Need help to create a body mod

[H0zy]

So, on my current playthrough, i changed the appearance of some companions using mods and console commands, then i created a mod (ESP) of my Cait preset (just so i don't need to customize her in every playthrough), using Face Ripper and Fo4Edit, but i've put some tattoos on her with the LooksMenu Body Tattoos mod, and i wanted to know how do i extract these (textures?) of her body with tattoos and create a body mod, basically the same thing that i did for the face, i've seen some mods around here that do exactly this, so i know it's possible. I would be very happy if someone helped me, i'm losing my mind trying to figure out how to do this for days now.

ps: Here is how my Cait looks :)

[Karna5]

Nice work If I understand your question correctly, you're wondering how you can copy the body tattoos into your override plugin so that each play through the tattoos carry over into the next?

I don't think you can do that. The tattoos aren't really part of the body parts and modifications. They're true overlays.

You can copy most things including face tattoos and damage into your plugin, but I've not had success on body tattoos in general.

This said, what does have 100% success is making LooksMenu presets with tattoos (and pubic hair and the like). You can still copy your favorite tattoo layout onto your character using a LooksMenu preset of your choice.

[H0zy]

5 minutes ago, Karna5 said:

Nice work If I understand your question correctly, you're wondering how you can copy the body tattoos into your override plugin so that each play through the tattoos carry over into the next?

I don't think you can do that. The tattoos aren't really part of the body parts and modifications. They're true overlays.

You can copy most things including face tattoos and damage into your plugin, but I've not had success on body tattoos in general.

This said, what does have 100% success is making LooksMenu presets with tattoos (and pubic hair and the like). You can still copy your favorite tattoo layout onto your character using a LooksMenu preset of your choice.

Hello, thanks for the answer! It's something like that, i wanna make a mod that replaces her body as well, check the Dread Cait Overhaul mod for example [https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/29844?tab=files&BH=0], the mod alters all the model of Cait, from the face to the body, having the LooksMenu Body Tattoos as a requirement. It's NOT a preset that the player uses to customize the NPC, it's a mod (ESP file) that changes her from the start of the game till the end, for every playthrough. (I'm sorry if i'm don't make myself so clear, i'm completely new to modding and english is not my native language, so it's kinda hard).

[Karna5]

I think both your understanding of what you can do and what you can't are correct, H0zy.

This said, there are mods such as Random Overlay Framework, Nuka Ride, Commonwealth Slavers and probably a few others which use either scripts or spells to add tattoos under specific circumstances. I didn't look at how they do it, but you could probably either check out the mods directly or ask the mod authors about it and see if that or they can help you figure out a way to add the tattoos you want when you first meet the character(s).

[H0zy]

Ok, i'm gonna ask some mod authors how they do this, starting with the mod i used as an example (which i should've done before), i'm almost losing my mind trying to learn how to do this. Anyways, thank you for trying to help this poor soul xd

[Karna5]

Say, on a side note, I recall that several years ago the way people did tattoos was to have the put directly onto the skin textures (not as overlays). I forgot about that because it's not really a good way to do it as it forces a skin texture with the tattoos. But, that method does allow the plugin to have skin records for the body and hands and then to have the NPC record force that skin texture.

Some of the problems with that method are:

a) if you do the body texture, you must have the hand texture swapped as well so you don't get wrist seams,

b) the body texture you use might not match the face texture someone else' game uses, and

c) if you're using CBBE, and someone else' game is Fusion Girl or the like, unless your skin texture you use matches, the skin will have flaws when naked.

It's not exactly bad to do it the 2015 through 2017ish method, but the new overlay method is much better because it has no incompatibility with whatever skin is used in someone's game.

I just figured I'd mention that in case someone you talk to brings up that old method

[subaverage]

Maybe I don't understand you right, but why make it so complicated? Using looksmenu and the relating mods for the appearance of your characters you can create a preset containing everything needed. If it doesn't work with the console on followers you can use this mod: https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/21130 With this mod you can change (and save) the appearance of followers using Looksmenu. You only need to apply the preset once in a playthrough. An exception is Curie. For her you need a liitle different method.

[Karna5]

5 minutes ago, subaverage said:

but why make it so complicated?

I realize you were asking H0zy and not me, but I'd like to answer that as well because I sympathize with H0zy on this. I lost count of how many play throughs I've had in the 10 thousand in-game hours of Fallout 4 I've accumulated (not counting thousands more out of game modding it).

At a certain point it really is easier and more rewarding to create a plugin that starts each game the way you want it instead of having to repeat a manual process a hundred or more times per playthrough for scores of playthroughs.

Plus, learning how to mod is in itself fun. Once you've played the game inside out repeatedly, the game itself isn't what keeps you playing it. It's what you can do to the game that gives it longevity

[subaverage]

19 minutes ago, Karna5 said:

Plus, learning how to mod is in itself fun. Once you've played the game inside out repeatedly, the game itself isn't what keeps you playing it. It's what you can do to the game that gives it longevity

Ok, I agree with you that making mods can be fun and challenging. So let's say that only in the case making the mod will not work (what I don't wish)  *my* way could be a possible solution for this particular problem.

[H0zy]

5 hours ago, subaverage said:

Maybe I don't understand you right, but why make it so complicated? Using looksmenu and the relating mods for the appearance of your characters you can create a preset containing everything needed. If it doesn't work with the console on followers you can use this mod: https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/21130 With this mod you can change (and save) the appearance of followers using Looksmenu. You only need to apply the preset once in a playthrough. An exception is Curie. For her you need a liitle different method.

That's what i've been doing, i've been using console commands and LooksMenu to  modify the characters, but i want to take a step foward, i want to create mods like the Platinum Curie, in my mind (i could be wrong) the author used others mods to change the NPC to how he wants, and then turned this whole preset into a mod (ESP file), with all those mods as masters, since when we take a look on the mod requirements, we'll gonna find them, like DeluxeMakeups, CBBE, AzarPonytails, LM Body Tattoos, etc...

Probably i still can't explain it correctly lol, but think that's the best i can do,  basically, i wanna create appearance mods like the Platinum Curie or Dread Cait Overhaul that changes the body as well, since i've already learned how to make mods that changes only the face.