Resources for 3D Modeling
Overview
This is a collection of links to resources that are very helpful when it comes to modding Oblivion.
2D Graphics Manipulation
GIMP
GIMP is free image editing software.
Beginner Tutorials
GIMP tutorials geared towards people who are just starting to learn texturing.
- CommunityMX
- PDF - Texturing for Dummies. Somewhat geared towards Photoshop but mostly explains methods and theory. The file is 7.4 MB so you may want to right-click and save this one to view instead of opening it through your browser.
- Grokking the GIMP - An online book.
Oblivion-Specific Tutorials
GIMP tutorials that have a specific goal focused on Oblivion.
- Better Retextures: Detailed Guide For NifSkope and the GIMP
- Canadian Ice Forum - Contains guides on normal mapping, creating icons, and semi-transparent textures.
- Oblivion Texturing Tutorial Wiki
Contains guides on normal mapping, creating icons, and semi-transparent textures and much much more.
Non-Oblivion-Specific Tutorials
GIMP tutorials that are not specific to Oblivion.
Adobe Photoshop Tutorials
Adobe Photoshop is an expensive but industry standard image editing software.
Beginner Tutorials
Adobe Photoshop tutorials geared towards people who are just starting to learn texturing.
- Good-Tutorials.com Basic tutorials
- This thread has 3 pdf files for texturing. You will find more advanced tutorials if you browse around the sites forums and wiki.
Oblivion-Specific Tutorials
Adobe Photoshop tutorials that have a specific goal focused on Oblivion.
Contains guides on normal mapping, creating icons, and semi-transparent textures and much much more.
Non-Oblivion-Specific Tutorials
Adobe Photoshop tutorials that are not specific to Oblivion.
- Ben Mathis's site directed toward video game modeling and texturing.
- 3DTotal.com With JavaScript is enabled, go to "Free Stuff-->Tutorials-->Photoshop"
- A long list of tutorials (check out the subcategories)
- Tutorials and free brushes.
- Photoshop Guides (tons of useful tutorials)
Textures Resources
- CGTextures - 9,300+ Uber-Hi-Res textures. Categorized very well. Limitation = 50MB daily quota.
- Mayang's Free Texture Library - 3,400+ Uber-Hi-Res textures. Limitation = 20 textures per day.
- Noctua Graphics - 459 Hi-Res seamlessly tileable textures.
- defcon-x - 90 Uber-Hi-Res wood textures.
- Absolute Background Textures Archive - A large repository of small images.
- Image*After - Hi-Res textures.
- Texture Library - 857 Medium-Res textures.
- FreeFoto - 300+ Medium-Res textures, somewhat slow site.
- PixelPoke - Hi-Res textures and tutorials to create your own textures.
- LogSplitters - 50+ Medium-Res textures of wood.
- uwa.edu.au - Tons of Low to Medium-Res textures neatly categorized.
- RansomActive - For Sale - Textures, Models, Images, Sounds.
- Industry Graphics: Real Texture - For Sale - Texture volumes.
- iStockphoto - For Sale - Photos and Illustration.
- Shutterstock - For Sale - Photos.
3D Modeling
3DLinks.com - Massive list of tutorial links to most 3D programs and 2D textures.
Blender 3D Tutorials
Beginner Tutorials
Blender 3D tutorials geared towards people who are just starting to learn 3D modeling.
- Official Blender Forum
- Blender Manual
- Noob to Pro
- UV Map Basics
- Video Tutorials
- Multiple threads ranging from beginner to advanced
- The Blender Knowledge Base (Mesh Editing, Rendering, Animation)
- Blender Normal Maps 1
- Blender Normal Maps 2
- Blender Normal Maps 3
- Mesh Editing Techniques
- Joining/Separating Parts of a Mesh
- Basic Objects
- Modelling Techniques and Strategies
- Creating a Logo
- A Simple Chair
- Candle
- Blender Cafe Tutorials
- The Gnomon Workshop - Training DVDs for sale and others for free.
- Blender Texture Disc - Textures, Materials, Plugins and Tutorials for Blender.
- Blender Learning Units by Tufts University
Oblivion-Specific Tutorials
Blender 3D tutorials that have a specific goal focused on Oblivion.
- Importing Animations from Blender
- Custom Sword in Blender
- Custom Shield in Blender
- Custom Cuirass in Blender Part 1
- Custom Cuirass in Blender Part 2
- Modeling, Configuring, Splitting meshes for characters
- Exporting in .obj format
- Starter for hair meshes
- CuteUnits guide to rigging meshes and exporting them
- throttlekitty's guide to rigging meshes and exporting them
Non-Oblivion-Specific Tutorials
Blender 3D tutorials that are not specific to Oblivion.
- Making a Sword Part 1
- Making a Sword Part 2
- UV Mapping a head. Note: For people using newer versions of blender that are following this select "unwrap" as you won't see "LSCM" as an option.
- Links to many more tutorials
- Tons of tutorials in two locations. Look under "Tutorials-->Tutorials" and "Tutorials-->Tutorial Links"
- Blender.org links to many more tutorials (some with video)
- Blender.org Tutorials
- Video tutorials, non-video tutorials on the right-side of the page under Tutorials
- BSoD/Introduction to Character Animation
- geneome video tutorials (36+ tutorials)
- Unwrapping a Mesh by Blender.org - UVMaps
3D Studio Max Tutorials
Beginner Tutorials
3D Studio Max tutorials geared towards people who are just starting to learn 3D modeling.
- Beginner and Advanced tutorials (has videos)
- With JavaScript is enabled, go to "Free Stuff-->Tutorials-->3d Studio Max-->Beginners"
- 16-minute long video.
- Explains the Max user interface.
Oblivion-Specific Tutorials
3D Studio Max tutorials that have a specific goal focused on Oblivion.
- Contains tutorials on Importing, Exporting, Conversion, and Configuration.
- Collision: the easy way out using gundalf's exporter
- Quick and dirty rigging in 3DS Max
Non-Oblivion-Specific Tutorials
3D Studio Max tutorials that are not specific to Oblivion.
- Ben Mathis's site directed toward video game modeling and texturing.
- Modeling Joan of Arc by Michel Roger - This tutorial covers modeling starting with a person all the way through to adding armor, a weapon, UV mapping, rigging, etc. In other words, it's pretty thorough.]
- With JavaScript is enabled, go to "Free Stuff-->Tutorials-->3d Studio Max"
- You need to define what you're searching for but there's lots of stuff here.
- another long list of tutorials (check out the subcategories)
Example Models
- Gown (Blender File)
- Pillow (Blender File)
- Dragon Sword (Blender File)
- TurboSquid - Can't make your own? You can by them here. Also some freebies.
- The 3D Studio - Some are free, others you buy.
NifSkope Tutorials
- Has multiple links to NifSkope documentation and tutorials.
- Animated Weapons Tutorial by J3X
- Working with Nifs Series
Construction Set Tutorials
- List of Construction Set Wiki Tutorials
- House, Quest and Scenery tutorials
- How to Make a Quest
- Dialogue Tutorial Video by Tandem
- New Equipment Tutorial.doc by Alpha_Vortex
- Oblivion Enchantment Tutorial by tonyGar
- Buyable House Tutorial by Smokindan
Miscellaneous
- WetPaint Modeling and Tutorial Wiki.
- Windy's Tutorial on creating a bow that morph (animated).
- Making a Custom Race Tutorial for Oblivion by Grimdeath
- Distributing useable horse armor retextures legally - This is fairly advanced and not for a novice.
- Program that converts images to dds format.
- wz_'s Mod Blog.
- Creating Normal Maps (by Valve Software)
- Blender, GIMP, and OpenGL class - Has links, lab assignments and student examples.
- www.3D-Resources.com - Models, Textures and Tutorials.
- UVMapper - View or Create UV Maps. Classic version is FREE.
- Texturing Made Easy by blackshark64
Tools
Name: 3D Studio Max
Version: 9.0
Date: 10/11/2006
Cost: $3,500
Requirements: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0, Microsoft DirectX 9.0c
Source: www.autodesk.com/3dsmax/
Description:
3D Modeling software. From what I hear, it's the bomb-digadie but the learning curve is high due to the complexity. I'll never know cause I'll probably never afford the pricetag.
Name: Adobe Photoshop CS2
Version: 9.0
Date: 2/22/2005
Cost: $650
Source: www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/
Associated file extensions: .psd
Description:
Professional image-editing software.
Name: Blender
Version: 2.44
Date: 5/12/2007
Cost: Free (Open Source)
Compatibility: Windows 98/ME/2000/XP, Mac OSX, Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD, Irix
Source: www.blender.org, TESNexus File Mirror
Description:
3D Modeling software. From what I hear, it's possible to create meshes for Oblivion with this software but it is "tricky"
Name: Bodypaint 3D
Version: 2.x
Date: 11/28/2006
Cost: $700
Source: www.maxon.net
Description:
Paint textures directly on 3D images.
Name: DDS Converter
Version: 2.1
Date: 8/13/2004
Cost: Free
Source: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8698
Description:
A program to allow you to easily convert to and from DDS easily.
The program supports DDS, TGA, JPG, BMP, PNG and PSD image formats (you can import and export to any of those formats).
Name: GIMP
Version: 2.2.17
Date: 7/13/2007
Cost: Free (Open Source)
Source: www.gimp.org
Associated file extensions: .gimp?
Description:
Image-editing software.
Name: NifSkope
Version: 1.0
Date: 9/14/2007
Cost: Free (Open Source)
Source: NifTools
Description:
NIFSkope is a graphical program that allows you to open NIF files, view their contents, edit them, and write them back out again.
Name: NIBlE
Version: 0.5 Build 20071220
Date: 12/20/2007
Cost: Freeware
Source: Nible Wiki
Description:
NIBLE is a graphical interface for NIF-File manipulation, including a Morrowind <--> Oblivion conversion function.
Name: Paint Shop Pro
Version: 10
Date: 9/7/2005
Cost: $100
Source: www.paintshoppro.com
Associated file extensions: .psp, .pspimage
Description:
Professional image-editing software. Similar functions to Photoshop.
NOTE: I have version 9.0 and I could not get the NVidia Photoshop plugins to work. NVidia plugins work with version 7.0 (Confirmed)
Name: XSI Mod Tool
Version: ?
Date: ?
Cost: Free
Source: Softimage XSI Mod Tool
Description:
Mod Tool is a 3D modeling and animation package, for non-commercial use, that plugs right into Microsoft XNA Game Studio Express and Valve Half- Life 2.
Name: ZBrush
Version: 3
Date: 11/28/2006
Cost: $490
Source: www.pixologic.com
Description:
Paint textures directly on 3D images.