My First Mod Done!

[Gankaku]

I did my first mod today ... and now I have a question.

 

The mod was one warpaint redo to see if I could create and complete one mod before I do an entire set. The mod worked. However, the warpaint image was VERY light. I almost could not see the new warpaint design.

 

What did I do wrong? Was it too thin a design? I want some more delicate painting but maybe that is the very reason it doesn't show.

 

OR is the problem how I am saving? I am using Photoshop with the dds plugin. I have no idea if I should be changing any settings to make my dds file look great in game.

 

Thanks for any advice!

[cis190]

In Photoshop did you try to go to Image>Adjustments>Brightness/contrast and make the texture mod darker yet?

[SkjoldBjorn]

Which photshop version are you using? i strongly suggest using curve or level adjustments for things like that. Also make sure you use adjustment layers, those are nice becasue if your curve or level adjustment went fubar, you can drop it in the trashcan and start anew.

both curves and levels can adjust highlights, midtones and shadow strength. you can find these by using image->adjustment -> curves or levels, but i suggest using the option i suggested with adjustment layers, you can find the button below your filter tab, it's called "create new fill or adjustment layer"

after you have made one, make sure to bind the adjustment layer to the layer you want to modify. this can be done by holding down the "alt" button and slide your mouse between the adjustment layer and the layer and you will see a small icon appear (looks like circles) press and they will be linked.

If you do not link them, all layers below the adjustment layer will get the same adjustment, and that is not always good, unless you want the whole texture to have the same setting, if that is the case you don't have to bind them.

 

This might take some trial and error, i suggest using your model and textures with nifskope to see how the texture looks there before you start up the game, unless you do so already.

Edited January 25, 2012 by Sk8on

[TheRagMan]

GO in LEVELS and set OUTPUT from 255 to 100. but i dont KNOW why textures are normally so grey... i think it is needed to light with normal map

[jet4571]

It would help to see the warpaint ingame and a .jpg of the actual texture.

 

@Sk8on, there's no highlight, midtones, or shadows on the warpaints. you can make them with MS Paint if it had .DDS export and it would be just as good as if you used Photoshop. they are very simple textures, includes eyebrows as 1 block of colors, lips another block of color and the warpaint being a third block. the most complicated part of them is if they include dirt and cheek tone. otherwise a clean face with no makeup or warpaint would have 2-3 colors with a slight soften run on the edges so its not a sharp line.

 

Data\textures\actors\character\facegendata\facetint\skyrim.esm

[SkjoldBjorn]

adjusting levels in mspaint would not be as good. and paint does not have adjustment layers.

I had a look at the warpains, i have not modified those before.

But i also found another directory that might be of interest here

 

\textures\actors\character\character assets\tintmasks

 

they seem to contain the contur of the the facepaints, they look just like a specular map, so you might need to make one of these as well.

[jet4571]

The tintmasks you linked to are for the player character. the ones i linked to are named the same as the NPC's ID and was just an example on the variety they come in. I dont know if he is doing NPC or player so i just picked one. The players are black and white because the colors get chosen. NPC's are already colored. There's no real levels going on in those unless its the dirt you want to change. white where the facepaint is and black where its not and 1-2 shades of grey for thin spots and a soften filter looks to be the case.

 

But like I said seeing what he did to the actual texture and seeing how it looks ingame is really the best bet for trouble shooting it.

[Gankaku]

OK Hi everyone :)

 

I wasn't able to get back in last night after I posted. Thank you for all your comments. I will try to answer as best as I can. (yes what @jet4571 said)

 

@cis Warpaints are totally white on a black background. I didn't think there was anything to mess with as far as color adjustments since it's pure white. I will still look into your suggestion though. (yes then what @jet4571 said)

 

@sk8on I have a very recent version of PS. Again pure white may not need adjustments like that? I don't know. I don't have nifskope loaded yet but I will do that today. I need it anyway, and anything to help make testing easier is good.

 

@theragman - oh yeah? OK I will try.

 

@sk8on again - hmm...that's possibly the files I was working with. That could be my problem. Those are the contour for the facepaints but not the real facepaints? Hmmm will look into that.

 

@jet I'm working with character facepaints, not NPC

 

OK Thank you EVERYONE. I'll work on this today and post back my results and if still having troubles will detail what I've done and post pictures. Good day to you!

[SkjoldBjorn]

Take what i said with a pinch of salt, i work with a lot of armor and weapon textures, but im unfamiliar with faicepaint and how they work :)

[jet4571]

Actually Sk8on then you should have plenty of experience with making them for player characters if you consider them to be a basic Alpha channel. white shows and black does not. and for better facepaints a more complicated alpha where a shade of grey makes it see through. Really that's all it is, an extra alpha channel.