In toolset.
When you look at the copy of the armor you create
(Always copy - or changes wont stay)
The Type of armor is at the top:
Take note of the Number here... 02...
For Armor(Body) and equipment NOT the attachables on Armor(body) the number is 1 less in the toolset then what it is actually named outside of the toolset/game/etc.
now you need to find the files associated with what you wish to change..
so, you need to know what file to search for..
Most the MDB's will be in NWNMODEL folders in your install.. (a zip folder)
And the DDS files/textures will be in the NWN2MATERIALS
in this case we want :
P_HHM_PF_BODY03.MDB <--- 3d part
P_HHM_PF_BODY03.DDS <--- diffuse map (looks normal)
P_HHM_PF_BODY03_T.DDS <--- tint map (where the customizable colors go..)
P_HHM_PF_BODY03_I.DDS <----- Glow map. not needed, unless you want lightbulbs..
P_HHM_PF_BODY03_N.DDS <----------most important file for realism. the Normal Map. It tells the Light and shadows what to do
if you do not have the files unpacked..
open the Hak... or Haks wherever you have them, either downloaded from someone of nwn2 vault or the directory they go in from downloading and playing on BGTSSC or such..
open the hak, then select everything inside, (its a zip folder basically)
and export to the working folder..
form these lists here, you can see how to find other equipment.
P_HHM_PF_BODY03.MDB
P= personal...A= attachment (On armors.. the shoulders, armbands etc..)
HH-> human
M / F male female..
PF= type.. this is Full PLate... CL = cloth, PL= padded..etc
BODY= torso..
03= is the row/column.. 3rd column/row would be 02 in the toolset, i.e starts at 0 as the first.
Once you have your file... make sure they are not in use..
close nwn2 close toolset, make sure they are not opne in other programs etc..
create a folder called working folder.
stick them in there.
If you are looking to unpack things form Hak files and do not know how to , google nwn2packer. this is a program to move things in and out of haks. (little zip files really..)
(you might have to look in those for the armor your working on..)
(I would unpack ALL the haks into a backup directory.. to search through, when doing a windows search for the file, otherwise you wont find them if they are in the HAK)
Now I use Photoshop, because it is amazing..
this is where you draw and make your changes
You might need an Nvidia plugin for photoshop. should easily find it googling. this is to do DSS files and such..
afterwards, saving your images, the DSS files...
follow those guidelines.. save as DDS file..
alpha transparency..
the part with floating poit if important to make everything be the same as is on my screen, for good looks..
can't stress that enough - unless your an expert.
in image size, make sure your not 2048x2048... infact body at 1024 x1024 is great resolution.. and 512x512 for everything else is perfect.. this is for the Diffuse maps.. i.e the one without the T, I, N extensiuons..
though I would go 256x256 for everything else, the Tint and Glow maps, I would leave the NORM files at the same size as the Diffuse map.
now, when you have everything you've touched up...
copy all the files to the override, so we can go back to the toolset and have some fun..
make sure you have the human and male/female versions of what you created. the toolset doesn't really support other stuff, though they might show ingame, they wont show in the toolset.
Now heres the part where we make things look GREAT and ill give you my trick too, its 90% of the work I do.. the trick, but you can spent 100+ hours and never understand the rest..
Open up CrazyBump
select what file.. me I just open from the DIFFUSE map i.e
P_HHM_PF_BODY03.DDS
now there is a fun part... usually select the one on the left.. the one on the right, will probably make things look inverted -HOWEVER
theres a neat trick.. why not make both anyways ?
maybe you want to make something look caved in, when relecting light, well, just cut / paste it right over the other Norm map later.. but anyways, back to where we are..
your settings might look like this.
Trust me, and do this - make them look like this..
see the trick... the straight line, the increased sharpen, and more pattern recognition..
use them to your advantage..
im not going to cover displacement, occusion, and specularity, because it took 20+ hours to use those, and no matter of explaining is gonna do it, this trick I gave you will work, without touching those. Think someone makes a mistake touching them, and that's why some things he makes look like candy and shiny and flat, and glow like a x-mas tree...
so, just save the file as a NORM file, its one of the opens when saving. This will make it one file and not 5 different files...
Open up MDBCloner
select the MDB file for the armor in question.
now it should read:
P_HHM_PF_BODY03.MDB
and show the files linked to it.. it will always think those files are with it, but they're not associated.. you have to at least 1x rebrowse to the diffuse, tint, glow, and norm maps.
also - you can change the name here.. before saving.. this is VERY IMPORTANT..
change the name to be: P_HHM_FP_BODY03.MDB ---> P_HHM_FP_BODY103.MDB
do this in the top where it shows the name, in the output directory- this will clone everything.
your armor will show up in toolset now, under 102 number..
now, once you create the blueprint and place it in a module and some lighting sources if indoors, and you like the attachments and the whole set you created...
make sure to export the blueprint as a UTI file...
include ALL the pieces you changed (make sure anything modified is using a new number something not in BGTSSC)
and load everything into a HAK file using nwn2packer. Include the UTI.. or someone will have to create the item from scratch in the toolset version of the dm client.
Tricks/Tips: ((adding whatever comes my way)
If you can ONLY find the MDB (which always must follow the naming convention shown earlier, the DDS files do not need too oh and yes, you can use TGA as well..)
Open up MDBCloner, open the MDB file you want the maps for/are searching for..
when you do, it should tell you the Naming of the Diffuse, Tint, Glow, and Bump(Norm) map names.
just search your computer for those.
sometimes one MAP file is used by many MDBs and won't have the same naming convention.