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A little modding help?

veradin

veradin

Sailor Apprentice
Storm Modder
I spent hours editing the Blaze.tga.tx skin only to discover that there's no in-game model designed for it (Devlin uses the BlazeN texture). This has really sucked the wind out of my sails since I'm quite happy with how it turned out and would like to use it in-game, but when I tested it on Devlin's model in GM_Viewer all the object placements were different so it just looked terrible. Is there any way I can quickly get around this, or perhaps can I somehow get the model and rigging that should have been for the Blaze texture into the game easily?

I'm basically working Nathaniel 'Gallows' Cordell into the game, so the skin turned out similar to my avatar:

<img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/ProgZmax/Cordell2.gif" border="0" class="linked-image" />
 
That's a texture for the PotC "blaze.gm" model file. I suspect that it must be possible to put PotC characters in AoP/CoAS.
After all, we have been able to do the same thing in reverse and put AoP/CoAS characters in PotC. But none of the CoAS players has managed it yet.
So... put him in PotC instead? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />

There's apparently a fair amount of PotC content that carried over to CoAS. Even to the point of unused PotC texture files being there! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/piratesing.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":shock" border="0" alt="piratesing.gif" />
 
This might seem trashy, but I think it could work, if you want to use it straight away, just rename the Blaze's textures and models into whichever character's you are using at the time... do it carefully and keep a backup ^^.
I shall keep an eye in this excellent skin <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> .
 
That still doesn't solve the PotC animation issue, does it? I don't have CoAS myself at all; does it have the <i>blaze.gm</i> file at all?
 
I don't have PotC so unless there's a post somewhere with Blaze's models I don't think that's an option for me.

I edited BlazeN instead and it looks nice in the GM viewer but for some reason when I add the texture to the resources (I basically edited the Smuggler mod, adding an additional hero with Devlin's model) it doesn't show up on the model. Is there some other file I have to edit to tell it to use the texture file in the mod, or do I have to overwrite the original version?
 
If you don't want to overwrite the original texture, you need to HEX edit the GM file to use the new one.
Download the HEX Editor from this forum's Downloads section, use it to open the GM file, find where the texture name is defined and change that.
You should be able to do this on a copy of the original model and use the copied and edited model as game character.
We do that in PotC all the time. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />

Don't let the complicated appearance of the HEX Editor scare you off; it's really easy as long as you ignore all the... whatever it is. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wacko.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":wacko:" border="0" alt="wacko.gif" />
 
<!--quoteo(post=330762:date=Jun 19 2009, 02:28 PM:name=Pieter Boelen)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Pieter Boelen @ Jun 19 2009, 02:28 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=330762"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->That still doesn't solve the PotC animation issue, does it? I don't have CoAS myself at all; does it have the <i>blaze.gm</i> file at all?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


Hmmm true, I didn't think of it... As I said, trashy solution <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />.


No, it doesn't have it...
 
Thanks for the quick reply! That'll be quite easy to do, then. It's rather odd that the GM viewer doesn't just have that functionality since you can view the texture name it uses and such.
 
Would've been nice if it did, but thankfully there's ways around that inability.
In fact, using Notepad ++ in combination with the HEX editor plugin for that works better still.
On my computer, I can just double-click a GM file and it opens in the Notepad++ HEX Editor immediately. Nice and easy. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />
 
Quick update:

Here's my 95% finished version of Gallows Cordell in game.

<img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/ProgZmax/cordell.gif" border="0" class="linked-image" />

Some immediate differences from the BlazeN default skin is I got rid of the poncy neck scarf for a more traditional cross-stitched shirt, changed the hair and eye color and added a goatee. I also removed the headband which presents me with a bit of a puzzler since the two strands of cloth from the band do not appear to be part of the skin (at least I can't find them anywhere) and remain black, though it's somewhat hard to tell now that the hair is so dark. If anyone has a clue what I'm missing (or can spot where the black strands are for the headband in my current skin) I'd be appreciative. I want to add a skull motif to the buckles anyway, so it's got at least one more revision before I'm done with him. Also, since I did all my edits in 8-bit to try things out, I'll probably open the original in photoshop and move these revisions over to it to restore the quality.

<img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/ProgZmax/BlazeNa2.gif" border="0" class="linked-image" />

Cheers!
 
DAMN! Nice skin!

Absolutely wonderful work, Nathaniel!

Cap'n Drow
 
Thanks! I really wish they had separate textures for the right and left arms and legs, it would allow me to make more dynamic reskins. Right now if I wanted to make someone with ragged clothes, all the changes on the legs and arms would be mirrored and would look pretty silly. I am fairly happy with how the vest colors turned out, though. It makes the design on his vest look like celtic symbols, and since Nathaniel is Irish it all works out.

Quick update: Added the skull motif to his belt and converted it all to 16 bit. Looks pretty nice in game:

<img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/ProgZmax/cordellscreen.png" border="0" class="linked-image" />


Now I'll probably use GM_Viewer to make a portrait (if I can figure out how to zoom in on specific parts of the body).
 
Looks very good. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/me.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="me.gif" />
For portrait files, you can use ingame screenshots too. As far as I'm aware, the GM Viewer also rotates around in the (0,0,0) point. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mybad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":facepalm" border="0" alt="mybad.gif" />
 
Excellent, Nathaniel.

I'm looking very forward to adding you to my game as one of the hireable officers! **winks**

Cap'n Drow
 
Heh, well right now I've moved to trying to add a 'Gambler' class for my character that focuses on reflexes and luck. I got it about 90% working but I can't seem to change the display name to Gambler. It just shows 'Adventurer' twice under the class selection. I basically took the commented out Inquisitor class and changed every instance of it in all the files I could find to Gambler, but I must've missed something. Also, I disovered that while you CAN award skill points to start with, there's no way to allot them (no arrows). So the only thing you seem to be able to alter are the PIRATES skills to start with unless you do some manual additions.

Does anyone happen to know where the game stores the officer pirates' statistics at? There's got to be a way to add my character there so he starts with specific skills.

Edit: It's working about 80% how I wanted. If you pick Nathaniel you're stuck as the 'Gambler' class, but it still lets you click the arrows (and clicking them somehow selects the start location of one of the other classes). It's interesting since that's all it does, but I suppose I should still fix it...when I find out how.

Also, I got the portraits in game but for some reason the smallest one (visible when you're walking around) doesn't show up. The other two show up just fine and all three have the same name and are in the 64/128/256 folders and have exactly the same color depth and mip values so I don't know what the deal is.
 
For the portrait, maybe you still need to add the portrait to RESOURCE\INI\INTERFACES\pictures.ini?
 
I figured there must be something else I needed to do! Well I edited the pictures.ini, but one of the sections is a bit confusing:

[FACEICON]
sTextureName = faces.tga
wTextureWidth = 1024
wTextureHeight = 512

picture = face1,0,0,128,128
picture = face2,128,0,256,128
picture = face3,256,0,384,128
picture = face4,384,0,512,128
picture = face5,512,0,640,128
picture = face6,640,0,768,128
picture = face7,768,0,896,128
picture = face8,896,0,1024,128
picture = face9,0,128,128,256
picture = face10,128,128,256,256
picture = face11,256,128,384,256
picture = face12,384,128,512,256
picture = face13,512,128,640,256
picture = face14,640,128,768,256
picture = face15,768,128,896,256
picture = face16,896,128,1024,256
picture = face17,0,256,128,384
picture = face18,128,256,256,384
picture = face19,256,256,384,384
picture = face20,384,256,512,384
picture = face21,512,256,640,384
picture = face22,640,256,768,384
picture = face23,768,256,896,384
picture = face24,896,256,1024,384
picture = face25,0,384,128,512
picture = face26,128,384,256,512
picture = face27,256,384,384,512
picture = face28,384,384,512,512
picture = face29,512,384,640,512
picture = face30,640,384,768,512
picture = face31,768,384,896,512
picture = face32,896,384,1024,512


I'm not sure if I need to edit this or how to interpret it.


I did add this line just below face_235 on the list farther down:

[FACE128_240]
sTextureName = portraits\128\face_240.tga
wTextureWidth = 128
wTextureHeight = 128
picture = face,0,0,128,128


It didn't add the portrait for when you're walking around and doing stuff, though. That's the only one missing.

Here are some screens to show you what I mean:

<img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/ProgZmax/cordell1.gif" border="0" class="linked-image" />

Notice his portrait is completely missing here. You can also see the tails from the bandanna on the back of his head <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />. I still haven't been able to find out where they are textured.

He shows up fine on all the other views:

<img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/ProgZmax/cordell2-1.gif" border="0" class="linked-image" />

<img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/ProgZmax/cordell3.gif" border="0" class="linked-image" />
 
So I had some more time to perfect Cordell's skin and made the leather pants color match his gloves (it looks nicer in game) and added steel tops to his boots.

<img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/ProgZmax/cordellfinala.png" border="0" class="linked-image" />


I've been all through the skin changing colors and I've come to the conclusion that the bandanna tails are either taken from a texture used on the boots or it's simply some kind of glitch I can't fix. You can see what I mean here:

<img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/ProgZmax/bandanna.png" border="0" class="linked-image" />


I've tried changing the black areas of the skin texture to red to see what stands out where and have selectively recolored parts of the boots to see if the texture is re-used on the bandanna (because they use similar colors) but have had no luck. Also, I still haven't figured out how to get the mini-image of Cordell to show up on the walk around screen.


And here's the skin. Maybe another pair of eyes will spot what I'm missing <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />.

<img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/ProgZmax/BlazeN.png" border="0" class="linked-image" />
 
Did you add this code for 64 and 256 too?<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->[FACE128_240]
sTextureName = portraits\128\face_240.tga
wTextureWidth = 128
wTextureHeight = 128
picture = face,0,0,128,128<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->
Would look something like this:<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->[FACE64_240]
sTextureName = portraits\64\face_240.tga
wTextureWidth = 128
wTextureHeight = 128
picture = face,0,0,128,128
[FACE256_240]
sTextureName = portraits\256\face_240.tga
wTextureWidth = 128
wTextureHeight = 128
picture = face,0,0,128,128<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->I think... <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mybad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":facepalm" border="0" alt="mybad.gif" />
 
I'll add it but there aren't 64/256 entries for any of the other pictures in pictures.ini, just 128:

[FACE128_0]
sTextureName = portraits\128\face_0.tga
wTextureWidth = 128
wTextureHeight = 128
picture = face,0,0,128,128
[FACE128_1]
sTextureName = portraits\128\face_1.tga
wTextureWidth = 128
wTextureHeight = 128
picture = face,0,0,128,128

These just count up to 235 and there aren't any other types.
 
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