Animated Coffins vs. 1.2
by Khugan & JDFan

*Recommended download for none glass lid: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=25706

Description
This is a modder resource adding a new animated coffin to TES IV. It was made for modders and so has no esp. Included is a coffin base nif, an animated coffin lid, a coffin lid clutter, and a whole coffin. The coffin base is sleepable and is the base for the animated lid. It should be added with the CS as furniture. The animated lid nif tops off the coffin base and should be added with the CS as a door. The coffin lid clutter is an optional nif that should be added with the CS as clutter or a static object in some cases. The whole coffin is a nif that can be used only with scripting. The items are fully havoked.

Update vs. 1.2
Improved animation on the coffin lid by JDFan, and the lack of hinges is much less noticeable now. Added coffins based on the sleep slab furniture marker so that vampire sleep will work as it should. This causes the coffins to be raised above the ground so I have added a legged coffin, and on with a skirt around it. The glass in the lid has been fixed, through some instruction from JDFan, to no longer make hair become invisible from some angles. This resource now has basically three coffin styles. One is based on the bedroll and is on the ground. The two others are based on the sleep slab and are 'vampire sleep ready'. Nif names were changed.

Instructions
Add the mesh and textures folder to your data folder the way you would any mod. These instructions assume you know your way around the CS.

coffinbase.nif (based on bedroll)
Once you make a new furniture item out of the coffin base nif using the CS, simply click ok. Now open it again and some optional entry modes are available. You can choose either, or just one of them. If I remember right, 3 is side entry, and 4 is head entry as in a bedroll. You can now add this where you like in the world.

coffinlegged.nif (based on sleep slab)
This nif is added through the CS in the same way as the coffinbase.nif. The only difference with this one is once it is made furniture and reopened, you choose entry option 1 or you will be entering on the lid side.

coffinskirtted.nif (based on sleep slab)
Same as coffinlegged.nif.

the various _see.nifs
These nifs are only required when using the mod See You Sleep. They are not added in the CS. They simply must be present in the same directory as the rest of the nifs. If you're not using See You Sleep (or don't plan to) you can ignore/delete them. SYS uses these nifs when the PC casts the sleepify spell that is part of that mod. If you rename the base nifs, you must also updat the name of the corresponding _see.nif. For example if you rename coffinbase.nif to woodencoffin.nif then likewise rename the coffinbase_see.nif to woodencoffin_see.nif.

coffinlid_animated.nif
For this nif make a new door object. There are already selectable sounds in the CS for opening and closing a coffin, so click and add the open and close sound of you choice. Once complete, add this over the coffin base you added earlier. Rotating 356 on the Z seems to make the lid square with the coffin.

coffinlid_clutter.nif (optional)
This was included mainly for decor. For this, create a new clutter object. Clutter of course can be grabbed and moved in game with the grab key.

coffinwhole_animated.nif
This nif requires scripting to be used and since I have no clue how, I will add what JDFan had to say in the WIPz thread:

"[coffinwholeanimated.nif] has the coffin\lid combined and has the animation set to Forward\backward - so you can put a script on that opens the coffin (using playgroup forward) - activates the sleeping - closes the coffin (using playgroup backward) when activated - then does the same but gets out of the coffin on the next activation ( My scripting is lacking so hopefully someone can assist with that if needed.)"

*Those of you that can take advantage of this nif and understand what JD is talking about, it is provided!

See You Sleep
With some instructions from mmmpld, the author of See You Sleep, the coffin bases is now usable with that mod. You will need to use the spell supplied with that mod and cast it on the coffin. A limitation here is that you can't target the lid to close it, but since you don't actually have to open the lid to sleep in it, just cross or blur your eyes when you enter. =p
mmmp1d has made a patch for SYS so that the vampire sleep animations work with bedrolls! http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16005

**Rename the nifs how ever you like, but update the nif with the " _see.nif" on it to match if you want it to work with See You Sleep.

Conflicts and Issues
No conflicts that I know of, but let me know if there are in some strange way.

There are no "hinges", so the animated lid does not appear to be attached. (Fix it if you can!)

Npcs will clip with the sides and lid when entering, exiting, and when they are not set to vampire sleep mode and they toss and turn. The clipping on entering and exiting is unavoidable at this time. Tossing and turning and sleeping on their side is controllable by script I am told.

If you add a lid as clutter and place it on top of the base, there is a gap caused by the two sets of collision meeting. It's the same gap that is present with other clutter items when they meet static objects.

USE
You may use this in you own mod as you like. You may edit and retexture as you like. No permission is required, just give credit where it is due.

Credits
JDFan is responsible for the excellent animation on the lid. He also fixed some collision issues.
I (Khugan) made the mesh and textures using Blender, Nifskripts, Gimp, and of course Nifskope
Bethesda Softworks for the incredible game and the Construction set.

Contact
I can be contacted either at TesNexus via pm/comments as Conifer, or at the Bethesda Oblivion Forums as Khugan