Torgruta Skin feedback

[Bullobrien]

This is my first such post ever. I have been a big fan of the modding community here for years but never had anything to add. Thanks for all the good stuff over the years.

 

I did this for myself since i could not find a skin available anywhere else. Someday I would like to see a better head but for now for me this is better than nothing.

 

The head is based on the twilik head. I made her markings unique. I did not just want to copy Ashoka's or Shaak Ti's

 

I based the two versions of the clothes on Ahsoka's from the clone wars and Shaak Ti's from the Force Unleashed. I used handmaiden's clothes for the Ashoka's and the dancer's outfit for Shaak Ti's. I also have the underwear version but did not post it.

 

I am not at the point where I was planning on releasing this but I wanted some feedback. If it is something people will use then I don't mind putting up the textures. The models are not mine. If i decide to release the whole thing a package I would need to go through the process of getting permissions and then actually learn how to use the TSL patcher. Right now to get this the way it shows I just edited the 2da file.

 

Here are the screenies

 

torgruta with Ashoka-like clothes front

torgruta with Ashoka-like clothes Back

torgruta with Shaak Ti-like clothes front

torgruta with Shaak Ti-like clothes back

Close up of Head here added per request

 

 

Bull.

[newbiemodder]

I think they look fantastic....good use of twilek head...pictures are a little dark so it's hard to see the details, but I like it.

[Dak Drexl]

WOW! Very awesome! I don't see how you could improve it, if you know a way then I am very impressed I like the "Shaak-Ti" clothes better than the first, but either is great.

 

What do you mean when you say that you need permission for the models? Did someone else edit them? Because I just can't find a difference.

 

Anyway it's pretty awesome, might be the first head that's come about that'll make me have a female playthrough (never have done it because the females bother me so much). Do you think we could get a close-up of the head?

 

Edit: Thanks for that

[Lord of Hunger]

For a first mod this is excellent. Your attention to detail is very spot-on.

 

Thought: Perhaps there is an "open-source" Twilek head you could use in place? I know that there are some models on KOTORFiles that the modders leave the permissions open.

[Rtas Vadum]

Hmm...almost lost my eyeballs. Anyway, great work. If you do release this, I won't hesitate to download.

 

But if you mean the models aren't yours as, they are the standard ones that come with the game(i.e as seen in a freshly installed game), its fine to include them in the mod.

[Qui-Gon Glenn]

Winning! Pure Tiger Blood!

 

In all seriousness, very nice work! I am with the others on the model thing... surely those are the vanilla models? No permission needed there...

 

Keep up the good work! Great to see new blood around here

[DarthParametric]

It's not a big deal to hex edit one of the vanilla heads to use a custom texture (which is what the model you are using is I imagine). They all use the same UV map, aside from Mission's head which is unique.

 

Looks like there is some pixelation on the forehead markings. Are you using at least a 1024x1024 texture?

[Bob Ta'aar]

awsome texture, good job!

if you'd like, I could try once again and reshape the head to a more togruta-like form.

I tried to make one before, but put the work on the shelf, 'cause I suck at texturing and a green togruta just sucks .

I haven't modded much lately, but seeing your pictures just sparked my motivation again!

 

Personally I'd vote for more red than orange (the way Shaak Ti is mostly picturized and skinned in TFU) though .

[redrob41]

That is looking pretty good, although I can see some room for improvement with the head textures. The lekku look a little 'flat', that is, they don't have any highlights or shadows. If you're using Photoshop, check out my tutorial for some tricks on maintaining that light and shadow detail:

http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=191609

 

Also, with the Akul-teeth on her forehead, they look more like face paint than a raised edge. I know that the head model doesn't have the polygons to do it with re-modelling, but you can fake the 3D look by adding some subtle shadows on the texture.

 

Overall, the clothes are looking great. The edges of the Ahsoka tube top could use a bit of shadow detail, to better separate them from the skin.

 

Keep it up

[Bullobrien]

Wow thanks for all the replies and tips. I thought I would respond with some clarifications/comments

 

Regarding the mod permission: When I implemented this in the game i was running, I was using several mods already and I just edited the 2da to make it work for the PC. Since some of the mods were already installed I was not sure which models were the default and which were not. Here is a list of the mods I was using which were/may have been part of this

 

Barris Offee and TwinSuns mod by Eefluxx and Erronis

Since these make a twilik the pc it was a good starting point. and i already had it installed.

Player and Party Underwear by redrob41

I see that redrob41 has responded to this thread. Maybe he can confirm this. I believe that the handmainden model used with the dancer's outfit is modified from the default to look more athletic and therefore match the handmaiden's normal body. You can see this in the Shaak-Ti like version

Final Touch mod by Oldflash

I used one of the Handmaiden clothing textures from this as the starting point for the Ashoka look. Not because I actually used much of it so much as it was just easier to do the magic wand selections because of the way it was divided up.

 

I do think that these textures would work on the default models. I have just not tried them. Mainly because I am not certain I understand how to get them to appear without using the mods I listed.

 

Regarding the pixelation on the forehead:

If you are referring to the thin goldish area that zig zags up and down with the white areas that was intentional. I used a texture and an alpha channel to try to make it look like jewelry. Evidently it could be done better. The current image is 512x512. I was unaware of any ability to go bigger. Just how big can the texture files be?

 

Regarding Bob Ta'aar's offer to reshape a head:

I think that would be great. I don't really have any skill in 3d modeling so I was not going to attempt that. I would be happy if someone else wants to try. I also thought another choice would be a head piece... I have never made one either but it seems like that might be a solution. Although I also don't know how to make a head piece appear on a twilik head...

 

Regarding the shading on the head:

I will look at this again. I agree it could be better. I did not have any real knowledge of how the textures I had actually wrapped onto the model when I began this, so all the matching I did was from trial and error. There is probably a better way. However given that I spent a very long time getting the parts from the lekku and the face and what used to be the "twilik bandana area" all to match up i was just happy to have something to play. After that I was kinda done with it. If someone were to come up with a new model for it to wrap on to that had torgruta esq horns (see above ) then I would definitely be adjusting it. I like the idea of shading the white triangles of the face. I will work on that.

 

On the shading of the clothes:

Good ideas. thanks for the feedback.

 

I did actually make 2 darkside transitions for the face as well. They are subtle. Eyecolor changes and a minor adjustment to the markings under her eyes. Later I will post them.

 

Thanks again for all the feedback. I am very much enjoying the dialog.

[redrob41]

Player and Party Underwear by redrob41

I see that redrob41 has responded to this thread. Maybe he can confirm this. I believe that the handmainden model used with the dancer's outfit is modified from the default to look more athletic and therefore match the handmaiden's normal body. You can see this in the Shaak-Ti like version

ah, now that I'm looking closer, I see what you mean. Yeah, that's definately my model and I can see elements of my texture used as a base. That explains why I thought it looked so good . Thanks for admitting that you used them, otherwise I might not have known until I saw the final files after release. If that happened, I probably would have cried foul for plagiarism (that has happened to me a couple of times). Normally, I prefer that people ask for my permission before using my files. Since it seems to be an unintentional rookie mistake, I'll let is slide. You can use that skin and model, as long as you give me proper credit in your mod's read-me (somewhere near the top please, because some people don't always read to the end ). Next time, please ask first.

 

Final Touch mod by Oldflash

I used one of the Handmaiden clothing textures from this as the starting point for the Ashoka look. Not because I actually used much of it so much as it was just easier to do the magic wand selections because of the way it was divided up.

I can't speak for Oldflash, but in general, it is always best to start with the original files. If you have Kotor tool installed, you should be able to extract the original models and textures. Using files from the override directory can easily lead to this kind of uncertainty.

 

You will have to get Oldflash's permission to use his file, or else start over with the original texture.

 

I do think that these textures would work on the default models. I have just not tried them. Mainly because I am not certain I understand how to get them to appear without using the mods I listed.

With my modified dancer model, the textures don't work very well with the original model. I changed the uvw map around quite a bit. You'll have to either continue using my files, or start over with the original vanilla files. It'd be a shame to waste all that good work, which is why I'll let you use 'em

 

The head and Ahsoka body textures will probably work with the original models. I can't be 100% sure just by looking at the screenshots.

 

There are tutorials on how to get a modified head into the game. The TSLPatcher has a "Read Me, Really" file that also explains how to do it.

 

Regarding the pixelation on the forehead:

If you are referring to the thin goldish area that zig zags up and down with the white areas that was intentional. I used a texture and an alpha channel to try to make it look like jewelry. Evidently it could be done better. The current image is 512x512. I was unaware of any ability to go bigger. Just how big can the texture files be?

You can use pretty much any square texture file, but it is usually done in multiples of 128. You could make it 1024x1024 with out too much trouble (might need to sharpen it a bit though). You could go higher, but I wouldn't recomend it, because it increases download size, and some people with older computers won't be able to run the game well if there are too many huge textures.

 

Regarding Bob Ta'aar's offer to reshape a head:

I think that would be great. I don't really have any skill in 3d modeling so I was not going to attempt that. I would be happy if someone else wants to try. I also thought another choice would be a head piece... I have never made one either but it seems like that might be a solution. Although I also don't know how to make a head piece appear on a twilik head...

head gear won't work with the default Twi'lek heads (neither male nor female) becuase they don't have mask or goggle hooks. I've tried hundreds of time to add them, but I've never succeded.

 

Regarding the shading on the head:

I will look at this again. I agree it could be better. I did not have any real knowledge of how the textures I had actually wrapped onto the model when I began this, so all the matching I did was from trial and error. There is probably a better way. However given that I spent a very long time getting the parts from the lekku and the face and what used to be the "twilik bandana area" all to match up i was just happy to have something to play. After that I was kinda done with it. If someone were to come up with a new model for it to wrap on to that had torgruta esq horns (see above ) then I would definitely be adjusting it. I like the idea of shading the white triangles of the face. I will work on that.

yeah, matching seams is a pain! You've done a good job though. As for highlights and shadows, you might have to paint them in by hand. I'm thinking that you could use most of the original texture though (at least on the lekku), and just go thought the steps of my tutorial. That way, where the lekku rest on the shoulder, it will be darker underneath, and have a brighter highlight on the top, which makes it look more realistic.

[DarthParametric]

Body/face textures should be 1024x1024. There's not much point going higher because the engine is so outdated that there is really no tangible gain beyond this.

[Xarwarz]

It looks great man keep it up

[.:Lord Revan:.]

Nicely done.

[Bullobrien]

Made some updates to the head. Fixed the jewelry, added some shading and texture. Included the Dark side transitions. Just some change to the eyes and the face markings.

 

Head update

DS transition one

DS transition two

 

Played with an alpha channel for the eyes... looks better in game than it does in screen shots... still not sure if i want to keep it.

 

BTW I see now that such posts often have [WIP] in front of them now. Does a moderator do that?

[redrob41]

that jewelry is looking much nicer; it has more of a dimensional feel to it now. Eyes are tricky to do. If you can get those right, she'll look very believable.

[Bob Ta'aar]

nice job! I agree with redrob on the eyes, the lightside ones stick out too much.

Overall I'd make the darkside2 even more evil. I mean, that's the one that's supposed to look as evil as it gets, right ?

 

The [WIP] you can add to your thread when you check a box while opening a new thread. I don't know whether that can still be done afterwards. But you can try and edit your first post.

 

I have a free afternoon tomorrow and will probably sit down and try the Togruta-model then.

[Eefluxx]

As for the Bariss Offee and Twin Suns mod part of it. I think you said you had it installed because of the selectable head.

 

Me and Erronis used the games based models and did nothing to the model at all. I just did the 2da work and he did the textures. I don't know where Erronis is or what he has been up too and you may need to ask him about the texture even tho it doesn't look like much of it is left.

 

If it is a matter of textures and I don't think he would mind if he got a small shout out for it. You can try to contact him thru PM but I don't know when the last time he was on here.

 

As for just using the head from the mod I don't see any problem since it was from the games original files. But just in case you do need my permission then permission granted

 

It looks real good and I might use it next time I decide to play again.

[Ferc Kast]

I have to say that this sounds appealing to me.

[Bullobrien]

Next set of updates incoming...

 

Head

DS1 head. DS1head side view

DS2 head. DS2head side view

 

Clothing update front.

Clothing update back.

 

 

So in general i added some depth with shading with some good tips from redrob41. Thanks!

 

Added some specific shading and cleaned up some errant pixels here and there.

 

Updated the DS transition. Changed the eyes again... Added some viens on the side of the face. Changed the color of the gems for each transition.

 

Things I need to work on.. Still not real happy with the eyes. The LS ones are bland... the dS ones may be too much. I'm ok with suggestions here folks

 

I also started playing with a version of bastila's robes as an alternate clothing style.

 

Also have tested this head texture in KOTOR using the kotor female Twilik head model. Seems to work ok so this might be available for both eventually

 

Next big step is to get 2das to work and learn tslpatcher.

[Bob Ta'aar]

looks great, man!

I hope I can get some model-work done tomorrow. And don't worry about the 2da's and the TSLPatcher. I got it all figured out to let it implement a new PC-appearance with new filenames, nothing overwritten, fully compatible with everything on the market !

[redrob41]

So in general i added some depth with shading with some good tips from redrob41. Thanks!

 

You're welcome. She's looking great now, especially with the higher res screenies.

 

Next big step is to get 2das to work and learn tslpatcher.

 

I got your PM, but my inbox is nearly full, and I haven't had time to back those up on my hard drive. Instead, I'll answer here (it's good info for everyone anyway )

 

in order to use your model on the PC in my current game I changed the dancer outfit texture for my PC to the RHBL model The model from your handmaiden portion of the "player and party underwear" mod as we have discussed. However in order to get this to display the right texture in the game I had to name my new texture PFBLMira01.tga. That seemed odd to me but being new to this I was unsure of why it might be. I was wondering if there was a reason this was the case? and any suggestions as to what I would need to do to make that different. At some point I will need to begin packaging this into a playable version and I am guessing that I will need to rename the textures to something that does not conflict with texture names already in the game.

 

When you modified your appearance.2da, did you just change the model column to RHBL? Is the tex column just **** or is it "PFBLMira"? If it is just stars, then the model will default to the tga that has its name imbedded in the hex code of the .mdl file (which is PFBLMira01). Same would happen if you included the 01 in the tex column of the 2da; the 2da needs to NOT include the number, so that if you have multiple textures (like most armours 01, 02, 03 etc) it doesn't just get stuck using only the default 01 texture. I'd suggest naming your texture something unique (example "PFBLTogrutaA01.tga") and then putting everything but the number in the texL column (example "PFBLTogrutaA"). If you plan on doing another female Togruta, with different stripe patterns, red colour, or clothes, you could call it "PFBLTogrutaB01.tga". The important part is that the texL column doesn't have the last two numbers, but the texture does.

 

Give it a try, and if you're still having problems, post a screen shot of your appearance.2da file. That will make it real easy for me to see what's what

[Bullobrien]

You're welcome. She's looking great now, especially with the higher res screenies.

 

 

 

I got your PM, but my inbox is nearly full, and I haven't had time to back those up on my hard drive. Instead, I'll answer here (it's good info for everyone anyway )

 

 

 

When you modified your appearance.2da, did you just change the model column to RHBL? Is the tex column just **** or is it "PFBLMira"? If it is just stars, then the model will default to the tga that has its name imbedded in the hex code of the .mdl file (which is PFBLMira01). Same would happen if you included the 01 in the tex column of the 2da; the 2da needs to NOT include the number, so that if you have multiple textures (like most armours 01, 02, 03 etc) it doesn't just get stuck using only the default 01 texture. I'd suggest naming your texture something unique (example "PFBLTogrutaA01.tga") and then putting everything but the number in the texL column (example "PFBLTogrutaA"). If you plan on doing another female Togruta, with different stripe patterns, red colour, or clothes, you could call it "PFBLTogrutaB01.tga". The important part is that the texL column doesn't have the last two numbers, but the texture does.

 

Give it a try, and if you're still having problems, post a screen shot of your appearance.2da file. That will make it real easy for me to see what's what

 

 

Good info. Thanks. I was using the **** so now I realize why it worked the way it did.

 

I realized after your post that I have all the markings in one layer for all the psd files I have. It would be real easy to make a few with different markings for both heads and bodies. also a good idea.

 

And Bob. also thanks for the TSL help offer. I am feeling much better that that part will be right now

[Bullobrien]

Hey folks I need some help.

 

I got some spiffy new models back from Bob (they look great!) and after experimenting with texturing them I realize that for them to look right I will need a altered texture map. Bob sent me these links on how to do that:

 

>> http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=182155

>> http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=143297

>> http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=143301

 

I have gone through them trying step by step to get a UVA map for the new model but I can not seem to get to the point where I end up with the actual map. I am just not understanding how GMAX works to know what I am doing wrong. I am good with photoshop but I just don't have the time to learn a whole new graphic program just to get a new map. If there is anyone out there who would be willing to help me get a new map for the new model I can take it from there. Send me a PM if you are willing.

[Bullobrien]

Just thought I would show these screenshots of the model that Bob Ta'aar made for this project.

 

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3