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How to create an overlay tattoo

This guide will teach you how to create tattoo on modded body, KS_UV and VTK

Summary

Published: Apr 11 2024 by Yggnire, initial guide by Yggnire Last documented edit: Aug 16 2024 by manavortex

This guide will teach you how to create your own overlay tattoo for either of the texture frameworks, or how to convert a tattoo for a different body mod.

Wait, this is not what I want!

Level of difficulty

The ability to read: mandatory, because I'm not gonna lie — this is gonna be difficult otherwise. Knowing how to use a drawing software : recommended, because this guide will not cover it. Knowing how to use WolvenKit.

Estimated Time:

<5 minutes to set up everything 5 minutes - as long as it takes you to create a tattoo that you like <5 minutes for the import/install

Prerequisites

Step 0: Setup

1: Create a Wolvenkit Project

Tattoo mods are load order dependent. You don't need to read the load order page, just make sure to name your mod project correctly.

Create a Wolvenkit project. Use the following naming schema per framework:

VTK

00_my_first_tattoo

KS_UV

005_my_first_tattoo

2: Add the right files to your mod

You have two ways of getting the correct files:

  • download the modders' resources from the framework's page

  • add the files to your project from the framework you have already installed

The tutorial will walk you through the second:

  1. Turn on the Mod Browser

  2. Find the name of the texture that you want to edit on the Overlay textures by framework page.

  3. Use the Wolvenkit Search to find the texture(s)

  4. Add the files to your project by double-clicking on them.

Optional: Add the base body texture as a reference

If you are trying to convert a tattoo, you need to use the body texture from the framework you want to convert into

The tattoo frameworks will have the base body texture in the same folder as the overlay files.

  1. Right-click on your overlay file in Wolvenkit's Project Browser

  2. Select Copy Relative Path from the context menu

  3. Paste the relative path into Wolvenkit's search bar

  4. Delete the file name from the path: you just want to search for the folder

  5. Add > .xbm to the end of your search (with a space!) to limit your search to texture files.

  6. Hit Enter and browse through the files inside the folder: one of them will be the base body texture.

3: Export the textures

  1. Use the Export Tool to export the .xbm files to .png.

Since tattoos are independent from body complexion mods, delete the body texture xbm if you included it as a reference – you're only editing overlays.

  1. Switch the project explorer to the raw tab to find the image files.

  2. You can right-click on one of the png files to open it in the Windows Explorer

4: Edit the textures

It's image editing time! This guide will only give you a rough outline, but make sure to read the red box below.

You need to create an overlay, meaning: a transparent layer with only your tattoo that is projected on top of the body texture.

Do not draw on the body texture.

You can use an image editing software of your choice, as long as it supports alpha transparency. If you don't have one, use photopea.com – it's free and in your browser!

  1. Optional: Import the body texture as reference

  2. Import the overlay texture that you want to edit

Resizing the textures

Many people default to 4k or even 8k textures, but consider: this is madness! How often do you press your nose against your V on a 4k monitor?

2k (2048x2048) is almost always enough.

If you insist on making high-resolution textures, please remember people with older GPUs (who suffer from a lack of VRAM), and offer them as an optional download.

  1. Create a new layer above the skin texture and start drawing your tattoo :

Making changes

You can now draw on the transparent layer (again, do not draw on the body texture).

If you are converting a tattoo, you will have move individual parts around instead.

If you split off parts on a different layer, you don't need to worry about mistakes - you can always merge layers later!

Exporting from your graphic editor

When your tattoo is complete, uncheck the eye on the skin layer

Your project should look like this: Your tattoo and no background

Let's export the tattoo. A detailed tutorial can be found under Editing a texture.

It's important that you overwrite the exact file that you exported from Wolvenkit (the .png file in your project's raw folder from step 3).

5: Reimporting the texture

Now you need to import your file back into Wolvenkit. You have two ways to do that:

Import Tool

  1. Overwrite the png that you created in step 3.1

  2. Open the Import Tool and import your png

  3. You're done

Texture View

  1. Save your new tattoo anywhere on your PC as a .png file.

  2. In Wolvenkit, open the .xbm file by either double-clicking the file, or clicking the blue icon

  4. Switch to the "Texture Preview" tab

  5. Right click on it and select Replace Texture. Choose the file you have saved.

Time to test!

Install your mod by clicking the green Play button in the toolbar. Time to go in-game and admire your new tattoo!

PreviousOverlay textures by frameworkNextMerging existing tattoos

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