Adding Tattoos (HOW?!?)

[Crystallyne27]

Okay I'm really hoping someone can help me out here, because I'm starting to get really frustrated/angry with all of this. I'm interested in enabling some new tattoos for my character(s) in Dragon Age Origins. In particular I'm interested in using the ones listed here:

 

http://dragonage.nexusmods.com/mods/2115//?

 

Now I'm no computer novice. I've got plenty of other mods installed, and I've learned my way around this. The problem I'm having is this line:

 

"Facial tattoos need to be added via the Toolset."

Okay, so I download the Dragon Age Toolset. Now... What the HECK do I do here?!? I can't find a single tutorial that explains how the heck I'm supposed to do this! I've checked several other tattoo mods, and many of them say the same thing, WITHOUT GIVING ANY EXPLANATION!!! I've tried numerous searches through Google, on that website, and on these forums. The very lack of useful information on this makes me feel like it should somehow be obvious how to do this. I'm sorry, but this is completely rediculous!!

So please, can someone point out what I'm obviously missing? Because this is making me disgusted with the whole thing. I understand that I probably need to change an existing character in some way. I've even poked around with some of the files from one of my characters in the DA Toolset. All I see is a whole lot of coding that largely doesn't make any sense. I've found some tutorials on using the Toolset, but nothing that goes into how to specifically add tattoos made by other people, or even make my own. Or if I have found them, they read like a textbook and overwhelm me in less than 5 minutes.

I've done some very basic computer programming in the past, so I'm not afraid of doing coding and such. But this... I feel like it's going to take me WEEKS to read over all this information just to learn how to do this! It seems like it shouldn't be THAT HARD!!!

[patdc]

Try watching this tutuorial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR8AkAfNbvk

it show you haow to create a character morph with the toolset

Also look at http://whuffie.wordpress.com/2010/03/24/tutorial-dragon-age-toolset-head-morph-for-pc/

And this might help

http://i1342.photobucket.com/albums/o779/Zawnchy/Tatex1_zps14b54122.png

http://i1342.photobucket.com/albums/o779/Zawnchy/Tatex2_zps4251fd07.png

[Crystallyne27]

Thank you thank you thank you thank you!!! You're my hero! :)

[shadowsong91]

i dont want to make a new morph, i want to use an existing 1 that i made in the game, how do i do that

[vBrumenn]

i dont want to make a new morph, i want to use an existing 1 that i made in the game, how do i do that

 

Hi!

 

Short answer: You can't.

 

Technical explanation: The in-game, saved, headmorph format is (as I understand it) a .mor file hidden in a .das file. The CC preset/editable faces are .mop files and the Toolset's are .mrh. Basically you can change a .mop file into a .mor file, you can change a .mrh in a .mop/.mor file and you can use a .mor file to replace the head of any npc but you CAN'T convert a .mor file into something else and make it editable again.

 

Luckily, if you have created your character with the game's CC, there aren't much parameters so the head will be very easy to recreate, especially if you use screenshots as references!

 

Probably unsatisfaying answers:

1) It is possible to replace a vanilla tattoo by a modded one. Though the result may not be what you expected depending on which channel/design you want to use (basically there's usually 4 designs/channels in one tattoo texture. With the Toolset you can use all of them on a character, but in the game's CC you can only use one).

 

a) If the same design is "printed" on all the channels, then we're all good and it won't be harder than renaming the tattoo you want to use as one of these depending on your Warden race/background:

uh_pct_dc1_0t.dds (Dwarf Commoner)

uh_pmt_001_0t.dds (Dwarf Commoner)

uh_pct_dn1_0t.dds (Dwarf Noble)

uh_pct_h01_0t.dds (Human, Elf City/Mage)

uh_pct_h02_0t.dds (Human, Elf City/Mage)

uh_tat_ed1_0t.dds (Elf Dalish)

uh_tat_ed2_0t.dds (Elf Dalish)

uh_tat_ed3_0t.dds (Elf Dalish)

uh_tat_ed4_0t.dds (Elf Dalish)

 

It will replace vanilla tattoos of the said race/background by the modded one and may affect npcs who use it. Be sure to have only one of each (or none) in your override folder. Doubles (or more) may lead to incompatibilities.

 

b) If the tattoo you fancy is made of multiple designs, then the "best" would be to edit the tattoo (by directly editing the texture file) to have all the designs in one channel and thus being able to use it in the in game CC.

 

2) THEN, after recrating the head in the game CC and apply the tattoo, you will need to use this mod/software to override your character's morph by the CC's one -read the instructions first. You'll have to start a new game with you new CC character, and make a save asap.

 

Alternative -sort of-) Technically, if your existing character have a tattoo, you can screened it back here so I can tell which one it is. Then it would be possible to replace the said vanilla tattoo by the modded. You won't be able to change the intensity of the tattoo or its color though and the result may be VERY random depending of the channel/design already in use.

 

 

Sort of compromise: If you can't install the Toolset for some reasons, then you can send me (I will reply faster if you pm me) references of your character (like screenshots from different angles -the closer the better), tell me which tattoo you want to use (name of the mod + name/number of the tattoo + which colour/intensity) and I can recreate the head in the Toolset and then send it to you as a .mor file and you will only have to use this mod/software to replace your current character's head with the new, tattooed one. And as we're here, if you want that, be also specific about any other modifications you may also want on your character (eye texture -like ViLiSSa's-, lashes texture, if you want me to blend your current face texture with another one, any change of face shape/haircut/beard/makeup/skin-eyes-hair color...etc).

 

 

"Disappointing" but honest conclusion •••► The best option would still be to try to install the Toolset with the help of some tutorials, and to customize your morph yourself. Really. Like 1000% the best solution.

Aaaand if you can't fix it yourself with all of that, you will have to tell me which tattoo you want to use on your Warden. This way I could tell you if yus or nah the tattoo got multiples designs in one texture or if it use only one design for all the channels. You'll have to speak more my friend, I lack of mindreading skills :happy:

 

[And again, please pm if you want a fast answer. I may forgot about you as I don't check my notifications everydays but always take a look at my mailbox]

[IAmDarkPhoenix]

 

Probably unsatisfaying answers:

1) It is possible to replace a vanilla tattoo by a modded one.

 

Wait, so is this the reason those new tattoos I add into the override folder don't appear as selectable when I'm trying to create a new character? I just realized I have a ton of tattoo mods installed, and they are listed in the chargenmorphcfg.xml file, however there's still only the same old 10 or so tattoos to choose from if I try to make a new HoF

[theskymoves]

 

 

Probably unsatisfaying answers:

1) It is possible to replace a vanilla tattoo by a modded one.

 

Wait, so is this the reason those new tattoos I add into the override folder don't appear as selectable when I'm trying to create a new character? I just realized I have a ton of tattoo mods installed, and they are listed in the chargenmorphcfg.xml file, however there's still only the same old 10 or so tattoos to choose from if I try to make a new HoF

 

 

Correct. You can't add additional tattoo 'slots' to the CC. You can however, as was mentioned above, replace vanilla tats. (I always found that to be unsatisfactory, to be honest, as random NPCs would inevitably show up with totally inappropriate tattoos.... YMMV.)

[vBrumenn]

 

 

 

Probably unsatisfaying answers:

1) It is possible to replace a vanilla tattoo by a modded one.

 

Wait, so is this the reason those new tattoos I add into the override folder don't appear as selectable when I'm trying to create a new character? I just realized I have a ton of tattoo mods installed, and they are listed in the chargenmorphcfg.xml file, however there's still only the same old 10 or so tattoos to choose from if I try to make a new HoF

 

 

Correct. You can't add additional tattoo 'slots' to the CC. You can however, as was mentioned above, replace vanilla tats. (I always found that to be unsatisfactory, to be honest, as random NPCs would inevitably show up with totally inappropriate tattoos.... YMMV.)

 

 

(Awkward. I realize I made an insane amount of mistakes. Sorry if I've hurt your eyes)

 

↑↑↑

 

Yup. But you CAN change all the said NPCs morphs in the Toolset and replace their tattoos by anything you may find more satisfaying INCLUDING the good ol' vanilla pixellated tattoos or those from DAI :cool:. And make new, custom ones for all of your wardens. And companions. And for all dlc characters. And for the whole Thedas.

As I understand it, if you want NPCs/Wardens to have diverse tattoos the only way is to make their morph in the Toolset (because you can chose between an unlimited -?- amount of tattoos. Like...you can have 500 tattoos into your override folder and make 500 characters, each one with a unique tattoo.).

 

My first "mod" was a tattoo I made by making a red, a blue and a green designs, that I saved as .bmp, then converted to .dds, then renamed. I realized that some NPCs were wearing it, which was unfitting, so I used the pre-release Dragon Age CC, manually remade all of the morphs that were using the same tattoo, switch to another, blank one and then I made a warden with each of these faces to obtain .das files I could convert to .mor and rename to replace all the said character's morphs. So it is even possible without the Toolset and without Photoshop/Gimp. It only requieres...well...enthusiasm :D

 

(Don't mind me. I spent an unhealthy amount of time making mods. If anything THIS is the problem with the Toolset :facepalm:. Teh who needs real life anyway, with all those bland NPCs and poorly written fetch quests xD)

 

Have a nice week-end! The time has come for me to disappear like a pop-up ^_^!

[IAmDarkPhoenix]

hahaha... thanks to you both for answers. I never could figure this one out and it really bugged me. For the life of me, I can't figure out how/why they would only limit the tattoos in the CC to just a handful...

 

 

@vBrumenn - I was trying to save a skin complexion in photoshop, but when i do, I get a silvery, distorted complexion https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GQ98jTxza_YQBczWq6YZ4JMflixNhZ6I

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zYez88-cMqYc3lvBIBYhtr19WEHSRfi-.

 

My guess is that I'm not saving the .dds in the correct format.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1bFYB5L9BM-wPjVJvpXpnKPJEJLFajqqA

Do you know what options I should be using to save it so it shows up correctly in the CC?

[theskymoves]

(Don't mind me. I spent an unhealthy amount of time making mods. If anything THIS is the problem with the Toolset :facepalm:. Teh who needs real life anyway, with all those bland NPCs and poorly written fetch quests xD)

 

Have a nice week-end! The time has come for me to disappear like a pop-up ^_^!

 

 

Likewise. (Unhealthy amount of time spent modding rather than playing... For every one the 80 or so DAO mods I've released, I've made at least one that no-one but me ever saw.)

 

I'm really awful at making toolset morphs (pointing over there, as always, at my hideous Cousland avatar who serves as the poster girl for my ineptitude), so fiddling with NPC morphs just to change tattoos would be my idea of hell... just revising all of the elves to use the DA2 style mesh was enough to put me off the game for a year.