Question about creating outfit texture from scratch

[tomomi1922]

I have 3 questions:

 

1. How do you create a skin texture or bodysuit from scratch?  I am fed up with only 2-3 variations of "dirty" skin out there and I tried my hand at creating my own. For the most part I really like it except where the body texture seam is.  Like the butt, it's so obvious like my character is wearing a "thin bathing suit" made of dirt. I only use Photoshop, but I believe there are some software that helps with texture painting on a model.

2. How to create normal map?  Quite a lot of normal map tutorial of Youtube is for very old version of Photoshop and also may not be suitable for FO4.  And I need to create "bumps" in my outfit or else they just look like they are a piece of body paint.

3. Same question for spec map? 

[mezzoforte]

Quick solution I could think of is try to avoid painting dirt in such a way that the seams would cut them off. Instead of painting a large clump of dirt where a seam would cut between it, paint it that it fades or degrades towards the seams.

 

As for the normal maps, I used the same tutorials found online and in youtube using photoshops mipmap filters from NVIDIA Tools, and save them as Intel texture Works DDS files. 

 

I do the same for specmap, albeit iirc I read somewhere that it works a bit diff in FO4. You'll want the Blue channel blacked out completely, the green channel is for gloss (the closer to white the glossier it gets), and red channel is for the bright speculars such as metal.

 

As for 3D software, I haven't had the free time yet, but I wanted to look into MARI, Mudbox, or ZBrush if they have trial versions. Also I hear the latest Photoshop (CS6?) allows for 3D painting as well.

[tomomi1922]

Quick solution I could think of is try to avoid painting dirt in such a way that the seams would cut them off. Instead of painting a large clump of dirt where a seam would cut between it, paint it that it fades or degrades towards the seams.

 

As for the normal maps, I used the same tutorials found online and in youtube using photoshops mipmap filters from NVIDIA Tools, and save them as Intel texture Works DDS files. 

 

I do the same for specmap, albeit iirc I read somewhere that it works a bit diff in FO4. You'll want the Blue channel blacked out completely, the green channel is for gloss (the closer to white the glossier it gets), and red channel is for the bright speculars such as metal.

 

As for 3D software, I haven't had the free time yet, but I wanted to look into MARI, Mudbox, or ZBrush if they have trial versions. Also I hear the latest Photoshop (CS6?) allows for 3D painting as well.

 

Thanks for response. 

 

Yeah I was able to paint dirt by avoiding the seams.  It looks realistic for now in game because I just wanted light amount of dirt for now.  But eventually I want to create something like a bodysuit and swimsuit like outfit that will have to hit the seam.  For the lack of male outfits (and in interest of loverslab, we need more intimate male outfits).  I wanted to create a nice speedo, some kind of boxer brief, and more racy thong and even straps (I will modify the strap on for female we find on here to put them on male body, without the dildo part). And ultimately, I will create a see-through underwear for men, which is ... a whole lot harder than it is for women.

 

If not too much trouble, can you show me the links of these videos?  I want to know ones that are proven correct because I tried to find a few and it didn't turn out well at all. 

[tomomi1922]

Typically for female nude body, we can easily get away with drawn on pubic hair (and maybe with some normal map) and it will look more than good enough.  But what I don't get is, even using literately black color (#000000) the hair turns out to have a shade of medium brown (not even dark brown).  How do we make the pubic hair darker?