Arcane University:Gimp for Skyrim

Gimp is a free tool with nearly as much features as Photoshop to paint textures and use the layer merging techniques. It can export via dds plugin the native file formate for Skyrims textures. It can also be used to overhaul existing or algorythm-created textures.

You can find details of the export formate and necessary settings on the page Arcane_University:DDS_Data_Format.

Export in GIMP

• Exporting DDS texture files in Gimp via free Export Plugin with mipmaps for LOD and without an alpha map, so only Red Green Blue, also used for mono-color ("grey") maps and most commonly, diffuse maps (see texture sets, Arcane_University:Nif_Data_Format.
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• Exporting DDS texture files in Gimp via free Export Plugin with mipmaps for LOD and with an alpha map additionally to Red, Green and Blue channels, most commonly, for normal maps, which have specular map information in their alpha, creating roughness and ambient occlusion effects in a nif. (see texture sets, Arcane_University:Nif_Data_Format.
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