Looking at the product page, those light spots seem to be present in the promo images as well.

I'm guessing it's a lighting artifact.  What kind of lighting are you using?

Are those the SSS MATs, and if so, what do the non-SSS textures look like?

I would guess it's burned in hightlights on the texure but I can't tell for sure since I don't own the product. When you open the texture in a graphic program do you see these hightlights too?

Dawn's default texture (which is also a merchant resource) has a little bit of burned in specular (most of it on the lower forehead above the brows), but not as much as I see in your images. I don't know tho if Dawn's texture was used to make that one tho or not. 

Have you tried EZSkin on the character? The only reason I ask is, for my own taste anyway, I always run a figure thru EZSkin, only because the only vendors that have ever made an SSS skin that I'm satisfied with is Blackhearted and Danae (which is not to say that the creator of your character can't make a good SSS mat...I don't own anything from that vendor) ;). If you have EZSkin, I'd give it a shot ;).

Laurie

I agree.  I removed a lot of the burned in specular/shadows from the base skin texture.  Once you get into using IDL, SSS and so on, it is really noticeable.

I used the SSS mats for the 2 renders.

When I looked at the jpg-files in the textures folder, the spotlights seem to be in the textures themselves, so it's not a question of lighting (only). But I'll try EZSkin and different light sets soon when I have the time.

Thank you for your suggestions and replies.

If you can see the highlights in the color map, then it is burned-in specular and it is bad bad bad with scatter. It makes the skin appear to be powdered or diseased.

SSS requires color maps be strictly about the diffuse color of the material. Unlike the old days, the color map is not just "painted" on your mesh - it is used to define how the material distributes light as it bounces around just below the surface. There should not be any other information in there.

I'm afraid bagginsbill is right...if it's on the map. there's no way to make it go away.

Laurie

Quote - I'm afraid bagginsbill is right...if it's on the map. there's no way to make it go away.

Laurie

True. But you can use about 20 different adjustment layers in photoshop and do some manual brushwork to reduce the glare rather dramatically. But it is a PITA.

All the best.

Great Uncle LROG

Quote - Using EZskin 2.

All the best.

Great Uncle LROG

That's Dawn's default skin and not what's being used by the OP.

Laurie

Quote - > Quote - I'm afraid bagginsbill is right...if it's on the map. there's no way to make it go away.

Laurie

True. But you can use about 20 different adjustment layers in photoshop and do some manual brushwork to reduce the glare rather dramatically. But it is a PITA.

True, but since the OP mentioned they were a newbie I figured they wouldn't wanna go that route. LOL.

Laurie

Quote - That's Dawn's default skin and not what's being used by the OP.

True, but Dawn's default skin also has a burnt-in specular over the brow, and there was some speculation that it was used as the base for this texture.

I'm not sure, myself.  I own one of Tempesta3D's characters (Marnie for Miki 4).  It, too, has a burnt in specular on the brow.  It's meant as a more illustrative/toony character, so I never really noticed before.

I used Dawn's, as mnetioned, they both have the same highlights.

I just showed that EZskin 2 can solve some of it.

All the best.

Great Uncle LROG

BB, some time ago you published a solution on how to reduce or eliminate burnt in highlights from dark skin using Mat Room Shaders.  This is pre SSS available in present Poser iteration.  Would applying that method along with SSS solve this problem with older skin textures, or would we experience worst renders with such a combination?  I haven't gone back to look at the old shader arrangements yet nor tried to incorporate it into an EZSkin arrangement.