Is--or will there be--a way to view the 3D model, with the texture applied, and paint on that texture while it's on the 3D model?
Or, if not that, is--or will there be--a 3D model preview application, so we can make changes to a texture and preview it right away, without first putting it in the game?
Meshes may be off-limits still, since we don't have the conversion utility for Intel Havok files. But maybe there's a way to view them for preview purposes only.
Blood Bowl modders, I know, can use NIFscope to preview models. I'm guessing the model format used here is incompatible with that app, but is there something similar?
Once somebody figures it out, please let us all know. I think the files might have to be converted first, before we can preview them or import them into other applications. It looks like one can access the mesh, but can't then put it back into the game--maybe this texturing application will be incentive for someone to post a tutorial on converting the meshes to work in Blender.
Even just keeping the model open in Blender while making changes to the texture in Photoshop might work for almost real-time preview. (I just bought CS5, so maybe the 3D features have been updated so it can be done there--I just installed it yesterday.)
There are 3D apps, some of which are freeware, that specialize in painting textures onto the model. It will be good to get some recommendations once some modders have figured it out.
Easy mods, like color adjustments or adding a beard, are no problem; but, really complex textures, you have to preview them. The distortions present in UV maps make it hard.
Maybe a mod tool idea: What if we had displacement maps for some of the UV maps? So you paint your texture in a simple orthographic view (just generate a repeating pattern), and then apply the displacement map to make it follow the textures of the UV map.
Photoshop actions might also work, for example warping a front view of a human face so it matches the UV map. Or maybe distribute screenshots that show what the front view of the face looks like in-game, so other modders can match their faces to that and then distort it. A step-by-step tutorial on converting a photo to a face texture would be awesome. (I might try this myself.)
