Embedded Files
Overview
Overview
The Customizable Edition provides an advanced material system that allows full visual personalization of the arms, including skin, tattoos and nails. It has been designed for users who want to add their own tattoos, create custom nail designs, or adjust skin tones while keeping the original materials intact.
This edition makes use of layered shader controls and external templates that can be edited in any compatible PSD editor, such as Adobe Photoshop. These templates act as visual guides to place your own artwork accurately on the 3D model.
The customization process is completely non-destructive. You can make adjustments, update textures, and preview the results in real time inside Blender without altering the geometry or the base setup of the model.
Main capabilities include:
Main capabilities include:
Adding tattoos, decals, or graphics directly onto the arm surface.
Customizing each nail individually with colors or unique designs.
Switching between natural or painted nail appearances.
Modifying the skin tone, brightness, hue, and realism parameters.
Combining all visual options freely while preserving the original shading.
The following sections explain where to find the included templates, how to prepare your designs, and how to apply them correctly inside Blender.
Arm Customization
Arm Customization
Custom Skin Tone
Custom Skin Tone
The Custom Skin Tone section allows you to modify the general tone and ethnicity of the arm. This control can be activated directly from the shader and provides several preconfigured options ranging from light to dark complexions.
To enable it:
Open the Shader Editor in Blender.
Locate the "Arms" material and check the box labeled "Custom Tone".
In the "Skin Tones" node, choose a preset from the available list:
Albino
Fair
Light Olive
Golden Tan
Warm Brown
Deep Tan
Medium Dark
Deep Brown
Ebony
Each tone adjusts the melanin and subsurface parameters to achieve a natural result.
Light Areas Mask:
Light Areas Mask:
This slider controls the visibility of lighter skin zones that are typical in darker complexions, such as the palms, knuckles, or finger edges. Increasing its value enhances the contrast between these regions and the rest of the skin.
Note
Note
These parameters are physically based, and their ranges are already optimized for realism. It is recommended to adjust them gradually to maintain a consistent look across the entire model.
Basic Adjustments
Basic Adjustments
The Basic Adjustments section provides general visual controls for the skin material. These parameters affect the overall look and surface behavior of the arms and can be used to fine-tune the selected skin tone.
Controls available in this category:
- Hue:
Shifts the overall hue of the skin color. Useful to slightly warm up or cool down the tone.
- Saturation:
Increases or reduces the intensity of the color. Lower values create a more desaturated or pale appearance.
- Color Value:
Adjusts the brightness of the surface. Increasing it makes the skin lighter, decreasing it darkens the overall tone.
- Roughness:
Controls how glossy or matte the skin appears. Lower values make the skin look shinier, while higher values produce a softer matte surface.
- Specular:
Defines the amount of light reflected on the surface. Adjust this to balance the highlights depending on the lighting setup.
- Subsurface Scale:
Determines the scattering depth of the subsurface layer. This helps to keep the skin looking realistic under different lighting conditions.
- Subdermis:
A color control that affects the lower layer of the skin. Adjusting it can subtly modify the warmth or tone of the underlying tissue.
- Displacement:
Adds depth and surface relief to the skin microdetails. Moderate values are recommended to preserve realism.
Note
Note
All parameters are physically calibrated for the model. Adjusting them gradually is advised to maintain consistent shading across different tones.
Tattoo Template
Tattoo Template
Inside the main textures folder of the model you will find the file “Arms_Template.psd”. This template must remain in the same directory where the .blend file was originally unpacked. Blender uses relative paths to locate textures, so if the file is moved or renamed the material will not be able to find it automatically.
The template provides a complete 2D layout of both arms with clear orientation guides. It shows the front and back areas of each arm, including shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, and fingers. The layout is organized to make it easy to position your own tattoo designs accurately.
When opening the file in Photoshop or any compatible editor you will see the following layers:
- Design Layer:
Empty layer at the top where you can add your own tattoo artwork or graphic elements. You can create additional layers above this one for separate designs.
- Arms_Template-Layers (do not paint here):
A folder containing internal reference layers used to build the guide. These should not be modified or painted over.
- INFO (Hidden by default):
Contains extra information about how to use the template. You can enable it if you need a quick reference inside Photoshop.
- Legend:
Shows the names and orientation of each section of the arm, such as “Outer forearm”, “Elbow pit”, “Palm”, etc. This helps to place your design correctly on the 3D surface.
- Areas:
Marks the regions that correspond to specific body parts like the knuckles, shoulder, or elbow. These are useful for precise placement of small details.
- Edges:
Defines the visible limits of the texture. Designs should stay within these boundaries to avoid stretching or visible seams on the model.
Above the folder “Arms_Template-Layers” you can freely add new layers with your custom tattoo designs. Keeping this structure ensures that the visual guides remain intact and your artwork stays organized.
Applying Tattoos
Applying Tattoos
Once the template is prepared, you can add your own tattoo designs and apply them to the model. The process is simple and requires only basic editing in Photoshop and a few steps inside Blender.
Open the file “Arms_Template.psd” located in the textures folder of the model.
Add your tattoo images on new layers above the folder “Arms_Template-Layers (do not paint here)”.
Place each design in the desired area according to the guide layout (forearm, shoulder, hand, etc.).
When you are done, hide the visibility of the entire guide folder “Arms_Template-Layers” so that only your artwork remains visible.
Save the file normally using File > Save or the shortcut Ctrl + S. The PSD must remain in the same folder to stay linked to Blender.
Back in Blender:
Back in Blender:
1. Open the Shader Editor and locate the material named “Arms”.
2. In the Tattoo section, enable the checkbox “Custom Tattoos”.
3. Your designs will appear directly on the model surface in both Material Preview and Rendered view.
If you update the PSD while Blender is open, the changes may not appear immediately. To refresh the texture:
Temporarily switch from Rendered or Material Preview mode to Object mode and back again, or
Uncheck and recheck the “Custom Tattoos” box to force Blender to reload the image.
This method allows you to preview your tattoo designs instantly on the model without reimporting or reassigning textures.
Tattoo Section
Tattoo Section
This section contains additional controls to refine the appearance of the tattoos once they are visible on the model.
Custom Normal:
Custom Normal:
Allows the use of an optional normal or bump map to add surface detail. It can be used to give the tattoos a subtle raised or engraved effect, or to apply other surface features such as scars or texture marks.
Ink Tint:
Ink Tint:
Applies a color tint to the tattoo layer, giving it a more natural or slightly aged look. The effect can be adjusted in color and strength to simulate different ink tones or fading over time.
These settings help blend the tattoos more naturally with the skin and add physical variation when needed.
Nails Customization
Nails Customization
General Values
General Values
The General Values section includes basic controls that affect the overall appearance of the nails, whether they are painted or natural. These parameters define how light interacts with the nail surface and determine its general level of gloss, reflection, and coating.
- Roughness:
Controls how smooth or matte the nail surface appears. Lower values create a glossier finish, while higher values result in a more diffused and soft reflection.
- Specular:
Adjusts the amount of reflected light. This affects the strength of highlights and helps balance how reflective or subtle the nails appear.
- Coat:
Adds an additional reflective layer on top of the nail surface. Increasing this value can simulate a clear coat effect similar to polished or varnished nails.
- Coat Roughness:
Controls the roughness of the clear coat layer. Lower values make the reflection sharper, while higher values produce a more diffused highlight.
Natural Nails
Natural Nails
The Natural Nails section contains the controls that define the look of the nails in their original, unpainted state. These parameters are meant to match the tone and light behavior of real nails while maintaining a natural and consistent appearance with the skin.
- Hue:
Shifts the general hue of the nail color to achieve warmer or cooler tones.
- Saturation:
Controls the color intensity. Lower values desaturate the nail, while higher values increase color richness.
- Color Value:
Adjusts the overall brightness of the nail surface. Increasing this value makes the nail lighter, while reducing it creates a slightly darker tone.
- Subsurface Weight:
Determines the strength of the subsurface scattering effect, which helps simulate the soft light transmission through the nail material.
- Subsurface Scale:
Defines the depth of the scattering layer. Higher values make light penetrate deeper, adding realism under strong lighting.
- Translucent:
Controls how much light passes through the nail edges, enhancing realism especially in close-up shots or backlit scenes.
- Normal Strength:
Adjusts the influence of the nail surface detail. This can be used to make small imperfections or texture variations more visible.
Painted Nails
Painted Nails
The Painted Nails section provides all the controls for customizing the appearance of painted or decorated nails. These parameters are independent for each hand, allowing you to apply paint or designs selectively.
- Painted / Natural - Right Hand:
Activates or deactivates the painted nail mode for the right hand. When unchecked, the nails remain in their natural state.
- Painted / Natural - Left Hand:
Activates or deactivates the painted nail mode for the left hand. You can enable both or customize each hand independently.
- Template / Color:
Determines how the nail paint is applied. When this option is unchecked, the nails use a uniform color defined by the color picker below. When checked, the system uses the “Nails_Template.psd” file, allowing each nail to display its own custom design or pattern.
- Custom Color:
Defines the solid color used when the Template / Color option is disabled. This can be any tone, from neutral to vibrant, depending on the desired style.
- Metallic:
Adds a metallic reflection to the paint layer. Increasing this value produces shiny, reflective finishes such as chrome or metallic nail polish effects.
- Paint Normal:
Input for a normal or bump map. By default, it is connected to an internal noise texture that simulates the subtle irregularities of nail polish. You can replace it with any custom normal map to create unique surface effects.
- Normal Strength:
Controls the intensity of the normal or bump detail applied to the nail surface. Lower values keep the surface smooth, while higher values emphasize the relief and reflections of the paint layer.
Nails Template
Nails Template
Inside the main textures folder you will find the file “Nails_Template.psd”. This template provides the complete layout of both hands and allows you to design each nail independently.
The PSD file must remain in the original textures directory next to the .blend file to ensure that Blender can locate it correctly. Moving or renaming the file may cause the material to lose its connection.
The layout clearly separates the nails of both hands, labeled by finger (Thumb, Index, Middle, Ring, Pinky) for easy identification and precise placement of designs.
When opened in Photoshop or any compatible editor, the template includes several guide layers similar to those used in the arms template, such as Design Layer, INFO, Legend, and Edges. These serve as visual references for orientation and boundaries.
You can freely add your own artwork or color layers above the existing structure to create personalized nail designs for each finger.
Applying Nail Designs
Applying Nail Designs
To create and apply custom nail designs, open the file “Nails_Template.psd” located in the textures folder of the model. Each nail corresponds to a labeled area in the layout, allowing you to paint or place designs individually.
Open the template in Photoshop or any compatible PSD editor.
Add your colors, patterns or logos on new layers above the existing structure.
When finished, hide the visibility of the folder “Nails_Template-Layers (do not paint here)” so that only your artwork remains visible.
Save the file normally using File > Save or the shortcut Ctrl + S.
Back in Blender:
Back in Blender:
Open the Shader Editor and go to the “Nails” material.
Enable the options “Painted / Natural – Right Hand” and/or “Painted / Natural – Left Hand”.
Make sure “Template / Color” is checked so that Blender uses your PSD template.
The designs will appear instantly on the corresponding nails.
If the texture does not update after saving:
Switch from Rendered or Material Preview to Object mode and back again, or
Uncheck and recheck the “Template / Color” option to force Blender to reload the file.
Important:
Important:
Any area left transparent in the template (alpha channel) will appear black in Blender. To avoid this, make sure that every nail is filled with a solid color or design before saving the PSD.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse