Make MP skins with different surfaces on/off

[ChangKhan]

This way you can make a skin for Jan that doesn't have the vest or chaps on, you can make a bald jedi, etc...

 

http://www.jediknightii.net/files/index.php?link=file&id=223

[BradFu]

Chang, you are my hero!!!!!! I've been hoping for this for a long time. You've given us skinners a huge boost in what we can do! Would you hold it against me if I said I love you? heheh.

 

I hope you haven't been reading the Patch thread elsewhere in this forum. There is a lot of silly stuff being said, including things like Raven doesn't care about us or listen to us. What you do for us makes the people that say that look like idiots. This is something we've been hoping for, and you have provided. I can honestly say Raven is the best software development company I've ever run into.

 

BradFu!

[Dr. Outcast]

and will it also be seen by others in a game?

the changes u made i mean?

[BradFu]

It's an adjustment to the whole concept of skinning, so if they have the skin including the .surf files, they will see the changes.

 

BradFu!

[gekitsu]

nice thing. couldn't that be fixed easier by just using a .tga of 10x10 px size and full transparency being applied to the parts i don't want to be visible?

 

at all, do you guys think about releasing a set of wiremeshes for the default mp models?

as most of newbie skinners won't start with an sdk of a model in progress, this would be a good chance for them to get in touch with skinning on a base they can easily see their results.

skinning without proper meshes is an awful thing. actually, it's more trial and error than painting.

 

g.

[BradFu]

Well, the problem with just making the surfaces invisible is that in many cases, it chops a huge chunk of the body off. Jan, for example. If you make her chaps just invisible, she gets chopped in half with no hips or waist. But if you use a .surf, you can turn off the stuff you don't want, and if the model includes alternates like the Jan model does, you turn those on. There may also be an advantage in polygons. If the model is loaded without those surfaces, it might not load those shapes at all and make it load somewhat faster. Dunno if that's accurate or not, but being able to turn the surfaces on and off is definitely worth while.

 

I'm already working on a new female Jedi using these new concepts

 

 

BradFu!

[andee_dean]

I'm confused . Will the edited model be visable to other people in multiplayer or only to yourself and other people with it.

 

 

-Andee:fett:

[BradFu]

Originally posted by andee_dean

I'm confused . Will the edited model be visable to other people in multiplayer or only to yourself and other people with it.

 

Just like all other skins, the edited model will be visible to only those with the skin on their computer. This new concept is just part of skinning, where you can not only change the images making up the model's skin, but also turn off some of the protruding accessories. Everyone still has to have that skin installed.

 

BradFu!

[monkeyglove]

I'm planning a new character so I could test the new surface thing. I don't know why I'm telling you this but I'm just happy of the new improvements. yay...everybody poke smot.

[ChangKhan]

Originally posted by BradFu

Dunno if that's accurate or not, but being able to turn the surfaces on and off is definitely worth while.

 

I was about to reply, but that's exactly right!

 

And, to others asking: this is just like any other skin, if others have it, they'll see it, if not... they won't.

[BradFu]

Using this new method, I created a female Jedi (Jaina Solo, as she is in NJO), and I'm very happy with it I kept the vest and belt on, turned the other stuff off, and I think it looks very snazzy. As soon as I can figure out the Bot stuff, I'll submit it to the files section. The interesting thing is, there is a Jaina bot file built in to the assets0.pk3. I'm going to just use that if I can figure out how Anybody have any good bot tutorials?

 

Anyway, the Surface On/Off thing works great, gives us a lot more options, I'm very happy!

 

BradFu!

[ihavedirt]

hey bradfu,

 

have you got your changes to reflect in the actual game, whether it be single or multi?

 

i can see the changes in the model viewer program when i load the wvs (?) script.

 

i can see changes in the game if i edit npcs.cfg file but im not sure how to do it so that in sp or mp using the surf and wvs files? do you have any ideas?

 

~* beau *~

[BradFu]

Yep, I've used my new skin in multiplayer, works great. Here's how it works essentially: For every .skin file you have, you also do a .surf file (ie, you have a model_default.skin, you need a model_default.surf). These .surf files are in the same directory as the rest of your skin. You don't edit npcs.cfg, you just use the chunk of code in the npcs.cfg that controls surfaces. Here's an example of the entirety of what your .surf file would contain:

 

surfOff "hips_chaps torso_computer head_goggles torso_comp hips_belt l_hand_watch"

surfOn "hips_augment_off"

 

That's all. Find the surfaces you want on and off in ModView, test them in there, then specify them in the .surf file. If the .surf file is properly written, you should see the modifications if you can see your skin in general.

 

You don't need the .wvs files in the skin itself for gameplay, those are simply used in ModView to save any settings you've made in ModView to the model (ie, turned off Jan's chaps, then write a .wvs file, so next time you view the jan model, you can go Read Script that file and it will load your view settings). When you pack your skin for distribution, don't include the .wvs.

 

Hope that explains it for you

 

BradFu!

[ihavedirt]

just wondering if you wouldnt mind posting the contents of the pk3 file i should have

 

at the moment, i have

 

models\players\character

botfiles\ ----- which has bots.txt and character.jkb

scripts\ ----- which has character.bot

sound\chars\character\misc

 

this is whats in the model dir:

model.glm, model_blue/red, model_default.skin, model_default.surf and skins and some more

 

any ideas?

 

ADDITIONAL INFO xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

I just removed my surf file and put the surfOff and surfOn into my character {} in the npcs.cfg file in my pk3 file and it worked. therefore i dont think my surf file is being read or accessed at all?

 

my model_default.surf contains.........

 

surfOff "l_hand_wrist l_hand"

surfOn "l_arm_cap_l_hand_off"

 

thanks

[WolvishOne]

I'm at work, so I can't exactly open & look at one right now, BUT I think this is how:

 

Add one file in /scripts/ directory named jaina.bot (made from notepad). content of file: (I think, doing this from memory!)

 

{

name "Jaina_Solo"

model jaina

color1 0

personality /botfiles/jaina.jkb

}

 

Model name is dependant on the directory you put the skin & model in (I just used jaina as a reference). Color of sabers is defined by color1; 0 is red, 3 is green, 4 is blue, 5 is purple (I think), and 1 & 2 are yellow & orange, but I don't remember which is which. The spaces in between the entries are actually <tab>s, try opening another .bot file with notepad to get the actual tabulature (I think it makes a difference).

 

So far editing .bot & .jkb files are ALL I've figured out! I don't have any programs that would work for modelling or skinning (so I completely envy you guys who are good at this!), and have yet to try the jkradiant editor for maps (though it looks like fun!). So hopefully I've helped out at least a little bit.

[Lady Daaleila]

I think there's something wrong with my ModView, or I'm personally doing something wrong... because, when I tried to load the script file of Jan without all her extras that was included with Raven's download, I could still see the goggles, chaps and vest. I figured my ModView just had a bug or something, and proceeded to put together a regular Jan skin, including the .surf file, just to see if it worked in the game itself... and it didn't.

[BradFu]

Let me explain, in order, exactly what I did to make a successfuly .surf'ed model.

 

First, I copied the jedif.mvs file from the instructions download into my Jan folder. I then opened the Jan model in ModView, and went to File - Read Script and chose the jedif.mvs. When that finished loading, the various accessories were turned off, and Jan was now in a lightsaber crouch in the display.

 

At this point, I looked further into what I wanted to keep out of the default surfaces. I turned the Vest and Belt back on for my skin. I then did File - Write Script and overwrote the jedif.mvs to save these changes. I then edited my Model_Default.surf to turn off the surfaces I wanted off and turn on the ones I needed, then copied it into a model_blue.surf and model_red.surf. I then worked in the skin images and made it look like I wanted. I then renamed the Jan folder to Jaina, and adjusted the .skin files to point to the correct folder. I then copied that Jaina folder to an alternate \Models\Players\ folder and packed it into a .pk3 using WinRar. I then put it in my Base directory, started a new multiplayer game, and played around with my new skin against some bots.

 

If anyone would like a copy of my .surf'ed skin, I can probably send it. If I can get the Bot working properly, I'll submit it to JediKnightII.net.

 

Let me know if it's still not working, I'd be happy to continue trying to help

 

BradFu!

[ihavedirt]

hey,

 

id like to see the pk3 and or surf files etc, anything that you can provide me with would be of great use. you can mail me at ihavedirt@hotmail.com

 

thanks

 

~* beau *~

[Jedi Matthew]

Can someone please help me out, I don't have a clue about all this skin changing infact this whole website is new to me!

[Prime]

I seem to be having problems turning on and off surfaces in ModView. I can load the models and skins okay, and I have the big list down the right side. When I load the Jan example, I can turn off the goggles and belt (setting status to OFF). However, when I turn on and off other surfaces, they don't disappear. When I load the Jedi model, when I set any surface to off, nothing disappears. Are there certain surfaces that even when the status is off don't disappear in the viewer? Do I not have something set? Is there a step I'm missing? Any help would be great.

 

Also, I am interesting in turning off the hair somehow to get a bald jedi.

 

Thanks.

[BradFu]

One thing I've discovered is that all surfaces with a * next to them don't make any visible difference, on or off. Not sure what those are, but if those are the ones you're changing, that might be it. Also, when you turn something off, remember to select a different surface. If you have a Surface highlighted on the left, it will show up with it's wireframe, whether it's off or on.

 

BradFu!

[Kornsnake]

Why does the Shadowtrooper have a hole in his chest if I turn off his accessories? I was nearly finished with my skin and turned off his accessories and he had a hole in his chest?

Raven please help. :(

[striderx2048]

you turn off something but you must turn on the replacement surface for it to work

[BradFu]

I couldn't find a replacement surface for that either Have you tried using a .surf'ed Shadowtrooper in the game? It might look ok in there, who knows? The head accessories and belt can be turned off without a problem.

 

BradFu!

[Leagle]

I made a Jan mdl w/out the goggles and chaps, works fine in multi but when I replace the kyle model for sp the model has all the stuff turned on!

 

If I replace kyle with the jedif the stuff is there, but with no textures on them! Help!