Gray face bug and exporting facegen problem

[Content Consumer]

I'm having a problem with the CK not exporting headmesh/textures. Or rather, it does export them, but I'm still getting a gray face.

 

I have disabled apachii hair, and in fact have disabled all hair mods. I've even gone so far as to delete the meshes/actors and textures/actors folders and exported. Facegen files get generated, and I can look through them and see that the NPC(s) in question do have their data exported... but in-game, they still have gray faces.

 

I've looked online, but google only seems to turn up "how can I fix gray face bug" with answers of "export headmeshes." I've done that, it's still not working. Argh!

 

On the off-chance that it's still something in my load order that's causing my problem, here it is:

Active Mod Files:

•  00 Skyrim.esm

•  01 Update.esm

•  02 Dawnguard.esm

•  03 HearthFires.esm

•  04 Dragonborn.esm

•  05 Unofficial Skyrim Legendary Edition Patch.esp [Version 3.0.4]

•  06 Fantasy Soundtrack Project.esp [Version 2.0]

•  07 SexLab.esm [Version 1.61]

•  08 Devious Devices - Assets.esm [Version 2.8.3]

•  09 SexLabAroused.esm [Version 2.6]

•  0A ZaZAnimationPack.esm

•  0B Devious Devices - Integration.esm

•  0C daymoyl.esm

•  0D hdtHighHeel.esm

•  0E CreatureFramework.esm [Version 1.0.0]

•  0F Devious Devices - Expansion.esm

•  10 RSkyrimChildren.esm

•  11 dcc-soulgem-oven-000.esm

•  12 Schlongs of Skyrim - Core.esm

•  13 Alternate Start - Live Another Life.esp [Version 3.1.4]

•  14 HighResTexturePack01.esp

•  15 HighResTexturePack02.esp

•  16 HighResTexturePack03.esp

•  17 Unofficial High Resolution Patch.esp [Version 1.2.0]

•  18 SkyUI.esp

•  ++ FSS-Slight pause between lines.esp

•  ++ FullBootForKKSA.esp

•  ++ Tiwa44_Minidresses.esp

•  ++ Tiwa44_Minidresses_Dragonborn.esp

•  ++ SexLabNudesuitVariants.esp

•  19 Verdant - A Skyrim Grass Plugin.esp

•  1A SoS - The Wilds.esp [Version 1.13]

•  1B Realistic Lighting Overhaul - Dungeons.esp

•  1C Realistic Lighting Overhaul - Major City Interiors.esp

•  1D Realistic Lighting Overhaul - Dawnguard Interiors.esp

•  1E Book Covers Skyrim.esp

•  1F RealisticWaterTwo.esp

•  20 SkyrimCoinReplacerRedux.esp

•  21 Realistic Lighting Overhaul - Major City Exteriors.esp

•  22 SexLab_Solutions.esp

•  23 SoS - Civilization.esp [Version 1.02]

•  24 Wintermyst - Enchantments of Skyrim.esp

•  25 Better Deadly Bandits Weapon Only.esp

•  26 ethereal_elven_overhaul.esp

•  27 Combat Evolved.esp

•  28 Elemental Destruction.esp

•  29 UniqueWeaponsRedone.esp

•  2A Unique Uniques.esp [Version 1.8]

•  2B SoS - The Dungeons.esp [Version 1.23]

•  2C Captured Dreams.esp

•  2D SexLab-Stories.esp

•  2E Tamriel Reloaded Mountains.esp

•  2F animal_mansion.esp

•  30 RSChildren - Complete.esp

•  31 OMageReplacerPack.esp

•  32 The Ordinary Women.esp

•  33 RealisticWaterTwo - Legendary.esp

•  34 SoS - Civilization-PatchRLOMajorCityInteriors.esp

•  35 Cloaks.esp

•  36 Nirana.esp

•  37 sanguinesDebauchery.esp

•  38 CFTO.esp

•  39 Potions.esp

•  3A coco_merge_magic.esp

•  3B Sexy_LoadScreens2.esp

•  3C Sexy_LoadScreens3.esp

•  3D Sexy_LoadScreens4.esp

•  3E Skyrim_Sexy_LoadScreens.esp

•  3F SimpleSlavery.esp

•  40 MissingTotemPuzzlePillars.esp

•  41 Atlas Map Markers.esp

•  42 TradeBarter.esp

•  43 BesEss.esp

•  44 SexLabSkoomaWhore.esp

•  45 Devious Cidhna.esp

•  46 SkyTEST-RealisticAnimalBehavior.esp

•  47 Aurora - Standing Stones of Skyrim.esp

•  48 CollegeDaysWinterhold.esp

•  49 SexLab_Dialogues.esp

•  4A dawnguard restoration addendum.esp

•  4B FSP - Unique Towns & Locations.esp

•  4C Populated Skyrim Prisons Cells.esp

•  4D SexLab-StoriesDevious.esp

•  4E Angi2.esp

•  4F Prometheus_BeastSkeletons.esp

•  50 Waves.esp

•  51 Prison.esp

•  52 daymoyl_DawnguardAddon.esp

•  53 Bijin Warmaidens.esp

•  54 Atlas Dawnguard.esp

•  55 Cliffracers.esp

•  56 HoldBorderBanners.esp

•  57 DragonPriestMaskQuestMarkers.esp

•  58 Atlas Dragonborn.esp

•  59 Gildergreen Regrown.esp [Version 1.2.6]

•  5A Atlas Hearthfire.esp

•  5B WhiteMageRobes.esp

•  5C MF_RadiantProstitution.esp

•  5D Apocalypse - The Spell Package.esp

•  5E Ghorza's Armor.esp

•  5F XPMSE.esp

•  60 Atlas Compass Tweaks.esp

•  61 BarenziahQuestMarkers.esp

•  62 Thugs.esp

•  63 Better Assassins V2.esp

•  64 BloodthirstVampireFeeding.esp

•  65 Both Imp and SC-No respawn.esp

•  66 Brawl Bugs CE.esp

•  67 CelticMusic.esp

•  68 Celtic Music and FSP No Vanilla Patch.esp

•  69 CompanionsShields.esp

•  6A Darker Bloodcursed Sky.esp

•  6B Dawnguard Radiant Quest Adjustment.esp

•  6C HearthFire Display Case Fix.esp

•  6D DualFlurrytoFlurry.esp

•  6E FNIS.esp

•  6F JiubQuestMarkers.esp

•  70 KillingTraps.esp

•  71 Light Foot Only While Sneaking.esp

•  72 NIOVHH.esp

•  73 NPCWaterAIScripted.esp

•  74 No Killmoves, No Killcams, No Killbites.esp

•  75 RaceMenu.esp

•  76 RaceMenuPlugin.esp

•  77 Realistic Lighting Overhaul - Weathers.esp

•  78 RLO - Adaptive Interiors Vanilla Weathers Patch.esp

•  79 SaturationBoost.esp

•  7A Sickly Diseases.esp

•  7B SilentBackstab.esp

•  7C SkyTEST-RealisticAnimals&Predators-Dawnguard.esp

•  7D Slightly Reduced Distance NPC Greetings.esp

•  7E dD - Realistic Ragdoll Force - Realistic.esp

•  7F more plants all extra.esp

•  80 NosPiercedEarsAll.esp

•  81 The Bastard.esp [Version 1.2]

•  82 Unique Bloodscythe&Soulrender.esp

•  83 HirelingBelrand.esp

•  84 HeaterShield.esp

•  85 Kaw's Claws.esp

•  86 imp_helm_legend.esp

•  87 coco_merge_weapons.esp

•  88 hairseranahavok.esp

•  89 BVFE_Serana.esp

•  8A GuardOutfits.esp

•  8B Alternate Visuals for Spell Effects.esp

•  8C K2JiggleHarness.esp

•  8D Sexy Armor Replacer Patch.esp

•  ++ Tiwa44_SpiceGear.esp

•  8E realrainextended.esp

•  8F Supreme Storms.esp

•  90 DibellanDefender.esp

•  91 COCO Skills x4.esp

•  92 Mannequin.esp

•  93 MoreNastyCritters.esp

•  94 SexLab Aroused Creatures.esp

•  95 SexLab Dangerously Nude.esp

•  96 SexLab Vanilla Voices.esp

•  97 SexLabDefeat.esp

•  98 SexLabNudeCreatures.esp

•  99 SexLabNudeCreaturesDB.esp

•  9A SexLabNudeCreaturesDG.esp

•  9B SlaveTats.esp

•  9C Osare Underwear.esp

•  9D Cliffracers_Solstheim.esp

•  9E Companions Radiant Quest Adjustment.esp

•  9F Dragon Claw Stands.esp [Version 1.0]

•  A0 LC2013.esp

•  A1 Realistic Lighting Overhaul - Minor Cities and Town Interiors.esp

•  A2 SoS - Civilization-PatchRLOMinorCities.esp

•  A3 SoS - The Dungeons-PatchRLODungeons.esp

•  A4 SunRune.esp

•  A5 Enchanting Freedom.esp

•  A6 PotemaRealFix.esp

•  A7 Devious Deviants.esp

•  A8 DeviouslyHelpless.esp

•  A9 dcpack1.esp

•  AA non-devious devices.esp

•  AB Queen Freydis Sword.esp

•  AC UIExtensions.esp

•  AD Armored Circlets.esp

•  AE SexistGuards.esp

•  AF Unique Booze Bottles Alternate Names Version.esp

•  B0 Cloaks - Dawnguard.esp

•  B1 CraftableCrownHelmets.esp

•  B2 ExpandedJewelryCrafting.esp

•  B3 OMageCommonRobesV2.esp

•  B4 ShieldsofSkyrimLists.esp

•  B5 Torcs_35.esp

•  B6 Ariente Follower.esp

•  B7 LeatherSandals.esp

•  B8 Margery Follower.esp

•  B9 SoS - The Dungeons-PatchRLOMajorCityInteriors.esp

•  BA FemaleWerewolf.esp

•  BB Apocalypse - More Apocalypse.esp

•  BC SoS - The Dungeons-PatchRLODungeonLighting.esp

•  BD Bijin NPCs.esp

•  BE Uthgerd.esp

•  BF AsharaDimonizedDress.esp

•  C0 FSP - Dawnguard Edition.esp

•  C1 Real Clouds.esp

•  C2 RedMountainErupts.esp

•  C3 SRKirsikka.esp

•  C4 Stenvar_Revamped.esp

•  C5 Talah.esp

•  C6 UNP Jewelry.esp

•  C7 LindsMerEyes.esp

•  C8 AzarHairPonyTail 03 - Havok.esp

•  C9 SOS - VectorPlexus Regular Addon.esp

•  CA Schlongs of Skyrim.esp

•  CB RewardYourFollowers.esp

•  CC ccas_starts.esp

•  CD Bashed Patch, 0.esp

 

[spoonsinger]

Probably no help at all, but are they grey on new game?, (i.e. you can do a quick test by just doing new game, and player.placeatme <id>. If that isn't working, check your TES5Merged patch for the npc(s) in question to see what mods might be effecting it). Not sure why I'm saying this now I've looked who asked the question. So leaving this here to stop other people saying it, and maybe someone sensible will come along.

[Content Consumer]

Yep, new game every time for testing.

The NPC from the mod in question is CCAS, and it isn't being added to the bashed patch, so I'm guessing no other mods are altering that particular NPC. I've double-checked and there are no conflicts between bashed and CCAS, and in any case the bashed patch doesn't contain any records from any mods that are altering NPCs (at least as far as I know - it's entirely possible that an innocuous mod would do that just to irritate me ).

[spoonsinger]

Yep, new game every time for testing.

The NPC from the mod in question is CCAS, and it isn't being added to the bashed patch, so I'm guessing no other mods are altering that particular NPC. I've double-checked and there are no conflicts between bashed and CCAS, and in any case the bashed patch doesn't contain any records from any mods that are altering NPCs (at least as far as I know - it's entirely possible that an innocuous mod would do that just to irritate me ).

 

Umm, I don't use a bashed patch, because it always moans about something in one of my massive merged esp's. However as the error it gives isn't that helpful and as a TES5Merged patch gives me a levelled list which seems to work, (i.e. I see lots of junk from mods being distributed appropriately), I said to myself ages ago 'sod it, I don't want crappy messages which don't give me anything meaningful'. Anyway regardless of wether you use a bashed patch or not, a TES5Merged is actually quite useful for all the other records.

 

Me...

 

ps

 

As a quicky I assume the esp name and the facegen filepath folder name are the same? (Dumb question because it's you, but sometimes just sometimes someone, (erm - not saying), does the facegen, then renames the esp. Doesn't test, and 10hours into a game says to themselves ('oh! crap')

 

pps

 

Wait for someone else.

 

[Content Consumer]

Ah, that merged patch. I didn't actually make one yet. I don't really have that many mods - 207 only, or around 230 including the mods in my magic and armor smaller merged patches. Pretty light load order compared to some.

 

Just did make a tes5merged patch though, and no NPCs from the mod are altered by it. Thanks for the reminder.

[RW311]

Two times I've had that problem, one was trying to use a head texture or head from the list that didn't really work on that npcs race, I can't remember which it was sorry, maybe just try to change them one at a time and re-export and see if it will show up correctly. The other time was I was using a lot of custom tint layers and warpaints and it made the gods angry.

[crazycow]

CK Load everything  in your data game

 

basic

 

Highlight the name of npc and Ctrl+F4  send face(meshes+textures)to data game (one by one )

 

 

if have problem

from textures (face or Eyebrows or whatever ) in folder *character

 

ex.

SG Female Textures Renewal by Hello Santa

 

Data\textures\actors\character\*character assets\tintmasks     this is problem   i delete all

 

 you change face and  edit npc  (ck load all)   when you load and send face+head     your npc have gray face

[Content Consumer]

 

 

Crazy cow is explaining the problem with custom tint masks and face part textures, but you don't need to delete anything. Just rename the tintmasks folder in textures while using ck then fix the name once you are done, ck doesn't load anything but native resolution for face parts.

Back to it...

 

I've done a search for any and all "tintmasks" folders in my textures directory, and deleted them all.

 

The problem persists.

 

 

 

ck doesn't load anything but native resolution for face parts.

That's the first thing I do. I rename textures/actors to textures/_actors and meshes/actors to meshes/_actors before exporting, then merge the two afterward. There should be nothing in there that affects how the CK exports the data, as far as I know.

[PsychoMachina]

I thought exporting facegeom/tint while using hi-res or custom tintmasks causes a discolored forehead.

 

 

 

I'm having a problem with the CK not exporting headmesh/textures. Or rather, it does export them, but I'm still getting a gray face.

 

<snip>

 

 

I'm not familiar with most of the mods you have, but speaking from personal experience, getting a gray face, despite CK 'successfully' exporting the face, can be caused by another mod that modifies the face of that NPC.  If that mod overwrites or overrides your file(s) there will be a conflict, in this case, the face you gave the NPC, but the head will be discolored.

 

If you have a mod or mods that does change the face of the NPCs you are working on then you need to ensure that your files do not get overwritten.

 

[Content Consumer]

 

I'm not familiar with most of the mods you have, but speaking from personal experience, getting a gray face, despite CK 'successfully' exporting the face, can be caused by another mod that modifies the face of that NPC.  If that mod overwrites or overrides your file(s) there will be a conflict, in this case, the face you gave the NPC, but the head will be discolored.

 

If you have a mod or mods that does change the face of the NPCs you are working on then you need to ensure that your files do not get overwritten.

 

It's an NPC added by the mod itself (the mod is CCAS and the NPC is the vampire door guard in the Vampire scenario) There can by definition not be any other mod that alters the NPC, including a merged patch and a bashed patch (CCAS does not exist in either).

[PsychoMachina]

Okay, did not know.  I read you had a persistent gray face bug and my mind quickly brought up a similar problem I had, but for the vanilla NPCs.

 

 

[Content Consumer]

Okay, did not know.  I read you had a persistent gray face bug and my mind quickly brought up a similar problem I had, but for the vanilla NPCs.

 

S'all good. I never actually said which NPCs I was exporting.

[jbezorg]

Try this?

http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/67581/?

Make a copy of your creation kit ini before you start.

[Roggvir]

Not completely unrelated - while i was designing some NPCs in RaceMenu, then exportign the head and facetints and using them for the NPCs i added in CK, i was having similar problems, and i found out that RaceMenu exports the facetint texture in 2K resolution and CK or the game didnt like that (not sure why - i always thought that 2K facetint is a normal thing, but maybe it isn't) ...anyway, once i scaled the DDS down to 256x256, problem was solved.

That being said, i find it very strange, thinking maybe there was also some other factor in play, because i am having a hard time believing that the game/CK cannot handle 2K face tint textures (after all, why then having the SKSE.ini setting for allowing 2K tints? or is that for something else?).

 

...just throwing this out here, maybe someone finds this useful, or maybe someone will clarify how it really is (i'd like to know for sure, if only to put it out of my mind once and for all).

 

(EDIT: also, when using Ctrl+F4 in CK, it exports the tint texture in DDS and TGA - why the TGA??? ...are they needed for CK maybe? i became so paranoid, that i even generated TGA myself for any of those NPCs i made outside of CK - would be also nice to know for sure whether it has any use, or can be safely deleted)

[Content Consumer]

Try this?

 

http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/67581/?

 

Make a copy of your creation kit ini before you start.

 

I dunno... his workaround is based on the premise that the system that exported the files differs significantly from the system that uses the files. Considering that in this case it's the same system, that's probably not the issue. 

 

 

export data is specific to the game of whoever exported it.  It won't work unless you game is similar to the one who exported it in terms of what affects your characters.

 

And his INI changes are things that I've already done. They're necessary actually if you intend to mod Dawnguard, Dragonborn, and Hearthfire stuff.

The rest of it is fiddly stuff (changing lip color, changing face tint, etc) that I'll take a look at, but I've already done most of it. I'll try, though.

 

Not completely unrelated - while i was designing some NPCs in RaceMenu, then exportign the head and facetints and using them for the NPCs i added in CK, i was having similar problems, and i found out that RaceMenu exports the facetint texture in 2K resolution and CK or the game didnt like that (not sure why - i always thought that 2K facetint is a normal thing, but maybe it isn't) ...anyway, once i scaled the DDS down to 256x256, problem was solved.

That being said, i find it very strange, thinking maybe there was also some other factor in play, because i am having a hard time believing that the game/CK cannot handle 2K face tint textures (after all, why then having the SKSE.ini setting for allowing 2K tints? or is that for something else?).

 

...just throwing this out here, maybe someone finds this useful, or maybe someone will clarify how it really is (i'd like to know for sure, if only to put it out of my mind once and for all).

 

(EDIT: also, when using Ctrl+F4 in CK, it exports the tint texture in DDS and TGA - why the TGA??? ...are they needed for CK maybe? i became so paranoid, that i even generated TGA myself for any of those NPCs i made outside of CK - would be also nice to know for sure whether it has any use, or can be safely deleted)

The CK always exports in 256x256, I'm not using racemenu to export a face.

The game doesn't handle 2k textures well on its own - I can't remember the exact problem, but I do remember it looked bad. Racemenu (or more accurately an SKSE fix) solves the problem somehow... magically, I dunno. It works anyway.

I have no idea why the targa export. It makes no damn sense, but whatever.

[PsychoMachina]

Not completely unrelated - while i was designing some NPCs in RaceMenu, then exportign the head and facetints and using them for the NPCs i added in CK, i was having similar problems, and i found out that RaceMenu exports the facetint texture in 2K resolution and CK or the game didnt like that (not sure why - i always thought that 2K facetint is a normal thing, but maybe it isn't) ...anyway, once i scaled the DDS down to 256x256, problem was solved.

That being said, i find it very strange, thinking maybe there was also some other factor in play, because i am having a hard time believing that the game/CK cannot handle 2K face tint textures (after all, why then having the SKSE.ini setting for allowing 2K tints? or is that for something else?).

 

...just throwing this out here, maybe someone finds this useful, or maybe someone will clarify how it really is (i'd like to know for sure, if only to put it out of my mind once and for all).

 

(EDIT: also, when using Ctrl+F4 in CK, it exports the tint texture in DDS and TGA - why the TGA??? ...are they needed for CK maybe? i became so paranoid, that i even generated TGA myself for any of those NPCs i made outside of CK - would be also nice to know for sure whether it has any use, or can be safely deleted)

 

 

CK never recognizes tintmasks and facetints that are 1K+, it was always that way.  The SKSE.ini 2k fix only works in the game and has no affect on the CK.

 

Skyrim will recognize TGA files as a substitute for DDS, both will work when using the CK or running Skyrim, but only one is used (TGA or DDS).

 

If you want to use 2k tintmasks or RM generated facetints, you need to make a backup of those files, run a texture optimizer to compress the textures to something usable in CK then later, before testing in your game, replace the optimized textures with the 2k backups.

[Content Consumer]

 

Skyrim will recognize TGA files as a substitute for DDS, both will work when using the CK or running Skyrim, but only one is used (TGA or DDS).

 

 

So I can delete the TGA files entirely then?

[PsychoMachina]

 

 

Skyrim will recognize TGA files as a substitute for DDS, both will work when using the CK or running Skyrim, but only one is used (TGA or DDS).

 

 

So I can delete the TGA files entirely then?

 

 

Move them to a backup location until you are certain they are not needed and then delete them.

[Content Consumer]

Deleting the TGA files worked fine, no problems that I can see. Saves me a few extra kb of upload.

But the gray face bug persists on that one vampire NPC. I just tried changing her race, face tint, features, and all sorts of coloring. No idea what's going on... I might delete her and use a new NPC, maybe that might magically fix the problem.