Need guidance. New to modding.

[smudge78]

First let me start off by saying that I'm only a sculptor/modeler, with no experience of making game ready meshes. With that said I have a few questions. For those familiar with zbrush, is the decimation master plug in a viable option for game meshes such as clothing? Also what maps are standard for a mesh and what program is used to package them together? I modeled a par of thongs off of the cbbe resource and would like to get the into the game, but also make them bodyslide ready/capable and if possible compatible with armor smith expanded. I intend to spend more time on the textures and offer varying colors, but for now I just want to learn the workflow from taking from zbrush -> fallout 4. So if any could help point me in the right direction, it'd be greatly appreciated.

 

I realize such a moot item could be done blindfolded by the more experienced modders, but everyone has to start somewhere .

 

http://s32.postimg.org/gkzhntlqd/thong_front.jpg

http://s32.postimg.org/qrvz69mx1/thong_back.jpg

[Vioxsis]

I can't claim to know zbrush that well, but decimation always has (in many programs) produced horrible topology, not very good for deformation.

Z remesher (i think thats what its called) with good guides for the flow would work out better (assuming what i said above is applicable).

 

Standard F4 maps are:

 

Albedo

Normal (tangent)

metalness  ]

roughness ] both share a single map in the red/green channel respectively.

 

You will need Photo Shop to save them in the correct format, BCn with the Intel plugin.

 

To get the model in to a format fallout 4 can use you can either go the bodyslide OS route or go the 3ds max one.

Though if you want it to conform in bodyslide it will come after the max step.

 

You will also need to get acquainted with Nifskope and materials

 

The other thing you will need is the creation kit to make an esp file.

 

 

Some links to tools

Intel plugin http://gametechdev.github.io/Intel-Texture-Works-Plugin/

Nifskope https://github.com/niftools/nifskope/releases

How to get the CK https://bethesda.net/#en/events/game/fallout-4-creation-kit/2016/04/26/114

^includes a nif plugin for max 2013 and a material editor (i think it does.. only used the unofficial one)

unofficial max plugin https://github.com/figment/max_nif_plugin/releases

unofficial material editor http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/3635/?

 

 

I'm not sure if there are any tutorials specificity for F4 that will help you as i'v not looked (someone else might know some).

But you can get a lot from some skyrim tutorials (especially the CK for instance) and there should be an BS/OS one somewhere, probably, i think.

 

This will probably be the best work flow choice for you.

Mesh; ZB > .obj > BS:OS > (some nifskopeing?) > game

Texture; ZG > .png/.tga > PS > BCn.dds

Unless you are familiar with max?

[smudge78]

Thank you Vioxsis. Yes decimation master does produce bad topology. The only familiarity I have of max is polygon modeling so I should go the bodyslide route. And I have an amd cpu, does that mean I won't be able to utilize the PS intel plug in? I assume it would, but figured I'd ask.

 

[Vioxsis]

The Intel plugin is just made by them (like the old PS .dds plugin is made by Nvidia) you can have any CPU not just Intel and use it.

 

If your experience in max is just poly modeling and you are most likely using zbrush to do the UVs the only significant part you would end up doing in max is rigging.

But BS OS can do that so there is not much point in learning an extra program when the whole process of getting a model in game is pain to get to grips with.

 

If you go with the work flow i suggested above then you should be able to get a good chunk of the work done in zbrush.

For textures just use PS to import maps exported from ZB and with the BCn plugin just assemble and compress to the correct .dds format.

 

And there might be some useful links on the bodyslide nexus page to tutorials that can get you started with it.

 

[nanaki422]

I can recommend using Headus UVLayout(demo version) for doing the UV maps instead of something like max, unless zbrush has added good tools for doing the uv mapping since I last used it(been a couple of years).