Actually, you're right, I don't have any mods without the initials S.S
It's not something that I planned, it just sort of happened. Unfortunately, I know that I've a project or two in the future which will break the trend (three actually, an M, an A and a D), but who knows when (or if) they'll ever be finished...

I do intend to make signs for the other TR maps, and also to update these signs as necessary for new versions of this map. I do wonder though if the TR team is going to use the other sign mesh at any point - there are two sign meshes, one with a border and one without, and I've made replacements for both of them, but so far only one has been used on the mainland. I've also got the Vvardenfell signs in the works, which will provide a post to match the actual signs.

I've been real busy over the past few weeks, so sorry for the lack of progress. The 'real world' has me in its grasp.
Maybe I could release a temporary interim version of the Vvardenfell signs, without the region specific texturing, on YouSendIt or something like that?

I'd love a quickie beta release

And I second this.

I guess I'll do that then, for now.
I need to redo the Buckmoth Legion Fort sign first though, and then sort out all the mipmaps, so maybe in a few days I can release a BETA

Real Life has been kind of time-consuming recently, but I've managed to find some time and now I'm looking back at this.
Sorry for making anyone who's interested have to wait; like usual. ^^;

I'll admit that making the dusty/swampy variants on the Signs is fairly boring, since it's mostly a mechanical process rather than any sort of artistic one (actually, the whole sign-creation process is fairly mechanical... just a list of steps). That forms part of the reason for my lack of motivation, but I'm trying to streamline the process as much as possible and (fingers crossed) I might be able to set up photoshop to ash-blast the signs with a few quick keypresses.

Maybe I can even get it to automate the mipmap editing process?
That'd be great. -_-

Edit:
It's working.
From this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v680/Wyver_Almasy/Rndm%20Morrowind/WA_Signs_MaarGan.jpg
Three key-presses to this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v680/Wyver_Almasy/Rndm%20Morrowind/WA_Signs_MaarGan_Ash.jpg
A further three key presses to this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v680/Wyver_Almasy/Rndm%20Morrowind/WA_Signs_MaarGan_Ash2.jpg
Turn off a couple of the 'damp' layers:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v680/Wyver_Almasy/Rndm%20Morrowind/WA_Signs_MaarGan_Ash3.jpg

It obviously still needs a lot of work, but I'm pleased.

Sweet!

Keep it up. :goodjob:

Thanks, The Crustacean.
Glad there's still some interest.

Heheh. Sweet, sweet automation relieves the tedium of mechanical process.
Seriously, if I can set it up to do the mipmaps automatically I can get this done in no time.

If I can't, well... Playing Spore and watching Gurren Lagann both provide excellent distractions from editing mipmaps

Great to know.

Here's hoping for a soon release!

Yes! Still eagerly awaiting these. And Shacky Shacks

Looks like the mipmap editing macro is working...
Well, sort of. I have a proof of concept, but I messed it up because I wasn't paying attention. I should be able to fix it tonight and get all ashy variants done and dusted.
Swampy variants might take a little longer, and there's a few signs which I want to redo from the ground up, because they... look horrible.

Oh yes, Shacky Shacks(!). That's next on the list.

I feel kind of silly posting updates on a graphical mod when the update doesn't include any graphical changes, but...
Progress!

I managed to automate the entire mipmap generation and editing process. No more long tedious hours of labouriously editing mipmaps for me means a release before 2012. ^_^
I've also automated the dust/wind-scouring process, as mentioned earlier, though I may be refining this.

Now I just need to work out a good way to gunge up the signs for the beloved swamps of the Bitter Coast using rather limited resources. :unsure:

These signs are very signy. They are amazing works of art Earth Wyrm! I can't wait until I have them all over Vvardenfell and beyond!

Keep up the good work!

Some kind of dark green splatter texture, with some blending option to make it look like mold? Tricksy. Don't drive yourself round the bend trying to perfect everything, even as they are, they're the best sign replacer out there, imho

I too love the Bitter Coast, and I find it hard to believe the resources available for this region are scarce. I know you have contributed significantly to the retexturing of the BC, and therefore am confident you will find a nifty solution. I imagine the signs being partially covered in lichens to correspond to the ground textures.

Anyways, just wanted to say I have been following this topic, and I look forward to seeing these in my game. I'm using Weathered Signposts now, which is a very decent replacer, but this sounds like it just might set a new standard. And if you feeling like wasting time, you could always post some new screens here!

Random Pop Quiz:
The Buckmoth sign I did first time was rubbish, so I spent last night re-doing it (took longer than normal, because I had to remember the process... I should write it down somewhere). Anyway, in the following screenshot, one of the textures is the version I did last night and the other is the older version. If people can't easily identify which one is which then I've lost all sense of objectivity at this point.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v680/Wyver_Almasy/Signy%20Signposts/Comparison.jpg

It's a pretty big screenshot, but in this day and age of fizzy speed internet, that shouldn't be a problem.

Edit:
It should be easy. Really easy.

I prefer version #2. Better lay-out, more realistic lettering.

* Swiveller *

Good, because if 'version #2' is the lower pic, then I agree.
Today, I am doing quality checks... Balmora, Vivec, Pelagiad Back road and Maar Gan Back Road failed the checks so I'll be partially redoing those four.

These are the signiest signposts I've seen to date ^^ Can't wait for the Vvardenfell version, so I can finally read those things without having to AIM on 'em... :ninja:

Thanks ^^

Well, in the meantime, there's a fair few other replacers out there with the same purpose.
http://search.yacoby.net/click.php?id=62&location=PES_MW&url=http%3A%2F%2Fplanetelderscrolls.gamespy.com%2FView.php%3Fview%3DMods.Detail%26id%3D62 is one that I've used and enjoyed for years.

Edit:
Neat, I just found a little improvement I can make.
Time to tweak every texture again

Cool, i'll check that one out ^^ good luck with the tweaking

I actually find the text layout of the upper one better, more balanced; but the texture quality is clearly higher in the lower.

Well, the texture quality is the main thing that I was working on. I don't even know how the top one managed to get this far, I guess it's because I made over half of them in one night... probably got less attentive as the night wore on. But that's what quality checks are for.
The change in the text layout was just to bring it in line with the Moonmoth sign which is also laid out as the second sign is.

But, hrmmm... Conflicting opinions on which layout looks better here, Mr. Swiveller prefers the second and you prefer the first... personally I don't have a particular preference either way...
Any else have opinions?

Yes, you do. You like the second one. :hubbahubba:

I think it is a toss up, but I like the layout of #2.

sieboldii

I'm sure it's a bit late to add this little anecdote, but there's some evidence to suggest that the "seraphs" on letters were initially added as a representation of the upper and lower edges of wooden slats, which were originally used to write on before the availability of paper. There are many letters with vertical or diagonal strokes, but very few lower case ones with long horizontal lines which would tend to split the wood while carving the letters. Some older styles even show the "crossed" letters, such as '"t", with a slightly diagonal or wavy line.

Both the upper and the lower examples are very detailed, and look ornate (beautiful work, by the way), but neither looks like the maximized oversized writing you would expect to see on a sign. Just my 2 cents (or about half a buck after inflation).

That was pretty interesting, thanks Kovacius,
Unfortunately, I've gone for having three planks per sign, and I decided against having text crossing seams between planks, so sometimes the text is a little small (as in this case) - this generally applies to locations with long names. Locations with short names (e.g. Vivec) have a much larger font, which might at least go some way to fulfilling the 'oversized' attribute.

At this point, I think it would be too late to change font to a better woodcut style, but the insight was certainly interesting.
I just wrote out the lower-case alphabet... there really are very few horizontal lines. :huh:

That's another vote in for #2 then, Sieboldii? ^_^
I might not have a preference for layout, but it'd certainly be more convenient for me in #2 was preferred over all...