Lets say I make a retexture of an armor. but I want to offer it as a STAND-ALONE version instead of overrighting the original in the game.

How do I create a new item in game using the original mesh, but with new textures?

Thanks much!




EDIT: Woops, I guess I should have put this in the CK section. Mods please feel free to move.

With the Creation Kit.

Alright, in the Object Window, open the Items tab, and the armor tab, duplicate an existing armor piece (say, IronCuirass) and double click it, this will open a new window with all the properties of the object, one of these properties is the "Model: C:\Some\Path\Here\". Just hit this "Model" button and browse to your retextured model, save plugin and whoopdeedoo, you're all done.


Re-read the original post... You will want to replace the texture on the model, and then proceed to do the above, selecting the model with the texture YOU provided for it.

Retexturing the model itself is another matter.

I think you can use a http://www.creationkit.com/TextureSet. Someone else can provide more detail.

I haven't modded since the Morrowind days. back then I think you could apply a retexture to an identical mesh to create a new item in the CS. I never having to remember using a second program.

ANyway, if that's the case, can anyone link to a tutorial or instructions on how to apply a texture to a model?

Thanks for the info.

You can only select models for you object to use in the CS. Any kind of re-texturing or model manipulation requires external tools.

That's exactly how you do it.

Edit:
Ok, I probably should have written something more than that for the benefit of the OP...

Here's a quick and dirty, which you will have to do for each piece of armor/weaponry:
* You identify the armor you want to retext and make unique, say, the regular steel.
* So, you get both the texture and normal map for it, and move them to data/textures/armor/myarmor/. You will need to do this for both male and female armors, should you want nboth versions to be re-texted... most of the times, male and female armor textures are different.
*In the CK, you go to Miscellaneous > TextureSet. Right click on right panel, select new, give the texture set a name, like MySteelArmorTextute. Click on difuse, and find the texture in data/textures/myarmor. Click on Normal/Gloss, and find the normal map in /data/textures/armor/myarmor. Click OK.
* Go to ArmorAddOn, and click on SteellCuirassAA. This is what your character is actually going to wear. On the ID window, give it a name, like MyArmorAA. On the left, you will see Biped Model and First Person under Male and Female, respectively, and the path to the mesh for the cuirass. One each of them, you are going to do this:
- click on select. A window will pop up with the armor on the left. On the right, you'll see a window named Alternate Textures.
- Double-click on each, and find your texture set in the list and double-click it. You should see the armor change to your texture.
-Once you are done, click Ok. Again, repeat this with the other models.
* Click OK, a message wil ask you if you want to create a new asset, click ok.
*Now go to Armor > Steel. Double-click on ArmorSteelCuirassA.
* In the ID field, give the armor a new name, like MySteelArmor.
In the middle of the window, you'll see another Male and Female sections. These are the icons you are going to see i your inventory when you select the armor. DO the same thing you did previously with your texture set(s).
*Lastly, underneath, there is a Models window that should say SteelCuirassAA. Right click on it and delete it. Right click again, select new, and find MyArmorAA. Click OK, when ask if you want to create a new asset say yes.

Done.

find texture sets in the object window, create a new one (or modifiy an existing one), you'll get a "model"-button and a list, choose a model, in the lists empty column, right-click for entering new textures, 1st pos in the list is your actual texture, 3rd the normal map, rest are glow maps and such. when done, save your new texture set.
now choose the model with the mesh you want to use, in the base object tab, where it says "model", click edit, you'll again get a dialogue with a model-button and a list with all the meshes contained in the object, again, right click -> new in the empty column and select the texture set you've made before. that's it using texture sets. ah yes, and don't forget to rename your retextured object so it won't retexture all instances of the original one.
and: in geck, using texture sets on furniture (FURN)-items made the game crash. you'd have to use nifskope in such cases, but you'd have to save the whole mesh with it this way.

Some clarification. I don't need instructions on how to retexture something. My question is very simply (and now has been answered):

"How can I apply an ALREADY MADE retexture to an EXSITING/UNCHANCED mesh to create a unique item to then be used in the CK however I see fit"?

SystemShock's instructions worked perfectly! They should be stickied somewhere!