AH III skin tutorial

[Vraciu]

I apologize.  I just looked at the sources and found several of your skins with bump and spec, but they did not convert.  There was a header issue with the files.  Sometimes some paint programs do some funny things with headers which the converter was not prepared to handle.

The orphan adoption program is on the list to be completed.  It will be part of the skin admin utility.  Coming up with all the rules for it has been a challenge.

Right now I need to finish the skins download page.

Thanks, man.  Apology not necessary, but appreciated.   

Let us know how we can help.   A lot of those skins are worth preserving if we can do it.   I'm definitely willing to pitch in.    


(I hope we keep credit to the original skinner for adopted skins with maybe an attaboy to the adopter in parenthesis.  Lol.)

[oboe]

I'll offer to help too.  And if all we're doing is fixing errors created during the conversion, there is no reason to credit us on the skin.

I'm guessing a lot of the chrome-look skins (the drab and camouflaged ones)  could by fixed by just resubmitting the original diffuse map along with plain specular and environmental maps containing very low values.

[Devil 505]

I'll offer to help too.  And if all we're doing is fixing errors created during the conversion, there is no reason to credit us on the skin.

I'm guessing a lot of the chrome-look skins (the drab and camouflaged ones)  could by fixed by just resubmitting the original diffuse map along with plain specular and environmental maps containing very low values.

That's what I'm doing with my older skins. If I can provide a detailed map, I will. But if not, a plain spec map will be used just to get the sheen under control.

[Fencer51]

I cannot get the NVidia Normal plugin to load.  I have installed it in both PS7 and CS2 and neither are taking it.

The file 'normalmapfilter64.8BF' is in the plug-ins/filters directory but it is now loading into PS or CS2.  Not showing on the list of plug-ins either..

Any ideas?

[Devil 505]

I cannot get the NVidia Normal plugin to load.  I have installed it in both PS7 and CS2 and neither are taking it.

The file 'normalmapfilter64.8BF' is in the plug-ins/filters directory but it is now loading into PS or CS2.  Not showing on the list of plug-ins either..

Any ideas?

I believe you have to use the 32 bit version for CS2. I ended up installing both to my CS2, so one of them should work.

[Fencer51]

Yeah I got that just after I posted, then evidently you convert it to rgb 32bit, then save it as dds.... ????

[Devil 505]

Yeah I got that just after I posted, then evidently you convert it to rgb 32bit, then save it as dds.... ????

You mean the bump map file? Yes, start with a 32 bit RGB file and then convert to a normal map. Then save as a 32 bit bitmap.

[Fencer51]

Ok, I think I am missing an important point...

You do not use your skin bmp.. you have to use your panel lines, rivets and other parts that cause depth on the skin to create a 'bump' map then convert that to a normal map..  What file format is the normal when we are done?

[Fencer51]

I never HAD a bump map file for any of my skins.

[Devil 505]

Ok, I think I am missing an important point...

You do not use your skin bmp.. you have to use your panel lines, rivets and other parts that cause depth on the skin to create a 'bump' map then convert that to a normal map..  What file format is the normal when we are done?

Yes, The bumpmap will be grayscale before conversion. Everything needs to be a .bmp.

[Greebo]

I cannot get the NVidia Normal plugin to load.  I have installed it in both PS7 and CS2 and neither are taking it.

The file 'normalmapfilter64.8BF' is in the plug-ins/filters directory but it is now loading into PS or CS2.  Not showing on the list of plug-ins either..

Any ideas?

I remember for PSP that I had to tick an "enable plug ins" box and point the program to the folder the plug-in was installed to.

[Fencer51]

Still missing something..

Got the normal / bump map generation down.. 

However, the file size of my bmp's are 1meg, and the ones in the default skin directory are 4 meg.

What file format and bit size should all the _N _E and _S files be?

[oboe]

Hi Fencer,

Are you using Bright?   I had to stop using it to export my bmps, because it uses 8-bit depth, and the Normal and Diffuse maps need to be 32-bit depth now.  I think that probably explains the difference between a 1 MB vs 4 GB file size - the color bit depth is 8 rather than 32 bits.

The other files - Specular, Power, and Environment, should be saved as 8-bit grayscale images.

[Greebo]

Also Paint Shop Pro can't save a bmp as 32-bit, only 24-bit. While 24-bit files work in the viewer and the game HTC won't accept this format, so before submitting the skin I use Photoshop to increase the bit-depth of the skin and normal bmps to 32-bit.

[Fencer51]

Thanks guys,

I cannot save a psd doc as a bmp at 32 bit in CS2...  I think I know why the artists are all nuts... its not genetic, its from the work.