[SOLVED] Trying to apply freckles...

[DrSeptimus]

I try to apply freckles to my follower, the preset is fine but the freckles isn't applied to the follower.

 

This is how it would look if every is applied.

 

 

I try applied it at CK via Textures but the face end up looking black.

Edited July 8 by DrSeptimus
Issues resolved.

[scorrp10]

This is how you do it, if you just want to change the look of the skin (i.e. add freckles)

1. Get the follower looking the way you want in Racemenu.   Freckles and all.    Oh, if you change the main skin tone, make sure to write down the RGB values for it.
2. In the 'Sculpt' tab, use F5 to Export head.    Lets say you export it under name "follower1".
3. After you export the head, go to Data\SKSE\Plugins\Chargen,   there will be files "follower1.nif" and "follower1.dds".    The .dds file is the one you need.
4. You need to know the name of the .esp  plugin file for this follower.    Let's say it is "MyFollower.esp".  
5. Go to Data\textures\actors\character\FaceGenData\FaceTint\MyFollower.esp\
6. Assuming this mod contains only one NPC, there will be just a single texture file in there, named as BaseID of the follower.   (i.e. 00000D64.dds) 
7. Copy the file from step 3 into this directory, rename original file as ,say,  00000D64_backup.dds, and rename the new file as 00000D64.dds

Note: if you use Vortex, it will complain the file has changed next time you deploy.   Tell it to keep the new version of file.   If you use MO2, you will likely need to do the above mentioned file replacement  in your follower mod's staging directory.

Follower BaseID:    If you open your follower plugin in CK,  and look at the Actor record of the follower, it will have a FormID  something like '02000D64' .  Or maybe '0300A34B'.   Regardless, you just need to replace the first two digits with 0s, so it becomes like 00000D64 or 0000A34B.   Leading 0's are important.    

If you changed the skin tone of the NPC, then you need to open that NPC record in CK, go to 'Character Gen Parts'  tab, and under 'Face Tinting Color' section, enter the RGB values of the new skin tone.    Otherwise you will have a body/head color mismatch.

[scorrp10]

Case in point - I use Taevyr Nyr preset (Thalmor variant) with some changes as Faralda replacer in my setup.

So I go to Racemenu, load my Faralda preset and add some freckles.

Spoiler

Then I go to Sculpt tab, F5, and export the head as 'Faralda_freckled'.    Now, in my Data\SKSE\Plugins\Chargen\, I have Faralda_freckled.dds

Faralda is a vanilla NPC with BaseID 0001C197,   so I  go to Data\Textures\Actors\character\FaceGenData\FaceTint\Skyrim.esm\,  I rename 0001C197.dds to 0001C197_backup.dds.    Then I copy over Faralda_freckled.dds, and rename it to 0001C197.dds

And here is Faralda, before and after:

Spoiler

 

[scorrp10]

Another option, if you are handy with image editors, is to edit the tintmask texture directly.    Locate the tintmask of the NPC in question under textures\actors\chatracter\facegendata\facetint,  add a solid color layer, locate the freckles texture you want and use it as mask for that layer.

[DrSeptimus]

Sorry if I am not being specific, I am not referring to the default freckles.

I was using koralina freckles and moles mod for the freckles.

https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/62508

 

 

[scorrp10]

Yeah, and I am using freckles from Skin Feature Overlays SE - same thing.

[DrSeptimus]

1 hour ago, scorrp10 said:

Yeah, and I am using freckles from Skin Feature Overlays SE - same thing.

Isn't that action makes it a hard requirement to run Skin Features Overlays mods unless you extract the textures and place it under your follower folder?

I extract the files koralina_freckles_1.dds and place it at my follower folder under Textures >  (Follower Name) > Freckles.

Regarding the DDS and the method you mention, I did exactly that in the first place before posting this thread.. but the result is nowhere I expect it to be.

 

This is how the freckles look with preset.

 

But at my follower, the koralina freckles doesn't show up... only the default did. I add a default freckles and koralina freckles to get the face preset result.

 

Edited July 8 by DrSeptimus

[scorrp10]

You need the overlays mod (SFO or Koralina or whatever) installed only in order to generate the tintmask in Racemenu.    You do not need to locate/copy/include any of the overlay textures.   Those are just masks, anyway.

You go into Racemenu, and on tabs like Colors and Makeup,   you pick the overlays you want.    I will generally first click a color picker for an overlay, set its alpha to 100 and its lightness to 0 so it is solid black.   Then I hit T to choose a texture for this overlay.     Once I find what I like , I can adjust its color and alpha accordingly.

Once you got the looks you want (I recommend saving it as a preset at this point), you go into Sculpt, and export the head.     When you do that,  racemenu will generate the head mesh and a tintmask texture.    And this tintmask texture is going to have the base skin tone color, and it will have all the selected overlays at their color and transparency, baked in.    

Specifically, for my Faralda exersize above,  this is her tintmask, before and after.   As you can see, it now freckles baked in, along with blush and eye makeup.

[DrSeptimus]

1 hour ago, scorrp10 said:

You need the overlays mod (SFO or Koralina or whatever) installed only in order to generate the tintmask in Racemenu.    You do not need to locate/copy/include any of the overlay textures.   Those are just masks, anyway.

You go into Racemenu, and on tabs like Colors and Makeup,   you pick the overlays you want.    I will generally first click a color picker for an overlay, set its alpha to 100 and its lightness to 0 so it is solid black.   Then I hit T to choose a texture for this overlay.     Once I find what I like , I can adjust its color and alpha accordingly.

Once you got the looks you want (I recommend saving it as a preset at this point), you go into Sculpt, and export the head.     When you do that,  racemenu will generate the head mesh and a tintmask texture.    And this tintmask texture is going to have the base skin tone color, and it will have all the selected overlays at their color and transparency, baked in.    

Specifically, for my Faralda exersize above,  this is her tintmask, before and after.   As you can see, it now freckles baked in, along with blush and eye makeup.
 

 

Ahh, that would explain why I see everyone follower mod doesn't have those overlay textures. I thought they set overlay mod as masterfile.

Does it mean that my tintmask already baked in correctly? I view the DDS image and it look quite fine..

Maybe the colortone I use was a bit too light at my end... Thanks for the help.

[scorrp10]

Yes, the tintmask looks good already, you just need to place and name it properly, as I detail above.    And yeah, with this base color, she is going to look rather pale.    

And I would also recommend to check the head mesh  .nif, just in case, to make sure it points at correct tintmask in the head textures.
Like here, I check Data\Meshes\actors\character\FaceGenData\FaceGeom\Skyrim.esm\0001C197.nif:     

Spoiler