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Editing a .DDS file (CTD)


RumiVixeni

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I'm trying to make my first attempt to edit textures of the game... I want to edit the "femalehead.dds" file. I watched a youtube tutorial, they said it was possible to edit an skyrim .dds file with the tool PAINT.NET, I did it, saved the file as the same format and copy-pasted it into the right folder... But when I tried to run the game I got CTD and the warning "Failed to initialize renderer".

What I'm doing wrong? Or what else do I need to do for getting it to work? Can anyone help?

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Most likely you are using a newer compression method that does not work in LE.    Read this, especially the codec section.    You need to use either BC3 - DXT5 (ARGB) for textures with transparency, or BC1a - DXT1 (RGB + 1-bit alpha).   I am not familiar with PAINT.NET and which format it offers by default, but if it is BC7 (RGBA), it will not work in LE.

I personally use Adobe Photoshop with Nvidia Texture Tools plugin.   For those without Photoshop, there is a standalone version which, I believe, can convert between .dds and .png.   I also heard that GIMP can be used (with .DDS plugin).

Why were you trying to edit femalehead.dds?  If you want to put something on a particular NPC's face, it is better to edit their facetint texture.   Or even better, add an overlay mask to be used in RaceMenu.     

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5 hours ago, scorrp10 said:

Most likely you are using a newer compression method that does not work in LE.    Read this, especially the codec section.    You need to use either BC3 - DXT5 (ARGB) for textures with transparency, or BC1a - DXT1 (RGB + 1-bit alpha).   I am not familiar with PAINT.NET and which format it offers by default, but if it is BC7 (RGBA), it will not work in LE.

I personally use Adobe Photoshop with Nvidia Texture Tools plugin.   For those without Photoshop, there is a standalone version which, I believe, can convert between .dds and .png.   I also heard that GIMP can be used (with .DDS plugin).

Why were you trying to edit femalehead.dds?  If you want to put something on a particular NPC's face, it is better to edit their facetint texture.   Or even better, add an overlay mask to be used in RaceMenu.     

These are all the options I have in Paint.net (Screenshot). I tried with "BC3 Linear, DXT5" but I got CTD as well... I don't know how people make it to work in the game because I don't see the options you mentioned in there. And about why I'm trying to edit femalehead.dds it's becase I'm editing the mod of another person for personal use. I downloaded a custom preset for the female player character, but the thing is... That file also changes all female NPC in game. The file have freckles in the neck and all of my female NPC got freckles in their necks too, and I'm suspecting those freckles are causing a mismatch of color of the face/neck and the NPC bodies.. Also I don't want all of my female NPC to have freckles in their necks, looks kinda odd, that's why I'm trying to remove those freckles.

1.png

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As I said, I have no experience with Paint.NET, but if you drop me a link to the problem mod, I can give you some pointers.    That mod is likely very poorly organized.   The solution to your problem should not be in editing a .DDS file, but moving that file elsewhere so it does not overwrite game's default textures, and using NifScope to have that NPC head mesh point at files in another location. 

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