Supported by Engine

Summary table

This is a complete list of object and controller entries described in the game engine code.

In fact, this is the core of the notes! All modding is based on these engine features!

Each object has its own info page, and 'how to create' guides for Nifskope and 3dsmax

Many of these have attached example VIDEOS+NIFS+3dsMax files! See here which

Column names mean the following:

1. Name of the object.

name of NIF objects described in game engine code.

2. Bethesda only object?

If in this column something is marked as "BETH", than it is an unique object that was made by Bethesda only.

So it was not in Netimmerse engine originally. Not documented in the help for the engine!

3. nif.xml edit needed?

To add or edit some Morrowind NIF objects correctly in Nifskope, it is required to edit the "NIF.xml" file!

The original version of the nif.xml file (downloaded with Nifskope) contains some inaccuracies, or no data at all for some Morrowind NIF objects.

But fixing the nif.xml file allows to use these properties at their full potential.

4. Useful in local NIF?

It is possible to add all below objects into NIF files via Nifskope. But the question, is it useful?

if entry is "?", than it is still in question. Either there is no sense or the conditions for full use are not known.

5. Editable in Nifskope ?

If entry is "no", than object can be only created/edited reasonably first in 3dsmax/Blender, and than exported into NIF format.

6. Exportable from 3ds max 5?

Is it possible to create element in 3ds max 5, than export into NIF with Niftools/FFE/TES exporters?

7. Exportable from Blender?

Is it possible to create element in Blender, than export into NIF with the Morrowind-Blender-NIf-exporter plugin?

8. Morrowind.exe engine note

Is NIF object working or fixed or broken in Morrowind.exe?

9. OpenMW 4.8 engine note

Is NIF object working or fixed or broken in OpenMW 4.8?

The difference between "is read, doesn't work" and "doesn't work" is that records marked as the former will not interrupt the loading of the model (even if it will not lead to an accurate appearance/behavior) and those marked as the latter will.

Name of the object	Bethesda only object?	nif.xml edit needed?	Useful to add object into local NIF files?	Editable by hand using only Nifskope?	Exportable from 3DS MAX?	Exportable from Blender?	Morrowind.exe Game engine extra notes	OpenMW 4.8 Game engine extra notes
NiAlphaAccumulator		*	yes	?	no	no	works	works
NiAlphaController			yes	yes	yes	yes	works	works
NiAlphaProperty			yes	yes	yes	yes	works	works
NiAmbientLight			yes	yes	yes	no	works	is read, doesn't work
NiAutoNormalParticles			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works
NiAutoNormalParticlesData			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works
NiBillboardNode			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works partially (only one mode)
NiBltSource		*	?	yes	-------------	-------------	works	doesn't work
NiBSAnimationManager	Beth	*	no	-------------	-------------	-------------	works	doesn't work
NiBSAnimationNode	Beth		yes	yes	yes	no	works	works, some flags are not handled
NiBSPNode		*	yes	yes	no	no	works	doesn't work
NiBSPArrayController	Beth		yes	yes	yes	no	works	works
NiBSParticleNode	Beth		yes	yes	no	no	works	works
NiCamera			no	-------------	-------------	-------------	is read, doesn't work	is read, doesn't work
NiClusterAccumulator		*	yes	?	no	no	works	works
NiCollisionSwitch		*	yes	yes	no	no	works	works
NiColorData			yes	yes	yes	yes	works	works
NiDX8Renderer		*	no	-------------	-------------	-------------	works	doesn't work
NiDirectionalLight			yes	yes	yes	no	works	is read, doesn't work
NiDitherProperty			no	-------------	-------------	-------------	works	is read, ignored
NiFlipController			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works
NiFloatData			yes	yes	yes	yes	works	works
NiFltAnimationNode		*	yes	yes	no	no	works	works
NiFogProperty			yes	yes	no	no	works	is read, doesn't work
NiGeomMorpherController			yes	yes	yes	yes	works	works, doesn't affect physics
NiGravity			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works, has inaccuracies
NiKeyframeController			yes	yes	yes	yes	works	works
NiKeyframeData			yes	yes	yes	yes	works	works
NiKeyframeManager		*	no	-------------	-------------	-------------	works	doesn't work
NiLightColorController			yes	yes	yes	no	works	doesn't work
NiLines		*	yes	yes	no	no	works - glitchy - fixed in MWSE 2.0	works
NiLinesData		*	yes	yes	no	no	works - glitchy - fixed in MWSE 2.0	works
NiLODNode			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works
NiLookAtController			yes	yes	yes	yes	works	is read, doesn't work
NiMaterialColorController			yes	yes	yes	yes	works	works
NiMaterialProperty			yes	yes	yes	yes	works	works
NiMorphData			yes	no	yes	yes	works	works
NiNode			yes	yes	yes	yes	works	works
NiPalette			yes	(older Nifskope can generate it)	-------------	-------------	works	works
NiParticles			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works
NiParticleBomb		*	yes	yes	yes	no	works	doesn't work
NiParticleColorModifier			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works
NiParticleGrowFade			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works
NiParticleRotation			no	-------------	-------------	-------------	is read, ignored	is read, ignored
NiParticlesData			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works
NiParticleSystemController			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works (with out it particles give error)
NiPathController			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works partially
NiPixelData			yes	(older Nifskope can generate it)	yes	yes	works	works partially, will work fully in 0.49
NiPlanarCollider			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works
NiPointLight			yes	yes	yes	no	works	is read, doesn't work
NiPosData			yes	yes	yes	yes	works	works
NiRenderer		*	no	-------------	-------------	-------------	works	doesn't work
NiRenderedCubeMap		*	no	-------------	-------------	-------------	not working in the engine	doesn't work
NiRenderedTexture		*	no	-------------	-------------	-------------	works	doesn't work
NiRendererSpecificProperty		*	no	-------------	-------------	-------------	works	doesn't work
NiRollController			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works
NiRotatingParticles			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works
NiRotatingParticlesData			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works
NiScreenPolygon		*	no	-------------	-------------	-------------	works	doesn't work
NiSequenceStreamHelper			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works
NiShadeProperty			no	-------------	-------------	-------------	broken or disabled	is read, ignored
NiSkinData			yes	no	yes	yes	works	works (different skinning implementation)
NiSkinPartition		*	yes	no	no	yes	works	is read, doesn't work
NiSkinInstance			yes	no	yes	yes	works	works, has inaccuracies
NiSortAdjustNode		*	yes	yes	no	no	works	works
NiSourceTexture			yes	yes	yes	yes	works	works
NiSpecularProperty			no	-------------	-------------	-------------	ignored	works, ignored for 4.0.0.2 NIF
NiSphericalCollider			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works
NiSpotLight			yes	yes	yes	no	works	is read, doesn't work
NiStencilProperty			yes	yes	no	no	works - corrections in MWSE 2.x	works
NiStringExtraData			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works
NiSwitchNode		*	yes	yes	no	no	works - fixed in in MWSE 2.x and MCP 2.4	works
NiTextKeyExtraData			yes	yes	yes	yes	works	works
NiTextureEffect			yes	yes	yes	no	works	flawed, works only for reflection maps
NiTexturingProperty			yes	yes	yes	yes	works	works
NiTriShape			yes	yes	yes	yes	works	works
NiTriShapeData			yes	hardcore	yes	yes	works	works
NiTriShapeDynamicData		*	yes	no	no	no	works	doesn't work
NiTriStrips			no	-------------	-------------	-------------	works	works
NiTriStripsData			no	-------------	-------------	-------------	works	works
NiUVController			yes	yes	yes	yes	works - corrections in MWSE 2.x	works
NiUVData			yes	yes	yes	yes	works	works
NiVertexColorProperty			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works
NiVertWeightsExtraData			no	-------------	-------------	-------------	not used	is read, ignored
NiVisController			yes	yes	yes	yes	works	works
NiVisData			yes	yes	yes	yes	works	works
NiWireframeProperty			yes	yes	yes	yes	works	works
NiZBufferProperty			yes	yes	yes	no	works	works, exact draw order isn't guaranteed
AvoidNode	Beth		yes	yes	yes	no	works	works
BSMirroredNode	Beth	*	no	-------------	-------------	-------------	works	doesn't work
BrickNiExtraData	Beth	*	no	-------------	-------------	-------------	works	doesn't work
RootCollisionNode	Beth		yes	yes	yes	yes	works	works
TES3ObjectExtraData	Beth	*	no	-------------	-------------	-------------	works	doesn't work
niFooter, niHeader			-------------	-------------	-------------	-------------	(footer and header text of the NIF file)

General object hierarchy - dependancies and connections

red text - (not a 'physical' NIF object, only generic engine term - so you can't add in Nifskope)

┌· NiObject

│

├──┬· NiAccumulator

│ └──┬· NiClusterAccumulator

│ └───· NiAlphaAccumulator

│

├──┬· NiExtraData

│ ├───· BrickNiExtraData

│ ├───· TES3ObjectExtraData

│ ├───· NiStringExtraData

│ ├───· NiTextKeyExtraData

│ └───· NiVertWeightsExtraData

│

├──┬· NiGeometryData

│ ├───· NiLinesData

│ ├──┬· NiParticlesData

│ │ ├───· NiAutoNormalParticlesData

│ │ └───· NiRotatingParticlesData

│ └──┬· NiTriBasedGeomData

│ ├──┬· NiTriShapeData

│ │ └───· NiTriShapeDynamicData

│ └───· NiTriStripsData

│

├──┬· NiObjectNET

│ │

│ ├──┬· NiAVObject

│ │ ├───· NiCamera

│ │ │

│ │ ├──┬· NiDynamicEffect

│ │ │ ├───· NiTextureEffect

│ │ │ └──┬· NiLight

│ │ │ ├───· NiAmbientLight

│ │ │ ├───· NiDirectionalLight

│ │ │ └──┬· NiPointLight

│ │ │ └───· NiSpotLight

│ │ │

│ │ ├──┬· NiGeometry

│ │ │ ├───· NiLines

│ │ │ ├──┬· NiParticles

│ │ │ │ ├───· NiAutoNormalParticles

│ │ │ │ └───· NiRotatingParticles

│ │ │ └──┬· NiTriBasedGeom

│ │ │ ├───· NiTriShape

│ │ │ └───· NiTriStrips

│ │ │

│ │ └──┬· NiNode

│ │ ├───· AvoidNode

│ │ ├───· RootCollisionNode

│ │ ├───· NiBillboardNode

│ │ ├───· NiBSAnimationManager

│ │ ├───· NiBSPNode

│ │ ├───· NiCollisionSwitch

│ │ ├───· NiSortAdjustNode

│ │ ├──┬· NiBSAnimationNode

│ │ │ └───· NiBSParticleNode

│ │ └──┬· NiSwitchNode

│ │ ├───· NiFltAnimationNode

│ │ └───· NiLODNode

│ │

│ ├──┬· NiProperty

│ │ ├───· NiAlphaProperty

│ │ ├───· NiDitherProperty

│ │ ├───· NiFogProperty

│ │ ├───· NiMaterialProperty

│ │ ├───· NiRendererSpecificProperty

│ │ ├───· NiShadeProperty

│ │ ├───· NiSpecularProperty

│ │ ├───· NiStencilProperty

│ │ ├───· NiTexturingProperty

│ │ ├───· NiVertexColorProperty

│ │ ├───· NiWireframeProperty

│ │ └───· NiZBufferProperty

│ │

│ ├───· NiSequenceStreamHelper

│ │

│ └──┬· NiTexture

│ ├──┬· NiRenderedTexture

│ │ └───· NiRenderedCubeMap

│ └───· NiSourceTexture

│

├──┬· NiParticleModifier

│ ├───· NiGravity

│ ├───· NiParticleBomb

│ ├──┬· NiParticleCollider

│ │ ├───· NiPlanarCollider

│ │ └───· NiSphericalCollider

│ ├───· NiParticleColorModifier

│ ├───· NiParticleGrowFade

│ └───· NiParticleRotation

│

├──┬· NiRenderer

│ └───· NiDX8Renderer

│

├──┬· NiTimeController

│ ├───· NiFlipController

│ ├──┬· NiFloatController

│ │ ├───· NiAlphaController

│ │ └───· NiRollController

│ ├───· NiKeyframeController

│ ├───· NiKeyframeManager*

│ ├───· NiLightColorController

│ ├───· NiLookAtController

│ ├───· NiMaterialColorController

│ ├──┬· NiMorpherController

│ │ └───· NiGeomMorpherController

│ ├──┬· NiParticleSystemController

│ │ └───· NiBSPArrayController

│ ├───· NiPathController

│ ├───· NiUVController

│ └───· NiVisController

│

├───· NiBltSource

├───· NiColorData

├───· NiEmitterModifier

├───· NiFloatData

├───· NiKeyframeData

├───· NiMorphData

├───· NiPalette

├───· NiPixelData

├───· NiPosData

├───· NiScreenPolygon

├───· NiSkinData

├───· NiSkinInstance

├───· NiSkinPartition

├───· NiUVData

└───· NiVisData

Note.

Only the 'official help' from the 4.0 and 4.2 versions of the game engine could definitively dot the i's and cross the t's.

Without it, there will be some possibility of errors, or misinterpreted data.

The following objects can be added to the nif files, but they are of little use..

NiRenderedTexture - Apparently requires communication with the camera. Has no settings and cannot be configured correctly in the nif files.

NiRendererSpecificProperty - part of the water shader algorithm. Adding it directly to the files, doesn't get you anywhere.

NiScreenPolygon - Apparently, it only works in conjunction with the camera. Alas, cameras in local nif files, do not work. No direct usefulness noticed.

NiCamera - as it turns out, the camera doesn't actually work in the nif files. All cameras are created by the game engine. I.e. it's not possible to benefit from local cameras.

NiBltSource - does not seem to work directly from the nif files. Although it can be created here. All in all, little useful and outdated.

Do not directly add files to the nif files, this leads to CTD crash and other errors:

NiAccumulator - is a system class and should not itself be in a nif file.

NiBone - A remnant from an older version of the engine, where it was responsible for creating skeleton bones.

The presence of version 4.0 in the nif files causes the editor and the game to crash.

TES3ObjectExtraData, BrickNiExtraData и BSMirroredNode - These objects are only created by the engine during a game session and do not work from "normal" nif files. That is, these objects are dynamically created by the game engine (and editor) for the models loaded into RAM.

NiDX8Renderer NiRenderer - Attempts to embed in nif files cause the editor to crash repeatedly.

I.e. these objects are not loaded from nif files. And they are not supposed to be used locally in general.

Control the rendering of the scene "behind the scenes" so to speak.

NiRenderedCubeMap - is not available in this version of the engine and cannot be used in nif files.

I.e. full cube map support was added only in 4.2 version of the engine.

OpenMW notes:

Target field of controllers is not used

Some interpolation modes are unsupported

Root node transformations aren't right in edge cases

Filtering modes are ignored in favor of global filtering