TUTORIAL: How to Add Glow Maps to Weapons, Armor, etc

[Rekicker]

New Location: Article Database

 

http://www.coldchaos.com/tutorial/glow01.jpg

1) Open the model you wish to add a glowmap to in NIFSkope

 

http://www.coldchaos.com/tutorial/glow02.jpg

2) Change the Emissive Color to full white

 

http://www.coldchaos.com/tutorial/glow03.jpg

3) Add a "ITEMNAME_g.dds" texture call to the texture properties for each piece that will have a glowing part

(warning: this will "corrupt" the NIF so be sure you have a backup copy before saving!)

 

http://www.coldchaos.com/tutorial/glow04.jpg

4) Open the model's original "ITEMNAME.dds" in Photoshop (or comparable image-editing program)

(important: you'll have to do the following steps for each texture if a part using that texture will have something glowing)

 

http://www.coldchaos.com/tutorial/glow05.jpg

5) Create a new layer and name it something like "Glowing Pieces"

 

http://www.coldchaos.com/tutorial/glow06.jpg

6) On this new layer, mark the areas you want to glow with the color you want them to glow with

(brighter colors = more glow, darker colors = less glow)

 

http://www.coldchaos.com/tutorial/glow07.jpg

7) Create another new layer, name it something like "Black Blanket," and place it between the original texture layer (background) and your "Glowing Pieces" layer

 

http://www.coldchaos.com/tutorial/glow08.jpg

8) Merge all your layers. Your image should now look like a simple black image with a few bright spots on it

 

http://www.coldchaos.com/tutorial/glow09.jpg

9) Go into the Channels section and delete the Alpha channel (it is unused and only increases file size)

 

http://www.coldchaos.com/tutorial/glow10.jpg

10) Merge Layers and save the image as "ITEMNAME_g.dds" (DXT5, No Mip Maps)

[onyko]

I thought the glow maps needed to be gray scaled for the intensity level? lol I was just looking at that info inside nifskope! I'm planing on adding a glow to the ammo clips for my Ion Sniper Rifle. Now that i have this reference i don't have to write it down :biggrin: :yes:

 

Thanks! You're awsome

[SirSmokeALot]

Thank you very much Rekicker.

 

The tutorial is just great I got the GlowMap working very good.

Thanks to your help I can now release the AlienRifleV2

 

S.S.A.L

[LHammonds]

Would you mind adding this to the Article Database?

 

If you do not know how to do this, I can help you out. Just so long as you create an article entry, I can add the images and text for you.

 

It would be better if you created the article so you can continue to edit and make changes rather than me add the article (which would put it under my ID).

 

EDIT: Actually, I just checked and it appears I can create the article entry for you and get it finished and then transfer ownership to your ID. Can I do this for you?

 

Thanks,

LHammonds

[UlrikS]

Hmm.. it didn't work here :huh:

 

I have some light blue spots on the texture that i want to glow. I made a ITEMNAME_g.dds with only the parts i wanted to glow (in the same light blue color as the texture, but it won't glow.

[LHammonds]

Tutorial now available in the Article Database

 

Unpinning this topic and adding it to the FAQ pinned topic.

 

LHammonds

[Kabolte]

I get this in first person

Ugly White

 

What can I do to fix it?

[Rekicker]

I get this in first person

Ugly White

 

What can I do to fix it?

 

The problem is that since you do not have a 1stpersonHuntingRifle_g.dds texture, the whole rifle glows in 1st person mode. Just copy your HuntingRifle_g.dds and rename it to 1stpersonHuntingRifle_g.dds to solve this problem.

[Kabolte]

The problem is that since you do not have a 1stpersonHuntingRifle_g.dds texture, the whole rifle glows in 1st person mode. Just copy your HuntingRifle_g.dds and rename it to 1stpersonHuntingRifle_g.dds to solve this problem.

 

Didn't work :confused:

Do I need to do anything in nifskope?

[Gabrax]

I followed the tutorial and I have bumped into something weird.

 

I am modifying the combat knife and giving the sharp edge of the knife a burning glow. When equipped it also gives me this ugly glowing white color as Kabolte describes but when I DROP the item its the way its suppose to look. This problem is for both 3RD person and 1ST person view.

 

This is the result:

http://igabeyourocks.googlepages.com/glowproblem3.jpg

 

But here is the problem:

http://igabeyourocks.googlepages.com/glowproblem2.jpg

 

This is what my modified Nif settings are:

http://igabeyourocks.googlepages.com/glowproblem1.jpg

http://igabeyourocks.googlepages.com/glowproblem4.jpg

 

(btw you should let people know if specular should be white or not. made a difference only on the dropped version of the knife and not the held version)

 

Your thoughts on what could be the problem?