Modifying textures

[blaineh83]

So, this is my first time doing ANY modding what so ever, but I somehow managed to learn how to work with BSA files etc. I already managed to edit and export some textures successfully. My question is; how do i approach textures that are rainbow colored, i guess they are some kind of "height map" or "warmth" depending of the color... but does anybody have link or quick insight how they work and how should i edit them ? Thanks in advance!

 

Edit: I would also appreciate if someone pointed the right direction with Nif mesh editing, i managed to open them with both blender and niftools (im new to both). It's ok if there ain't any reliable resources yet, its just something i might want to look in to in future .)

[blaineh83]

Also seems I can't find textures for companions f. ex. Lydia. Any ideas?

[Rennn]

Eh, I have a question to add on to your question.

Why is Gimp unable to open .dds files? Any ideas?

[blaineh83]

Eh, I have a question to add on to your question.

Why is Gimp unable to open .dds files? Any ideas?

 

You need dds plugin for it :) Quick googling game me this DDS plugin for gimp If that doesn't help try googling dds gimp plugin or something.

[CampanaAliquanta]

@blaineh83

 

Try this: http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/GIMP:_Quality_Normal_Maps

 

@Rennn

 

You need the Gimp DDS plugin: http://code.google.com/p/gimp-dds/

[blaineh83]

@blaineh83

 

Try this: http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/GIMP:_Quality_Normal_Maps

 

@Rennn

 

You need the Gimp DDS plugin: http://code.google.com/p/gimp-dds/

 

Awesome, thanks!

[kuro1n]

If you didnt figure it out yet, the "rainbow" colored texture is a normal map which is essentially a way to give an illusion of dents and bumps by faking the lighting, there are different ways to go at this. Normally when i work with models i make a highpoly model of several million polygons then i would retopology the mesh to create a lowpoly version used in the game, i would then make a "comparison" between the two to bake a normal map, however its possible to create normal maps by baking it from textures also, i would assume this is most normal in the modding scene here.

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Normal_map_example.png

 

I hope this clears it out for you.

 

 

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping

[blaineh83]

If you didnt figure it out yet, the "rainbow" colored texture is a normal map which is essentially a way to give an illusion of dents and bumps by faking the lighting, there are different ways to go at this. Normally when i work with models i make a highpoly model of several million polygons then i would retopology the mesh to create a lowpoly version used in the game, i would then make a "comparison" between the two to bake a normal map, however its possible to create normal maps by baking it from textures also, i would assume this is most normal in the modding scene here.

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Normal_map_example.png

 

I hope this clears it out for you.

 

 

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping

 

Thanks, this shed some new light to the stuff but im still bit unsure how to even begin. I mean if i use photoshop with blender, how can i create or even edit those normal maps? Is there script or something that converts it to normal map automatically or do i have to be genious to draw myself? :D

[Thepal]

Photoshop's dds plugin does come with a normal map filter (Filter->NVidia Tools) but it doesn't do the new rainbow ones as far as I can tell. It used to work ok for Oblivion textures.

 

If you look at the current normal map for the texture, you should be able to get an idea of how the colours work (which ones mean raising/lowering in different directions). I just worked that out myself for my textures, and then added my alterations. What I did seems to have worked perfectly for my body mod (I only changed a couple of things though... if you're changing the entire mesh a filter would probably be very helpful).

[Fisrion]

Blender also has an option to bake normal maps from high poly models to low poly models: http://cgcookie.com/blender/2010/06/30/normal_maps_blender_2_5/

For baking normal maps from textures you should use the photoshop plugin.

You could also try xNormal.