Trying to learn basic retexturing. Having issue.

[Relativelybest]

Okay, so I consider myself pretty handy with Photoshop, and while I'm not much of a modder I thought editing some textures would be simple enough. I got the plugins I needed to open the files, recolored the bits I wanted recolored, and saved the file. I figured wrapping my head around the alpha watchamacallits would be step two. Baby steps, you know?

 

But every time I boot up the game to see how the texture turned out, I find it's been attached to the mesh all wrong. It looks upside down and inverted, total mess basically.

 

Clearly I'm doing something wrong when I'm saving the texture, but I don't know what. Anyone care to clue me in?

[TheGreenLion]

I assume you're using the Nvidia DDS Plugin? Use DXT5 for the Diffuse map, DXT3 for the Normal maps. Might be able to use other combos, but make sure you haven't got Save Flipped Vertically checked.

 

Alpha channel on a diffuse map hides whatever you've painted black as long as the mesh recognizes it. Alpha channel on a Normal map usually acts as a Specular map, completely black parts won't shine at all and completely white will be super shiny. You could also color this to reflect a certain type of shine. For instance you could have a grey armor plate with a yellow shine or what have you. At least I'm pretty sure you can with Skyrim, definitely worked with DA2. Been a while since I fuddled with any of that in earnest.

 

Edit: Or is it DTX...might be having a dyslexic moment. :blink:

Edited June 20, 2013 by TheGreenLion

[Relativelybest]

I assume you're using the Nvidia DDS Plugin? Use DXT5 for the Diffuse map, DXT3 for the Normal maps. Might be able to use other combos, but make sure you haven't got Save Flipped Vertically checked.

 

Alpha channel on a diffuse map hides whatever you've painted black as long as the mesh recognizes it. Alpha channel on a Normal map usually acts as a Specular map, completely black parts won't shine at all and completely white will be super shiny. You could also color this to reflect a certain type of shine. For instance you could have a grey armor plate with a yellow shine or what have you. At least I'm pretty sure you can with Skyrim, definitely worked with DA2. Been a while since I fuddled with any of that in earnest.

 

Edit: Or is it DTX...might be having a dyslexic moment. :blink:

 

Thanks for the advice. This solved my main problem, so now I can make a very basic retexture, at least.

 

Played around with the alpha channel on the normal map but I'm not sure it's doing anything. I tried turning half a sword blade dark and the other half bright as a test, but in the game I can't make out any differance at all except for a very slight shift in first person. I also can't seem to add any colors to the greyscale. (Assuming I understood you correctly about that part, anyway.)

Edited July 22, 2013 by Relativelybest