Solved: refresh my memory (please). Installing multiple texture packages?

[anjenthedog]

I just realized I haven't installed any texture pack(s) for my players yet, so I *think* I'm just using the vanilla textures provided either by Skyrim or by one of the foundational mods (CBBE 3BA for instance maybe? .... diffuse body for female includes a "Bits & Pieces Female Body" logo. for reference). 

 

Anyway... so if I install Diamond, or Realore, or Noble Elegance, or Pure or whatever, am I strictly limited to installing the one, or can I install multiples but limited to "last installed - erm... loaded -  pack is active body texture" and others are resources?

 

Kinda fuzzy on this. Don't feel like "experimenting" to get there, or at least as little as possible due to my routine screwups. 

 

thanks

Edited March 9, 2025 by anjenthedog

[yorpers]

Generally you would be limited to last installed, like with any texture pack, but some texture packs contain some textures that others don't (such as complexion files and racial normalmaps.) This can cause seams in some NPC's necks, so do keep that in mind with your load order.

Edited March 8, 2025 by yorpers

[belegost]

If you mean skin textures, then you have to choose one. They will overwrite each other, because there's only so many femalebody.dds and femalehead.dds files that can exist.

 

Unless,

 

You want a specific race to use a specific texture. But then you'll have to either play around with it manually or set an elaborate set of forwarding rules in Vortex. Yes, Vortex can forward single files, not just whole mods.

Edited March 8, 2025 by belegost

[anjenthedog]

Cool. That answers that to my satisfaction.

 

FYI, other packages will be used for selective edits of BSShaderTextureSet for various follower/named-NPC  .nif files to redirect to the chosen sources, instead of accomplishing the goal by parsing bits and pieces of a texture set (downloaded and decompressed elsewhere...more file clutter) and direct file swap-out. I've done a a lot of direct texture file replacement in the past to achieve the same end with targeted NPCs, and it's a bit of a pita, because I always end up wondering where the textures came from... ... ... a few months down the road. It's not like I keep detailed records of every asset  replacement, or even "many" for that matter.