Per request of a few modders in the community, I've put together a tutorial on how to use http://www.gimp.org/ to create and age textures for Fallout 3 mods. The tutorial contains two major chapters of information:

-> Chapter 2 on using the GIMP with instructions on how to create normal maps and glow maps.

-> Chapter 3 on how to take pristine textures and age them 200+ years so that they look appropriate for Fallout mods.

Chapter 2 was taken from my other Modeling and Texture Set tutorial and put into a stand-alone tutorial for the GIMP. Chapter 3 was then created and added for those who are interested in aging textures.

My methods for crating normal/glow maps and aging textures are still evolving, and I am very open and welcome to input and suggestions on how I can improve this process for the benefit of all.

http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11324

Thanks and Enjoy!

Miax

Ah, thank you. I've been using the GIMP for awhile, and I've been wanting to try my hand at using it for textures.

i've been waiting for something like this since i started modding FO3. a great many thanks to you Miaximus, for this and all the other wonderful guides & tutorials you have worked on.

I just ran through the tutarial. Nice work, buddy. Its very clear and easy to follow.

Awesome! Glad its helpful.

Let me know if there are any issues or concerns - one thing I forgot to do was upload the hole templates - I'll do that today

Cheers,

Miax

Looks great! However even after reading the readmes of the DDS and Normal Map plugins I still don't know how to install them. I'm confused.

This tutorial is only about the GIMP, if you want the complete end-to-end training, check the Modeling and Texture Set tutorial in my sig. The GIMP section will be much the same, but the NifSkope and GECK sections will help you attach textures to objects.

Luck,

Miax

What? No, I just want to know how I install the GIMP DDS and Normal map plugins, not how to add the textures to objects in GECK or Nifskope lol.

Ahh, I understand. The tutorial does not cover application installation of those plug-ins - just the usage of GIMP to create and age textures (which was the request this version is targetted for). I recommend reviewing the installation documentation that comes with the DDS plug-ins, it's pretty good at helping folks get that installed.

Cheers,

Miax

I've looked at that, but I'm baffled as to what I need to do to install the package. It's not too clear on either INSTALL documents. I'm just wondering if anyone could make it clear as to what I need to do. Sorry that this is a bit off topic, but I really want to start texturing.

Anyone?

Well lets get you rolling then!

All you should have to do is uncompress the dds.exe file into the correct directory, which should be:

c:/program files/GIMP-2.0/lib/gimp/2.0/plug-ins/

Just copy the dds.exe file to that directory, and it should become accessible from within the gimp when you try to save.

Let us know how it goes,

Miax

Well, there is no exe file I can see in both the normal map plugin or the DDS plugin.... Just a bunch of random files. I've opened the INSTALL bit but that says I have to download loads of different programs to 'make' the file or something. It's quite unclear so I'm left a bit stumped.

GIMP dds plugin:
http://s244.photobucket.com/albums/gg10/MoleMania/?action=view¤t=Untitled1.jpg

Normal map plugin:
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg10/MoleMania/untitled2-1.jpg

Thanks for offering to help.

Ahh looks like you downloaded the source instead of the binaries. I recommend just getting the Binaries from http://nifelheim.dyndns.org/~cocidius/dds/#download. It also has a link to PDF documentation for further help there. Just download the Win32 binaries file which has the "dds.exe" executable inside.

Miax

Ah, silly me. Well I guess that's why it seemed so hard lol. Thanks for the help!

EDIT: works great!

Good stuff. Your off to the races!

Wow, I just made a ruined Obama poster (hopefully no one's offended) using your tut and some of my own little ideas. Here's the result:

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg10/MoleMania/obama.png

and this (i used a paper texture overlaid on top):

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg10/MoleMania/obama-1.png

Of course, I haven't done the normal maps for this texture due to the size of the tex, but the tut has definately helped me get into this kinda area of modding. Thanks!

Awesome work Miax! A fantastic addition to your tutorial catalogue. Thank you very much.

Take care,

Skykappa

Fantastic!! I love it! The normal maps are not as hard as they may seem, the process in that guide will help you with that part too.

Very impressive for your first time out! :foodndrink:

@Skykappa,

Thanks! I even have an offer from an expert GIMPer to add more detail in the future - so hopefully this will grow into a more comprehensive guide. I will definitely be adding install instructions now, I had never realized how bad the DDS install guide is (lol).

Cheers!

Miax

For a first attempt that looks absolutely amazing. Oh and OP I'm giving your guide a go, really need to learn how to texture so this will be good. Even though I don't play/mod fallout I'm sure the skills are either the same or transferrable for what I have in mind.

That great - I hope it goes smoothly for you too! Don't hesitate to ask questions here if you get stuck on anything.

And for reference, the GIMP Tutorial is just focused on using the GIMP to modify textures - whereas the Modeling and Texture Set tutorial that Artisten and I created jointly (he made video, I then made guide based on that video) will show you the entire process of creating a model, adding a texture to that model and how to use NifSkope and the GECK to get your model/textures into the game. If you don't want to model, you can skip the Blender chapters and go right to the GIMP->NifSkope->GECK and simply create a texture-set that you can apply overtop of an existing model. Echonite provided the foundation for the Texture-Set part of that tutorial, so that process works very well.

So the GIMP tutorial will get you started, and the bigger Modeling/Textureset tutorial will take you the entire-way into the GECK and Fo3.

Luck!

Miax

'kay people. I've figured out why the little rat is doin' all of this wonderfulness. And here we were thinking all this time that he were just being nice? And helpful?? Altruistic?!?! But thanks to an international team of investigators (we called your mom) the diabolical truth about mister Miaximus has been finally uncovered.

He want us to call him Professor Miaximus.
and eventually Emperor Miax

okido, I'm sold.
:bowdown:


..and he likes Wayne Newton. But that's not a bad thing.




WELL!! WADDAYA WAITING FOR?!?!? On your knees people, and start callin' the freakin' guy Professor already, ..

quick before he leaves and never comes back. :cold:



Please, dont go
^{we love you}

LOL! :rofl:

Now THAT Must have been a very good bottle of [insert brand here]! Or 4 bottles? No? 6?!

Holy [censor] old man! If I drank that much, you would have to start calling me Worm Food. :ahhh:

You may Not call me professor, or emperor or even stands-with-a-mod - but you may call me insane.

I have been called that, it fits me much better.

I think I'm going to name my scripted NPC sniper, "Ultimate Andy" - YES! (I have a scripted sniper NPC that will appear at a distance when your outside in a new business district, shoot a few shots with the sniper rifle at you and then fades (runs) away - only to return later from some completely different direction when your not expecting it. Killable? Yes - but only because its in the game.

and your welcome!

Wow I'll definitly check them out thanks Sorry I didn't reply earlier. Yeah I'm interested in modelling, texturing, animating (though not in blender), rigging and shaders. Unfortunarely I can only do extremely basic modelling as I'm just elarning blender.

No worries!

Actually making a basic object is the best thing you can do to start out. I recommend something like a poster - which is a simple rectangular cube for the most part and the UV Mapping is easy as well given its mostly a 2d affair.

Hit us with any questions, and good luck!

Miax

I'm starting with a tree trunk/log but am having some trouble. This is copy and pasted from my other thread.


I'll try and grab a picture of what I have so far so you can get a better idea.

Thanks very much.