Alright, so I wanted to get Adama Sanogo’s look just right in NBA 2K23. I’m a big UConn fan, and seeing him in the game without his signature look just felt wrong. So I decided to try making a custom cyberface for him.
First, I needed to find some good reference photos. I scoured the internet for high-quality images of Sanogo, you know, from different angles. Front shots, side profiles, the works. The better the photos, the better the cyberface will turn out, I figured.
Next, I needed the right tools. I’m not a pro at this, so I did some digging and found out that most people use Blender for this sort of thing. It’s a free 3D modeling software, and yeah, it looked intimidating at first. I downloaded it and started watching some tutorials. Lots and lots of tutorials.
Learning Blender (The Hard Way)
- Basic Navigation: Just figuring out how to move around in the 3D space was a challenge. Rotating the view, zooming, panning… it took a while to get the hang of it.
- Importing the Base Model: I found out that 2K uses existing player models as a base. So, I needed to find a player model that was somewhat similar to Sanogo’s build and then export the game files, which was a whole other process involving some special tools I found online.
- Sculpting: This is where the real work began. I imported my reference photos into Blender and started using the sculpting tools to reshape the base model’s face. Pushing, pulling, smoothing…it’s like digital clay. I’d tweak something, compare it to the photos, tweak it again. It was slow going.
- Texturing: Once I was happy with the shape, it was time to add the skin texture. This involved unwrapping the 3D model (imagine peeling an orange and laying the peel flat) and then painting the details onto the unwrapped “skin” in a program like Photoshop. I tried to match Sanogo’s skin tone and add details like stubble and any unique features.
- Eyes and Hair: I learned that eyes and hair can be separate models. I’m not gonna lie, I struggled with the hair. Getting it to look natural is tough. I ended up finding some pre-made hair models online that were close enough and I modified it.
After many, MANY hours (seriously, I lost track), I finally had something that resembled Adama Sanogo. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a huge improvement over the default in-game model.
The last step was to import the modified model and textures back into the game. This also involved using some modding tools and carefully replacing the original files. I booted up the game, crossed my fingers, and…there he was! My custom Adama Sanogo cyberface, in all its glory.
It was a lot of work, but totally worth it. Now, playing with UConn feels even more authentic. I’m not saying I’ll become a cyberface-making expert, but it was a fun project, and I definitely learned a lot.
