Project: Avatar reskinning

[Hyades]

Re: Project: Avatar reskinning

Can host them too. Need more avatar stuff in my avatar section on my site since I mainly work on the pc's (player characters).

For those that don't know
http://shadowslair.shadow-ffxi.com/

IF interested, can send pm to you and give you ftp access so you can upload whatever, whenever. Then later, I'll catch it probably and put it on my site. Otherwise, someone else can do it as I don't care, kthx .

[Hotsuma]

Re: Project: Avatar reskinning

Amadaun, at first, when I saw the first pics I wasn't that impressed, I thought: ehh thats doesn't look that different, but then when you compared it with the old ffxi model I was blown away. Really nice job I especially like Titan.
Yarr: that texturing is really cool, although i don't like the fenrir pic too much the ifrit pic is awesome. Keep up the good work both of you!

[Hyrist]

Re: Project: Avatar reskinning

I am most definatly intrested in geting these .date files when they are ready.

If I coudl get my hand on all the software (for free) I would get to work on personalizing the AF farmors according to race, I think it would be nice if someoen did that, and I have a good idea how...

[Lakario]

Re: Project: Avatar reskinning

I am most definatly intrested in geting these .date files when they are ready.

If I coudl get my hand on all the software (for free) I would get to work on personalizing the AF farmors according to race, I think it would be nice if someoen did that, and I have a good idea how...

Spelling Nazi says: ".dat files"

----------------------

On that note, you actually can get your hands on the necessary programs for free, perhaps Photoshop being the only exception that would require a little illegitimacy.

Here's what you'll need:

Model Viewer
Metasequoia Trial or Lite version works. (Optional, only for polygon editing and remodeling.)
-Photoshop- (I leave that up to you)
NVIDIA DDS utilities

Process:

Open up Model Viewer and find the model/texture you would like to modify under either NPC or PC. Then click on the "DAT to MQO" button and if it is a PC select the aspect of the body you would like to modify, otherwise, for NPCs, simply use the save window provided.

Load up Photoshop with the DDS utilities installed (it's a plugin). Open the .bmp texture file you will be modifying and edit the texture to your heart's content. When finished click File > Save As, choose "D3D/DDS (*.DDS)" as the save format, and overwrite the .DDS file for the texture. In the window that loads select "DXT3 ARGB (Explicit Alpha)" from the drop down menu and, leaving everything else alone, click Save.

Now go back into the Model Viewer and click on File > Convert MQO to DAT (M). In the new window navigate to your saved model file and click Open. You will see the changes immediately inside Model Viewer and they will also be reflected in the game. If at any point you ever need to revert to an original model click File > Restore DAT from Backup (B), select the automatically saved model file in the new dialogue, and press OK.

If you have any more questions feel free to ask. Also, take a look at this thread on the Windower forums:

http://ffxi.archbell.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1387

Good luck!

[Omniblast]

Re: Project: Avatar reskinning

Spelling Nazi says: ".dat files"

I wonder if I could invoke Godwin's Law? Probably not since it wouldn't make sense.

[Hyrist]

Re: Project: Avatar reskinning

I got a quick question about transparencys, when converting.

I am playing around with the rdm feather and every time I edite it I end up getting the grey areas in origonal BMP are now showing up in the actual retextured file.

I've tried converting it to plain Transparent in the actual BMP file but it dosent seem to help.

Any sugestions here?

[Amadaun]

Re: Project: Avatar reskinning

What you need to do is to use Alpha mapping, that'll make areas transparent. Go to Phabin's site:
http://phabin.folye.net/
And halfway down the page on texture editing, you'll find the tutorial for alpha mapping. Let me know if you need any more help than that. (The images aren't loading for me, but it could just be my computer.)

[Hyrist]

Re: Project: Avatar reskinning

Its not loading for me either, which stinks cause I really do learn visually. I'm not quite sure how he is doing all the saving parts to the alpha channel.

Edit: Addionally, he is using a differnt model viewer than I am... Aphla channels probley arnt applied the same way. Is there anyway for me to apply an aplha channel in Photoshop that would transfer over?

[Amadaun]

Re: Project: Avatar reskinning

Here's an example of the alpha map for Garuda.

The first image is of the plain skin. If I just used that, she would have the blocky feathers.

The second image is the alpha map. If you use the Graphics Converter program and open this as an alpha map for the first image, you would get Image #3. (well, not quite, imagine that the black areas in the third image is transparent.) Your alpha map and skin must be exactly the same size, pixel-wise.

Hope this helps.

[Hyrist]

Re: Project: Avatar reskinning

Could you link me to the graphics converter you are using? It would be more advanced than what I am using, and would alow me to use that alpha channeling thats your method.

Double Post Edited:
Actually, meet me in chat, this will speed things right up

[Amadaun]

Re: Project: Avatar reskinning

http://www.folye.net/phabin/gc3.html

This page has the link to where you can get it, as well as the program you'll probably need to unzip it.

[Hyrist]

Re: Project: Avatar reskinning

Thanks, I stumbeled upon it on my own. Can we meet in chat?

NVM I think I got it down. Whew, I havent had this much fun seince I was a newbie with photoshop. Expect alot of art comming from me in the next few months!

[Lakario]

Re: Project: Avatar reskinning

I can't seem to get the winzip plugin required to open the GC file downloaded. Do you know where I can get a working link? ; ;

[Tan'o]

Re: Project: Avatar reskinning

I can't seem to get the winzip plugin required to open the GC file downloaded. Do you know where I can get a working link? ; ;

Use Winrar.

[Hyrist]

Re: Project: Avatar reskinning

Lakario, you can extract this file with a copy of Winrar which you can get from the link listed below:

http://www.rarlab.com/download.htm