Textures too shiny

[Shalena2903]

i tried to add a little bracelet to an cape, so far so good but it is just to bright in the sun. I used Gimp an will need an idiot proved way to fix it ^^"

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1h08o0OiOiDNMXD4NILUbxxWKstqna5GN

[thumbincubation]

Here's the way I do them in GIMP. There is probably a better way, but most of what I do has been trial & error. This will give you a rough normal map, with the difference in scale and filters being only where you've highlighted. I don't know how to make the vanilla-style ones, where the changes are more gradual and appear more like shadowing.

 

With the GIMP .dds plugin installed...

 

1. Open the diffuse map in GIMP. Uncheck "load mip maps".

 

2. colors > desaturate the diffuse.

 

3. colors > brightness/contrast to make the details stand out, but don't go so far as to distort.

 

4. layer > transparency > remove alpha channel

 

5. filters > maps > normal map. Start with something mild. Leave it at 4 sample for now, check 'wrap,' and set scale for about 10. It should turn blue and show you a rough texture. I want to say (not certain) vanilla clothing is between 5-10 scale, usually. If you want more / less texture detail, just keep using edit > undo.

 

6. layer > transparency > add alpha channel

 

7. Double click the eraser tool, set the brush from fuzzy to solid, and slide the brush size until the circle covers the entire texture.

 

8. Set opacity, with the consideration that a lower number is shinier, a higher number is more dull, and above 95 has been said to cause problems. I can't remember which tutorial I read this on, but I have stayed below 95 and never had an issue with it. I generally do 94 for cloth, and somewhere around 80ish for shinier objects, depending on how shiny.

 

* If the texture needs to be shiny and dull, highlight the parts you want to be dull, erase those at about 94% and then select > invert, and move your opacity to however shiny you want it. I do it this way, so the thing I am more likely to change is closer to the last thing I've done, for undo purposes. You can also use the same method, if you want part of the normal map to have a rougher texture than another part. In that case, you would start highlighting right after you've removed the alpha channel, set your scale where you want it, invert, do the next, etc. When you have everything at the texture scale you want, re-add your alpha channel, then go to your eraser the same way, changing the opacity as you invert the selection. The 3x3, 5x5, 7x7, and 9x9 filters seem to make the item seem more embossed, but with less detail. You will want to play around with it some.

 

9. File > export as. Give it the same name as the diffuse, but with _n.dds behind it. Export, give it a compression (I usually use dxt3 but I don't do much high res stuff.) and make sure "generate mip maps" is checked.

 

It's a good idea to leave GIMP open and the map up, while testing, as you may need to tweak things, and undo is a lot easier than starting everything again.

 

Use either creation kit texture sets, or the corresponding mesh and diffuse map, in nifskope, to apply and test your new normals.

[thumbincubation]

I didn't want to risk typing that off the top of my head, so I reached back to an old post I'd done about it, above. What it sounds like you'll want to experiment with is in step 8, and you'll want to try a few different settings. Give it a try at roughly 70%, export it with something like "bracelet_70_n.dds," then just hit edit > undo back to that step and increase to 80, export as "bracelet_80_n.dds," etc. Then, when you're in testing, you can pop the normals in and out relatively easily, either by applying them to the mesh in nifskope, or by moving the original elsewhere and placing a copy of one of these, renamed identical to the original, in the appropriate textures folder. Working with copies is highly recommended.

[Shalena2903]

i´ll try it out thx

[Shalena2903]

this sound dumb but....the eraser does what it is supposed to do xD
It erase the entire Picture aaaand its gone

[thumbincubation]

Remember to set the opacity. If it's still at 100%, the whole ball of wax will vanish, but if you set it to 70-80ish, you should see a very faint version of it remaining.

 

Also, remember to remove the alpha channel before setting up the normal map, and then put it back before you start erasing.

[Shalena2903]

i did, but still it´s faintaing entirely at 94%, even at 80%

[Shalena2903]

maybe it´s something other?
In Buildings or Shadows everything is fine, just if the Sun is there it get´s this Bright

[thumbincubation]

In the mesh, where you assign the diffuse and normal maps, are there any other maps assigned? Maybe one ending in _m? I know they tend to have some to do with shine as well, but unfortunately, I don't know enough about them to change them.

[Shalena2903]

nope, only the normal .dds and the _n.dds