sse Normal map manager

[DuckytheBOT]

Normal mapping can be a great way to give shape to muscles and other body morphs. However it's difficult for mods to manage these changes to characters and maintain compatibility. A framework to handle normal map changes could bridge that gap.

Having one, configurable mod that updates normals based on user specified body morphs and their weight values could allow mods to change those morphs and make compatibility patching as easy as editing a configuration file to point at the correct texture depending on the current weight of input morphs.

The mod just needs to manage these changes while a mod author would need to create normal maps for each desired variation/combination of body morphs.

[anjenthedog]

Consider making your own set of weighted normal maps. At present, a mod like Shieldmaidens Muscle Slider CBBE will provide at least 10 slots for weight change and normal swapping. 

I realize the mod linked above is a bit out of date, considering the newer body models, but I suspect there's probably a newer variant more suitable to 3BA if you look around. 

I use CBBE-3BBB amazing body and shield maidens, along with a set of custom normal maps I created by blending a few normal maps from various body texture mods, in steps, instead of the "stock" maps it came with, and it works for me

Blend is in Paint dot net using layers, with a primary layer set for 100% opacity,  and a second layer that's progressively taken from 0 opacity to 100% opacity in steps (effectively blending from a low tone, soft body to a muscly body)...but you can go any way you like when you create your own. of course, within the limits of your body mesh, but whatever... 

to produce the maps, I set the secondary layer opacity, then merge, save as (ex: femalebody_2_msn.dds), undo the merge, adjust to add some more opacity, merge save_as again, with name stepped up another digit (ex: femalebody_3_msn.dds) , then again then again ...  till the secondary layer has reached 100% opacity, effectively overriding the first layer once merged. (You can also utilize copy-merged, and paste into a new workspace then save, but I avoid that because I want to 100% assuredly maintain the automatic file type associations of the original dds file and am too lazy and or ignorant to "Know" which types to choose on my own)

Presuming you're using shieldmaiden's, then all you have to do is a copy paste into the /textures/actors/character/female folder, over-writing the original set of muscle normal maps (archive them prior, just for posterity's sake if nothing else). I can't speak to any other programs...erm mods that offer such muscle vs weight stuff

Of course, you want to ensure that the source maps for your custom blend are at the same resolution and ideally at the same resolution as your present normals map (and no mixing between body type families (UNP/CBBE/ETC?)  normals either... same family)

 

[anjenthedog]

Also, note that one is not limited to a *pair* of source normals maps, nor the direction in which they travel. For instance, you could as well start with a buff physique, then turn it into a fat slob as weight increases, or go from no muscles (0) to muscles (50) then to chubby (100)... Sky's (almost) the limit if you think outside the box AND utilize Shieldmaiden and Bodyslide (and Racemenu) effectively.