Race Mod Projects

[Voldearag]

Compatibility reasons. :C Are you making them the same shape as the other races so players can cover them up with the same armor and hide that there's anything new?  Those players always get everything.  Will you keep the long horizontally connected neck?  That's the best part, with dome heads they'd just look like Argonians.  Yeah they wouldn't be able to wear vanilla helmets anymore, but everyone is already used to expecting that with new feet.  Ah, sorry for griping, that Horde Lizard Men page got my hopes up.

12 hours ago, NightroModzz said:

For most animations, yes. I will keep the spine in a rotated position.

Like running and walking?  That still sounds nice then, body movement that takes them having tails into account would beat everything else ever.

[NightroModzz]

14 hours ago, Voldearag said:

Compatibility reasons. :C Are you making them the same shape as the other races so players can cover them up with the same armor and hide that there's anything new?  Those players always get everything.  Will you keep the long horizontally connected neck?  That's the best part, with dome heads they'd just look like Argonians.  Yeah they wouldn't be able to wear vanilla helmets anymore, but everyone is already used to expecting that with new feet.  Ah, sorry for griping, that Horde Lizard Men page got my hopes up.

Like running and walking?  That still sounds nice then, body movement that takes them having tails into account would beat everything else ever.

Yes, the body's low topology will be the same, but a bit morphed. Yes, it will have the same bulky elongated neck. The low poly topology will be the same polygon and vertex count. Bodyslide and Outfit studios is a good example why. The body model won't be slouched over for armor modeling and similar armor position reasons as well. Ass for animations, pretty much all of them will have the spine rotated except for maybe a few idles. Likely even more rotated when sprinting using it's tail to balance out it's front body.

 

It will be fine, I'm not gonna pull a Bethesda. I plan on trying to just make it so most body and arm wearables will be more easily compatible or only require minor editing. Most of the rest of the body will need special gear per race of different leg/feet and head shapes.

[NightroModzz]

Something I have found to be incredibly useful to whom this may concern.

 

 

1) Duplicate your high poly model in ZBrush.

 

2) Mask off details like muscles and creases on your high poly model and make them a polygroup.

 

3) Delete the main model that you used to make polygroups on.

 

4) Constantly switch between Edge Loops> Group Loops (triangles disabled) and ZRemesher with both Adapt and Half enabled.

 

Do this until you get the results you want. You may need to Hide and Split Hidden for some polygroups you are happy with. Then merge all subgroups back down when done.

 

5) SubTools>Project detail back from your high poly mesh.

 

 

My results

Spoiler

 

Afterwards, you have the option to further edit and lower the polycount with the Zmodeler brush. Then if you have Maya, You can merge this mesh down with your current polysurface from Quad Draw in ZBrush. After, re-import it back into Maya for further editing. This especially helps since Qaud Draw can get slow, will save you a lot of time, and detail on the high poly model you are drawing on is more difficult to notice than in ZBrush. Maya does have bad lighting and shadows in quad draw compared to ZBrush.

[27X]

Actually I kinda like the bad lighting because it forces me to get my shit correct the first time, also have an ENB 100% devoted to people and merciless lighting detail rather than frufru environmental dithering that most do, so keeping details and topology exact is paramount else you have a sadface when viewing the nif in a native environment.

[NightroModzz]

11 minutes ago, 27X said:

Actually I kinda like the bad lighting because it forces me to get my shit correct the first time, also have an ENB 100% devoted to people and merciless lighting detail rather than frufru environmental dithering that most do, so keeping details and topology exact is paramount else you have a sadface when viewing the nif in a native environment.

Umm, okay....but this isn't really related to in-game lighting stuff. It's more about getting muscle shapes and anatomically correct detail. Bad lighting in Maya makes it difficult to make out detail which makes it frustrating and causes you to waist a lot more time on your project. So I don't quite get what your getting at. Also, this model is for UE4 first, so Skyrim, NIFs, and ENBs are kind of irrelevant.

[27X]

Engine flavor is immaterial, virtually any popular engine will have the same toplogy concerns in a modern workflow and getting detail topolgy "right" is as much an art as it is a science, as your posting this on a modding site final platform is kind of completely relevant, especially in translating assets across various workbenches.

 

As for ENB, doing dx11 techniques for mesh representation in a dx 9 environment is also kinda relevant.

[NightroModzz]

3 hours ago, 27X said:

Engine flavor is immaterial, virtually any popular engine will have the same toplogy concerns in a modern workflow and getting detail topolgy "right" is as much an art as it is a science, as your posting this on a modding site final platform is kind of completely relevant, especially in translating assets across various workbenches.

 

As for ENB, doing dx11 techniques for mesh representation in a dx 9 environment is also kinda relevant.

Engines are important. UE4 can easily handle higher polycount meshes, not to mention that Skyrim doesn't use PC/NPC LODs. I'm shooting for around 100K triangles with my main models.  An LOD will be used for Skyrim.

 

Lighting in game, ENBs, dx9 and dx11 are indeed irrelevant in terms of the making of the model. Two different things. It would only be relevant if the modeling and topology was being made in a game engine like with a tool such as the Mesh Tool for UE4.

 

If you wanted to make the conversation relevant, you would be talking about lighting render plugins, not NIFs, ENBs, dx9, or dx11. Maya and ZBrush doesn't use any of those.

 

5 hours ago, 27X said:

Actually I kinda like the bad lighting

Do you use MAYA? Because I'm under the impression that you are talking about lighting in Skyrim when you follow up with ENBs.

[poblivion]

Hi, I do not want to be annoying, but I just wanna ask if you happen to be working on a lioness head? 

[Blaze69]

42 minutes ago, poblivion said:

Hi, I do not want to be annoying, but I just wanna ask if you happen to be working on a lioness head? 

Don't think he is, but even then, I don't see the need for it. You can simply use the Sabrelioness head from Yiffy Age; it may require some tweaks to the sides of the mouth if you don't want to use the sabre teeth, but otherwise it should be fine.

[NightroModzz]

Maybe in a few days, but not gonna do high poly heads for normal maps for a while.

[poblivion]

52 minutes ago, Blaze69 said:

Don't think he is, but even then, I don't see the need for it. You can simply use the Sabrelioness head from Yiffy Age; it may require some tweaks to the sides of the mouth if you don't want to use the sabre teeth, but otherwise it should be fine.

The adjusted head of Sabrelioness does not have such a bad solution, but I have a problem with the mouth. Ideal would be a head with mouth without the need for adjustments to fit everything correctly.

 

48 minutes ago, NightroModzz said:

Maybe in a few days, but not gonna do high poly heads for normal maps for a while.

Thanks, that would be amazing.   I certainly do not want to force you into anything, it's just your decision, if and when you will to do.

[nicksws007]

Hello NightroModzz,

 

I'm new to this community, and I saw your Khajiit Overhaul mod over on the Nexus. It appears that it hasn't been updated in a while, and since I usually play as a Khajiit, I'm interested to see how the final thing will turn out. Would you be able and willing to post an update on that project's progress - even if it's just a couple of short sentences? Like I said, I'm curious to see the final result, whenever that is available!

[NightroModzz]

3 hours ago, nicksws007 said:

Hello NightroModzz,

 

I'm new to this community, and I saw your Khajiit Overhaul mod over on the Nexus. It appears that it hasn't been updated in a while, and since I usually play as a Khajiit, I'm interested to see how the final thing will turn out. Would you be able and willing to post an update on that project's progress - even if it's just a couple of short sentences? Like I said, I'm curious to see the final result, whenever that is available!

Well, I haven't worked on it for a while, mostly just a human model. I will post a picture of that later tonight or tomorrow. There was a Khajiit hand mesh I made a while ago, then dropped it off to the caretaker of Better Claws and Gauntlets to take over on Nov 22nd. The last update I got from him was on Dec 24th.

 

I've just been focusing on the human model, because that's what's gonna make me money in the end, as well as greatly improve my modding quality by using it as a base for full body normal maps.

[kernwaffe]

NightroModzz:

 

     This is my first post on the site period, and I just wanted to say how much I personally appreciate the effort you've put into the Khajiit and human models! Amazingly enough, I've seen and heard nothing about anyone else picking it up and running with it (the full bodies), so I am attempting (thus far unsuccessfully) to convert your Khajiit body from Blender to Nifscope, in hopes that I can bring it to fruition. It appears that the quality is too high (too many vertices. Decimate your mesh). You have done such a wonderful job on both the human and Khajiit, this is more out of respect for your work and your time put into them. I also see it as a challenge for me as well to learn a few new programs. I know the modding community is vast, and the answers are everywhere; I'll let you know when I finally have a proof-of-concept, as really, all credit should be yours. Thanks again!

[NightroModzz]

3 hours ago, kernwaffe said:

NightroModzz:

 

     This is my first post on the site period, and I just wanted to say how much I personally appreciate the effort you've put into the Khajiit and human models! Amazingly enough, I've seen and heard nothing about anyone else picking it up and running with it (the full bodies), so I am attempting (thus far unsuccessfully) to convert your Khajiit body from Blender to Nifscope, in hopes that I can bring it to fruition. It appears that the quality is too high (too many vertices. Decimate your mesh). You have done such a wonderful job on both the human and Khajiit, this is more out of respect for your work and your time put into them. I also see it as a challenge for me as well to learn a few new programs. I know the modding community is vast, and the answers are everywhere; I'll let you know when I finally have a proof-of-concept, as really, all credit should be yours. Thanks again!

Blender is no good with models of such dense polygons. Try using the fully featured 45-day trial of Zbrush, then back to Blender if you want. Otherwise, you wouldn't have much hope doing anything with it. That model was pretty much my first completed model, but I consider it scraped. I'm gonna redo it with my human model as a base, but won't be releasing it to the public.

 

Yes, I can decimate it myself, but that converts it to uneven triangles. Not too good for games. The best option is to retopologize it, and that is way too much work for a full body, especially since I am a perfectionist and not gonna do it unless it's for UE4. Saving that work and time for the new version in combination with the retopo of my human models.

[NightroModzz]

Off topic, and half of the day has been stressful because Nvidia won't fix their shit! I do not like it when my screen goes grey for 5 minutes or longer either! I've been having trouble installing Nvidia drivers since versions 377 and up. However, I have successfully managed to install version 378, 388, and just now 390.65 with much trial and error.

 

This time, ending Nvidia tasks in task manager, deleting some Nvidia files, and doing a clean install in the custom install settings did not work.

 

For those with the same issue, this is how I fixed it this time.

 

1) Since the issues occurred, I have not been able to install through GeForce Experience, so get the manual install download.

 

2) download DDU

 

3) if the Windows 10 Fall Creators update created a TEMP folder under C:\Temp, delete the folder.

 

4) Boot into safe mode.

 

5) Launch DDU and uninstall GeForce Experience with it. Then uninstall the drivers with the restart option.

 

6) Once restarted, launch the Nvidia Driver exe you downloaded and choose the express install option since the custom clean install option is no longer of use.

 

Now you are done, and it should have installed fine! 

[NightroModzz]

My female body section retopo so far.

 

Spoiler

 

So far it has good curves around muscles (better than Daz does). I Will likely make further changes to the abs and mid to lower back in an attempt to lower polycount. I also need to fix the lower rib cage curve near the abs. So far, if I cut the Daz Studio Genesis 3 Female model into a similar shape, my model is only 3K qauds or 6K triangles lower.

 

This has so far been a long (somewhat endless), and time consuming project. I've been constantly going back and fourth between ZBrush and Maya with this, and I'm surprised that i haven't been driven crazy. Ever get that shooting nerve like strain in your forehead?

 

Thinking of making a website and licensing out the complete versions of the male and female once textured, rigged, has muscle deformations and LODs. One license above personal, like a personal license with benefits would have free public mod and free public video support. It would have requirements, but not gonna bother with the details on how it would work. FYI, don't worry. I will still release LOD_1.

 

I definitely think the end result will give Daz a run for their money.

 

 

Aside from some Khajiit modding, I am now taking a decently long break.

[NightroModzz]

The lioness head is done! Males will come later.

 

Spoiler

 

EDIT: Gonna change a few things later.

[poblivion]

11 hours ago, NightroModzz said:

The lioness head is done! Males will come later.

 

  Hide contents

 

EDIT: Gonna change a few things later.

It looks nice, but can you try to make a little bigger mouth?

[NightroModzz]

6 hours ago, poblivion said:

It looks nice, but can you try to make a little bigger mouth?

?

On ‎1‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 4:09 AM, poblivion said:

Ideal would be a head with mouth without the need for adjustments to fit everything correctly.

?

 

It's already set up with my edited mouth mesh like the leopards, etc. But yes, I can. The snout was also widened as well. Any bigger without further mouth mesh editing would look odd.

[poblivion]

17 hours ago, NightroModzz said:

?

?

 

It's already set up with my edited mouth mesh like the leopards, etc. But yes, I can. The snout was also widened as well. Any bigger without further mouth mesh editing would look odd.

 

Probably I did not speak well. From the attached picture, it seems to me that the mouth (muzzle) does not look bigger than it has Saber lion.  Can you insert a picture with a front view?

 

 

[NightroModzz]

17 hours ago, poblivion said:

 

Probably I did not speak well. From the attached picture, it seems to me that the mouth (muzzle) does not look bigger than it has Saber lion.  Can you insert a picture with a front view?

 

 

Spoiler

I'm not trying to make it bigger or as big as the SaberLion/Sabercats. A smilodons snout/muzzle is longer then that of a lion/lioness. This is as big as I am willing to do without doing another custom mouth mesh.

 

The leopard head is grey, and the lioness head is pink.

[poblivion]

6 hours ago, NightroModzz said:

  Reveal hidden contents

I'm not trying to make it bigger or as big as the SaberLion/Sabercats. A smilodons snout/muzzle is longer then that of a lion/lioness. This is as big as I am willing to do without doing another custom mouth mesh.

 

The leopard head is grey, and the lioness head is pink.

I mean, just little expand chin and jaw, nose a little bit stretch. As well as the attached head. 

 

Or, if I can ask you, would you be willing to create mouth with teeth, for my edited version head ?

 

Thanks

Female head khajiit.nif

[NightroModzz]

8 hours ago, poblivion said:

I mean, just little expand chin and jaw, nose a little bit stretch. As well as the attached head. 

 

Or, if I can ask you, would you be willing to create mouth with teeth, for my edited version head ?

 

Thanks

Female head khajiit.nif

The chin and jaw are big enough to easily differentiate them from other Khajiit morphs. And since you mentioned it, I compared it with the smilodon female head, and it was indeed bigger, so I shrunk it a bit. But still similar. I can't expand the attached head either, because that would cause incompatibilities.

 

The best option for that is to do it with a Race menu slider. So no, I won't be changing the base further, but wouldn't mind making another more exaggerated morph from the existing one to be used as a preset or individual sliders for a lion race mod. So if you have the know how, or can convince someone else to help you with that, I wouldn't mind helping with the morphs.

 

Are you asking me to create a mouth, or morph the existing one? I've already mentioned that I will make a mouth mesh from scratch on my Khajiit Overhaul mod page, but that won't be anytime soon. When I make it, it will be the same situation as with my human model. It will be made with an existing full body model. So for now, the answer is no.

 

EDIT:

 

Okay, so after taking a look at your edited saberlion mesh, that somewhat looks like it's been through a wash cycle, and for some reason has the eye mesh attached bellow the model. What you want is a slimmer jaw line, slimmer nose arch, lower nose arch, and a more slanted nose correct? So overall, more stealthy and menacing looking. I'll try and just meet you half way and make some of my own changes.

 

Spoiler

 

[poblivion]

8 hours ago, NightroModzz said:

The chin and jaw are big enough to easily differentiate them from other Khajiit morphs. And since you mentioned it, I compared it with the smilodon female head, and it was indeed bigger, so I shrunk it a bit. But still similar. I can't expand the attached head either, because that would cause incompatibilities.

 

The best option for that is to do it with a Race menu slider. So no, I won't be changing the base further, but wouldn't mind making another more exaggerated morph from the existing one to be used as a preset or individual sliders for a lion race mod. So if you have the know how, or can convince someone else to help you with that, I wouldn't mind helping with the morphs.

 

Are you asking me to create a mouth, or morph the existing one? I've already mentioned that I will make a mouth mesh from scratch on my Khajiit Overhaul mod page, but that won't be anytime soon. When I make it, it will be the same situation as with my human model. It will be made with an existing full body model. So for now, the answer is no.

 

EDIT:

 

Okay, so after taking a look at your edited saberlion mesh, that somewhat looks like it's been through a wash cycle, and for some reason has the eye mesh attached bellow the model. What you want is a slimmer jaw line, slimmer nose arch, lower nose arch, and a more slanted nose correct? So overall, more stealthy and menacing looking. I'll try and just meet you half way and make some of my own changes.

 

  Hide contents

 

 

Thank you for dealing with my request. Yes, I really tried to create a more stealthy and menacing looking.  The lioness is not a house pet, but a wild beast, so it should look a bit menacing. My options are limited and I'm not as good at working with 3d objects. 

 

I'd like something for you to do in return. I think, I'm pretty good at editing textures, even though I do not use any special software. If I can do something for you and my skills will be enough, just say.