skin texturing

[Atreyu]

How do I make an authentic looking skin like the way the Synx or any bellagail races look with the natural pores and stuff of the skin? I mean before any color is added to it. I'm looking to make skin textures from scratch.

[gerra6]

How do I make an authentic looking skin like the way the Synx or any bellagail races look with the natural pores and stuff of the skin? I mean before any color is added to it. I'm looking to make skin textures from scratch.

 

There are two main components to a quality texture, the texture file (which gives color to the mesh) and the normal map (which gives 'texture' the the mesh, which you're talking about)

 

You can either create a new normal map, or borrow (with permission) an existing one from an existing skin pack.

 

If you decide to create you own normal map, your best bet for creating a high quality normal map, that includes realistic pores, etc, is to start with a very high resolution, very detailed, photograph to use as the base of your normal map. You'll need one with excellent lighting and detail, preferably in a pose similar to the HGEC UV unwrap dimensions(although you can warp the photograph to fit.

 

You'll also want a separate photograph with just the back. This one will be a bit tougher because you will need not only to seamlessly connect it to the front, you will also need to do a fair amount of work to make it fit the deformation of the HGEC UV unwrap.

 

These are some pretty good tutorials on creating normal maps from base images:

 

http://cs.elderscrolls.com/index.php/Normal_Maps

 

In particular, I like to combine the techniques from:

 

http://cs.elderscrolls.com/index.php/Creating_detailed_Normal_Maps

 

with:

 

http://cs.elderscrolls.com/index.php/Quality_Normal_Maps

 

At least for GIMP users.

[Atreyu]

Well, I already tried making textures for a new race, but that race makes my game crash. I have a little experience in race creation, but I don't know what's making it crash.

[gerra6]

Well' date=' I already tried making textures for a new race, but that race makes my game crash. I have a little experience in race creation, but I don't know what's making it crash.

[/quote']

 

Well, set the race textures to the default imperial textures. That will let you know whether or not your textures are the problem.

 

If the problem is your textures, the XY dimensions of the texture are one possible source.

[Atreyu]

If the problem is your textures' date=' the XY dimensions of the texture are one possible source.

[/quote']

 

What do you mean?

[gerra6]

If the problem is your textures' date=' the XY dimensions of the texture are one possible source.

[/quote']

 

What do you mean?

 

I don't remember the exact breakdown offhand, but you generally want 512x512, 1024x1024 or 2048x2048 for texture resolutions in Oblivion.

 

Weird values can cause problems, up to and including crashes.

[Atreyu]

But my pony companions have 4096x4096 and they work just fine.

[gerra6]

But my pony companions have 4096x4096 and they work just fine.

 

Sure. That's also fine.

 

But say, 721X258 would probably make things crash.

 

I honestly don't remember the exact formula, but I *think* any of the following per side will work in any combination 256, 512, 1024, 2048, 4096.

[Atreyu]

It's in 4096x4096. Previewing the character in its listing is just fine, but I tried placing a sample NPC into the game. The CS crashed. Tried making a new character with it. The game crashed trying to load that race.

[gerra6]

It's in 4096x4096. Previewing the character in its listing is just fine' date=' but I tried placing a sample NPC into the game. The CS crashed. Tried making a new character with it. The game crashed trying to load that race.

[/quote']

 

Do you get a crash regardless of the textures that you use in the race?

 

If so, the problem might be a custom mesh.

[Atreyu]

It's the same mesh the Synx use. I've tried reducing the texture canvas size. I've tried using the regular Synx textures. I tried moving it up in the load order. Nothing is working!

[Atreyu]

Even gecko cleaning is doing nothing. I'm at my wits end!

[gregathit]

I don't know if you have already read these two pages but they may contain the answer to your crashes: http://cs.elderscrolls.com/index.php/Better_Retextures_:_Detailed_Guide_For_NifSkope_and_the_GIMP

and

http://cs.elderscrolls.com/index.php/DDS_Files

 

It could be a mip map problem or even a file format problem. While the above guides are for GIMP, most of the stuff still applies to Photoshop if that is what you are using.