GIMP Tutorials? re: blue visors

[CrudeMatter]

Are there any tutorials for extracting/editing textures with GIMP? I'm new to texturing and photo editing programs and to see one for the first time is kind of overwhelming. I've gotten GIMP downloaded and working... and I've extracted (perhaps improperly) a .tpc file to start from, but now I have no clue how to do what I'm trying to. I'm trying to change the red visors (verpine headband, etc) to blue.

I opened the I_VerpHBnd.tpc with KT, then saved it to my desktop. Then I opened it with GIMP. (I tried setting the path manager to GIMP, but either I pointed it at the wrong file, or it did nothing. It did not automatically open the image with GIMP. Thats why I saved the .tpc to my desktop then opened it with GIMP.)

Thats where I'm stuck. How do I change all of the appropriate sections/colors? Then how do I save it, and will not having the path manager setting correct prevent it from working?

Any help would be greatly appreciated... and thank you all for the information that got me this far.

[Archon II]

I began texture editing a while ago with the Gimp. It's a great program once you get a feel for it. Ok, first up you need to make sure that when you use Kotor Tool to extract, you extract as .tga files (usually you extract to your desktop). You should get this choice when you click extract. If not, go to your Kotor Tools tab labeled "Tools", then click options, then put a check next to the item that says convert .tpc to .tga when extracting. You can then open the texture as a .tga, wherever you extracted it to with the Gimp. Once you get that far, then you can edit the texture however you wish. Then, to get it to work in Kotor, just save it as a .tga file in your "Override" folder. If there's anything else, feel free to ask.

[CrudeMatter]

I began texture editing a while ago with the Gimp. It's a great program once you get a feel for it. Ok, first up you need to make sure that when you use Kotor Tool to extract, you extract as .tga files (usually you extract to your desktop). You should get this choice when you click extract. If not, go to your Kotor Tools tab labeled "Tools", then click options, then put a check next to the item that says convert .tpc to .tga when extracting. You can then open the texture as a .tga, wherever you extracted it to with the Gimp. Once you get that far, then you can edit the texture however you wish. Then, to get it to work in Kotor, just save it as a .tga file in your "Override" folder. If there's anything else, feel free to ask.

 

Thank you very much, I did need to change the options for extracting as tga. I'm sure that would have messed with me good at some point.

 

Now I just need to "get a feel for" GIMP. lol How do I go about actually changing the color scheme for the red parts of the item? Do I need to do this pixel by pixel, manually?

[T7nowhere]

If you just want to change the color of the visor part but leave the rest then all you would need to do is paint over the little pinkish red rectangle on the lower right, its pretty much just a a few pixels, Its what I call the bioware dot, they actually mapped several models like that, though in this instance it doen't make a difference.

 

If you want to change all the red to blue there should be some type of hue tool in gimp that will let you do that.

[oldflash]

I can't load in gimp tga's with alpha channel. Always is loaded as 24biti. What I do wrong?

[CrudeMatter]

I simply cannot believe how much A$$ you people kick!!! Done & done!

@T7- I couldn't figure out how to deal with the 'bioware dot' (I'd like to though), but I did finally find how to deal with the hue thingy. (lol) Blue visors anyone?

I'm headed to check out the making custom items tutorials to see how I can use the files for an item so they won't cover the other visors in the game. If you've got any advice, or I'm wasting my time... I'd appreciate the input.

.... yesterday at this time I had never touched a photo-editing program before, and now I got blue frickin visors!!!!

I got blue visors!!!

 

 

:blubounc:

 

 

Thank you all so very much, I'm just ecstatic. I'd post a screenie if I could post attachments.... btw why can't I? Is this a post-count thing?

anyway, MANY MANY MANY THANK YOU's!!!!.......

[Darth InSidious]

@Archon -- how do you save .tga's at 32-bit in the GIMP?

I've been trying to make custom icons....

Thanks

[Bob Lion54]

^^^^

Make sure you uncheck the "RLE Compression" box when you save. Don't uncheck "origin at bottom left," though. Well, you can, but the textures will not line up right in game. I accidently made some tie-dyed robes once. Funkadelic!

 

The same thing should apply to icons. I've never had a problem getting them to work. Getting them to look good, on the other hand.....

[Darth InSidious]

Lol, thanks!

I might try those funkadelic robes

[REDJOHNNYMIKE]

@crude matter, HOOORAY!!!

and go to Imageshack.com, browse to your kotor directory where your screenshots are saved, click the screenshot, the path should show up in the site's field, hit upload, wait a few minutes, when it's finished loading, there will be a screen with a lot of info, look at the bottom, there should be a field that says "direct link"

copy whatever is in the field, then just paste it in your post and it will show up as a link:D

[CrudeMatter]

Alrighty then... here we go...

 

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/6916/bluvisor21fr.jpg -blue, I still want to tweak it to a deeper blue.

 

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/7143/greenvisor3zk.jpg -green

 

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/5605/purpvisor0fv.jpg -purple, I really like how this one turned out.

 

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/5665/smokevisor9up.jpg -Smoke, for those who like shades. lol

 

http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/1139/blackhawk7yz.jpg - think the Ebon Hawk needs more ebony?

 

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/1457/billboard3dw.jpg -a special treat billboard for you guys who have encouraged/helped me with GIMP. I will surely be buried in this program for a while.

 

@T7- If you're still perusing this thread, thank you so much. Also, how do I get multiple versions into the game since they all use the same tga's? Do I need to rename each versions' tga's, template resref, tag, and model variation? I was hoping I could get them into the full-item creation mod without needing to change any 2da's. If thats not possible then I have quite a bit of work ahead of me.... and they won't fit in with the rest of ORI's stuff as neatly as I would like. <thinking> unless I make an ORI bench!!! lol <ugh>

 

Thank you all, I've gotten a lot from your help and encouragement! I hope it shows. You are a credit to the modding community.

[Bob Lion54]

Also, how do I get multiple versions into the game since they all use the same tga's?

I think its done the same way a new armour/robe is made. Try this tutorial.

 

http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=143176

 

I haven't made any items other than robes yet, so I'm not sure.

 

EDIT: yea, that should be the right Tutorial. I'm not sure which .uti file is needed though.

 

EDIT2: found it!! a_helmet_07.uti

hehe....same as the give item cheat, I should have known that....

 

EDIT 3:

Ok, thats not right. I figured it would work the same as robes, but I can't get the retexture to appear.

 

I can't find the right tutorial......

[T7nowhere]

To make an item retexture show as a unique item you have to either use the Renamer function on mdlops(model tool)http://home.comcast.net/~cchargin/kotor/index.html or use a hex editor to edit the texture reference in the model. The model number and texture must be renamed.

 

Useing mdlops is pretty simple and there are instructions on how to use it included , but I'll briefly go over it.

 

1.) extract the mask model in this case I_Mask_011.mdl and I_Mask_011.mdx start up mdlops and select the game and then click select file. Browse to where you saved the model and click the read button. once its done its thing, click the renamer button and a popup with a list of all the model textures will show. You need to only slightly change the texture name. ( and ofcourse what ever you rename the texture to in the model must be the same as the texture that you want the model to use.)

 

2) Re-numbering the model (.mdl and .mdx): first renumber the file name it can be anything from 015 to 255. next open the model in a hex editor and on the first I_Mask_011 you see, edit the number the same as the file. ( so if you name the file I_Mask_155 simply change the number to 155 and last press ctrl+s to save the file and your done that part.

 

3) The last step would be to make a new uti which is easy to do with KT. the most important thing here is to change the model var to the same as your model name so if you named the model I_Mask_155 put 155 in the model var field.

[Bob Lion54]

Ah, thanks T7.

 

I couldn't get it to work, though. I did, however, succeed in accidentaly creating an invisible head gear.

 

Other than the file name, what needs to be changed in the .mdx?

 

When I open the .mdl in mdlops, I get 4 different choices. Which do I change, or do I change them all?

[T7nowhere]

You don't need to touch the .mdx

 

When useing the renamer function change all references to the same texture that you are wanting to change. Many models consist of multiple mesh's and most often they have the same texture applied to them. in the case of lightsabers they use 2 textures one for the hilt and another for the blade, the blade however consists of 4 mesh's and so when you use renamer it will show 4 references for the blade texture.

 

If I continue to use the I_Mask_011 as an example you will find 4 references for the texture I_VerpHBnd now if you want the entire model to use your new texture then rename the texture on each mesh, but if you wanted to you could rename 3 of the mesh's and leave the last using the original game texture. if you did this you would not have to pack the old game texture with your mod since everyone already has the texture in the game.

 

So simply put, change them all.

[Bob Lion54]

Awsome! Thanks T7. I got it to work.

 

hehe.. I was trying to use the original file instead of the "k2-r-bin" one. hehe..

 

EDIT:

 

It seems that renaming "I_Mask_011" in the .mdl with a hex editor dosn't matter. When I was trying to make a second one and couldn't get it to work, I opened the first one I made (and got working). Apparently, I forgot to change "I_Mask_011" to "I_Mask_154."

 

Not sure what that means, but I though I should mention it.

 

Whats funny is sometimes it works, sometimes it dosn't. I tried getting the second one to work 4 or 5 times before it did. I think I did the same exact thing each time trying to spot my error. Finaly, it worked.

 

Thanks again!

[Darkkender]

I can't load in gimp tga's with alpha channel. Always is loaded as 24biti. What I do wrong?

 

If a tga is minus a alpha channel to start with gimp won't load it however if it is saved as 32-bit it will load it as 32-bit. GIMP is very versatile when it comes to it's images. It saves out as 24bit if no alpha channel is present and as 32bit with alpha channel present.

 

@Crudematter -- some quick and dirty tricks with gimp. Blow up your image to about 800% and shift select by color each color you want to change. Then right click and your menu's will appear as a popup just mouseover the selections untill you get to the hue balance selection and click on that to change your colors relatively quickly. Everything will remain balanced and you won't be worrying about stray color dots. Just careful on those alpha channeled colors as they can bleed into everything giving you some very funcky results.

[CrudeMatter]

@Darkkender- Thanks for the tips, I tried them out and they are handy. I'm all about quick and dirty. lol

.... but um.... to be perfectly honest, the term "alpha channel" is still meaningless to me. I've only been doing the GIMP thing for a few days now, and nothing (apparently) complicated enough to require considering what that means to me. I've really only done the visor hue alterations, the more-ebon-Ebon Hawk thing, the billboards, and my ORI logo(the last two really helped get a feel for the versatility of GIMP, btw)... and a little playing around. I haven't really had any bleeding problems, unless I simply didn't notice them because I don't yet know what to look for. ... nothing extreme at any rate.

Is the 800% thing because the color-select outline has a width? (something like 1 px?) Anyway that sounds like something you learned by trial-and-error. Thanks for sharing, and the trial & error work... It IS appreciated.

-btw- how goes the visor line? R U planning a release?

 

@T7- Thanks for all the help... I've gotten through using mdlops and GIMP to make my first unique item textures! Your assistance made the process much less painful than I would have imagined. I should be comfortable with basic usage of these tools... for a little while at least. lol You've been generous with your time and demonstrated your (I'm sure, hard-earned) skill. Maybe a simpler item like this is worth a tutorial to help lead up to the more complex ones. ...just a thought.

I'm still a little confused on the hex editor thing... to my knowledge, I didn't need one for the process. What am I missing here? Also, I still don't wholly grasp the importance of renaming all or only some of the meshes. I am presuming that layer and mesh are synonymous for this discussion. (?) Whats the point of multiple meshes with the same texture? If this is all in a sabre tutorial or something, I apologize for asking... I'm still not confident enough to try and tackle something like that. + all the great sabre works are a bit of a deterrant, the bar has really been raised in that area.

Thanks again to all of you, you've helped me take my first steps into being a modder, rather than just a KT tinkerer. ...and if any of you are interested in my blue "Shadow Hunter" visor, I will happily share it with you in thanks. (its a LS item that includes storyline from some of my not-yet-released mods, and it will be some time before an official release.)

This has been an enjoyable learning experience.

[Darkkender]

@Darkkender- Thanks for the tips, I tried them out and they are handy. I'm all about quick and dirty. lol

.... but um.... to be perfectly honest, the term "alpha channel" is still meaningless to me. I've only been doing the GIMP thing for a few days now, and nothing (apparently) complicated enough to require considering what that means to me. I've really only done the visor hue alterations, the more-ebon-Ebon Hawk thing, the billboards, and my ORI logo(the last two really helped get a feel for the versatility of GIMP, btw)... and a little playing around. I haven't really had any bleeding problems, unless I simply didn't notice them because I don't yet know what to look for. ... nothing extreme at any rate.

Is the 800% thing because the color-select outline has a width? (something like 1 px?) Anyway that sounds like something you learned by trial-and-error. Thanks for sharing, and the trial & error work... It IS appreciated.

-btw- how goes the visor line? R U planning a release?

 

the 800% thing is just something I've learned so that I can see all of the different shades of colors and make it easier to isolate the ones I want to change and not the ones I don't.

 

As to alpha channels any image that has one will be obvious as there will be a checkerboard pattern in the background of your image. If there isn't a checkerboard your image will have no transparency(alpha channel). The higher the alpha channel is turned up the more transparent a section will be. If you turn it up full your entire image will be fully transparent. The alpha channel is adjusted in the menu relating to layers in GIMP.

 

-- Side note I sure like Alpha channel alot better than the old transparency method used for sprites. RGB value 255, 0, 255 -- Magenta. I occasionally have use for that color.

[CrudeMatter]

@Darkkender- Thanks for the info. That sounds like some subtle stuff. Maybe, I'll get into that in more depth when I want to do some metallics. ...or maybe trying to brute-force some models to look like diff shapes. Good stuff to ponder. thanks!

[T7nowhere]

The reason I mention useing a hex editor to change the .mdl name is that if you have multiple items that use different model vars but the original model name is still in the mdl "header"(can't think of a betterword) for each color variation you will get model swapping during module transitions.

 

In simpler turms if your green visor and purple visor both have the same header name its likely they will change color evertime you load a new module.

[CrudeMatter]

^^^^

 

hmm... and the mdlops renamer function(or simply renaming the mdl) doesn't deal with that? ...does renaming the file cover the old name rather than actually changing it?

Is the "header" something you can only access with a hex editor?

Perhaps I just need to learn more about exactly what a hex editor is/does before I ask anymore questions... but thanks for the info, I will certainly be watching for that effect. (...and looking to learn, yet another, program.)

[oldflash]

The reason I mention useing a hex editor to change the .mdl name is that if you have multiple items that use different model vars but the original model name is still in the mdl "header"(can't think of a betterword) for each color variation you will get model swapping during module transitions.

 

In simpler turms if your green visor and purple visor both have the same header name its likely they will change color evertime you load a new module.

 

Only for nonanimated models.

Operation order

1. In mdlops "select file" button and select binary mdl (mdx file is in same location as mdl) and hit "read and write model". Mdlops has acrive checkbox "extract animations" and uncheck "convert skin to trimesh".

2. Load in notepad model-ascii file, search for texture name (that name is in model-texture.txt file), replace original texture name with custom texture name, save.

3. In mdlops "select file" button and select ascii mdl (which I have modif. in notepad) and hit "read and write model". Rename the binary result (mdl and mdx) to be unique item.

 

Is this ok?

[CrudeMatter]

Ok ...I'm having a new issue.

When I make a new icon image, the inventory icon loses it's little outline box. Anybody know what I'm doing wrong... or not doing right?

It doesn't really bother me that much, but it does seem kinda sloppy.

Also, I looked through some tutorials that sounded applicable, but I couldn't find this addressed anywhere. Does nobody else have this issue? ...am I missing something 'obvious'?

[Darkkender]

Ok ...I'm having a new issue.

When I make a new icon image, the inventory icon loses it's little outline box. Anybody know what I'm doing wrong... or not doing right?

It doesn't really bother me that much, but it does seem kinda sloppy.

Also, I looked through some tutorials that sounded applicable, but I couldn't find this addressed anywhere. Does nobody else have this issue? ...am I missing something 'obvious'?

 

This is where you need to start playing with the alpha channel functions of the image. What you want to do is color select the main black/dark blue background and delete it. Then go into the menu for layers and find the option to add alpha channel. This will allow the borders in game to remain and your icon will sit over the top of the borders if it goes outside there bounds but it will look fine and much much cleaner.