lux+ redux: documentation and changelog

hi. hello. i'm back in the building again.

credits​

credits for lux+ redux are as follows:

• bizu, tsar, illydoesthings: bibo+
• spiswel, lady strella: bibo trans redux
• korbo, arcess: better pube framework
• hafrunmods: lux+

i'm placing a more extended, personal thank you here to hafrun for greenlighting this little project, and to the hafrunmods discord server (with special thanks to oneiroy, sweetgiantess, workingelezen, and many more) for helping test and providing invaluable feedback throughout!

full developer breakdown​

for ease, the devkit is a single zip file, found on the mod page under 'extra files' (right on top of the description). those files are:

• textures, which encompass all the loose skin element files used in lux+ redux;
• blender devkit, which. should speak for itself.

this blender devkit (and all devkits going forward) was/will be made in 4.5 LTS. while it shouldn't utilize features specific to that version, if you are on another version, it may be in your best interest to make your own devkit from the individual meshes zip file instead. please read the full breakdown regardless of which option you pick!

textures​

this is the raw skin textures, including redux and flat chest overlay files. do note that hrothgar textures are saved in DDS format. for those unaware, bibo textures are utilized with the same base texture across most races - AKA, highlander and viera use the midlander textures. if it is not saved as a separate texture it is on purpose, use midlander. the undergarment textures have also been included for those wanting to build their own devkits.

if you want to use a tattoo while maintaining redux/flat chest textures, this guide will show you how to use the overlays in penumbra. if you need to use both, apply the flat chest textures FIRST, THEN apply the redux textures!

blender devkit​

upon opening the devkit, you will be greeted to this. (please do not mind that i use a custom UI reskin.)




the devkit is structured like so:

• Armature
  • Armature (Animation)
  • Armature (T-Pose)
• Individual Body Meshes
  • Chest
    • (All Chest Shapekeys)
    • Flat
    • S/M/L
      • Triangulated S/M/L Chest
      • Triangulated S/M/L Chest [YAS]
      • Quad S/M/L Chest
    • S/M/L (Pushup)
      • Triangulated Push-Up Chest
      • Triangulated Push-Up Chest [YAS]
      • Quad Push-Up Chest
  • Lower Body
    • Labia
      • BPF (Labia)
      • Triangulated Labia
      • Triangulated Labia [YAS]
      • Quad Labia
    • Penis
      • (All Penis Shapekeys)
      • (Penis Garment Tuck)
      • Flaccid
        • BPF (Flaccid)
        • Triangulated Tuck
        • Triangulated Tuck [YAS]
        • Quad Tuck
      • Erect
        • BPF (Erect)
        • Triangulated Erect
        • Triangulated Erect [YAS]
        • Quad Erect
  • Hands
  • Feet
• Mannequins
  • [YAS Weight Data; Advanced Users Only!] (seriously, most of the devkit hinges on these meshes - you can move them, but do not edit them unless you know what you're doing)
  • (Labia)
  • (Penis)
• Workspace (This is where your mods go!)

armatures​

by default, all meshes are parented to Animation Armature. this will allow you to test your weights in blender with the given set of animations. when animation testing, disable all individual meshes (do not hide them, disable them! the little checkbox next to the eye icon!) and use the mannequins to test for clipping. this will drastically improve your computer’s ability to render the animations at a respectable framerate, even with the game running. a T-Pose Armature has also been included to help and sculpt around underarm weights. this devkit is built around the robust weight transfer (SENT), XIV breast slider, and bustomize extensions, to make the whole process of porting to lux+ redux as painless as possible. while not formally supported, lux+ redux should also play nicely enough with Yet Another Addon, and is useful for making sure all meshes are correctly ordered, attributes/materials are properly assigned, and other quality of life features.

individual body meshes​

a big change made in 2.1 is that now the mannequins control nearly all YAS weights throughout the devkit via the YAS Weights modifier. penis waists (and shapekeys) are controlled by the penis mannequin; all other devkit weights and shapekeys are controlled by the labia mannequin. each individual quad mesh has their weight transfer mannequin appropriately named. pre-triangulated meshes for shapekey use have been better separated and are easier to enable/disable when needed. in layman's terms, press this button on the mannequin to toggle YAS weights on most individual meshes:



pre-triangulated YAS meshes with shapekeys will not be toggled by this modifier as their weights are already applied.

when weighing to lux+ redux, especially if you're intending to work with YAS, please use robust weight transfer. it will help you and is invaluable to you. use the source dropdown in its menu to locate the YAS mannequins, like so:


do note that the penis YAS models are only of the waist. this was done to save space in the devkit and lower the potential of incorrect weights in other areas. if you're porting something to YAS, you will need to weigh it to the labia YAS mannequin first. you will also need to utilize robust weight transfer's masking option. weighing to YAS for penis models should look like this:



take note of the settings in robust weight transfer - we are telling it to transfer weights to all areas except what is masked by the weights of the current vertex group. that's what that little <-> is for. you will need to make this key for your garments of choice, or you can transfer the key from the bulge underwear. what you name it doesn't matter.

the weight order is:

1. weigh to the corresponding penis (YAS) mannequin first, without a mask
2. weigh to the labia (YAS) mannequin for all other leg weights, using the mask you made with the invert <-> toggle checked

"this is very complicated" i'm holding your hands. all things are when you do them the first time. they will get easier as you get more comfortable, i promise.

this devkit utilizes and heavily relies on shapekeys, both in blender and in-game. in blender, the mannequins control all shapekey deformations for all meshes. as an example, if i am looking to model something specifically for the flat chest option, setting the flat chest shapekey to 1 on the labia mannequin will set every applicable mesh with the key to 1 as well. the penis mannequin handles penis deformation options only. all other shapekeys deformations pull from the labia mannequin. i've finally written a guide on shapekeys in the context of modding, and you can find that here.

in-game, lux+ redux takes advantage of a newer penumbra feature called custom shapekeys (SHPX). this allows modders to hook into the same logic the game calculates for glove and boot compatibility to load specific shapes based on metadata parameters. lux+ redux has its own setup for the custom keys it uses, to future-proof any other body mods made using a similar framework. while your upscales do not have to follow this ruleset (and depending on what/how much you want to do, may even be more hassle than its worth), i am outlining it here for modders who want to take advantage of the doors that have opened with it.

shapekeys FOR THE NSFW CHEST is as follows:

• shpx_lux_flat (upscale use only)
• shpx_lux_small
• shpx_lux_med (upscale use only)
• shpx_lux_large

for push-up/SFW chests, _b is added at the end for each (for example, shpx_lux_small would turn into shpx_lux_small_b). flat does not have a push-up mesh variant.

flat is typically its own size, while medium is the default shapekey for S/M/L.

shapekeys FOR THE NSFW LEGS* is as follows:

• shpx_lux_gena
• shpx_lux_genb
• shpx_lux_genc
• shpx_lux_gend

* older erect and soft shapekeys have been culled for ease. labia, flaccid and erect models now all use the same keys to denote their shapes. gen. a is the default shapekey for all meshes.

this process allows you to have multiple upscales/reshapes bound to one or two files rather than four or more. ALL shapekeys on every individual mesh that utilizes these come pre-named, so you do not need to change them unless you intend to add your own. you will need to hook your custom shapekeys through penumbra's meta manipulations tab, like so:



be sure to be specific about what equipment you're pointing to; it matters! this part of the process is something that can only be done in penumbra - while textools can read these values for importing and exporting raw model data, it does not have the UI to change or add them! if you regularly work with models over 30k tris, this method likely will not work for you.

everything in this devkit can be exported to penumbra or to textools, whichever program you prefer for authoring. if you plan to utilize these shapekeys, regardless of file export type, use the pre-triangulated meshes.

these are the appropriate FBX settings for TEXTOOLS:



these are the appropriate GLTF/GLB settings for PENUMBRA:



(typically tangents should be turned on, but if your import does not have correct shading on the seam areas or if shapekeys fail to register, turn it off. i have it off in this preview for this reason. for a more in-depth breakdown on why this can occur, see the penumbra wiki.)

i do not recommend exporting for penumbra if you intend to use YAS. right now there are serious discrepancies between textools and penumbra imports with YAS that would require the penumbra dev team to fix, and i don't have an ETA on that. using Yet Another Addon for FBX exports is completely fine.

i hope you enjoy! thank you for reading, and happy modding. if you are unsure about anything, please feel free to ask here or DM me.

 

[delta.]

lux+ redux 2.0 has been released. this update addresses the following:

• the YAS variant has been added as a separate file.
• hrothgar normal errors have been fixed.
• general weight/shape inconsistencies between original lux and redux have been fixed.
• BPF not showing on NSFW labia models has been fixed (do not ask me how i broke this, please).
• smallclothes and emperor foreskin have been separated for more customization/realism.
• feet models have been changed to raykie's edit to maintain consistency when using the YAS variant.
• undergarment material pathing has been changed to avoid conflicts with other mods (_b -> _lux).
• updated devkit to utilize shapekey drivers throughout. this is still a work in progress as i'm certain there is more i can optimize with it.
• updated devkit to clean out now-unnecessary meshes and optimize workflow.
• simplified export processes and explanations for textools and penumbra (read above for new export settings).
• devkits going forward will have their appropriate versioning within their titles.
• added redux and flat chest overlays to the textures pack for use with tattoo mods (read above for a guide link if needed).
• changed individual model pack to GLB format (if you prefer FBX and would like those instead, please get in touch with me).
• fixed a great many UV and retopology errors.

currently known issues:

• necks are a little weird with hrothgar. this is a UV-specific issue and will be fixed in the next update.
• using any physics mod on the base modpack can cause the SFW chest options to clip. as these are only meant to be used with the YAS models, priority for fixing this is slim to none.
• YAS penis models have weight errors. these will be fixed in the next update.

if you are proficient in blender driver shenanigans or otherwise slimming down .blend files, please reach out to me! i've done the best with the knowledge i have, but i'm sure there's more that can be done that i just do not know about.

 

[delta.]

lux+ redux 2.0.1 has been released. this update addresses the following:

• hrothgar neck seams have been fixed.
• metadata errors on foreskin have been fixed.
• penis UVs have been fixed.
• YAS penis weight errors have been addressed.
• texture devkit has been streamlined, and now includes loose file overlays for every applicable option. for modders, the master PSD i use will be released when i finish the sun+ 4.1 update, as both bodies rely on the same PSD. this new file should be compatible with any/all software that can read the PSD format.
• blender devkit filesize has been significantly reduced. to achieve this, the animations included with the devkit have been changed to raykie's IVCS-compatible animations. please contact me if you dislike this change; i can make the original animation rig a separate file for those who prefer it and am largely considering it.

for those who are coming here specifically for the texture guide, i'm pasting it again here. enjoy!

 

[delta.]

lux+ redux 2.0.2 has been released. this update addresses the following:

• [base mod] restructured options similar to sun+; labia variants are now included in the genitalia option selectors. it just felt silly to list out each labia option as i did before with penis options being separate. shapekey delineation has not changed.
• [base mod + YAS] weight errors on the seam line have been fixed. some were always there, others only occurred under specific conditions. if you're still seeing them, please message me.
• [YAS] SFW flat option no longer has genitalia weights mapped, and should no longer produce weight errors with this as the cause. this was an oversight on my part.
• [YAS] labia mesh errors have been fixed.
• some changes in devkit structure have been made to streamline export processes (namely, triangulated meshes are getting their own collections so the error above this one does not occur because i am silly). i think i got everything, but i'm sure i'll update if i didn't.

enjoy.

 

[delta.]

oh i never did post 2.0.3 notes. oops. in any case!

lux+ redux 2.1 has been released. this update addresses the following:

• BPF has been redone for all meshes.
• all meshes have been repacked and standardized.
• very minor neck seam has been fixed (genuinely, i apologize if this one's been here for a while. i had to back an oc up to the wall to see it).
• devkit size has shrunk significantly, again. individual meshes now have YAS weight modifiers where applicable to avoid mesh bloat. how to effectively utilize the devkit in its current iteration has been written out in the documentation.
• ensured partial compatibility with Yet Another Addon.

i decided not to edit the textures for redux, as i don't have the skillset to do so (yet!). i'll be making a separate blemish kit mod designed to compliment redux instead, as it gives me more breathing room to do so and allows me to include more options without bloating the main install. as stated in previous updates, barring any other bugs i somehow missed, this will also be the final version of this body for the foreseeable future. i'm happy with where it is and don't think i can iterate on it any further without burning out on it. i hope you enjoy it as much as i do. when i have the time, i'll also be updating previews separately to better show off the body in its current state.

cheers, and thanks for your patience!

 

[delta.]

lux+ redux 2.2 has been released. this update addresses the following:

• UV fixes.
  • the knees have been entirely re-UV'd. this should fix some long-standing UV issues that were particularly visible for peets and paws users. if you've made mods with the knees visible, the shape/weights have not changed at all, so it should be a 1:1 swap from old to new.
  • chest sizes have been revisited in an attempt to smooth out some of the texture stretching. it's by no means perfect, but i find it's definitely better than what it was when not using bibo smooth.
• fixed some more neck seams (hopefully for good).
• adjusted labia shapes. BPF should no longer appear to 'float' on Gen. B/C.
• smoothed weights on the upper legs.
• added a new shapekey for fuller hips. (thank you to johan for allowing this edit to be brought to the main modpack!)
• clipping on all bra models should be reduced significantly. some distortion with larger sizes is still inevitable, however.
• clipping and general jank on the sfw bulge option has been heavily reduced.
• fixed the bug where i somehow managed to put the YAS version of a chest onto the main modpack. no one look at me.
• [YAS] adjusted weights pretty heavily.
  • standard mune weights for all YAS chests have been removed. YAS mune bones now share the same weight data as the standard mune bones.
  • n_ear weight data for all YAS penis models have been removed. (them being present in the devkit is intended; them exporting with active weights when using YAS was a bug.)
  • former n_ear weights for the YAS tuck variant have been re-weighed to iv_ochinko_a and iv_kougan_l/r.
• [YAS] hands have been removed from the modpack due a currently unfixable bug (as in, i have tried genuinely everything i can think of to fix it and i cannot). i cannot tell if the weights or the mesh (or both!) are the problem. please use YAB/rue hands if you need this functionality until i can find a way to get them working again; i apologize for the inconvenience.
• undergarments have been removed from the main devkit.
• re-verified all shapes and shapekeys in the devkit so that they link to the correct mannequins. if i missed any, please tell me.

OKAY. i took a break and came back way stronger for it, apparently. this will be the actual last as far as feature updates go for the foreseeable future. now it's just bug fixes. we'll see how long i can commit to that, lol.
anyway, enjoy the update!

 

[delta.]

lux+ redux 2.3 has been released. this update addresses the following:

• a large portion of models have been repacked because apparently, penumbra's model I/O is outdated and auto-limits vertex weights to 4 instead of the intended 8 the body uses. this wasn't very noticeable with non-YAS between penumbra and textools imports, but was causing serious discrepancies with YAS. with no acknowledgement on if this is intended behavior and whether or not it will be fixed, i had to resort back to using my very fucked-up janky-jank linux textools setup. this has some farther reaching consequences than i would've liked:
  • if you have C+ on your fukubu bones, you will need to readjust them. the weights are completely different in that area now.
  • mods with models that were brought into the game via penumbra import will have to be re-exported from blender into textools instead. this should be a simple re-export into FBX. the settings are the exact same, you should not need to reweigh or touch anything (though i recommend exporting with the 2.3 skin meshes if you encounter issues). i must stress that the modpack now reflects the weights in the devkit, so if you weighed mods with the devkit, you will not have any issues with a simple re-export.
  • this should solve a lot of the longer-standing unintended issues with weights making the body look sharper than it should.

these models have only been validated for these weight issues. there's a decent chance other bugs have cropped up with this, and right now i am not in a position to check and fix them. i would still appreciate these bugs being reported to me, but i would also appreciate your patience as i work through these developments and irl stuff. thank you.

EDIT: also everyone go thank oneiroi for helping me figure this out. the absolute greatest to ever do it.

 

[delta.]

lux+ redux 2.4 has been released. this update addresses the following:

• the entire mod has been repacked. the YAS variant is now included in the base install.
• cleaned up SFW chest keys - they're now follow the same format as the base breast keys.
  • this still isn't fully reflected in the devkit on pushup models. this is a known issue and i will be releasing a devkit hotfix soon, alongside maybe another special surprise (if i get the spoons for said surprise).
• weight adjustments on YAS SFW chests. they should scale and move better now.
• microseam on YAS erect legs has been fixed.
• cellulite and stretch mark textures have been added.
  • i have been wanting to do these for a really long time. it is likely that these will be expanded upon and improved as i continue to learn the ins and outs of substance painter. my copy of substance painter is currently bugged, which made this harder but no less fun. if you like them as they are now, i do recommend keeping a local copy of the master PSD for your own characters.
  • the master PSD has surprise tools in it for a separate mod update that may please some of you. credit for those tools go to inktheori.
• au ra normals are now uncompressed to resolve discoloration issues on darker skin tones.
  • in fiddling with the additional textures and ensuring they look as accurate as possible for everyone, i finally stumbled upon this bug. i apologize for not noticing it sooner. please feel free to compress them yourself should you want to.

the only models that have undergone any changes in this patch are the SFW chests and YAS erect legs. there should be no breaking changes between 2.3 and 2.4 otherwise, unless you have a mesh affected by the microseam bug.

cheers!