How-To Edit unit textures.

[Lord Condormanius]

Could you do this tutorial for GIMP users as well?

I use GIMP...For the most part, it is the same as PS.

[Methoz]

hi, can i edit helmets?

[funky_kiwi]

hi, I tried modifying the alpha 1 in unit texures, to make a helmet invisible for exemple, or to take feathers off late knights'helmets, & it work in game when the camera is very close to the unit. The trouble is that when I move the camera further from the unit, the helmets/feathers reappear gradually, as if alpha 1 was losing effeciency as the camera get further. But I tried it with shields, & it PERFECTLY worked lol ! I also tried 2 blacken a whole unit texture's alpha 1 & the unit all disappeard perfectly, except the feathers (it was lancers/broken lances), which gradually reappeared as the camera got away from the units .

All this is pretty strange...:hm: , does any one have an answer ?

[palabfas]

i'm having some trouble, when i open up the units folder, its empty.

[Che]

Sorry everybody that I haven't answered your questions. It's just that I haven't been online very often because of some problems. Anyway...

pls, how to make normal texture files ?

Here's a tutorial about that http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=81010

hi, can i edit helmets?

Yes you can edit their color. Editing the shape has something to do with .mesh files. There's been unleashed a .mesh files editor, but I haven't tried it and I still don't know what it's capable of.

i'm having some trouble, when i open up the units folder, its empty.

Make sure you have unppacked the packs the right way.


And about funky_kiwis question, I have no idea what the problem may be.

[Spartan II]

@cra_z_guy
Try creating a batch file to run M2TW. Open Notepad and type

medieval2.exe --io.file_first

Then save as, and type something like M2TW (think of it as a shortcut to run the game) and add .bat to it. I have Medieval II.bat. It will save it a as a batch file. Then, delete the files data\descr_geography_new.txt and data\descr_geography_new.db. After that, you can run Medieval II.bat (or whatever you decided to name it) and it will start the game.

I'm not sure if it will work, as it is just an alternative to the preferences file.

EDIT: @funky_kiwi
That might because of sprite generation. If you don't know what that is, it's where 3D models are replaced with bitmaps (a 2D pic) when you're far away to increase performance. You might have noticed that far away the lighting on units isn't as good and they seem not to move as smoothly. The same is with trees and other objects.

[lordyu]

does anyone know how I can replace weapons on unit.
ex. replacing byz infantrys sword with a spear

[Spartan II]

You'll need to model the .mesh format. www.twcenter.net/forums/showpost.php?p=1628859&postcount=113

[Yenai]

First of all, thank you for the tutorial
I have encountered a problem, though: After I have saved a file as .dds, the texture converter is no longer able to convert it back to .texture, regardless whether I have altered the content or not. It says "Cannot open file ...".
I am quite certain that I have saved the files exactly like it is shown on the previous page.

[Spartan II]

Hmm. That version of the .dds plugin is very, very outdated. Yours is version 3, while what I'm using is 7.83. I'll figure out the format on the current version.

EDIT: All right, here are the settings (yes, I've tested).

The regular save screen:


Under MIP Map Generation Filtering


Under Image Options


Under Fading MIP Maps


Under Normal Map Settings


See if that helps, Yenai.

[Yenai]

Thanks a lot, I have compared the settings and mine looked a bit different. Unfortunately, it still doesn't work.

Does it make a difference whether I save it as .dds or as .DDS? In the latter case, the texture converter doesn't show an error. It doesn't actually convert the file, though.

Is there someting wrong with my Photoshop saving options? I'm using the German version, but the options should basically be the same in the English version.



("als Kopie" means "as copy"
"Alpha-Kanäle" means "alpha channels"
I don't know what "Kleinbuchstaben-Erweiterung" is English, it's the difference between .dds and .DDS)

[Spartan II]

Hmm. It might have to do with what version of Photoshop you're using, but I don't think so. Are you using the current version? That's what I'm using. http://developer.nvidia.com/object/p...s_plugins.html

It shouldn't make a difference whether you save as .DDS or .dds, but my Photoshop saves them as .dds. Kleinbuchstaben-Erweiterung does mean lower case extension. I save in lower case, and it works that way, so try that. If nothing works, then send me the file and I'll try to convert it.

[funky_kiwi]

@Sir Lancelot

U mean u dunno the answers, or u don't have this problem ? (if it's the answer n2, try to make invisible a part of a unit using alpha, u'll see that it re appears when u move the camera further from the unit on the battlefield) if the answer is number 1, too bad, but thx a lot for the tutorial though

Yenai, it might just be because u need a .texture file with the same name as ure .dds file in the same folder, so take the unit texture u modded, copy it & give the copy the same name as ure modded .dds file, it might onely be because of that, if not, I can't help u, sry

[Yenai]

That solved it, thank you very much!

@Spartan II
Sorry for the late answer, it took me a while to download the current version. Thank you, too!

[Milos98]

This is one of best tutorials!
I have only one question, I have edited so much textures and never tried it, I was editing for an example shields, and what happens if I excedently paint on the empty space, instead of on the shield?

[funky_kiwi]

nothing happens, besides, u may have noticed that the vanilla skins are painted in a few empty supposed places ( only a few pixels, but if the whole empty space was colored in pink, it wouldn't change anything)

[miak]

Im having some trouble im using the latest DDS plugin 8.13 or wat ever and my save screen is different. I try and make all the settings the same but wen i save it the file is almost double the size its suppose to be. any one else have this problem?

[Coeur_de_Lion]

Why don't I see a unit_models dir in my data folder?

[HereticFang]

Have you unpacked your files?

[God-Emperor of Mankind]

Is there a easy way to preview your skins ??
I'm trying to add a new faction and just did the general and wanna see how it looks on the model.
Problem is that generals aren't in custom battles and I don't wanna overwrite it on a another faction's general.
So is there a easy way to see it ??

Edit: nevermind, Milkshape can do that.