vi363R

Normal Blending
Ever wanted to combine several normal maps into one? Ever wanted to combine a normal and a bump map? I think this is one of the better ways to create a high quality combined normal map.
This is just me following a YouTube tutorial in Blender's Shader Editor and sharing the result BLEND file with you.
I have been combining normal maps in the past using a kind of overlay in GIMP / Paintdotnet, but the result is not nearly as good as what can be done using these nodes.
Credits: 
 
 

vi363R's Python Scripts
Starting off small and likely to grow over time.. everything here will be in progress and get updated once in a while... I've been coding quite some python scripts lately, which make the life of a modder (or content creator, or whatever you like to call it) more easy. Some are used in Blender, some are used for texture manipulations, others for zipping files etc. I will add more scripts here when they have grown into a kind of usable "beta"..
Hairworks
UPDATE JAN 2024: Hairworks replace collision spheres with check for pin
These scripts are prepared for replacing collision spheres in an APX file. The intended workflow is for drag and dropping an APX file onto the python script; it will look for a string, delete everything after the string (including the string, and append the string from the script to the APX. Feel free to change the values in the script. Handles only 1 file at a time.
If a hair pin is found in the APX, the script throws and error, because the existing pin would be deleted by the script...
Blender
I'm currently using Blender v3.6.4, none of these scripts were tested in older versions
UPDATE NOV 2023: Replace 2 blocks in a dropped addon's scene file - culling and material rendering
a script to automate the problem described here Only useful when working with Blender later than 2.8+ till latest version and CTK the script is designed to receive an entire addon, by dropping the addon folder on the script It will treat the scene file(s) (add some missing lines related to backface culling and rendering of materials)  
UPDATE NOV 2023: Blender file with code for morphs v225 [vi363r_v225]
full body morphs included: FBV2, CurvyF7 and Latona, more can be added to the list Adjustment morphs must start with "ADJ_" PE morphs must be named PE_CATEGORY_YOURNAME with category being BRA,PANTY,SKIRT Etc (check the dictionary in the code for details) remember that this script needs to be run from within Blender, with the mesh selected  
Add menu item in Object to remove unused vertex groups
Image manipulation
These scripts are ran by double clicking in explorer and need Python installed on your system.  TEST before running on large folders and BACKUP first 
UPDATE NOV 24: TEXTURE WORKFLOW NOVEMBER 22
These are the scripts I made and use for porting textures from DAZ to VX. Can be used to convert any numbered bunch of diffuse-roughness-metallic-height-bump-opacity-normal-emission jpg's into nicely arranged, optionally resized and indexed PNG and/or (compressed) DDS Diffuse-Normal-Specular textures including TXF and _PASS.TXT files. I realize that this is not a very user friendly experience, although with a little experimenting, it should work out Depending on the naming of the files at hand, small modifications to lists of strings may be required for the filters to work properly If you've never heard of Python or coding in the broadest sense, probably this is not for you, sorry. BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP  
Change hook5 files from PNG to DDS
Windows Batch scripts
Looks like I will have to change the name of this post.. The advantage of windows batch scripts is that nothing needs to be installed by the user... the down side is that they are horror to write. and read for that matter. Anyway, here are some, nothing needs to be installed.
Normal generator with windows batch
 

Creating Hairworks with 3ds Max and Nvidia's hairworks plugin
Required tools
To download the Hairworks tools (plugin and distro) yourself from Nvidia, you'll need to make a free nVIDIA account and go to their website (link in the lists above)(filter on Hairworks). There you'll be able to download the required files. The website was not well behaving for me on Chrome and I got a popup with a missing page error, but in the end I found out that one has to press a green button 'I Accept' somewhere on the page.
I have also included the required Hairworks files (plugin and a trimmed version of the distro (without media and examples)) in the downloads here for your convenience.
3ds Max 2014 is available here on the KE website (link also in below list).
Nvidia Hairworks plugin for 3ds Max 2014 (required, also in downloads of this post) 3ds Max 2014 (required, uploaded by admin)*** Hook5 Extended (required, ploaded by admin) A growth mesh (included an example .max file with a mesh that I prepared, including suitable armature, vertex groups and a combing mesh) *** For downloading large files from Mega, I advise to create a free Mega account, install the desktop application, then, when you're about to download a file, select 'Save to cloud drive'. This will transfer the file to your own Mega drive, after which it will be synced to your local drive by the application.
Optional tools
Documentation and FurViewer.win64.exe can open apx files to preview the hair. it can also import collisions from one hair into another. run it from HairWorks-r1_2_1-15-distro-trimmed-vi363R\HairWorks\bin\win64, the zip is also
Nvidia Hairworks Hairworks 1.2.1 distro contains documentation and furviewer.exe (optional, also in downloads of this post) Installing
Install 3ds Max, explained in that download Install Hairworks plugin, straightforward Install distro: not required, runs from the folder HairWorks-r1_2_1-15-distro-trimmed-vi363R\HairWorks\bin\win64, keep the folder where you like. Install Hairworks in your game (if not done already): Explained here by Driver. Training
I'll list up a few video's that got me going with hairworks, it's quite straight forward but there are a few steps that you need to know.
Nvidia Hairworks Tutorial (18 minutes) Collisions (5 minutes) hair and fur 3ds max tutorial (42 minutes, making long hair) Time for action
When you got this far, it's time to start experimenting!
Open up the attached .max file and create hairworks. It has been prepared with a growth mesh and the body to use for collisions during combing. It already has a fur and hair modifier ready.
Nothing needs to be changed to the settings, only styling, then convert guides -> splines, create hairworks from the menu, select the splines, set the number of resample guides, I use something between 20 and 40, depending on the length of the hair. add sphere collisions and connected spheres. All the spheres will end up in the right place and offsets are the same in max as in the game (this took me a few days to fine tune)... then export and test! And that's it.
Export the apx to an existing hairworks file you have. (create a backup first) Export settings: Export unit: 1, Enable advanced, Up axis: Y-up and Handedness: right handed Outlook
I'm planning to make a full scale tutorial if needed. I realize that this is only 1 max file, and the real challenge was going from a custom growth mesh in Blender to max. That is a far more complex story, which needs proper documentation with screenshots, which I'll prepare in the future. It will give you complete freedom over growth mesh, so you can adjust to your liking and head mods.
 
 Examples
 
 
 
 
 

Effects plugins for paint.net | Although I'm using Python scripts and GIMP more and more for image manipulation, Paint.net still remains my number 1 for quick edits. In the download is my (old) collection of (free) plugins for paint.net, excellent lightweight program for modding textures. Below is also a link to the last update of the pack. (BoltBait's GPU Accelerated Plugin Pack for Paint.NET)
Favorites:
DrPrepper for generating spec maps NormalMapPlus for generating normal maps Liquify for smooth moving of lines/fills/curves Black and Alpha + for generated transparent textures from mask files RecolourChoice for replacing one colour with another .. Get the free application at https://www.getpaint.net/download.html

DefaultFemale2PS highpoly middle overlap template
This is a blender file prepared for hairworks made of 2 particle systems with overlapping hi-poly top middle section. using the complete body as emitter makes combing easier. This one is using the default female body from CTK resources.
This blender template was used to create the hair below in blender 3.0.1
 

Hi,
I'm sharing this blender file for anyone who would like to start creating hairworks, because it took me a lot of time to find out suitable settings for the vertices and the particle system (P.S.).
Using the complete body for an emitter has advantages during combing, because it is easier to style the hair using the 'deflect emitter' setting in blender. The scalp is divided in 2 parts, with a line in the middle, to avoid children growing in the wrong direction.
The particle system is ready for styling, but it can be still adjusted if desired. (once combing has started, no changes can be made to the P.S. anymore)
 
Thanks to @HDiddy for the FBV2 resources and also for making the very detailed  guide on how to create HW. This file adds a good emitter to start with.. below links to HDiddy's files.