FAQs [Headmods]

What is a headmod?

A headmod is a mod that introduces a new type of face in Koikatsu.

What are faces in Koikatsu?

Faces are meshes with bone distriburtions, animations, materials and textures that appear in-game. They are the most complex part of a character with:

• 18 independent elements

• 96 bones 192 joints (movement/rotation/scale in game)

• 11 different materials (light-interaction/looks in game)

• 34 different UV maps among the elements (projection in game)

• 28 eye-related keyframes/animations for each eye element

• 53 mouth-related keyframes/animations for each mouth element

It is a Herculean labour to do a single headmod, specially if we were to preserve every single element or feature. Take into account that if you move a single vertex out of place in one single element, in one single animation; it'll be clipping with every other adjacent element forever. So, in order to finish on time any project, every creator has to cut somethign out of the equation.

What features are enabled?

Of all the feature a face has, our headmods have these enabled/disabled:

• Face Reshaping Options [Very Limited]: Currently, it's impossible to apply bone distributions properly in heads that differ too much from the default face in KK. The only available options are move/rotate/scale neck and head for more involved headmods.

• Facial Expressions (animations) [Fully Enabled]: We focus on creating all 81 animations (eyes and mouth) using unique patterns and basing them on original works. It is one of the most labour-intensive processes but it give a lot of life to our projects.

• Face Makeup/Overlays/Outlines [Enabled but Limited]: This includes Makeup, Moles, Lipstick, etc. In order to keep Makeup options we need to create identical projections of the original head. This is impossible but we strive to get as close as we can. Sometimes this will work flawlessly and there will be strong compatibility with the existing textures in KK but sometimes there will be oddities. However, the constraints we keep on our own UV maps and textures, ensure we keep thing familiar and intuitive so you can edit the textures using the Material Editor with ease.

• Noseline [Disabled]: Overlaying noselines on the face gives the same results. This way, we don't have to animate the noseline.

• Tears [Disabled]: Very difficult to work, they aren't really present. We skip these.

• Gag Expressions [Enabled]: We keep the gag animations (firey eyes, ascii faces, etc.)

• Eyebrows [Enabled]: We rarely animate these, and they rarely come into contact with other elements, so we often keep them intact.

• Teeth/Tongue [Fully Enabled]: Sometimes, custom-made. Including specific animations with their own 80 animations to pair with the face.

• Fangs [Often Disabled]: Since we sometimes do custom-made teeth, we often don't add this option as it also entails animating and matching face, teeth and tongue.

• Eyeline/Eyelashes Expression (animations) [Fully Enabled]: This is one of the most difficult parts of the process for creating our headmods. Not only do we create them, reshape them into innovative forms, but we have to animate them separately making sure that in all the 28 animations they have, won't clip with the face and each other. Very complicated.

• Eyeline/Eyeshadow Expression (animations) [Mostly Enabled]: Like the eyelashes, this is one of the most difficult parts of the process for creating our headmods. We have to animate them separately making sure that in all the 28 animations they have, won't clip with the face and each other. Sometimes this feature is disabled but might have kept it hidden mainly because the materials can behave in tricky ways.

• Eyeline Editing [Enabled but Limited]: The same as for Face Makeup, it is impossible to guarantee an identical projection of the eyelashes/eyeshadows with the originals but we try our hardest to allow for a smooth compatibility. But in the end it keeps UV maps familiar and intuitive so one can edit them with ease.

• Eye Expressions (animations) [Disabled]: It sounds unusual, but yes. The eye (sclera and iris) deform in the original KK head to adapt to the face deformations. This is so difficult to tackle and it seems so unnecessary that we just don't do it and opt for static eyes instead.

• Eye Texture Editing [Enabled]: It's all about creating a proper projection with the UVs. We do it, it works.