Texture mod help request - making underlying 'skin' show when transparency is used.

[graymare]

I asked over in the nexus forums, but after 20 hours, no response.  I should have asked here first - but work internet won't let me get to LL...

 

I can properly remove parts of an armor or clothing using the BGSM file, transparent texture, and setting the NIAlpha properties.

 

That is only useful if the underlying body texture is visible.  I need help making the underlying body mesh visible.  I believe it's a setting on the *clothing* mesh, as if I cut one piece of clothing mesh and apply it to a 'body' that allows the NIAlpha property to work as I would expect, it won't necessarily work with the cut/pasted mesh.

 

For example, trying to do what Elianora did in one of her screenshots - make the sleeves on the "flannel shirt" look like they are cut off.  I get clear biceps when I successfully set the armor (clothing) arm to transparent.

 

If I simply missed it in one of the many tutorials I've read/watched, or if it's just a setting I'm missing, I'd really appreciate help figuring it out

 

Thanks in advance.

[myuhinny]

By clear do you mean invisible? If yes that could be caused by there not being a body under the armor. You could use outfit studio to add a body to the armor then use it's zap option to zap the spots that you want to remove from the mesh without having to use NiAlphaProperty.

[darkconsole]

are you sure the skin mesh actually exists under the clothing? many armors cut out the polygons you dont see normally to optimise.

[graymare]

I'm doing two things:  copying from one nif to another (the other shows skin in these locations before I copy), and I'm simply trying to make existing (already converted to CBBE) items have "invisible" parts. -- as in remove the sleeves from a shirt.

 

In the former, I know the original had visible mesh there, but adding the new 'clothing item' seems to change that (and not in the visible properties of the underlying mesh -- I've compared).

 

I can't "zap", because in general I'm creating multiple textures with varying degrees of 'skin visibility', and very much prefer to use Material swaps instead of different .Nif files for each different outfit.  It makes managing the files and shapes in CBBE/Bodyslide easier -- actually, makes it possible without losing what's left of my hair.

 

If it would help, I can share a nif file that has the issue, but it will be Bethesda mesh that someone (me or someone on Nexus, probably) converted to CBBE, so of questionable ethicality/legality.

 

I know this is possible - just haven't quite figured out how after 8 (?) months of piddling with it.