Glossy Skins

[RandomTask]

I'm Having some trouble with editing textures im trying to get the glossy reflective effect i've tried adding an alpha channel but all that seems to do is set the transparency i'm sure im not doing something right just can't put my finger on it i'm very new at this so please keep any explanation simple any help greatly appreciated

[svösh]

When you extracted the .tga it did it have any shader information ex: envmaptexture CM_Baremetal, CM_Bright, CM_Specmap, ect…

 

You are right the alpha is for the level of transparency , but you have to use a model with out any predefined characteristics , transparency , self illumination.

 

That aside you have to make a simple shader file , when you view the texture in Kt you see the shader info if there is any . This is not inherent in the .tga but is actually in the model it’s self the alpha channel allows some of the shader to show through the texture using transparency masks.

 

In some cases, Bastila’s clothing to add an envmaptexture CM_Baremetal to I had to edit appearance.2da to make my custom alpha work.

 

Lets hope you don’t require that and maybe this is a simple problem of adding the .txi file.

 

So lets say for example you texture is called : pfbg01.tga [ the most used environment shader is CM_Baremetal ] when used sparingly in the alpha it can make a plastic shine, leather, and

at 100% black on the alpha chrome.

 

So to make the .txi open notepad and type this

code:

---------------------------------------------

envmaptexture CM_Baremetal

---------------------------------------------

now save it as the same name as your texture :example: pfbg01.txi [ you have to manually add the .txi extension if it has .txt the game will do nothing with it, so make sure. Drop the texture and your txi in to override that should do it

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On a side note if you have Photoshop 7.0 it will not save alpha channels in targa file properly but by getting the targa fix here

http://www.adobe.com/support/downlo...544&fileID=1478

 

if the image has more then 1 alpha channel it will NOT work

 

the tga has to be 32 with an alpha channel

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I hope this helps

 

svösh

[MTV2]

So, does every retexture(with alpha channels or not) have to have a .txi extension, or is that only for alphas?

[Prime]

Originally posted by MTV2

So, does every retexture(with alpha channels or not) have to have a .txi extension, or is that only for alphas?

My underatanding that only the ones with an alpha channel.

 

When I was working on the stormtrooper skin, I deleted the original alpha for the default armour texture and created my own. Then I used the .txi file to define the shine. But most of the tweeking in terms of brightness I did by varying the grayness of the mask.

[Xavier2]

Originally posted by Prime

My underatanding that only the ones with an alpha channel.

 

When I was working on the stormtrooper skin, I deleted the original alpha for the default armour texture and created my own. Then I used the .txi file to define the shine. But most of the tweeking in terms of brightness I did by varying the grayness of the mask.

I'd like to add also, like master svosh said, some models have the shader carved into them. With these type of models, i.e. Bastila's and soldier clothes, in order to change the shader you will have to, either edit the file appearence.2da envmap columm with Kotor Tool, or hex edit, changing the original shader writen within the model file to whatever shader you like.

 

With this second process, be careful!! you can't delete any entry, just replace it.

 

For example:

 

To change CM_Baremetal to CM_Specmap, replace entrys/letters "B" for "S", "a" for "p", "r" for "e" and so on.

 

Like this - CM_Bar

- CM_Spe

 

Since CM_Specmap has 10 entrys and CM_Baremetal has 12 entrys you'll have to replace last "a" and "l" by two empty entrys.

 

Remember though, that "empty" is different from zero and from deleting the entry, so just copy another empty entry from elsewhere in the file and paste it into the entrys you need to replace ("a" and "l", from CM_Baremetal).

 

This second techinique, although more complicated, save you the need of using appearence.2da that will likely conflict with other mods.

 

Hope it helps:) If its not enough i could provide some screenshots later.

 

Xavier2

[RandomTask]

Thanks for all the help guys that helped alot

[MTV2]

Originally posted by Prime

My underatanding that only the ones with an alpha channel.

 

When I was working on the stormtrooper skin, I deleted the original alpha for the default armour texture and created my own. Then I used the .txi file to define the shine. But most of the tweeking in terms of brightness I did by varying the grayness of the mask.

Is that skin done yet?

[svösh]

MTV2 and every texture in game has an alpha even if it’s fully white. It’s the way the file is saved at 32 bits of colour.

 

The targa file saves 32-bit RGB images (8 bits x 3 colour channels plus a single 8-bit alpha channel). The sold white alpha will show no shader through at all allowing you to add to and edit the alpha and in most cases a simple .txi will get the shader working.

 

Xavier2 Another thing you can do is extract the mdl and mdx use mdlops 2 on the file open th ASCII-mdl in notepad find transparency = alpha1, selfillumcolor because this uses 3 channels of 256 colours [ 256 256 256 = white ] and used on lights, lightsabers ect..

 

alpha 1 = solid white alpha no shader inherent in the model your free to make your own

selfillumcolor 0 0 0 = black so no selfillum

 

Save .. rename to ascii-mdl … and recompile making sure both original mdx and mdl are in the same dir / when compiling.

 

svösh