mod Creation: Custom Textures

[BlueSteelRanger]

Aloha, beautiful Nexus denizens!

It's BSR, the blind one again, haha.**

 

So I'm working slowly but surely on a massive update/addition/expansion/refinement of a mod I am actually kind of proud of making about a year ago. It's been slow due to a huge move and all but now I'm working happily on the thing and making progress almost every day.

 

I have now run into an interesting issue. I am trying to create a custom amulet with a unique design of my own making -- in texture, at least.

 

I have the .dds and _n.dds pieces but the thing comes up completely flat black in the Construction Set.*

 

My current tools are: The CS, GIMP, Paint Shop Pro 7 and NifSkope.

 

*Please note that all visual descriptions are relayed from my partner's descriptions, as his eyes work and mine do not.

 

**If something like this has already been covered and I just haven't run across it yet, do let me know.

 

What am I missing here?

 

--BSR

[Striker879]

There is this thread (related but in the opposite 'direction' if you will).

 

How does your amulet appear in-game?

 

- Edit - I have a collection of tips by DrakeTheDragon relating to how textures are shown in the game, but nothing in it relates strictly to how the CS displays models.

 

Flat black in-game means that the normal map (the _n.dds) isn't found. Is your _n.dds file in exactly the same folder as the diffuse (.dds) file? The file names must follow the proper naming conventions too ... so for diffuse map the file MyAmulet.dds would be paired with a normal map named MyAmulet_n.dds that is located in the same folder.

 

Also avoid using the underscore in your file names ... it can conflict with the game's hardcoded file name conventions if you happen to use the wrong letter following the underscore (so My_nAmulet_n.dds is not recommended for example).

[BlueSteelRanger]

Hmm, I actually didn't think it safe to test it in-game yet. I will do that in the next day or so.

 

And yes, they are in the same folder. I've taken to pairing the textures together within their one folder, meshes in theirs, etc. I'll also check that thread out -- it's always useful even if it comes out 'backwards', I've found.

[RomanR]

Shotgun3410 mentions in another thread that texture dimensions must be multiple of two to display them in CS correctly. Blackness could also mean that your textures are too big (propably not case for simple amulet) or unsupported pixel format in Oblivion CS. Maybe if you try to save your texture in PaintNet? It offers multiple options of pixel format and transparency to save and dds files are well supported in this program.

[BlueSteelRanger]

Hmm. I'll have to look into Paint.net. I'm trying to create a necklace/pendant with a single design on it.

 

According to GIMP, my texture size is listed as "256x262". I'd be willing to drop a copy of my design in the forums here (provided all the usual stipulations of people's creations and all). I've learned that many here are a whole lot more skilled than I at something like this.

[BlueSteelRanger]

Update: I did it! Y'all, I did it! It's a wee touch brighter than expected but still, I'm a bit proud right now. Nexus proves once again, it rules!

[RomanR]

That's great! Will you share with us what was problem in the end, please?

[BlueSteelRanger]

@RomanR It appears to have been a set of two issues:

 

1. I had the lighting bits wrong in GIMP (in the Normalmaps section)

2. I had to adjust the overall size by pixel of the thing. I have some vanilla textures already extracted, so I mimicked one of those in pixel size (124x128, if memory serves)