custom follower issues (not blackface)

[psychochild]

So I like to think I'm a pretty advanced mod user but this problem has got me pulling my hair out the last few days. I have several follower mods I'm trying out on top of my huge mod list. I do all the important things - organizing mod order, run FNIS, watch compatibility, run LOOT, etc. so please don't suggest any of that basic stuff for no good reason. Yes, I have also tried uninstalling, reinstalling, fresh saves, etc. as well. I use MO2 and can provide a mod list & copy of mod order if requested/people think it is needed.

I currently am using the CBBE and SOS Full bodies & SG Texture Renewal and Tempered Skin for Males. I also use some of the assets from WICO (have some hidden/disabled and/or overwritten by mod order. I also have Khajiit and Argonian body/skin overhauls installed. All of these things are working properly for NPCs and my player character. HOWEVER, any custom followers I add get the black face bug (which I know how to fix - more on later) and revert to vanilla faces and hair.

 

At first I thought this problem was due to not being provided "presets" which confused me because the mod author had included facegendata - then I realize it was merely people asking for presets because they wanted to use the faces for their player character. Thus brought be back to my original problem. I know and have gone into Creation Kit to try and edit the followers manually - and I have successfully changed their hair by dragging it over from the original mods that provided their hair - lets not get started on how much hair I had to look through to find the correct ones *cries*. I also know how to export the data with ctrl + F4 to get rid of black face (and have done so successfully before). HOWEVER, as the facegendata is still incorrect/showing as vanilla head mesh instead of the mod author's creations/headmesh and I do not want to overwrite the files, I am at a loss with what to do...

I have tried looking through tons of help material, tutorials, and videos, but none of them seem to address this exact problem therefore I am stuck and turning to this community for help. What is making my followers revert to vanilla face meshes? How do I fix this?

 

Edit: I also use Eyes of Beauty, Better Female Eyebrows, KS Hairdos, Aesthetic Elves, Race Compatibility, Racemenu, XPMSSE, Cosmetic Vampire Overhaul, and Eye Normal Fix Map (listed here in no particular order).

[psychochild]

Anyone have ideas?

[greenmango12]

about SE CK,, even though you do not ctrl+F4  , it auto export the facegen-data when you edit and save the esp. 

 

So I afraid if you already overwrite some follower mods facegendata without intention, when you edit hair etc with CK

when you load the esp, then edit some headpart,(add hair etc)   save.  CK 64 auto export facegen (when mod have loose file of facegen)

 

 did you check your character ID facegen data of current your data directory, with nif scope?   If they have returned as vanila head already..  

 

Then you say, you do not hope to overwrite,, but  you can  copy and duplicate and rename facegen and facetint texture of the mod. first.

then go CK edit,, CK export mesh and texture,,  now you can compare 2 facegen..  face-part node, count, and name  with nif-scope.. 

 

 

 

 

[Mama Murphy]

Usually if you're having black face on a follower (assuming their Nifs have already been converted to SSE) it's gonna be incorrect flags on the head mesh. Take the working (but incorrect looking) head and open it in NifSkope. Click on one of the head parts and look for "flags" in the list. Click on the flag and take note of which tabs are checked for each individual head part. Now open the custom head and set the flags for each head part to the exact same as the working ones. I'm terrible at explaining things but this has been my problem 95% of the time with custom followers that have been converted over.

[psychochild]

On 9/11/2019 at 12:53 AM, greenmango12 said:

about SE CK,, even though you do not ctrl+F4  , it auto export the facegen-data when you edit and save the esp. 

 

So I afraid if you already overwrite some follower mods facegendata without intention, when you edit hair etc with CK

when you load the esp, then edit some headpart,(add hair etc)   save.  CK 64 auto export facegen (when mod have loose file of facegen)

I had done it on other characters but not the custom ones cause I knew it would overwrite data. You make a good point!

On 9/11/2019 at 12:53 AM, greenmango12 said:

 did you check your character ID facegen data of current your data directory, with nif scope? If they have returned as vanilla head already..  

 

Then you say, you do not hope to overwrite,, but  you can  copy and duplicate and rename facegen and facetint texture of the mod. first.

then go CK edit,, CK export mesh and texture,,  now you can compare 2 facegen..  face-part node, count, and name  with nif-scope..

I tried to install nifSkope but was confused by the instructions and videos I watched and thought I could get by with just ck. I think what you are saying is if they show up as vanilla head in nifSkope then the download is messed up because there is no custom facegen? Do I understand right?

 

Edit: Ah I see Stolichnaya explained this further! Thanks, I should be able to fix this from here!

On 9/11/2019 at 3:16 PM, Stolichnaya said:

Usually if you're having black face on a follower (assuming their Nifs have already been converted to SSE) it's gonna be incorrect flags on the head mesh. Take the working (but incorrect looking) head and open it in NifSkope. Click on one of the head parts and look for "flags" in the list. Click on the flag and take note of which tabs are checked for each individual head part. Now open the custom head and set the flags for each head part to the exact same as the working ones. I'm terrible at explaining things but this has been my problem 95% of the time with custom followers that have been converted over.

AH this makes sense - that's why the face is screwed up - the flags don't match! <_< Now I just have to figure out how to do this in nifskope. Thanks so much!

[psychochild]

Right so, I have nifskope - I got it to open and show the head - but there are no "flags"

Spoiler

 

Did I do something wrong? Am I looking at the wrong things? @Stolichnaya

[Mama Murphy]

35 minutes ago, psychochild said:

Right so, I have nifskope - I got it to open and show the head - but there are no "flags"

 

Did I do something wrong? Am I looking at the wrong things? @Stolichnaya

 

You have to click/highlight one of the head parts in that window on the right side. Should be hair, hairline, eyes, brows and mouth. Be sure to make backups of your head files as well before making any changes. Edit: You can also select them from the list on the top left if you find that easier for you.

[Mama Murphy]

I went ahead and downloaded this Elf Brothers mod from SSE nexus and all seems to be looking/working just fine on my end. I would suggest opening your entire load order into SSEedit and then using its "Apply Filter to show Conflicts" function to see if you have anything overwriting them.

[psychochild]

3 hours ago, Stolichnaya said:

I went ahead and downloaded this Elf Brothers mod from SSE nexus and all seems to be looking/working just fine on my end. I would suggest opening your entire load order into SSEedit and then using its "Apply Filter to show Conflicts" function to see if you have anything overwriting them.

So I tried that - I had moved them to the end of the mod order except for my player character meshes, and they showed relevant conflicts (only cell conflicts)
The first below is before filter, the second is after - the head part shows no conflict
 

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

Here is how one of the mods show the character looking:

Spoiler

 

Here is how he looks in my game:

Spoiler

Clearly this is the wrong face - not just blackface - and wrong hair. However xedit shows no conflicts with the head as you can see in the first two screenshots...

[psychochild]

Hmmm so I open the headmesh in nifskope and it opens correctly - but it still shows up incorrectly in ck -

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

The second picture looks like what appears in my game (+blackface) but the first does not show up...

[greenmango12]

I  checked  the brothers face too.. it is no problem.   I only see well looked guys .

 

So at least ,the SE mod package which I downloaded from nexus , not wrong.   Then  this mod  seems not use original race. they are  default High-elf races. 

most of NPC if the mod author pack individual body rig, and textures for their charactter,  to isolate from User mod list, they may make  custom race for their NPC.

 

(sorry,, it actually come as original, just use copy race of high-elf I think sorry )

 

then did you change body and texture of the follower as your favorite one already? if so once retrun it as default one, (delete and re-install with MO2 easy)

 and see how it work..

 

I think The more know well about mod,, we may often do simple self mistake,, (becaues we know , then do not check many times,, and often tweak by ourself)

 

 

 

[greenmango12]

if you already made mod to change their body mesh (and may be textures too) separately,, then force it overwrite the original , with MO2, 

once hide them  then  stirictly keep them as default . (not be overwritten by your select mesh but keep the mod packaged body mesh and textures ) for test. 

 

you  know clear,, from  MO2 data view,, which mod loose files overwrite mesh and texture ..so just return as default mod mesh and textues.

if it can show true face,, that means you may re-consider your step how you  change their body and textures.  

[psychochild]

10 hours ago, greenmango12 said:

if you already made mod to change their body mesh (and may be textures too) separately,, then force it overwrite the original , with MO2, 

once hide them  then  stirictly keep them as default . (not be overwritten by your select mesh but keep the mod packaged body mesh and textures ) for test. 

 

you  know clear,, from  MO2 data view,, which mod loose files overwrite mesh and texture ..so just return as default mod mesh and textues.

if it can show true face,, that means you may re-consider your step how you  change their body and textures.  

So MO2 shows no overwrites are occurring - and as I mentioned they are at the bottom of my modlist but still having issues. I also reinstalled the original - maybe if I remove as follower and then re-add as follower, or at least leave in different cell for 24 hours to let him update?

[greenmango12]

If you have aleready exchange mesh of the mod directory,, conflict never happen.  . what I suppose  is if it was SOS relatred problem, when you exchange body mesh.

 

but I understand ,  you seems not change anything, but keep the original body and textures l  ? 

(you do not exchange body meshes or textures for the character mesh and texture directory, and not change any record of the mod)

 

 from your replys,, I think there seems no case which may cause issue I can suppose.

 (of course you set plugin load order , (right pane) and file load order(left  pane of Mo2) as last to avoid  any loose file overwrite too)

And you already have checked  SSEedit filter for the 2 elfe man,, and there were no conflict,   But  for me and others , the original mod cause no issue.

which downloaded from nexus (recent SE version)

 

I can only suggest,,  as you said, lets  try with another clean save data. do you keep some save files, which for test only?

I often keep it,,then when I have problem which I can not solve,, (eg  last version  racemenu  just cause CTD for me when enter racemenu , but it worked  with another clean saved data which not install race menu yet)

 

Test with save data, which you have not installed this mod.  I am SOS user, but not exchange mesh etc about this mod,, (just test to see, so I do not plan to use this mod,,)  then checked them,, with my current save data (it already record many sexlab related data too)

 

and see their face.. sometimes save data already have broken. then change save -data solve problem..  (at least about this mod,, you should see their face . and I never they follow me for sex,, It just show, dialogue of mod which I  use for my female followers (so please do not feel bad,,)without do something wrong)