[LE] Current best program for texturing?

[Bersark93]

I'm using gimp but I find when I compress the textures they get all these green and purple marks all over them and normal maps are too glossy, grainy and pixelated (all I can do is change the meshes to fix the glossiness but that doesn't work for landscape textures) and none of the suggestions on the internet seem to help. what is the best program to use for texturing (aside from photoshop) preferably free but if it isn't free can I get it on steam? I can make do with gimp for textures but I need something better for normal maps.

[Pineappletree]

i don't know how gimp processes DDS files, so it might truely be lacking in this regard. What you describe however sounds, to be perfectly frank, more like user error based in a lack of knowledge.

 

Compression artifacts are unavoidable to a degree, as you've got to save data somewhere. That's why it's extremely important you use the right compression algorithms for the task at hand.

 

For Skyrim diffuse maps that would be DXT1, or if they contain an (not too finely detailed) alpha DXT5. For envrionment masks and cube maps you also use DXT1.

 

Compression artifacts in normal maps are extremly noticable, so the best way of operation is to not compress them at all by using 8.8.8.8.

If file size is a concern, it's usually better to use an uncompressed lower resolution normal map than a compressed high res one. A 1K "8.8.8.8" normal map has the same filze size as a 2K "DXT3" one, but the result will most probably be better.

 

Lastly, normal maps have nothing to do with glossiness per se. Glossiness is dictated by specular maps (and in Skyrim's case, certain material information included in a model's NIF file).

The reason for why normal maps seem to influence glossiness of most Skyrim models is that this specular information is included in their normal map's data (to save file space and therefore video RAM).

More specificly, the specular map sits in the normal map's "alpha" channel and if you're dealing with extremly shiny objects, chances are this alpha channel either doesn't exist at all in your normal texture file or is filled with pure white.

Change that and you'll get rid of the problem.

 

(There is an exception to this in that a few Skyrim models do actually NOT include specular information in the normal map. Characters' naked bodies are an example for this. These models have their specular map in a separate texture file, designated with an "_s" at the end of their file name.)

 

I hope this information will help you with your texture problems.

Best of luck!

[SteelcladBeowulf]

Wait, that's what the alpha channel's for? If so, how does one properly add the specular information so stuff that shouldn't be glossy, like a weapon's leather grip, won't be that when using GIMP? I've been wondering why when I mess around with making normal maps, some parts of an armor or a weapon are shiny when it shouldn't be.

[Pineappletree]

That's what Skyrim's normal maps' alpha channel is used for, provided it's not a "model space" normal map. That's the one case where specular information goes into a separate file instead, as I said above.

 

The specular map itself is a special greyscale (therefore it only needs one channel) texture where pure black (value 0) means no glossiness at all and pure white pixel (value 255) means maximal glossiness.

Skyrim's engine then multiplies this value by the value of the "Specular Strength" flag found in the BSLightingShaderProperties node(s) in the object's NIF file to compute the final glossiness of any given pixel.

(And ENB, should you use it, modifies the glossiness value yet again.)

 

So in conclusion, if you want that leather grip to not be shiny anymore, just paint it plack in its normal map's alpha channel.

[maxarturo]

Alpha channel is one powerful tool !, you can achieve a bunch of different material looks just by manipulating the Alpha channels of the Diffuse and the Normal maps.

Responding to the original question posted, the answer is simple :

There is no better tool for creating maps other than Photoshop, if you know how to operate the program and its plug-ins your textures will be excellent.

I personally use only Photoshop especially for Normal maps which i make them free handed from scratch, and i never use quick generated normal maps tools.

This process is time consuming, you might need from a couple to a few days to create just one Normal map instead of 2sec that those tools provide, but the result is literally like compering NIGHT to DAY !!.

The end result is so obvious and noticeable in game, that at the end you'll make all your textures free handed no matter the time required... if done correctly it almost gives the impression that the mesh is using Parallax.

...................................................

Edit : Also a very important tool especially for "saving - compression" of the maps is " NVIDIA Texture Tools for Adobe Photoshop " to achieve a nice smooth pixel visual result.

Edited September 17, 2019 by maxarturo

[Bersark93]

I was hoping to use a program other than gimp that wasn't photoshop (I use gimp because photoshop has issues i'd like to avoid by not supporting that company) guess i'll just stick with gimp. I've been saving my textures as BC1/DXT1, didn't know about the alpha channel I had just been changing the specular in the mesh itself, are there any tutorials available for doing normal maps by hand on gimp? (googling hasn't provided me any answers)

 

Thanks for the help everyone :smile:

Edited September 17, 2019 by Bersark93

[maxarturo]

I personally can't advise you here, because i used Gimp only once and after 20 min i uninstalled and deleted it, cause i couldn't do things that are basic for me. Not as professional as Photoshop.