Clear Complete Texture Editing Tutorial?

[Weiser_Cain]

I've downloaded the kotor tool and tpc2tga and:

 

1 tpc2tga doesn't seem to work for me(it just blinks on and off) and I've installed tpc2tga an kotor tool in the same directory and clicked always convert but it still exports tpc's.

 

2 I can't for the life of me figure out how to export from the 2da editor(if this is even possible)

 

What I'm trying to do is edit player and npc textures and swap bodies since i hate my butt and i want a black HK.

 

Any help is appreciated.

[gameunlimited]

use DOS command prompt to access the tpc2tga, or create a batch file. i personally would rather use the kotor-tool in conjunction with the tpc2tga to export texture to tga format.

 

to export to tga file using kotor tool, do not click on the "extract" button. instead, double click on the file. it will open a new window. from there, you can use the "Write" button to extract it into tga file.

[T7nowhere]

Originally posted by Weiser_Cain

2 I can't for the life of me figure out how to export from the 2da editor(if this is even possible)

.

 

There is no longer any need to export 2da's when useing the Kotor tool.You can edit all values and add lines.When your done editing the 2da just click on the menu file > Save as 2da v2.0b to the KotOR override folder or where ever you want to keep it.

 

But if you wan to extract a 2da just highlight it and click the extract buttonto the right.

[Weiser_Cain]

Thanks for the info so far, I assume just dropping the tga in the override folder will um, override the default texture?

 

Hmm, can i create new duplicate heads and retexture them? I want new hair colors but i don't want to loose access to the default heads.

[T7nowhere]

Originally posted by Weiser_Cain

Thanks for the info so far, I assume just dropping the tga in the override folder will um, override the default texture?

 

Hmm, can i create new duplicate heads and retexture them? I want new hair colors but i don't want to loose access to the default heads.

 

To do that I think you would have to add a new entry in heads.2da the player heads are labeled PFHA01D through to PMHC05 so what you would have to do is insert a new line at the bottom of the list which would make your head #107. just follow the same pattern as the player heads in there now .

 

Don't forget to also recolor the portraits as well. To do that you would have to add a new entry in portraits.2da

[Kitty Kitty]

It's a bit more complex than that.

 

To do it properly, you have to edit appearance.2da, heads.2da, and portraits.2da

 

Additionally, you'd have to extract/write the model files (mdl and mdx) from a model you like the form/shape of. Coloration isn't important since you're going to reskin them anyway.

 

Now.. in order to make it so you don't kill any of the defaults, you have to hex-edit the MDL, changing all references of the default texture to a new value, which should be a unique name of what you're going to call your tga files.

 

You can rip apart my new player to see everything I did to get it working if you wish, which is at my site (linked in the sticky).

 

In my case, the head model I chose to work with was PFHB02, which therefore had several references to "PFHB02" contained inside. Note that some were upper and some were lower case also -so if you do a search/replace, don't do case sensitive.

 

Anyway, to keep things simple and be sure I didn't overwrite something I wasn't supposed to, I made my base head texture "KFHC01" (.TGA is assumed, you don't put it in the mdl file). This kept my string the same length as the original and ensured I wouldn't go out of bounds of the data field (which is easy to do in a hex editor).

 

The 4 "evil" textures are a lot easier, since you name them in the 2da files, not in the model itself. So they can technically be called about anything you want. To keep it simple I just kept them the same, naming them "KHFC01" and adding "D1", "D2", "D3", and "D" for the 4 states of dark side -which follows Bioware's method.

 

Just for informational value, K=Kitty, H=Head, F=Female, C=Caucasian. Similar again to the naming conventions they already used just for simplicity sake, but still unique enough since this way I can help someone add my player choice to their game even if they use modified 2das just by adding/changing a couple lines and then it won't conflict with other mods etc.

 

Anyway.. hope this is some help at least.

 

-Kitty

[Nedumaran]

Kitty:

 

Great post.

 

After you did the human Mission and gave more explanation in that thread, I made a few feeble attempts that provided not great models, but it was a good learning exp.

 

Continue teaching the rest of us!

[Kitty Kitty]

If I somehow ever find the time I plan to put together a whole whack of tutorials with screen shots etc...

 

Just been so bloody busy I barely have time to turn around it seems lol

 

I'll get to 'em eventually though.. and hey.. the longer it takes me to get 'em done, the more I'll know and be able to include... so there's always a bright side. ;D

 

-Kitty

[Fred Tetra]

Originally posted by Weiser_Cain

I've downloaded the kotor tool and tpc2tga and:

 

1 tpc2tga doesn't seem to work for me(it just blinks on and off) and I've installed tpc2tga an kotor tool in the same directory and clicked always convert but it still exports tpc's.

 

2 I can't for the life of me figure out how to export from the 2da editor(if this is even possible)

 

What I'm trying to do is edit player and npc textures and swap bodies since i hate my butt and i want a black HK.

 

Any help is appreciated.

 

Just a note on texture extraction - the current version of Kotor Tool does not require tpc2tga any longer. When you choose to write out an image from the viewer, it is written directly by Kotor Tool itself. Also, unlike tpc2tga, it can do portaits and other images that are 24 bit RGB in format.

 

I did leave in (for now) the ability to still use tpc2tga, just hold down the shift key while double-clicking the file on the tree view. You will need to have tpc2tga installed in the same directory as Kotor Tool, and you will need an image viewer application installed that you can specify the path to in Kotor Tool's Path Management screen.

[Stator]

Originally posted by Weiser_Cain

I've downloaded the kotor tool and tpc2tga and:

 

1 tpc2tga doesn't seem to work for me(it just blinks on and off) and I've installed tpc2tga an kotor tool in the same directory and clicked always convert but it still exports tpc's.

 

2 I can't for the life of me figure out how to export from the 2da editor(if this is even possible)

 

What I'm trying to do is edit player and npc textures and swap bodies since i hate my butt and i want a black HK.

 

Any help is appreciated.

 

I can handle having a black HK-47 myself.

 

Stator

[Stator]

Originally posted by Kitty Kitty

If I somehow ever find the time I plan to put together a whole whack of tutorials with screen shots etc...

 

Just been so bloody busy I barely have time to turn around it seems lol

 

I'll get to 'em eventually though.. and hey.. the longer it takes me to get 'em done, the more I'll know and be able to include... so there's always a bright side. ;D

 

-Kitty

 

No rush KK. You have down a great deal to further this small community already. Anything else that you do is just icing on the cake and I for one can wait. Thanks for all the effort.

 

Stator

[Weiser_Cain]

Has anyone been able to get dds files to work? I know the engine will look at them, i just cant get them to work.

[Weiser_Cain]

Is there a way to hex edit bump maps into a mesh without one?

 

oh, and just so I'm sure what is the file type for bump maps?

[gameunlimited]

if im not wrong:

 

bump maps are also in the form of tpc files. take a look for example at "N_Selkath01.tpc" texture. that file is the texture file, while the bump map file is the "N_Selkath01b.tpc". And in the texture file, there is a footer file that says "bumpmaptexture N_Selkath01b". If you extract these files and convert it into tga files, the tga files will not retain the footer info. You have to make a new plain text file that says "bumpmaptexture N_Selkath01b" and name it as "N_Selkath01.txi". I think that should work although i have never tested this.

[MrCairo]

Thanks, Kitty...you just solved the problem i was having, i was going to post about it but now i don't have to. You are a Goddess.

[DarkDefeater]

I'm still not sure how to use an image editing program, like GIMP, to re-texture and re-skin. Using Kotor Tool, I can view Texture Pack files under the ERF directory, but I don't know how to export those files to the GIMP program. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[T7nowhere]

When the texture is open in the image viewer click the write button and save the file where you want to. I have never used GIMP, but I assume you can load tga's into it, ifso then just open the file from that app.

[DarkDefeater]

Thank you for the tip.

 

Is it possible to seperate parts of the texture into individual sections? I find it difficult to re-skin when the entire texture is "smushed" together in one box.

If possible, I would like to seperate the torso, head, arms, and legs into individual sections.

[Weiser_Cain]

Can't be done.

[Kale Jerre]

Originally posted by Weiser_Cain

Can't be done.

 

The textures are divided into logical sections, aren't they? All that is needed is a 'cutting guide' so someone can tell which section is which. That way you can copy that section out, modify it, and then paste it back in.

[Darth_ToMeR]

Originally posted by Kitty Kitty

It's a bit more complex than that.

 

To do it properly, you have to edit appearance.2da, heads.2da, and portraits.2da

 

Additionally, you'd have to extract/write the model files (mdl and mdx) from a model you like the form/shape of. Coloration isn't important since you're going to reskin them anyway.

 

Now.. in order to make it so you don't kill any of the defaults, you have to hex-edit the MDL, changing all references of the default texture to a new value, which should be a unique name of what you're going to call your tga files.

 

You can rip apart my new player to see everything I did to get it working if you wish, which is at my site (linked in the sticky).

 

In my case, the head model I chose to work with was PFHB02, which therefore had several references to "PFHB02" contained inside. Note that some were upper and some were lower case also -so if you do a search/replace, don't do case sensitive.

 

Anyway, to keep things simple and be sure I didn't overwrite something I wasn't supposed to, I made my base head texture "KFHC01" (.TGA is assumed, you don't put it in the mdl file). This kept my string the same length as the original and ensured I wouldn't go out of bounds of the data field (which is easy to do in a hex editor).

 

The 4 "evil" textures are a lot easier, since you name them in the 2da files, not in the model itself. So they can technically be called about anything you want. To keep it simple I just kept them the same, naming them "KHFC01" and adding "D1", "D2", "D3", and "D" for the 4 states of dark side -which follows Bioware's method.

 

Just for informational value, K=Kitty, H=Head, F=Female, C=Caucasian. Similar again to the naming conventions they already used just for simplicity sake, but still unique enough since this way I can help someone add my player choice to their game even if they use modified 2das just by adding/changing a couple lines and then it won't conflict with other mods etc.

 

Anyway.. hope this is some help at least.

 

-Kitty

I think it's just me, but even after 10 times i read it, i still don't understand how to make it... I tried, but without success. Anyone can help me?

[litokid]

Originally posted by Kale Jerre

The textures are divided into logical sections, aren't they? All that is needed is a 'cutting guide' so someone can tell which section is which. That way you can copy that section out, modify it, and then paste it back in.

 

That would be very helpful. I've been having loads of problems because of it. I can identify some parts, but every here and there there are random parts that I have no idea about.

[svösh]

'cutting guide' AKA UVmap

 

If you have gmax import your model if it’s in many parts link them together then apply unwrap uvw modifier to it. hit the BIG edit button on th right and see what crazy uv mapping was done…..

 

Hit print screen on your keyboard and paste this in over your image. I get fancy use levels so it’s black and white select the black and delete, then turn the opacity down to around 20 % and lock you layer. Then i'm left with the uv map and this helps a lot if your are lucky enough to get a uv map from a competent artist but if you are working on the default saber hilt or female Jedi robes then you better smoke some crack to be in the same mind set as the person that unwrapped the model in the first place the uv map is a mess and makes skinning a real drag.

 

I hope this helps

 

svösh

[bneezy]

Originally posted by Weiser_Cain

Has anyone been able to get dds files to work? I know the engine will look at them, i just cant get them to work.

I don't know if this is what you are looking for, but I hope it helps someone.

[witchzenka]

I have a totally stupid question. I've redone some textures for the player heads - how do I put them in the game? I put them in the Override folder and they don't show up. I do not have enough comprehension today to try and make them seperate selectable heads - but I'd like to see how they turned out, even if they override the defaults for now.

They're still in tga format - do I need to change that? and how would I?