How to texture custom items

[GohanCZ]

Hello, i made my own weapon model in 3DS max 2010 and now i want to make texture for it, but i am confused by the dds files.

How should i texture it? Should i unwrap uvw map in Max,then render the uvw map and texture it and put as material on my model?

Or should i forget about the unwrapping and just make dds files for it? I am confused by how this works.

 

Edit: Ok, so i need to make UV map in 3DS max and put it on the model, okay lets say i ve done this, and i have my model UV mapped

in 3DS Max to what i want it to look like. Now i make it into mesh and export as .nif file. Now i need to create dds files, so how

do i create dds files for my newly created mesh?

Edited July 17, 2011 by GohanCZ

[amycus]

Hi!

Ignore using dds files for now, sometimes they look washed out when you render them in 3ds max (even though they look fine ingame). Just keep them as .jpg until it looks like you want it to, THEN you can convert the texture files to .dds.

 

There are different ways to make a proper uw map, but if its for a weapon I would do it like this (if you think I rushed through it a bit or that this way doesn't work too well with your shape, there are others. This site explains different methods and are probably more detailed than mine are: http://waylon-art.com/uvw_tutorial/uvwtut_01.html):

 

1) open 3ds max with your mesh

2) Place a UW map from the modifier list. If it's made up by several part then you should place one UW map modifier on each one. Chose a shape that is as similar as possible (cylinder, box, etc)

3)Select ALL the different parts that make up the weapon, and place an "unwrap UWV" modifier on this whole selection.

4) Click "edit" on the right field of the menu. A window pops up.

5) Don't be afraid if it looks like a mess right now. Look at the upper right field, and press the "+" sign to the left of the "unwrap UWV" modifier. Select "element".

6) Now select any element in the viewport (you might want to decrease the size of the UW window) and all the polygons belonging to that element will be coloured red and selected, both in the viewport and the UW window. So just drag the element in the UW window to the side for the time being. Do this for all the other elements as well.

7) Take a look on each "cluster" of polygons in the UW window. Some might look fine and won't need further editing (simple shapes that are pretty much cylinders or boxes shouldn't need further editing).

8)Other more complex shapes might need more. In that case, go to (in the UW window) mapping-->normal mapping. A window will pop up. Chose to "flatten" it by whichever view you wish. Usually you need to use this tool 2-3 times to make it look good.

9) When you are satisfied with the UW map, go to (in the UW window) file-->render uw template. It will ask you for size. Usually I start off with 2024*2024, you can always decrease it later. Export it.

10) Open it up with photoshop and use the template to paint your texture

11) when you are done, save it as a .dds :smile:

 

EDIT: Noticed that you had updated your response by the time I posted :biggrin:

If you have already done the UW map, then just open this window with you uw map:

http://waylon-art.com/uvw_tutorial/tut406_b.jpg

Then go to file-->render uw template. It will ask you for size. Usually I start off with 2024*2024, you can always decrease it later. Export it as a .png to make your life easier (if you save this as a .jpg for example, you will have some trouble later). Open it up with photoshop and use the template to paint your texture when you are done, save it as a .dds (you might need to download a Nvidea plugin for photoshop to be able to handle .dds files)

Edited July 17, 2011 by amycus

[GohanCZ]

Ah thank you for this, so i will make UV map and render it, colour it and save it as .dds.

Now so it wont look flat in game but a little bumpy i read about normal maps. How do i make these?

And also how do i connect my .nif exported model with those .dds files?

I am usihng photoshop CS5 32 bit version.

Edited July 17, 2011 by GohanCZ

[amycus]

Ah thank you for this, so i will make UV map and render it, colour it and save it as .dds.

Now so it wont look flat in game but a little bumpy i read about normal maps. How do i make these?

And also how do i connect my .nif exported model with those .dds files?

 

There are several ways to do normal maps. If you wish to do it in photoshop you cand do so with the nDO plugin (http://redmotion.blogspot.com/2010/10/ndo-normal-map-creation-without-leaving.html). Free to use, though you still need photoshop to use it.

 

Another alternative is Zbrush. Really powerful and is what the pros use. It is a bit costly though, and if you are only planning to do weapons then nDO should be more than enough to do the job.

 

Also before I forget, when the textures look like you want them to, decrease the size of the texture images to save space for those who later download your mod. 256*256 should be enough.

 

And also how do i connect my .nif exported model with those .dds files?

I should probably tell you know that I found this thread on the list of "newly started" ones, and that Oblivion isn't really my area (I've only modded for dragon age before). Up til know the process is pretty much identical, but it might differe from here. So, the only thing that I know from here is that the specular map (that determines how "shiny" all the areas on a weapon should be) is incorporated somehow in the normal map (in Dragon age it's a completely separate map)

 

SO IF ANY OTHER MODDER WHO HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE WITH OBLIVION, PLEASE TRY AND FILL IN WHATEVER KNOWLEDGE I MISS :excl:

 

Sorry I can't help you with the rest

*

[Candex]

Yes, you can also make your normal map using the GIMP with the normal and dds plugins- all free. Here isa tutorial for retexturing with gimp and nifskope, you don't need to go all through it, just get the links in the beginning to download gimp and the plugins, and then skip to the normal maps explanation. It's quite short.

[GohanCZ]

so what all i need to make my model work? I gues first i need the UV map saved as .dds and then the normal map item_n.dds?

[amycus]

so what all i need to make my model work? I gues first i need the UV map saved as .dds and then the normal map item_n.dds?

 

Note: The UW map isn't saved as a dds, I think you mean the diffuse map (the map that gives the main color). The uw map itself should already be there when you export if you have the "unwrap UWV" placed on it and working.

 

You will need also need to make sure that the handle is in the same position as the vanilla swords if you import them.

 

Temporary hide your own mesh (select all and right-click to choose "hide selected). Then try to import a vanilla weapon of the same kind/type you have done and compare it (make sure that the size is right compared to the vanilla sword too).

 

I might be wrong, but from what I've read around it seems that after that you should just need to go to the "materials" window, select one of the grey orbs, and put the textre images in the relevant slots, then drag the now textured ball into your whole selected mesh (if asked, choose "assign to selection". Then render it to check that the textures look as they should. When all this is done you should be ready to export it as a nif. As for other tools like GECK and the process after that, I don't dare to make any further comments.

 

Since I have acess to the modders board (The TES specific one as well) I will post there to ask them to take a look at this thread. Should be better than that I post any further guesses :tongue:

Edited July 17, 2011 by amycus

[GohanCZ]

so what all i need to make my model work? I gues first i need the UV map saved as .dds and then the normal map item_n.dds?

 

Note: The UW map isn't saved as a dds, I think you mean the diffuse map (the map that gives the main color). The uw map itself should already be there when you export if you have the "unwrap UWV" placed on it and working.

 

 

 

I might be wrong, but from what I've read around it seems that after that you should just need to go to the "materials" window, select one of the grey orbs, and put the textre images in the relevant slots, then drag the now textured ball into your whole selected mesh (if asked, choose "assign to selection". Then render it to check that the textures look as they should. When all this is done you should be ready to export it as a nif. As for other tools like GECK and the process after that, I don't dare to make any further comments.

 

Since I have acess to the modders board (The TES specific one as well) I will post there to ask them to take a look at this thread. Should be better than that I post any further guesses :tongue:

Yes that is what i did and when i put it in game it was dark pink, so i read that i need to make those two dds files and as it looks now i dont even know how to create the not normal map one. So how do i make those dds files?

[Candex]

If you already got the texture, meaning, the colouring of your weapon, perfect: save it as dds. Now, using that texture.dds, you create the normal map. (at least that is how you do it with gimp). You need to save the normal map with the same name as your texture, example: mytexture.dds, and mytexture_n.dds, (_n suffix for the normal map).  Make sure both files are in the same folder. The game needs to read both or you get the purple thing.<br><br>Amycus seems to know the tools that you use, and can offer you better support than me imo. If you were doing alright until I showed you that tutorial, ignore it. <img class="bbc_emoticon" alt=":P" src="http://www.thenexusforums.com/public/style_emoticons/dark/tongue.gif"> and ignore me.<br> Edited July 17, 2011 by Candex

[GohanCZ]

And i make the texture, the colouring from the exported UV unwrapped map right? I mean i render it for export, save it as JPG, colour it and save it as dds?

Or where do i get the original.dds file? Not the normal map? I seem to be confused now

Edited July 17, 2011 by GohanCZ