Can someone please direct me to some in depth tutorials on editing and creating complexion textures in GIMP??

[eerieana]

I have spent the last few days trying to find information/tutorials on how to make complexions or edit ones that already exist as a base. I have found a few via the Dragon Age Modding tumblr and a few other tumblrs, but I found that there was some stuff in those tutorials that was glossed over or that the creator probably assumed their readers already knew how to do. I guess specifically where I am stuck is where it comes to channels and formats. 

Like one tutorial said to convert the DDS files to PNG for editing, and then back to DDS once its done and ready to be used in Toolset/In-game. But didnt make the process of converting back to DDS very clear or which type of DDS file to make it or how to copy and paste channels (cause somehow I have not been able to do that). And then another one was saying to make a copy of the alpha channel, then hide the copy, and then flood the original alpha channel but not the other 3 channels with white. But when I try to do that, I first try hiding Red, Blue, and Green, then flood the Alpha with white and then I unhide the other 3 and all of them have been flooded with white.

So then at that point I havent even tried going any further than that. Also when I finally get to the point to where I can make edits, do I then just make a new layer ontop and paint on top then merge it down once I am done?? Please help!!!

Edited October 15 by eerieana
easier to read

[theskymoves]

DAO Normals should be saved as DXT5, or DXT3,

See: DDS Export Settings on the DA Toolset Wiki.

Can't help with any of the GIMP-specific questions, sorry. I still use old skool Photoshop CS2 + Nvidia plugin.

[eerieana]

Ah thank you! I completely forgot about the DA Toolset Wiki, seems like that would be the most obvious place to look haha. Derp.

Could you give me a run through of how you do it using CS2? I'm downloading it now to see if thats easier to use than GIMP.