Specular Map gone after loading... [REALLY FIXED!]

[James Bond]

So there was an old archived thread about a spectral map problem where the  "femalehead_s.dds" wouldn't load properly.  After a lot more frustration using a custom race and trying to get this error to go away, I finally completely fixed the problem.  Here's my method if it might help anyone.

 

 

STEP#1 - Rename your desired file from "femalehead_s.dds" to ANYTHING other than "femalehead_s.dds" and save it somewhere in the texture's folder. 

 

STEP#2 - The #@#$# creation kit seems to be the real problem.  Whenever I would open up my custom races associated skin texture and try to map the spectral map to a custom made "femalehead_S.dds," the preview window would fail to actually show the right image.  In the end, I tricked the creation kit, by just renaming my spectral map from "femalehead_S.dds" to "femalehead_S_FUCKINGBUG."    

 

STEP#3 - Open your races associated head with nifscope.  Then click on 0 NiNode, 1 NiTriShape, 6 BSLightingShaderProperty 7BSShaderTextureSet.  Next, open up the Textures name and then remap the 8th "TEXTURE" down to your new name.  Save the revised nif file.

 

STEP#4 - Open up the Race ID in the creation kit and go to the tinting tab, which is right next to the face data.  On the tinting tab, right click in the editor ID and make sure to add your head skin that's mapped to the newly named spectral map texture, which you just made sure was mapped to your nif scope file that your head parts uses for it's model.  In the same tinting tab, you might as well set the default "face details texture set list" to your new head skin.

 

That should fix it...  One way to check to see if it'll work in game is hit the preview head or preview body button in your race file.  If it doesn't load up with the spectral map shine that you intended, then it's not going to work in game either.