Cate Archer Outfits need help/collaboration.

[Perraine]

Hello,

I'm in the process of re-creating the Cate Archer outfits form NOLF 1 and 2 (No One Lives Forever).

I have most of the actual outfits done (sort of) But I'm stuck on a few things, and I have several problems with continuing. I was hoping I might get some help with finishing the outfits?

 

My computer is a potato, so I have huge problems with the Creation Kit  just dying constantly.

 

I don't have Photoshop so I can't edit the Normal or Specular Maps properly (have to do it by trial and error with not very good results)

so the textures are pretty ordinary, plus the material doesn't look like the Satin I was hoping for, more like Vinyl or Plastic.

 

I need  help making the items Standalone.

 

I need the Collar/Neckband/Choker thingy, which I have no idea how to create.

 

I'd really like for someone to make a Hair Mesh that's at least similar to Cate's.

 

Here is what I've got so far ( I've also almost finished the Winter/Siberia outfit from NOLF 2) And also going to start work on the gloves next

 

Thanks for reading if you got this far.

 

[myuhinny]

There are many others out there that are free. Paint-net which is free and is similar to photoshop then there is gimp2.

[Acornus]

What specifically do you need help with?

 

Intel Workshop Plugin for Photoshop is what you need to use, and save your Spec/Normal in a BC10 DDS Format with only the R and G channels (blue is not read). Not sure if Alpha is used to date. I don't know if GIMP and Co. have any plugins that allow you to save your DDS in those formats.

 

Normal Maps cannot be edited since they have math in them in relation to the models groups. The most you can do is either invert one of the channels (R or G) so you have the correct orientation of the depth and again saved in the right DDS format.

 

Spec are also divided in R and G channels. Former for the Spec Mask, second for the Reflectance/Metalness iirc.

 

Materials need to be edited in the Material Files (the ones that end in BDSM or something) and play around with the values. Low roughness/gloss values will give material a more 'fuzzy' look, or rough as the name says, a higher value will usually make it glossier or more shiny (please note it also depends on if your Spec G value is correct or if needs to be inverted).

 

You can also play with stuff like Rim in the materials, to fake the edge lighting that such materials usually get if thats your thing, especially if you want inverse colors on a vinly looking clothing.

 

You can recreate Cates collar by importing the body in Max or such, and simply creating a cylinder around the neck and call it a day (texturing not included). Or if you want it to be tighter, just retopologize on her neck directly.

 

Her hair looks pretty simple, why not usre that one directly as well? Unless you want to look updated, then you couple simply retopo the hair as well and simply layer parts of the model over each other, and delete parts of the layer to create that feather effect (athough again, there wouldn't be a need, since that type of hair style was mostly held in place with a lot of speck and spackle), outside of that, using a plugin like Ornatrix for max would be the second easist solution, but thats more technical.

 

EDIT: Ugh, nevermind, I suck, I didn't see the part where you wanted collaboration because of PC issues, sorry.

[Perraine]

Thanks for the replies

 

I already use Paint.net for the Diffuse Textures, and it works fine. I can save the Normal and Specular maps with it to DXT 5 Format, and the game seems to happily use them, but they obviously lack that extra "something" that the BC10 format has. And Paint.net doesn't support separate colour channels so the Specular Maps never work quite right

 

Also for Skyrim for instance, I used the high detail "Baked" Normal Maps from Bethesda for my re-textures (greyscale them, then overlay onto the diffuse to add the shadowing/detail) But obviously I can't do that with the FO:4 Normal Maps because I can't open them. And I can't afford 3DSMax to be able to import/export meshes or UV Maps or anything.

 

I tried just using Outfit Studio to cut up a mesh so that just the "neck" part was left, but it still uses (and references) the whole skeleton and all the bones, and it kept "replacing" the clothing item in game, but I can't find the "body slot" part in the Nif, like Skyrim meshes have? ( Obviously I am doing something wrong there)

[myuhinny]

You have to redo the bone nodes for the neck part because a item that is connected will have all the bone nodes that the rest of it had even if you cut it up. So load the neck part up into outfit studio go to the bone node tab and highlight all of the nodes and right click it and delete the nodes out. Next export it out in new name. Start new project select the body that you want and then select the new neck part without any bone nodes and load it. Go to the bone node tab and select the nodes needed for the neck part and copy them to the neck part.

 

Not sure on the slot part as I don't know where to look in nifskope 2.0 I only use it to export parts out of a nif for exporting to skyrim.