Nazo365

Hey I just started myself, here's what you need to get started on Textures Fo3 Archive Manager allows you to view the .bsa files skyrim uses. -- My link How to instal... If you don't already have Java then you need to go DL that first via this My link after you install Java. Find where you placed your Java program (probably in your C:\Program Files 86x\Java\jre6\bin. Open Java Bin Folder and pull out the Javaw file drop it to your desktop. Then back out to your C:\Windows and drop the file in there. Once you've done that DL the Fo3 archive Utility from file planet. Once you have it DL'd simply open the RAWR file and pull out the Fo3Archive.jar file and the Fo3Archive.link file and drop them both on you Desktop... Now to test to make sure it works just double click the Fo3Archive.link File and it should auto boot the Fo3 Archive manager. If this doesn't work then PM me with your problem. Now you'll need a DDS plug-in for your graphic editing program (i use Photoshop) witch you can get here -- My link If you don't use Photoshop then you'll probably have to do some research for the program you use. best place to start would be "you program name DDS reader" typed into a search engine (i use Google) or something along that line. Once you have the Nvidia plug-in installed you can gp back to your Fo3 Archive Manager and in the upper left - File\Open Archive\C:\Program Files (86x)\Steam\SteamApps\Common\Skyrim\Data here you will be-able to now extract the armor file you want to re texture by opening "Skyrim - Textures.bsa" once its done loading up go to Textures\armor\"armor you wish to re texture" then highlight the armor you wish to extract make sure you get all 3 versions -- Color (will have a "ArmorName.dds") -- Normal (will have a "Armorname_n.dds") -- Spectral (will have a "ArmorName_m.dds") once you have your desired textures highlighted then in the upper left Actions\Extract Selected, Then save them out into the Skyrim Data file...it will keep the Tree structure so when you go to find your extracted Files they will be in your -- C:\Program Files (86x)\Steam\SteamApps\Common\Skyrim\Data\texture\Armor\"ArmorName" and your 3 files can now be open in Photoshop. Hope this helps i know there's a lot here but tell the CK comes out we all have to make due with this process >.<

Your right tho, idk why it never dawned on me. I usually only use Front and Left side views when i model and just hit Crtl-R if i need a different view. but here's a Render from Perspective view port http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/4817/perspectivez.jpg

The proportions of the handle to the sword length is the exact same as the concept art since i used a Plane with this same Drawing mapped to it; to model the sword =), but yah i guess the rendering gives it an odd Proportion, must be a max thing because i have this one View as if your looking down the length of the sword blade from the handle and proportionally the blade is supposed to get "smaller" the further away it is but for some reason max decided to make it larger lol... I'll post the picture bellow. As for the poly count yah...This one is poly heavy since it was going up on the forums with no Texture i dropped a Mesh Smooth on it to hide the Flaws that would otherwise be covered with a Texture. lol so yah this picture is about 123K poly >.< the actual non smoothed version is about 8K still a little high but I've gone though it twice and i just couldn't bring my self to drop anymore. Truth be told i tried to export this high poly version as a nif just to see what would happen...and it actually froze Max, had to crtl alt del - End program it lol. As far as the normal map goes I've never done one, this is like the 4th Time I've model a weapon in max and the other 3 where Low low poly, Flat texture maps for my portfolio when i graduated college 5 years ago >.<. I haven't used Max for something like this in at least 3 years so I'm still trying to get used to this Low poly stuff lol. The kind of work i do with Max I'm not limited to how my polygons i can use so i usually go photo real quality right off the starting block. Weird 3ds Max proportions >.< http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/7643/weidsword.jpg

I know right, personally the first time I played through i was a Bosmer rogue (as i like to call them a Bow Assassin) And was remarkably unimpressed with the lack of Bow choices Skyrim offered (granted we are not in Valenwood). After all its ALL OVER Elder Scrolls lore that Bosmer are THEE best archers in all of Tamriel yet they don't even have a bow designed after them. I do actually have a Bosmer bow in the Works but I've grown tired of playing my Bosmer since she's lvl 60 and basically has everything you could want or need lol. Game gets kinda boring when your that High and you 1-2 shot everything (except dragons and no i don't use the bull shiz BS - Achlemy - Enchanting exploit to get godly weapons cuz that imo just brakes the game. If there's no challenge then why play.) I really wanted to play a 2handed Warrior class and decided to play a Nord since Skyrim is Rich with Nord lore and is after all there homeland. But then was disappointed when the only Weapons and armor in the game that even came CLOSE to anything a true Nord would wear was the Steal armor and weapons, witch is nice when i first started the charactor but by lvl 17 on master you start to feel your armor slipping and your weapons seem to take 4-5 hits to kill something and when your fighting 2-3 Draugr at the same time that could mean your death. So i started this little project of mine and honestly i didn't think I'd get any replay's so thank you. The next step will be a Nord Hero Armor =). Have to say tho putting my weapon into skyrim its self was an eye opener, nothing motivates you like seeing something you created use to cut off some poor mages head lol. I also named the Sword -- Fjorsavfi -- witch means Live-Taker in Viking apparently, idk i'll take the sites word for it but the unusual placement of the "J" looked like a lot of the Nord names in Skyrim so I rolled with it.

What kind of Concept art are you looking for? Building, nick-nacks, full scale blue prints for lvl designing? And is this battlespire Dwemer based? or what kind of "Sky" city are you looking for? I did some research on this Battlespire and didn't come up with any consistent look for feel, so if you can give me either a description of what you looking for or point me in the direction of a site that his the look and feel you going for I'd be more then willing to do some concept art for you.

Not done texturing this baby yet, but i just finished the modeling portion and thought i might share. I wanted to created a truly bad ass Nord Hero Great-sword (or 1h Sword) since i started playing a 2handed Warrior style class (Nord Race of course), and found myself wanting to wield something more Nord like then a Deadric Great-sword. So i sat down and drew this up. Concept Art http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/7130/nordsword.jpg Then 2 days later i finished the 3ds Max modeling of it http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/1129/sword6.jpg and a full view http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/7744/sword5n.jpg I'm obsessed with Big horn sheep horns so i kinda used that style of horn with my own twist on it, then gave it a Face which just kinda happened when i started designing it, added some crazy teeth to palish off the look and feel and carved in (Celtic/Viking) Runes along the Blade witch hold the code in-which my character plays by. LIFE - to protect and server with my Life, BLOOD - To Fight tell you can't Fight anymore, BONE and SINEW - The Tools in-which i use to dispatch my enemies, and HONOR - To server my People nobly.

Well apparently 3ds Max doesn't like me using an extrude from a side of a box to mode the Spike protruding out from the center so i had to make a new box model for this spike and long behold all problems salved... sadly took a bit of effort to redo this peace separate from the model but w/e got it looking the way i wanted so time well spent i guess. Finished Nord Sword... Time for the Texturing http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/7744/sword5n.jpg Front View http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/1129/sword6.jpg Concept Art drawn by me http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/7130/nordsword.jpg

Ok i got this sword I'm modeling in 3ds Max and i just finished it and put the symmetry modifier on it and started to go in and smooth out the rough stuff... only problem is its smoothing out my Hard edges to (Picture 1) Picture 2 is what my model looks like without the smoothing on. Is there anyone who could help me out with this... I've been working on smoothing this thing for over 2 hours now and i just can't get the result i want. =( I have Smoothing groups checked witch works for some of the hard edges but idk why it just stops half way on that section above the eye. Its literally the only place this happens, and I've pretty much tried every possible combination about the right one apparently, so if anyone has a solution i would much appreciate it. Picture 1 http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/1558/smoothed.jpg Picture 2 http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/2396/withoutsmooth.jpg

Ironically, I found your post on all the tutorials right after I posted my question >.<... sigh. Any-who this is exactly what I'm looking for so tyvm. I'll probably spend the next 3 hours or so studying these and then get to work on some of my own =), and again thank you for the quick response.

I apologize in advance if this was covered already, but after spending a few hours looking over most (not all) topics I couldn't find one to answer my question so I figured I'd just post it. I'm new to modding and would like some helpful advise on what I would need to do something as simple as Re-Texturing armor to something as advance as Implementing my own 3d design into Skyrim. I've used 3Ds max to create Matte Paintings and have extensive knowledge with it but I lack the know-how when it comes to taking something that already exists and making it to so I can View / Edit it. I'd also like to get a general Polly count for generic weapons since 90% of most Models get a lot of there additional texture detail through bump-maps I'd like a solid rounded number to start with so I have a good idea just how intricate I can take my models. Thanks in advance. P.S. I was connect on just waiting for the CK, but My inspiration is at a I need to do something now! kind of feeling even if its small like re-texturing armor thats been re-textured a million times already lol.

I agree with all this...I can't tell you how many time's I've placed a perfect Kill shot through someones EYE SOCKET or Nasal Cavity the 2 weakest points on the Human Face, and even throat shots to some extent would be 1 shot kills but I'd consider them a 2 shot kill max... Yet all this seems to do is just piss them off and they charge me with Weapons Drawn. Seriously an Arrow through you Eye, and i can see the Arrow head sticking out the back of your head and he/she's "I'm Fine its but a Flesh wound"... unless you a Vampire or some kind of Boss / Immortal dude, your dead no if, and, or question about it, I understand why they don't one shot kill everyone because otherwise the bow would be to Overpowering and make the game a lot less challenging, but still Skilled Shots to the Throat, Eye socket, or Nasal Cavity should be instant deaths. Kinda irritating to Walk up to a dude I killed to find 4 arrows in his face...and Funny at the same time. Oh and if your going for Realism then the Dredge who are imo Zombies...can only truly be killed by an Arrow through the head or Removal of the head. Just something to throw out there. If you could remove Limbs then I'd also suggest 2 limbs would be efficient amount of mobility loss to cause a Zombie to die after all its still a game and not all weapons can Remove the head. I wouldn't know if you can or can't remove Limbs because I'm a Bow guy, always have been and always will be.