correct normals
- You can now delete the obj object
- (optional) Select the nif object and import the tris with PyNifly, to import BodySlide sliders as shape keys.
- Select the nif object and export with PyNifly.
If it's not already so, set the conversion reference as
the Reference. Right click the reference, and choose Set Reference.
A reference is indicated by the green color on the name.
> Note that if you accidentally made the wrong mesh as reference, clicking the Set Reference again will undo the process.
Next, with your mesh selected, go to
The default settings should cover most armor shapes but for those armors that have poking horns, large shapes, or capes/skirt, it might need some manual adjustments.
Once the process is finished, click the pencil icon on the conversion slider. The Armor should morph to HIMBO shape, along with the reference body and the slider would be highlighted in purple. At this point, feel free to inspect your mesh, look around and see if there are some abnormalities in shape.
If there's any undesireable area that doesn't look right when conformed, you might want to use the
Once you're happy with the conversion, finalize it by going to
Slider > Set Base Shape.
Immediately after, go to
File > Load Reference to bring in the full HIMBO reference.
I included a couple and here's their differences, but most of the time, you want to pick the one that has the suffix "Flat Crotch - No Nipple Sliders"(Unfortunately, visibility might be a problem due to how small the box is. There's nothing I can do about it)
The old conversion reference would be removed and replaced with the new one. The old conversion slider should also be automatically replaced by HIMBO sliders.
Once again, go to
Review the sliders to your hearts content to check if the sliders are correctly conformed.If not, activate the slider you want to edit by clicking the pencil icon and use the brushes to adjust them to your liking.
Once you're done, go to
File > Load Referenceagain and bring in the actual HIMBO body.
For armors that cover the chest, the one with
"No Nipple Sliders" suffix may be what you want. Ensure you have Merge new sliders with existing sliders ticked.
On the meshes list, select HIMBO - Body and then click the Mask brush.
The goal here is to mask areas of the body that would be hidden under the clothing to prevent them from poking through the outfit mesh.
In case it isn't obvious, masked area is indicated by the darkened color.
You can toggle the visibility of the mesh by clicking the eye icon next to the meshes name on the
The hotkey Q also highlights the individual vertices of the mesh. Green vertices means they are unmasked, red vertices means they are masked.
Tips : Be a little generous around the opening of the clothing so there won't be visible gaps when the armor/clothing is viewed from certain angles.
As you can see on the image above, I brushed the area above the sleeves a little bit more than the sleeves covering.
Once you're done, right click the HIMBO - Body mesh, and select Delete Vertices; which will remove unmasked area of the meshes.
Once you're done, remember the mesh's original order when we first started. Since the outfit is on second slot and the body is on first slot, drag the body mesh above the outfit (or drag the outfit below the body, whichever works). Again, this is important for armor that has TextureSet variants as they replace textures based on the order of the meshes.
Afterwards, you can save your project. Assuming you're following this guide
precisely from start to finish, the 2nd and 3rd forms should be automatically filled for you (Output File Name and Output Data Path). Otherwise, you need to fill those exactly as the original meshes was named and placed in the directory.
The Display Name could be anything, and hitting the To Project button would automatically fill the Slider Set File, Shape Data Folder and Shape Data File accordingly.
Tick Low/High Weight Output or Single Weight Output accordingly. If the meshes are single weight, they will be built by BodySlide without _0/_1 suffix.
As for me, I usually have a format that I follow for my entire Outfit Studio setup for consistency and organization purpose, which is :
Display Name : HIMBO "Author's name/Series" - "Body Part" - "Armor Name"
Slider Set File : HIMBO "Author's name/Series" - "Armor Name".osp
Shape Data File : HIMBO "Author's name/Series" \ "Armor Name"
Shape Data File : "Armor Name" - "Body Part".nifObviously, this is just a suggested convention. Feel free to name them anyhow you like.
The only part that matters in the game is the Output File Name, Output Data Path, and whether the armor is Low/Weight or Single Weight; so it is imperative that you got those part right.
Once you're done, close Outfit Studio; and if you're using MO2, close and relaunch BodySlide to refresh the drop down list.
In BodySlide, click theGroup Manager button.
Make two new groups, and name one HIMBO. You can name the other one anything you like, but I usually name the second one similar to how I name my other projects; in this case, it would be :HIMBO "Author's name/Series" "Armor Name"
Type the name HIMBO, click Add Group; type the second name group, and click Add Group again; so you have two new groups.
Select one of the
Groups tab on the left, then on the Outfit Filter list, locate your newly made project, and hit Add to add it into the group. Do this for both groups.
Hit Save As... to save your newly made groups setup.
It will automatically open save dialogue directly to
SliderGroups folder of BodySlide. Name them accordingly then hit Save.
If you're using MO2, close and relaunch BodySlide.
Assigning theHIMBOgroup would make the outfit conform tojustHIMBO Presets, and not getting mixed up with CBBE/UNP Presets. If you noticed, armors not assigned to HIMBO group can still peruse CBBE/UNP Presets when you open the Preset dropdown in BodySlide which might lead to weird shapes (though I ensure within my best capabilities to make sure they don't)
The second group would make the armor visible from the Outfit Filter for easier
Batch Buildingprocess without touching other armor groups (and ended up rebuilding them).
With this, you can Build your armor and enjoy it in the game with HIMBO Slider ready.
For OBody users, remember you need to build it with HIMBO Zero presets.
Once you're finished, don't forget to clear out the Output Path in BodySlide as to not interfere with your future BodySlide usage.
Finishing Up
Now you can close BodySlide, and go back to MO2. Locate your refit mod, right click and select
Show in Explorer.
Ensure all files are in the correct folders.
NIF and OSD files should be in your
The outfit groups XML should be in your
SliderGroups folder.
The OSP should be in your SliderSets folder.
Once you're ready, now you can zip them up (remember to exclude MO2's INI file) and publish them on Nexus!
And that's it for this tutorial.
If you have any questions,
