Graphics Modding

[throttlekitty]

Hi, thought I'd get a single thread for talking about modding graphics for Skyrim. I can't play the game for a couple of weeks, so I'll be digging around to fill the void.

 

I've been decoding the new .nif format, you can pick up my updated nif.xml for NifSkope here. I'll update this file as I make progress. Be sure to make a backup of your original, and know that many of my early edits are a bit messy and might break things here and there.

 

Havok animations are going to be very interesting, I don't know if NifTools will be supporting the format or not, however.

 

Poking around the files I've found some interesting things.

They kind-of use FaceGen, and I'm very excited for character modding prospects. Texture-related addons are now all separate textures, they get baked down to a single image for a character. Hopefully there's no super low limit on how many of these textures can be assigned for use at once. Morphs for the shape are interesting, a .tri file filled with the presets exists a special 'chargen' model. Creating new morphs should be fairly simple, especially now that we're not dealing with the .egm part of the facegen insanity.

There's also a 'facemods' folder for baked NPC faces that's filled with egt textures, but there's no .egt files present, maybe that's a function of the editor. Most of what I looked at there was identical settings... dunno.

 

Characters use object space normal maps: filename_msn.dds. These work the same as the tangent space maps do. I've seen arguments that the color scheme that these give tend to result in less compression artifacts, maybe that's why they went this route.

[Ghogiel]

Good s***. :thumbsup:

 

havok animations>havok content tools> it includes a maya plugin if you want to check it out and export something, obviously version differences might be something to worry about. but atleast for creation of the anims Maya, Max and XSI users might get something out of that, then perhaps a kfupdater type app to make them consumable for SKyrim if they aren't already out of the box.

 

Also Havok Behaviour suite is something I have been using for 9 months now, it's a standalone app that you boot you assets into and create the state machines and script the characters animation 'behaviours'. its also is where you key bind the controller to animation and all that. Comes with Havok content tools.

 

Characters use object space normal maps: filename_msn.dds. These work the same as the tangent space maps do. I've seen arguments that the color scheme that these give tend to result in less compression artifacts, maybe that's why they went this route.

As far as compression, I have read the opposite on object space normal maps. http://wiki.polycount.com/NormalMap

 

I would have said they used them because they are more accurate and look slick.

[throttlekitty]

There's certainly more data, since the channels overall use a wider range of values. Interestingly, creatures use TS normal maps.

 

I'll have to look into The Behavior suite, is that free/limited/licensed?

[Ghogiel]

I'll have to look into The Behavior suite, is that free/limited/licensed?

The havok content tools are downloadable form Havok.

[throttlekitty]

I'll have to look into The Behavior suite, is that free/limited/licensed?

The havok content tools are downloadable form Havok.

Ah, well that's easy then.

 

_sk.dds images for characters have actual detail in them now. Given the desaturated tones in the color maps, looks like they're used now. I could never get them to do anything in Fallout.

 

Also, there's a swizzled normal map shader, swaps Green and Blue. :D found in textures\terrain\. A giant batch of 256x256 tiled images for the map. Looks like they're mixing normal maps too, there's a smaller 'overlay' normal map file. This could be very handyif we can use it for something other than the map.

Edited November 11, 2011 by throttlekitty

[Ghogiel]

Sweet.

At least there are options now. swizzled is about as good as we can ask for with tangent normals and DX9. But I think I am going to be using a lot of object space considering on the type of assets I am focusing. :biggrin:

 

Epic modding sessions ahead :geek:

Edited November 12, 2011 by Ghogiel

[Zachcuden]

I hope it comes soon. I can really use some new textures. Not looking as great as it can be right now.

[Deleted2039153User]

Hi, thought I'd get a single thread for talking about modding graphics for Skyrim. I can't play the game for a couple of weeks, so I'll be digging around to fill the void.

 

I've been decoding the new .nif format, you can pick up my updated nif.xml for NifSkope here. I'll update this file as I make progress. Be sure to make a backup of your original, and know that many of my early edits are a bit messy and might break things here and there.

 

Havok animations are going to be very interesting, I don't know if NifTools will be supporting the format or not, however.

 

Poking around the files I've found some interesting things.

They kind-of use FaceGen, and I'm very excited for character modding prospects. Texture-related addons are now all separate textures, they get baked down to a single image for a character. Hopefully there's no super low limit on how many of these textures can be assigned for use at once. Morphs for the shape are interesting, a .tri file filled with the presets exists a special 'chargen' model. Creating new morphs should be fairly simple, especially now that we're not dealing with the .egm part of the facegen insanity.

There's also a 'facemods' folder for baked NPC faces that's filled with egt textures, but there's no .egt files present, maybe that's a function of the editor. Most of what I looked at there was identical settings... dunno.

 

Characters use object space normal maps: filename_msn.dds. These work the same as the tangent space maps do. I've seen arguments that the color scheme that these give tend to result in less compression artifacts, maybe that's why they went this route.

 

Thanks for the updated nif.xml file. I wanted to get in there and check out the heads of the characters because the ugly looking 40 year old male face is driving me crazy and I want to do something about it. Already did a younger looking face texture and normal map, but it seems like they physically modeled in several of the deep facial creases making the male head look so damn aged. I'm gonna confirm that now then go from there.

[Psientist]

I'd like to replace the snow textures with something that isn't a 32x32 resolution white slab made in ms paint 15 years ago.

I mean I have snow textures of my own, I just need to be able to insert them.

 

http://i.imgur.com/QYtNR.jpg

[Thelionheart]

I'd like to replace the snow textures with something that isn't a 32x32 resolution white slab made in ms paint 15 years ago.

I mean I have snow textures of my own, I just need to be able to insert them.

 

(pic snipped)

 

When I first saw that texture in-game I decided to stop playing Skyrim until some decent textures were released by the modding community. I want this game to be as kick-ass as possible before I play it to its fullest.