Need Help with Shape Keys and Joining Objects

I’m getting the following error when trying to join 2 meshes together:

“Can’t join meshes with vertex keys”

The object is a bow weapon that has a “Base” shape key with the bow in the relaxed position and a “BowMorph” key with the bow in the fully pulled back position.

The main problem is that I cannot “create” a set of bow morph keys that work. I can only export a working bow from a working bow that was imported…thus retaining the existing morph. If I delete the shape keys, join the objects and re-create the keys, it cannot get the bow to work in the game again.

I am also limited in that I can only have one object when I export, therefore I must somehow merge the objects together.

I can go into edit mode and add as much detail as I want…even to the point of erasing the original bow and designing a new one…but I must retain the original bow morph keys probably because it is not known how to export it from scratch.

And this is why I do not understand the error. When in Edit mode, I can add a cube mesh but I need to modify those verts so the shape keys will actually “do” something with it. I don’t understand why an object cannot also be added to the base for me to then modify it like I would if adding a primitive in edit mode.

I have even tried to add the same shape key names on the object to add and it still refuses to join.

Any insight as to how I can resolve this is appreciated.

FYI - I am trying to figure this out so I can release this series of tutorials on various methods of creating bows for the game called The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

Blender 2.49b, 32-bit
Python 2.6.6
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate, 64-bit

Thanks,
LHammonds

FYI - I “might” have figured out a solution although a bit “out there” as a workaround.

Blender 2.49b and related plugins are currently required for the ability to IMPORT and EXPORT to the NetImmerse / Gamebryo NIF format. However, I used a daily build of Blender 2.5 Beta (graphicall.org) and was able to open the test .blend file and join the two objects WITHOUT the error message. I will have to continue in 2.49b and export the result to see if it actually works though!

Nope, the 2.5 trick didn’t work. Somewhere along the lines, 2.5 strips out the associated animation necessary to making the bow animation work.