Question Free Model. What am I allowed to share? (Edited textures)

[epi.noah]

I have something I want to share for free with everyone. But I don't know if I'm allowed to.

I've created a model by putting together a makeup from Alter3go that I edited, and parts of skins from REN, such as Simone, Lexi, Linn, Ara, Tina (one of the "RenVR.FemaleBaseProject.1" skins) ... It has a mix of 8K and 4K textures, and what I believe to be a high level of detail.

The problem is, I can't use dependencies because I have literally edited the original files, put some parts of them together as layers to export the final skin files in png format. To be able to share the model, I need to share the textures themselves, which I don't know if I'm allowed to do because the original work belongs to REN for the skin textures and Alter3go for the makeup. (edit: also a tattoo from TGC's tattoo pack, DJ's tan lines and of course the hairs)

(also edit: no post processing, editing or ray tracing in the images. It's exactly like you would see it in VR except for the resolution, which is boosted using MacGruber's SuperShot)

I tried to make the face as realistic looking as I could.



I even worked on the color of the tongue and all the details of the lips. And it's not painted on, it's not based on the diffuse texture but reliant heavily on normal maps and specular maps so that it looks right when the camera angle changes or the model moves.



The nipples needed a similar level of attention to detail.


I used the T&A testing scene to make sure the physics were right, everything moved nicely and nothing was too floppy:


I checked the skin under non-neutral color lights like RenVR's skin preview scene:


I even tried to make the body proportions be a good fit for most scenes:

(Except her neck is a little shorter than most looks)

There is a very VR friendly version where the hair is shorter but still realistic looking and it performs much better.


And there is a straight haired version which looks cool to me.


I used Morph Merger to have it down to a single morph I can share with the textures.



I haven't created a package before, so I might need some guidance there. But other than that, it looks good to me.

I have also specially curated a few SubScenes as lighting rigs. One is with point lights for photos and desktop use, one is specifically for VR and based on spot lights, making it more performance friendly. Both allow you to walk around the model 360 degrees in room scale VR where the model is lighted nicely from every angle. I was hoping the model and the lighting rig could be a drop in to amp up older scenes for newer GPUs. An example scene from Mr. Oranges scene pack:


(The guy here is in the same boat. Edited textures, so I cannot share using just dependencies).

So in the end, I wanted to make a pack of three scenes, (1) quality, (2) balance and (3) performance. Quality with straight hair, good looking environment and point lights. Balance with better performing hair, good looking environment and spot lights. Performance with best performing hair, only two spot lights and a simple background. But it wouldn't be possible if I'm not allowed to share the texture files as the original source files are not mine but REN and Alter3go's.

Alternatively, I can send it all to REN and Alter3go if they would like to share it themselves. I just wanna put it out there if that's possible.

Here she is with her original skin and her alternate skin:



Finally, here are some familiar models with this skin:



Ok maybe not the last one.

In conclusion, help me share this (or at least let me know if it's not allowed).
Cheers and thanks in advance!

 

[epi.noah]

I guess I'm not gonna be able to share this. I'll share my method, so that anyone with the textures from REN's Patreon can duplicate or improve upon it.

All you need to do is 7-zip to open VAR files to access the images and GIMP for editing images, both tools available for free online.

The layers need to match in resolution. So if all are 4K, keep them as 4K. If only one is 8K, you need to resize all other layers to 8K (or resize that one to 4K but you would lose some detail). If one is 2048x2048, some others are 2000x2000, you need to have them all resized to 2048x2048.

(edit: To clarify, I didn't only resize 4K textures to 8K, I don't think that would do anything. As I have combined 8K textures with 4K ones, in layers, in GIMP, to be able to take parts from a 4K texture and layer it with a 8K texture, I had to resize the 4K texture to 8K, so that they would have the same size and could be layered on top of each other. If they were all 4K to begin with, I'd keep them all at 4K)

Layer 1 being the bottom layer,

FaceN:
layer1: faceN Linn
layer2: faceN tina face middle (ellipse selected, feathered)
layer3: faceN Simone, mode: lighten only
layer4: faceN Simone, lips only (ellipse selected, feathered), opacity %66.6
layer5: faceN Ara, lips only (ellipse selected, feathered), opacity %66
layer6: faceN linn, buttom lip only (ellipse selected, feathered), opacity %33.3
layer7: faceN linn, upper lip only (ellipse selected, feathered), opacity %16.6
layer8: faceN Simone, lips only (ellipse selected, feathered), opacity %66.6, mode: lighten only

Layers 1+2 basically make Linn with Tina in the middle.
Layer 3 makes adds details from Simone so that there isn't a break between the Simone based torso and this.
Other layers add details from Simone, Linn and Ara lips.

LimbsN was easy
layer1: limbsN Linn
layer2: limbsN Simone, mode: lighten only, 100%

torsoN was similar to LimbsN, but included nips from Lexi pasted to the second layer (ellipse selected, feathered).

FaceD needed Simone with Tina face middle (ellipse selected, feathered), but Tina face middle needed to match Simone in color, so I adjusted the mid levels accordingly. I don't remember the exact settings.

With specular maps, I used Simone at the bottom, added 16.6% of Linn on top in lighten only mode, to have the shiny parts of Simone that give her extra details, but also add a bit of the overall shininess from Linn. The face needed more detailed work.

Yada yada... You get the point. The original material is great, that's what makes it work. I'm sure someone can do it better than I have. You just need to pay attention to continuity between limbs, torso, face and genitals. Could be very cool if REN remixed his own stuff like this someday and did a post edit to give us a special edition skin like no other.

My lighting rig made the screenshots pop, and I have another one that works well in VR, with better performance because it's based on spot lights. You just drop it at the models feet and it works. Maybe I'll end up sharing that at some point (edit: here you go). But basically, it's 4 spot lights, almost like a square, with front-left and back right being lower intensity, front-right and back-left being higher intensity, with one very dim directional light at the bottom, pointing upwards. Have 3 spot and 2 spot variations but 4 spots works best to be a drop in for most scenes where you wanna move around in room scale VR and watch the 2 people in the middle.

The model itself can be as va va voom or as dainty as you could want. The textures should work either way. That's what I liked about the combination. Tina face makes it go well with younger looking models, Simone diffuses and Lexi nipples have deep details without being off-putting, and Linn material (+Ara lips) gives it that extra level of detail with higher resolution specular maps and normal maps. It becomes one high detail skin that can go with younger looking dainty models as well as older looking curvy models.

Example (an amped up version of the same model)










(Just needed to lower diffuse texture offset to -0.500 for the last one.)

I'm sure people using post processing and ray tracing can get closer to photorealism with a similar approach to textures. 8K normal maps rock.

Cheers.

 

[Lord Flashheart]

Too bad your not gonna share her, she's really beatiful. Some people make stuff because they love doing it, whatever it is, and shares it freeley. Others just do it to make money. It's sad...

 

[epi.noah]

I'd love to share it freely, but the original (unedited) textures do not belong to me, they belong to REN. So I would need his permission first. And I don't know if he is even allowed to let me to share it, maybe he has a kind of license that doesn't let him do that (if his work is based on something else, or based on photos from a person who gave him a limited permission). And I don't even know if he saw this

 

[RandomVAMUser]

Nobody here can recommend you what todo, to share it or not.
But as for licensing i gonna guess CC BY-NC (RenVR), i assume CC BY-ND (Alter3go),
CC BY-SA (TGC) and FC (DJ) content has been used.

Even if content is under CC BY-NC and from paid/Patreon don't think just using Ren's stuff is ok
without first trying to get in contant with him (you did use ALOT of Ren stuff).

As for others...well CC BY-ND speaks for itself.

Your best and only option is simply trying to get in contant with all 4 original creators.
I mean they all have accounts here, just send them msg, point to this Q&A,
show them what material you used/remixed or send them final product.
Some might be cool with it, other might disagree,
you won't know until you ask them.

Good luck.


EDIT:
Well i gave you my answer/opinion, since this is kinda Q&A section and not general discussion.
Also i said "i gonna guess", that doesn't mean RenVR is using CC-BY-NC on all content, it might be ND on some.
Btw Simone/Lexi skins, although now included inside vam,
originally "i believe" they were patreon/paid content, also "i think" still are if you wanna get actual textures/morphs.

 

[epi.noah]

I don't have a Patreon page or anything and this is the first look I deemed worthy of sharing. Because I never shared stuff under these licenses and didn't know what license each creator imposed, I didn't know where to begin. You have been very helpful, thank you.

TGC and FC content can be linked as dependencies instead of including in the package (I assume that's how it works, I just created my first package minutes ago).

If Ren's material is CC BY-NC, meaning non-commercial is okay as long as there is attribution, I would gladly give credit where credit is due and share it that way. I'll try to reach him.

But with CC BY-ND, I guess ND means non-derivatives, so I wouldn't be able to share the makeup (Alter3go). That stops it at its tracks. The makeup really ties the look together for me. I'll try to reach him.

Thanks again

EDIT: I have reached out, didn't get a response, they may not have the time to check every pm and I understand. I gave up on the idea and shared My custom 3-Point Lighting rig and My custom ReShade Preset instead. The images in this topic do not have ReShade post effects, but the ones in this album do.

 

[Codepwned]

Join the VAM discord. People are way more active and responsive there

 

[epi.noah]

New question: Am I allowed to edit and share the textures that come with VAM?

I'm guessing that this is a technical question @meshedvr or the team should be able to answer.

This would be enough for me to put together a version.

1. I can use Alter3go's Emily makeup. That one comes in a packages licensed to allow me to edit and share it.

2. I can use the Tina face texture from REN's BaseFemale package because that one also has a license that allows me to edit and share it.

I do not have to use stuff from all the others (Linn etc.), I just need the Tina face, the Emily makeup and textures from Simone and Lexi, and those come with VAM.

So my new question is: Am I allowed to edit and share the Lexi and Simone textures that already come with VAM?

 

[meshedvr]

You can edit and share the textures that come included with VaM in the Custom/Atom/Person/Textures area. Consider those as FC license. Other textures inside VaM are not to be illegally extracted and used. VaM does not have a built-in way to export those as they are licensed products.

If you want to make modified textures and share them, look for textures distributed using the CC-BY or CC-BY-NC license type. Those you can modify and redistribute. That is what CC-BY and CC-BY-NC is for. You have to credit the original creator (name and link to original content). NC means you cannot use them commericially. If they are the SA versions of those licenses, you must distribute your changes using the same license as the source. VaM includes some explanations of these license internally.

If you see ND or PC in the license, don't modify and redistribute. It is not allowed.

 

[epi.noah]

Thank you very much for the explanation. Lexi and Simone textures are not in Custom/Atom/Person/Textures which kills that idea too. I didn't extract the textures from Vam, I got them from REN's Patreon only packages, but those have PC as license. I thought maybe the ones that came with the game would be open to be used but that wasn't the case. Oh well

 

[epi.noah]

Alter3go has been very cool about this. But RenVR's textures are PC (paid content), so I still have to wait for his response.

I have improved the body morph and created two additional looks (still work in progress) using these textures while I wait for @RenVR to see my messages. If he gives me the go ahead, I might end up sharing all three in a package.

If I can't get RenVR's permission, I'd share one of the looks (the one in the middle) using the Simone skin, so that the morphs are out there for anyone to use. That model would still look very similar except for details that I have obsessed over.

 

[VENTONORTE]

beautiful work congratulations, also like of making models, but I don't even know which program I should use, could you give me a tip?

 

[epi.noah]

I simply use Vam, and play with the morphs in the person page until I like the results. Google virt a mate look customization tutorial and it would help more than I could, I'm a beginner.

 

[epi.noah]

RenVR and Alter3go have both been very cool and now this model is out. As my questions have been answered, I don't want to keep bringing this topic to the top of the questions forum, so this is my last post about it here. We can continue here:

Looks - Epi.Kelly

epi.noah submitted a new resource: Epi.Kelly - Kelly, custom look to get closer to photorealism Look: Kelly. What it is Look. Body and head morphs, hair preset, skin preset as well as glute and breast physics presets are included. The scene comes with its own scene with only the...

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