Texturing:: Painting Creation (GIMP)

[DarkRider]

The normal map is detected by the model automatically as long as it matches its texture. So if your texture is dog.dds your normal map will be dog_n.dds and the model will detect it automatically. Just put the normal map in the same folder with the texture.

Once you change the texture path in nifskope, it "sticks" WHEN YOU SAVE IT I can't spell it out any simpler. You're making this way harder than it is and way harder than it ought to be. Keep it simple.

[freewaydog]

Ok, I understand now, DR. I did your texture tut w/ the bed more carefully and will put it to good use, you will see.

[DarkRider]

Sounds good!

[freewaydog]

So now we have the lighting done we need to change a few settings in our normal map window:

Wrap: Check Filter: 3x3 Scale: 6.00000 Height source: Alpha Alpha channel: Unchanged DU/DV map: None

I have a problem w/ this:

How do I save as a DXT1 when the program won't let me unless the Filter is Sample 4? Please explain, thanks.

Edited April 12, 2010 by freewaydog

[DarkRider]

That error is not about the sample filter, it's because your painting has an odd dimension, in this case 512x370. Both sides of your dimension must be squared, so it should be 512x256.

[freewaydog]

Posted by: RedDragonDreamer

I need more elaboration on this png thing: How do I "save as DX3 alpha"? And is there a way to do dxt's, or are dxt's only in dds? Please advise, thanks.

[DarkRider]

DX3 is just a typo for DXT3 compression.

[freewaydog]

DX3 is just a typo for DXT3 compression.

Oh, I see. But how do I save a png under dxt3? Isn't that just a dds thing?

[InsanitySorrow]

You cannot save a PNG in any way like that, DXT3 is a DDS compression option

[freewaydog]

You cannot save a PNG in any way like that, DXT3 is a DDS compression option

But I am confused because that guy said:

Actually, it does, also when making your picture, the .png works best, and if you follow Insanity Sorrows tutorial ( like me ) when you go to save as a copy, if you want a superior quality painting look, save as DX3 alpha. then go and use it to make your normal map.

[InsanitySorrow]

What RDD mentions is that its best to use a PNG file as your source image, IE the image you want to make into a painting. Then when you have the painting made save as DXT3.

[freewaydog]

Well, first what I had was a jpg, then I made it into a png, then I made it as a dds finally for the finished product. Is that correct to do?

[DarkRider]

If your image is a jpg before you make it a .dds then it just is. There's no need to convert it to a .png first because any quality variation between a jpg and a png is already lost. If your original image is a jpg, you can still make it a .dds and into a paining, you just want to start with the best quality images you can. Not all images make good textures.