Rifle Hex Editing trouble.

[Masaru]

Hi, I'm Masaru, new to these boards. I've read a few tutorials and did the custom lightsaber tutorial, and decided to make a custom Ion Rifle using the same concepts of the tutorial.

 

These are the files I have so far:

g_w_ionrfl_03.uti

w_ionrfl_003.mdl

w_ionrfl_003.mdx

iw_ionrfl_003.tga

w_IonRfl_003.tga

w_ionrfl_003.txi

 

I'm done with everything up to Hex editing. I believe I already found what i'm looking for in the text strings (w-IonRfl_003) But when I do this, I only find three, so I'm a little unsure. I haven't been here too long (I got stuck on the .txi thing for the saber before I finally understood it on the forum by reading a few posts on the tutorial thread by J3d1 W4rr10r near the end) Of course, I didn't see any mentions about making guns, but maybe I haven't picked the forums clean...If anyone can give me a moment of time to tell me what to do for the Hexing, let me know. Thank you for your time.

[T7nowhere]

Not all models will have 4 texture references. Each texture reference you find in a model is a material applied to a separate mesh piece of the model. so if you only find 3 then its likely that there are only 3.

 

However, it is better to use MDLOps to change the textures that are used in a given model. You can download MDLOps from here http://home.comcast.net/~cchargin/kotor/index.html

 

The function that you will want to use is the renamer, instructions on how to use it are in the readme.

[Patriarch]

T7Nowhere...I think you or other members of the administrative staff should make a more thorough tutorial with regards to what the replacertool actually does in the skinning model section. ( I will gladly help but I'm no expert )

For instance the the replacertool and and a seperate model is essential if you dont wanna use ONE shader txi for one model category....ie pmbjm. You dont have that problem with your USM mod because you used the replacer in that....however I often see that you are telling people that txi's just need the same name as the texture of a model and then the txi extention....This is wrong as far as i see it .....the actual texture (bitmap reference in ascii) has references in the model, and while textures uses wild cards with regards to the model name...the shaders does not....

 

If i put cm_cry in a txi and call i pmbjb01 then cm_cry would be applied to all models using pmbjb..... This means you need a seperate model (with a pointer) to use a custom shader...

[RedHawke]

T7Nowhere...I think you or other members of the administrative staff should make a more thorough tutorial with regards to what the replacertool actually does in the skinning model section. ( I will gladly help but I'm no expert )

What we have is what we have, writing tutorials takes a large amount of time, and is done by volenteers on their own time. Also just because it says Moderator under our avatars doesn't mean we are the only ones who can write them.

 

Unless we get people in the community to volenteer to write tutorials they will never get done. So if you see something that needs to be fixed or, added to, then please by all means write up your corrections and post it, we will never turn down a Tutorial.

[T7nowhere]

For instance the the replacertool and and a seperate model is essential if you dont wanna use ONE shader txi for one model category....ie pmbjm.

 

Well, first thing is, I did not mention MDLOps replacer function. I said to use the renamer function to rename the texture references in a model instead of using a hex editor. It is however NOT essential to use the replacer function on all models. The only time you need to use the replacer function in mdlops is when you want to replace pieces of a model to preserve the animations, this however can only be done with trimesh's and will not work on a skinmesh.

 

Or are you talking about Taina's replacer tool which is used to make vertex edits to a model.

 

You dont have that problem with your USM mod because you used the replacer in that....

 

By useing the replacer function for lightsabers we are limited to making the model with a single mesh and thus a single material which can only contain one Alpha channel and only one shader.

 

however I often see that you are telling people that txi's just need the same name as the texture of a model and then the txi extention....This is wrong as far as i see it .....the actual texture (bitmap reference in ascii) has references in the model, and while textures uses wild cards with regards to the model name...the shaders does not....

 

I think your confused, In order to add shader information for a texture you do need to name the .txi the same as the texture or the game will ignore it, but you also need to add an Alpha channel to your texture and mask off areas where you want the shader to show through.

 

If i put cm_cry in a txi and call i pmbjb01 then cm_cry would be applied to all models using pmbjb..... This means you need a seperate model (with a pointer) to use a custom shader...

 

One important thing you need to understand is that not all body mesh's will accept shader info unless you also add the shader to the envmap column in appearance.2da(the problem with this is that your forceing the game to use that shader for all alpha channels of textures that that appearance row uses. Also you are limited with body mesh's, you can't just use any shader information you want in the materials .txi you can only use the shader that has been applied to the mesh, unless you force it in appearance.2da and even then changing it can cause major problems in the game.

 

 

We are however not discussing shaders being used on body mesh's. The origianl poster asked about Hex editing a blaster model, which can be done much faster with the renamer function in MDLOps. I have renamed textures for around 100 lightsaber models in under 30 minutes. The only thing you will need a hex editor for is to rename the models aurora base.

 

Patriarch if you would like to discuss shaders in body mesh's further please create a new thread, the same goes for the replacer function.

[Patriarch]

Hey

 

Sorry...I did not mean to be rude in anyway. As I stated I would gladly help, in anyway I could....I respect everybody here, but I am merely stating what I've discovered. I know that You T7 and svösh are experts on modelleing and skinning, but what I have read in your posts is that ie shaders would always apply to whatever01.tga if you have whatever01.txi. Perhaps I misunderstood that, but amongst other well regarded skinners that state the same without adressing this is Chainz.2da.

I am very well aware that you can define env map in appearance.2da but as you've said your self many times T7, it is prefered to keep the 2da editing to a minimum.

 

Imagine a scenario where you make "exile armour markIII" based on armor class 9 then youd have to make 20 adjustments to appearance.2da to apply a shader for a pc...

 

But anyways.....I am obviously on deep water....I am just happy that I've found out how to use a shader with bastillias clothes without adding cm_baremetal to my NPC i appearance.2da...

[Masaru]

Oo; okay then... I'm guessing that I only need change a number? Or should I change the name of the weapon entirely?

 

All I want here is to make the weapon in the same fashion as the lightsaber tutorial guide. I don't want any reskinning or anythin like that.