[LE] Skyrim Tutorials

[daventry]

Please find me a Tutorial on How to make an NPC and Horses Essential.

[tangyuan00]

It is very cool.. :whistling:

[spookymunky]

Hello all :). I recently created my first skyrim (or any game) character and recorded my screen during the whole process as a bit of an experiment, then uploaded the videos to youtube

 

I am a long time Softimage user so this series is heavily based around that app, also these vids weren't really intended as tutorials but I have been adding annotations to them, hopefully explaining some of the steps :). For the most part these are ~ one to one and a half hours work condensed into 10mins.

 

Parts 1 - - - 5 : modelling the character in Softimage

Parts 6 - - 9 : setting up the uvs in Softimage

Parts 10 - 12 : sculpting normal maps and painting textures in mudbox

Part 13 : importing a skyrim mesh to transfer the weights/skin

Part 14 : loading my mesh in 3ds Max, fixing some issues, then using it to export to nifskope

Part 15 : fixing the normal map, and playing around with the textures

Part 16 : setting up an animation rig in Softimage using Gear for the character

 

I was using this character as a way of getting some practice since I haven't had any modelling work in a while, so for a lot of it I am being a bit dim and trying to remember how to do things, and made many mistakes :D. Also, game / skyrim stuff is all new to me so probably made a lot of newb mistakes in that respect ..

 

Below are a couple of simple scripts I threw together while working on this guy that may come in handy if any SI users decide to make a skyrim character using mostly Softimage .. I can't be the only XSI user that loves skyrim, surely :) . You can grab version 7.5 of the Softimage Mod Tool for free to use in mods or non commercial games, so no excuse modders :P. It may be a couple years old now and have limitations (mainly to do with rendering) , should still be a great modeller/rigger though!

 

Rename NPC Bones - I made this MAXScript to rename all NPC bones back to their proper names so the skin will work when you import your own character without a skeleton, then import a skyrim skeleton. Softimage doesn't support objects with spaces or [] in the name so on import bones are renamed to things like "NPC_Head__Head_".

 

Constrain Skyrim to Gear - This script constrains NPC bones to parts of the rig generated by Gear's biped guide. I have only been using the draugr skeleton so far, I hope all of the biped rigs are named the same way.

 

Remove Constraints - And this script basically undoes everything that my constrain script did.

 

I have yet to try exporting an animation using the Gear rig, so have no idea how well that will work, if at all !.. If I figure it out, I will add a part 17.

 

Anyone with a cool suggestion on what to model next please PM me since I would like to keep going so I don't get so out of practice again :)

Edited December 11, 2012 by spookymunky

[jcainhaze]

I've read and watched enough tutorials to make me feel brain dead. Is there anything simple that will show me how to change texture and color of objects (walls) in photoshop? Mostly just want to modify wood and stone.

[leonhartbenk]

hi, im looking a way to create a custom race based on my mod, see i made a mod where swords are sheathed on lower back.

and i dont want any npc using it, how i create it???

 

i tried to change my skeleton on creation kit, but it said error wrong directory.

could you help me? :facepalm:

[spookymunky]

I've read and watched enough tutorials to make me feel brain dead. Is there anything simple that will show me how to change texture and color of objects (walls) in photoshop? Mostly just want to modify wood and stone.

 

 

Just use FO3 archive thingy http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=34 and use it to extract textures from "Skyrim - Textures.bsa" in your data folder, and either extract them to your skyrim data folder or something like c:\skyrimdata .. wherever you want :). Then use nvidias texture plugin for photoshop https://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop to import and export the .dds textures. As long as you save them in the same form of directory they exported as, e.g. "The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim\Data\textures\terrain\tamriel" .. somewhere like that but with the same folder structure as the dds files you first exported.. it should take precident over the bsa file and you will see your work in game. Hope that made sense :)

Edited December 13, 2012 by spookymunky

[Yodhrin]

Every time I find a tutorial regarding texturing, there's a statement along the lines of "there are loads of great tutorials for GIMP/PS/whatever out there, so I won't deal with any of that here" - but nobody links to these ruddy tutorials. Can somebody please point me towards some tutorials related to image editing that will help me, A; understand how to utilise colours from one texture on a second texture, without eliminating all the detail from the second one, B; understand why Alduin's textures ingame look completely different to the texture dds files when I open them in GIMP, and things of that nature? Whenever I try and find tutorials, I have a choice between incomprehensible gibberish designed for power users, uber-simplistic "how to change your eye colour in a picture" stuff, or instructions on importing finished textures.

[jcainhaze]

Thanks Spooky. I watched that tutorial before. I'm wondering more about large sections of wall etc.

[Tullerman]

If I buy a house like breezhome (probably spelled that wrong) and I throw something at the floor, like a map. is it possible to load a save file with the creation kit and make that map static and put it on the table.

I have a lot of items that I want to place at tables etc but they all just fall down on the floor when I leave the house, makes me miss morrowind or even oblivion

 

my first post here:)

[doctorhr2]

Hello all :). I recently created my first skyrim (or any game) character and recorded my screen during the whole process as a bit of an experiment, then uploaded the videos to youtube

 

I am a long time Softimage user so this series is heavily based around that app, also these vids weren't really intended as tutorials but I have been adding annotations to them, hopefully explaining some of the steps :). For the most part these are ~ one to one and a half hours work condensed into 10mins.

 

Parts 1 - - - 5 : modelling the character in Softimage

Parts 6 - - 9 : setting up the uvs in Softimage

Parts 10 - 12 : sculpting normal maps and painting textures in mudbox

Part 13 : importing a skyrim mesh to transfer the weights/skin

Part 14 : loading my mesh in 3ds Max, fixing some issues, then using it to export to nifskope

Part 15 : fixing the normal map, and playing around with the textures

Part 16 : setting up an animation rig in Softimage using Gear for the character

 

I was using this character as a way of getting some practice since I haven't had any modelling work in a while, so for a lot of it I am being a bit dim and trying to remember how to do things, and made many mistakes :D. Also, game / skyrim stuff is all new to me so probably made a lot of newb mistakes in that respect ..

 

Below are a couple of simple scripts I threw together while working on this guy that may come in handy if any SI users decide to make a skyrim character using mostly Softimage .. I can't be the only XSI user that loves skyrim, surely :) . You can grab version 7.5 of the Softimage Mod Tool for free to use in mods or non commercial games, so no excuse modders :P. It may be a couple years old now and have limitations (mainly to do with rendering) , should still be a great modeller/rigger though!

 

Rename NPC Bones - I made this MAXScript to rename all NPC bones back to their proper names so the skin will work when you import your own character without a skeleton, then import a skyrim skeleton. Softimage doesn't support objects with spaces or [] in the name so on import bones are renamed to things like "NPC_Head__Head_".

 

Constrain Skyrim to Gear - This script constrains NPC bones to parts of the rig generated by Gear's biped guide. I have only been using the draugr skeleton so far, I hope all of the biped rigs are named the same way.

 

Remove Constraints - And this script basically undoes everything that my constrain script did.

 

I have yet to try exporting an animation using the Gear rig, so have no idea how well that will work, if at all !.. If I figure it out, I will add a part 17.

 

Anyone with a cool suggestion on what to model next please PM me since I would like to keep going so I don't get so out of practice again :)

 

@jcainhaze The wall textures aren't done in one map, but rather smaller repeated maps. If you look at the interiors, they have been modelled as one piece then seperated into parts so they can be reused elsewhere. The same applies to the textures. If you alter one it'll change in every instance it is used throughout the game. Unless you create and assign a new custom texture to a custom model.