I'm new here and don't know how to mod so get used to me making tons of stupid requests. I searched the nexus and didn't see anything like this only a retexture of all gems.

Is there a way to make full soul gems glow/resonate/look enchanted? I hate not being able to tell the difference. In my head it makes sense that a soul gem with a soul in it should look different!

also can someone point me to a good place for a beginner to start to learn how to mod?

I'm sure something could be done in nifskope and with glowmaps.
Maybe someone will come along and make it

Haha! those words make me feel inferior! Q_____Q

All of the current mod tools are quite advanced. If you have Oblivion, I'd start http://cs.elderscrolls.com/index.php/Category:A_beginner%27s_guide.

This would require a script though wouldn't it?
Because you'd have to swap out the mesh without the glow map (gem with no soul) with a mesh with a glow map (gem with soul)

I wouldn't mind a mod like this myself.

For Soul Gems that are just sitting around you wouldn't since I'm pretty sure they're a separate item entry. If anything Azura's Star would be the hardest to implement since it doesn't get destroyed.

I don't care about azuras star just the regular soul gems. I keep them on display in my enchanting room and when I want to use them then I have to go searching -.-; it would be easier if the filled ones were glowy!

I don't have oblivion. Skyrim is my first elder scrolls game. a few years ago I would retexture my equipment in Final Fantasy XI but I had a model viewer that told me what file was what and I would just photoshop it. I also had a program that allowed me to manipulate the models themselves. But I could only stretch them existing parts. I didn't know how to add to them or delete if there was something I didn't like I would make it really tiny and hide it inside. That's about it for my modding experience.

Stay here for meshes.

http://niftools.sourceforge.net/wiki/

I would love it to make it nicer for my sticky fingers to tell what I want, and can use now

I would assume (and I know nothing about coding/scripting, meaning I am, admittedly, talking out of my posterior) that this could be accomplished via Script fairly simply (at least in concept):

Script Checks if Soul Gem is Filled:
>If no, do nothing.
>If yes, replace with

Or something.

EDIT: Actually, WOULD this require a script? I am fairly certain Filled Soul Gems have their own IDs and such - couldn't they just be assigned a new Mesh/Texture? Or does that require an .esp?

Plus, I suppose that might not work for, say, that Grand Soul Gem you accidentally filled with a Petty Soul...

EDIT EDIT: Also, calling it right now - best name for this mod?

GLOW-GEMS!

No need to thank me, I'm just a marketing genius.

According to this form ID http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2018 by Xylozi, soul gems and filled soul gems are entirely different objects, so yeah, all it would take would be to assign a different mesh to each of the filled soul gem objects. It would probably even be possible to do it via texture sets, no changes to the nifs needed.

I don't want to change the texture I want to add a glow to it or maybe make it like an enchanted piece of gear looks. What I really want is is something like the centurion dynamo core radiation waves. Those look cool. I have them scattered all over all my houses. I want to make 100% sure that my character is getting cancer. But for the soul stones a blue or white wave, but not as gigantic in scale compared to the core. Maybe red or black for the black soul stones, I hope that's a good explanation. Its trivial I know but things like that make my day. Can someone do this for me or point me in a direction where I can learn to do it myself? Is it even possible?

Ahh their is a guy that did Glowing Ore vain that when the vain is minable it glows britely, and when empty its dull

True, but we know for a fact that there were two seperate textures there - he simply added a glowmesh to the "has ore" texture. It isn't the same here, because empty and filled gems use the same texture. It'd most likely require a mesh replacer as well as a texture replacer with a glow map

So Is this a difficult project then?

Especially without proper tools.

the extent of my modding ability is retexturing so I'm fooked then Q____Q

If they are truly separate objects in the game, making some of them glow should be simple. The TESCK wouldn't actually be a big improvement. Also I haven't actually tried, mind. But, y'know, in theory.

I don't know how radiation waves work, though.

Anyway I second this idea. If videogames have taught me anything, it's that magic is powered by glowing stuff. Logically, filled soul gems should be the sun.

does anyone remotely know how to make something like this happen or where I would start to learn to do it? I'm pretty much starting from the beginning

I've actually been trying. Apparently I svck at tesvsnip, because things I change don't ever show up in game. SkyEdit does not yet support soul gems (I checked).

Anyway what you'd have to do is a) copy and rename all soul gem meshes, b) make a mod that changes the "full" soulgem/SLGM entries to use the new mesh instead of the old one, and c) point the new meshes to glowmaps in nifscope. You'd also need to make a glowmap, but there is actually one in the textures sub-folder with soul gem textures in it.

B is apparently the problematic step. idk why. Everyone else seems to be able to do things like that. But it doesn't show up when I do it. :\

This will be super easy to do with the CK if you want to wait until then.

They might have a different ID, but if they use the same mesh, then a script is still needed like KSG ^ (up there) is saying.

The GLOW part is easy-peasy

I don't actually see why they need a script, if they are different objects.

Anyway I figured out (well, someone in chat did) why I can't make my changes show up in game. Which is that I, um, kind of didn't add a master to my mod. So once I do that, I should be able to test and see if they work the way I think, or if scripts will be needed.

Scripts really shouldn't be needed, just specify a different model for the filled soul gems in the .esp (the model with the glow map added.)

*edit - Here's a pic of thehttp://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/571/70277017.jpg/sr=1, you can see there's a field where the model (.nif) is specified. Just edit that field for each of the filled soul gem misc. items to point to your new glow-maperized meshes (I'm assuming the .esp editor you're using has access to that field, like FO3Edit did.)