How can one overwrite skin mods?

[ayabird]

So, something I've noticed among custom followers is that they use multiple skin mods all at once. From doing some research, I found that this is achievable by "overwriting" skin mods. However, I'm having some trouble grasping what that really means. Is it just replacing skin files? I'd really appreciate it if someone with more knowledge on the subject could help me out! 

[Grey Cloud]

8 hours ago, ayabird said:

So, something I've noticed among custom followers is that they use multiple skin mods all at once.

You could try giving an example of what you mean.

[ayabird]

16 minutes ago, Grey Cloud said:

You could try giving an example of what you mean.

 One of Teylin's standalone followers, Acalypha, uses like 4 different skin textures. Like I mentioned, I've heard you can use multiple skin mods at once by overwriting them, but most explanations I can find are pretty vague. 

[Grey Cloud]

Well the type of thing you have in your example may just mean that the guy used different textures in different screenshots in the same way that several different clothing mods have been used.

 

That said, a skin texture can have four different files, e.g. femalebody_1.dds, femalebody_1_msn.dds, femalebody_1_s.dds and femalebody_1_sk.dds. Plus the same for hands and head. It is possible to 'mix n match' these from different texture packs.

[Arizona_Steve]

The other thing to make note of is CBBE vs UNP based textures. They are only compatible with the corresponding body type, all of which (as far as I know) use one or the other. You can tell if you have it wrong by looking at the breasts or hip area.

 

This is one thing I really hope is resolved for ES VI modding. One UV map for all body types.

[Heroine HoneyCrotch]

you use a blender to mix the textures, I'm far from an expert but you have 4 sets of textures on all players, they all do different things.But with a blender you can mix and match them,I used a texture blender it's possibly I didn't have to, not sure. 

 

 

 

 

 

[wokking56]

Now if you are talking about re-texturing a single specific NPC that will be difficult unless they have already been modded by a beautification mod or are from an existing mod. All vanilla NPCs will use the same texture/skin that can be found in (data/textures/actors/character/female). Now a modded character will usually have it's own folder in which you can overwrite the textures; for instance Asmodea CBBE (data/textures/actors/character/Asmodea). As STEVE mentioned make sure to use the correct texture for your body type. Once you find a skin you like for your body DL it and unzip it to the desktop or other location of choice Then just drag those dds files into the corresponding NPC folder and overwrite the existing files. DONE... Oh yeah some NPC mods come in an esp/esm file with no texture folder that I can't help you with.

 

Now also be aware that some skins give you some options that always start with a base skin then the options run the gambit (full muff to shaved often with options in between, muscular or not, scars or not, moles or not and so on), and all those options replace the same single file so it is a choice of one or the other not multiple ones.