I need help getting my feet wet.

[Sir Vougalot]

Now, before this thread is closed, be it known that I have read all of the tutorials posted here, and then some. I've downloaded everything recommended in the "Getting Started - KOTOR Tool" section of this thread, including KOTOR Tool and Microsoft.Net Framework (and I have no idea if the latter installed successfully or not because when I installed it, it behaved weirdly, with no confirmation at the end); and I read all of the readmes and whatnot within the program, and it just isn't making sense for me.

 

Then I downloaded and tried to install (but some things wouldn't open up) everything listed here, and it still isn't clicking. Then, following the recommendation found here, I downloaded a thirty-day trial version of the new Photoshop beta (which, by the way, I have absolutely no skills in using), and I'm still not getting it.

 

Okay here is my dilemma: I know nothing. I have no modding knowledge, no skinning knowledge, no scripting knowledge, no Photoshop knowledge, and I'd say that my computer knowledge is about average. I'm an intelligent guy, so I know that itn't the case. But these tutorials and programs just aren't making sense to me. I'd like to get into modding and skinning to be able to do what you guys do, but I just don't know where to start. I wish I had some sort of tutor to walk me through all of it or something.

 

So my question is: can anyone please advise me on how to get started? Also, would it be prudent to take computer classes? Or programming classes? And what sort of programming language, if any, should I learn that would be most helpful in modding, especially KOTOR?

 

Thanks in advance for any assistance that may be offered.

[L0rdReV@n88]

id just start small from recolor to all new textures, then appearance changes in the .2da scripting and then modeling i just started modeling last night so im not to good except in textures. but if you have a specific problem people will be glad to help here

[tk102]

I think generally there are two types of modding you can pursue -- aesthetics and functionality. The former would include skinning and modeling and the latter would be more .2da, scripting, and gff editing. I personally have never done much in the way of aesthetics just because I feel more comfortable doing the functional stuff. Some of the best mods out there are combinations of the two of course.

 

For getting your feet wet with functional modding, I'd suggest taking your time looking at the baseitem.2da file laid out in front of you while looking at an item template (*.uti), in a GFF editor to see how they relate to each other. If you have an item editing tutorial handy, you'll start seeing how the different fields begin to line with each other. Once you start seeing these patterns, you'll be more inclined to start experimenting by changing the values in the GFF editor. Drop the modified item into the override and cheat it into your savegame with KSE. Your change might just be something as simple as changing an item's description. But you've gotten your feet wet. Your own curiosity will start kicking in soon enough. Have fun!

 

(As for scripting, there's a bit more of a learning curve perhaps, but if you can figure out how to compile a script, I think you decipher the scripting syntax without the need for computer classes. It's closest to C programming FWIW.)

[Sir Vougalot]

Okay, guys, pretend you're talking to an old lady that knows next to nothing about technology.

[Darth InSidious]

My first mod was a recruit mod. This did, naturally, go badly wrong because of silly mistakes first time round, but it did mean that I knew about scripting and dialogue fairly soon.

 

I'd also add to TK's types of modding a third - modules. This, however, is one of the hardest things in modding, and I wouldn't recommend trying it until you have a fair bit of experience.

 

What do you feel like doing first?

[Sir Vougalot]

Well, the thing that's really bugging me right now is this, so I suppose I'd like to learn skinning first. And not only skinning the default appearances of the characters, but further modifying mods that others have developed in regard to their appearance. (But I'd keep them to myself.) Like, for example, I'd like to add "Sith eyes" to Stoff's Twi'lek female as a dark side transition, and also further modify a fan-made outfit for Visas.

[DreadWizardDM]

I feel your pain brother, I wish I could mod too. It is rather amusing because I am actually a computer technician with an A+ and an MCP certification. What makes it so funny is that I can fix hardware, repair problems with operating systems etc etc but as soon as i look at ANYTHING that is related to either programming or graphics I just get this dumb look on my face, its like looking at an alien language lol.