Question about sharing .obj files from FaceGen

[zzz72w3r]

So I have been playing with the free version of FaceGen for a while and it's pretty cool: https://facegen.com/

 

The free version only outputs its proprietary .fg file which FO:NV can use but not Skyrim or FO4:  (http://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/40661/?)

You can get the free FaceGen to check them out, many are very good.

 

Commercial version of FaceGen does output .obj files that can be use for 3DsMax or Blender.  

 

I doubt I will have the time to acquire all the skills needed to turn .obj files into proper Skryim head mesh but wondering if I can pay for the software, convert .fg to .obj and upload to LL for people to make followers with.  So the questions are:

 

1. Is it OK to share .obj files output from FaceGen? 

2. How difficult is it to turn .obj file into Skyrim follower?  The vertice count is about the same as Skyrim CITRUS head.

3. How much interest might there be?  I mean those with the skills who can do this and not those who just want them.

 

If there is any shred of doubt to the above questions then I don't want to waste the $299 needed to pay for the license.  However, if there is enough people who can do this and willing so the community get dozens more like omega99's Lovely Jessica then I considered money well spent.  Having said that I have seen people upload .obj head to Nexus and got zero response.  FaceGen wasn't around when I played FO:NV so I don't know how good or how popular the outputs were.  That and also no tool has ever been built for Skyrim considering the FO:NV lineage so I question the validity as well.  The FO:NV link is from someone who has full FaceGen license and that he does not have .obj modders resource available for Skyrim also leaves me hesitant.

 

Please refrain from zero value replies such as: "YES! do it!" or "I want!" 

[RapidWaterOver]

So I have been playing with the free version of FaceGen for a while and it's pretty cool: https://facegen.com/

 

The free version only outputs its proprietary .fg file which FO:NV can use but not Skyrim or FO4:  (http://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/40661/?)

You can get the free FaceGen to check them out, many are very good.

 

Commercial version of FaceGen does output .obj files that can be use for 3DsMax or Blender.  

 

I doubt I will have the time to acquire all the skills needed to turn .obj files into proper Skryim head mesh but wondering if I can pay for the software, convert .fg to .obj and upload to LL for people to make followers with.  So the questions are:

 

1. Is it OK to share .obj files output from FaceGen? 

2. How difficult is it to turn .obj file into Skyrim follower?  The vertice count is about the same as Skyrim CITRUS head.

3. How much interest might there be?  I mean those with the skills who can do this and not those who just want them.

 

If there is any shred of doubt to the above questions then I don't want to waste the $299 needed to pay for the license.  However, if there is enough people who can do this and willing so the community get dozens more like omega99's Lovely Jessica then I considered money well spent.  Having said that I have seen people upload .obj head to Nexus and got zero response.  FaceGen wasn't around when I played FO:NV so I don't know how good or how popular the outputs were.  That and also no tool has ever been built for Skyrim considering the FO:NV lineage so I question the validity as well.  The FO:NV link is from someone who has full FaceGen license and that he does not have .obj modders resource available for Skyrim also leaves me hesitant.

 

Please refrain from zero value replies such as: "YES! do it!" or "I want!" 

I think the answer is "no" as the files are obtained by using the paid version. It's like going to a book store, making a photocopy of a book, and then distributing the copies for free to others - I'm not sure but I think the faces would be considered derivative works.

 

Kind of ridiculous though how they charge so much. It's not like photoshop either, where they can get away with overpricing because it's an industry standard; as far as I know Bethesda is the only game developer who even uses that shitty program (not being spiteful either, I can never make good and unique faces with the free version of FaceGen, or they turn out all exaggerated).

[Captain Cobra]

I think that the souls games use it as well.

[RapidWaterOver]

I think that the souls games use it as well.

Still doesn't excuse the outrageous price tag - also looking up online, the only companies you can find that are using it are Bethesda (and Souls too if you're right). Actually I really only think it's sooo fucking much because the creators of it know that there really isn't any similar software out there, so they can overcharge it like that asshat did with the HIV treatment he bought control of.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3246093/Drugs-boss-hiked-price-life-saving-AIDS-treatment-5-000-cent-tried-kidney-pills-vows-reduce-price-refuses-say-much.html

[myuhinny]

I think the new outfit studios now has head meshes in them. I use .OBJ files a lot in outit studio as they are 1 of the 2 files that you can import into outfit studios the other being FBX. Problem with .OBJ files is that no skinning is saved as .OBJ format doesn't support it. So when you port it into outfit studios the object gets super huge and loses bone nodes and textures. So you have to rescale adjust redo textures and re add bone nodes and weighting.

 

You would still probably need blender or 3dmax for the rest not sure though.

[zzz72w3r]

The price of FaceGen has dropped a lot since FO:NV.  The Modeller (ability to export .obj) is now $299, half of what it was.  There is also a $69 version that works with Poser Genesis.  Using $69 as reference Singular Inversions, the developer, could release a Skyrim FaceGen DLC for $19 or $29 if Bethesda willing.  

 

Besides the difficulty of working with .obj into usable Skyrim or even FO4 heads there is also the aforementioned copyright issue.  .FG is freely shared in Oblivion and FO:NV but FaceGen .obj might be protected from non-commercial distribution.  I would upload some celebrity FaceGen Modeller .obj I found if that were not the case.

 

[ChaosZen]

Do heed any copyrights or licensing first, I don't even intend to debate that part. But as for using .obj files in Skyrim, it is quite simple to do, and sharing files (legally obtained, created, or generated) as modders resources should be acceptable. 
 
For Skyrim, it is a simple matter of importing obj objects into modding utilities such as Nifskope and then saving the resulting blocks as a Skyrim usable resource. I haven't used the Bodyslide Outfit studio in a while, so I don't recall if that is also able to use obj files directly, but in the past, I've used it to copy the bone weights from body pieces and clothing that I'd make by first using "Makehuman" to generate a human shape", then cutting off parts to either turn it into clothing or a part of an actor body using "Blender", then ... I forget a few steps between that much and then using Outfit Studio to size it and fit before copying reference weights, and finally saving as usable Skyrim Asset that can be added using Creation Kit.

 

The short answer would be "Yes", obj files are useful. 

 

 

[myuhinny]

You can import both .OBJ files and .FBX files into outfit studio and can also export out in .OBJ and .FBX format as well.

[zzz72w3r]

I just checked FaceGen's licensing rules: .fg files are free to distribute but to distribute .obj requires paying for the license which is $1995. 

 

This also explains why no one has tried to decode .fg because FaceGen won't make it so easy.  Sad considering Skyrim CITRUS head has almost the identical vertice count as FaceGen so just when we start to have games capable of using FaceGen as it meant to be Bethesda decided to dump it.