Hello everyone, I'm having some problems with the Geck and I need help.

I've made two retexture of an armor, to add a bit of variety ( I plan on adding them on npcs). I've replaced the original texture with the first retexture that I made, and the armor looks fine in the GECK, no problem. I duplicated the armor, in order to make one that uses the 2nd retexture. Then I created a texture set and added my 2nd retexture. But when I go back to the armor, and that I add my second texture as an alternate texture, it's all shiny, and looks like plastic.

I've used GIMP for the retexture, and I have the DDS plugin. I also tried Paint.NET to convert the files in DDS but it didn't change anything, the results were the same.  

I'm hoping that someone could help me, cause I don't know what causes this problem.

edit: some screen of the problem.

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

You have a problem with your specular map not being merged with your normal map.

I'd help you out but I also don't know how to merge the two :/
Sorry about that.

Did you assign a normal map in the texture set panel? If not, you need it: the normal map has an alpha which acts as the specular map. Right now, it looks like your model is defaulting to 100% specular.

@MrObamatron , ok, i'll take a look into it, thanks for the tips.

@dazzerfong , I already tried with and without a normal map (the same one used by the mesh and the 1st texture) assigned in the texture set but it didn't change much, it was just a little bit less shiny but still looking like plastic. I don't understand why it does this, if I use the 2nd to replace the first texture it looks fine too, it only do the plastic thing when I put the texture as an alternate one.

I've read somewhere that it might be caused by the alpha channel of the normal map, but I haven't take a look at it yet. I've a driving lesson right now, but I'll take a look at what you both said when I come back.

@praising: If absolutely nothing has been changed except for the diffuse, then it's a byproduct of specular maps and how they're utilised in FO3. Because the diffuse is now dark, the specular highlight is now much more pronounced on the dark diffuse.

To fix that (not so much a workaround), darken the alpha channel of your normal map.

@dazzerfong , I've take a look at the alpha channel of the normal map, and it's pretty much dark already, however, the alpha channel on the diffuse is white, should that be the problem? there must be something that I'm doing wrong.

screens:

the normal map, you can see the alpha channel:

the diffuse and its alpha channel:

@praising: alpha channel on diffuse is transparency and has no effect on specularity.

To be honest, I'm not entirely convinced you're applying the normal map on your second texture. For one, the normal map should be adding some details, but it doesn't appear like it is.

Forgot to ask, does it have an environment map mask?

@dazzerfong, some more screens to show you that I apply the normal map.

the texture set:

the texture set and normal map:

the armor with the alternate texture and the normal map applied:

this is the armor without the normal map applied:

Thanks for your help anyway and the fast replies dazzer, I really appreciate it

It's the environment map mask then. Check if there's one on the original NIF.

I've checked the original nif in nifskope, here's what i found, it seems to have an environment map called "shinybright_e.dds", located under textures/effects. But in my texture/effects folder there's no such file, however there's one named "1nivshinybright_e.dds". I've looked in the mods files and there's no file named "shinybright_e.dds". Maybe that's the problem...

Spoiler:

this is the file called 1nivshinybright_e.dds:

That's the environment map: I'm more interested in the mask. That would be the final texture: outfit_guard_r.dds.

okay, my bad, here's a screen of the _r.dds file:

Spoiler:

Yeah, that's the one you need to designate in GECK to 'Environment Mask'.

It works now, thank you very much @dazzerfong, you're the man. Turns out I was just forgetting to do one thing, I still have a lot to learn I guess.

Here's a screen of the now working alternate texture: