Finally getting round to posting my mods (lots of pics)

[LKN-351]

Months ago... ok maybe a year ago lol... I noticed some folks doing mods to costume patterns and textures. It looked like fun so I thought I'd try my hand at it. Long story short, I spent a pretty good amount of time on it before I realized I was forgetting to do tons of other things due to my OCD nature.
Well, I figure I'd share it with you lovely folks...and also I hear there are a few that wanted to see what I had done.
As I was working I started to notice a lot of distortion issues when converting the files, I couldn't pin down if it was Photoshop or the DDS converter I was using. The distortion was a lot more apparent on some things than others.

If you want some of these for your own personal use then let me know and we can try to figure something out. I don't currently have any sort of file share options for things aside from Pics.

The entire photostream is located here which includes a few progress pictures.






The Adjutant and Crey Tank needed lightened up a lot and the blueish tint removed from them. I also made the Crey Tank more reflective.




On these four the one on the left side of the pic is how it was when I ported it into the CC. The helmet that I replaced with the Crey helm had different geos than the NPC version so I had to get a bit creative with the mouth plate and changed the neck but I liked how the eye ports had that kinda 'furrowed brow' look to them.The Paragon Protector helm was kinda plain so I added some texture to the metal parts and a neck pattern, unfortunately it distorted a bit.


This one was a pain, when I first ported it into the CC it only accepted skin colouring. I ended up fixing that but the only way to colour the red part was to change the skin colour and the black part is under face patterns. Wasn't my favourite solution but it was the only one that ended with the colours functioning properly.
Also, it's a higher resolution than the NPC part.

I don't recall if the Chitin Helm that I replaced had the option to use patterns originally or not. The distortion problems I was running into where very noticeable on this helmet between the visor and the metal.




All parts function just like any other part that was previously in the game aside from the Arachnos face, I even managed to get the Crey Tank eyes to stay red. The only piece that I did not make myself where Spidermans eyes.

[The Fifth Horseman]

Well, I figure I'd share it with you lovely folks...and also I hear there are a few that wanted to see what I had done.
As I was working I started to notice a lot of distortion issues when converting the files, I couldn't pin down if it was Photoshop or the DDS converter I was using. The distortion was a lot more apparent on some things than others.

It's neither. Textures are not mapped 1:1 to the model, there is always some distortion and stretching.

[LKN-351]

I had noticed what you speak of but the distortion I was talkin about I could see in the image files themselves before converting them to texture files.

[Arachnion]

I had noticed what you speak of but the distortion I was talkin about I could see in the image files themselves before converting them to texture files.

How are you converting them to the CoH .texture format, exactly?

[LKN-351]

I was using Piggviewer 1.61 to extract the files and then to reformat the .DDS into .texture files. I tried using Tony's piggviewer and for some forgotten reason I couldn't get it to convert them back to .textures and it didn't always extract them. I tried using Game Extractor as well but I kept getting errors about not having the right plugins.

Originally I was using Photshop 7 to edit and Graphics Converter 3 to convert to .DDS. Then someone pointed me towards the PS plugins so I only used GC3 if it was a DXT1 .DDS.

I think that's right, it has been some time since I've messed with this.

[Arachnion]

I see, thanks.

Yeah, I believe that only piggviewer 1.61 has an easy way to create .texture files.

[LKN-351]

Yeah it does lol unfortunately it's a finicky, grumpy old program. I remember I worked for days to try and get the other programs to convert the files back to .texture and then I finally got Piggviewer to stop giving me the finger.

In retrospect I'm wondering why I never attempted to skip the .DDS conversion and just go from .bmp to .texture.

[batqueen]

 Well, I kept working on textures after you guys gave me some tips... 
 I use Gimp to handle DDS tinting and BMP conversion, and Corel for BMP editing. In my many experiments on changing textures of all kinds, I too found the older Pigg viewer most useful. Even using that program, though, I found it took different compressions and methods for different texture files- no one thing worked across the board universally.

  When I tried to change ground textures and objects, nothing worked, and it drove me nuts for weeks. Then I discovered that, in the pigg viewer, theres a tab for textures, text, and hex. I could read the text info enough to see that it always told what compression to use- DXT1, or DXT5 after the first line of code. That had been my problem, I was using Dxt5 compression on ground files, needed DXT1. After I solved that, my Atlas Park turned to Autumn, and drink cups turned to Halloween party colors.

 I'm still pigg diving and find new things tucked away in obscure places. Next stop, ...snowball fight in the park across from Atlas.



The little green park in Outbreak, by the parking lot, no longer so green. I insist on seasons.

[LKN-351]

Hey, that's pretty cool with the seasons bit. Too bad they didn't do that ingame, would've added to the immersion really with the holiday events and whatnot.

Yeah, I was having issues with the DXT1 and DXT5's for a while too. I don't remember what it was that finally brought it to my attention though. Where you having any sort of issues with distortion using those programs?

[batqueen]

    I didn't notice anything distort at all. don't know if that's because the trees I was working on just didn't have that problem, or I just didn't notice. Really had to laugh when changing the color of the ski slopes worked. You can check that out here. http://www.cohtitan.com/forum/index.php/topic,9289.0.html.

All of the changes I made were on objects and plants and ground, but none were on costume pieces.





(A special version of Ms Liberty built in Icon, for Autumn. I found her belt, but not those shoulder pads yet.)

[LKN-351]

Bravo on the work done. Those Ski Slopes look really cool.
Yeah, I don't think the distortion would be all that noticeable on objects really either. Maybe I'll have to give those programs a try at some point.

[General Idiot]

That Liberty costume looks more like Dominatrix. Has the same leather jacket she used, I think.

[Tacitala]

She was on her way to a Halloween party where the theme was "come dressed as you Praetorian twin".  She's got a stripper pole just tucked outside the screenshot that she took along as a prop. 

[batqueen]

  Actually, I did copy off some pieces from Domi, just for fun I still wish I knew where those darn shoulder pieces are, But it is actually Ms Liberty- The belt has the sword of Hera, not the whip of Praetoria version.

After I made the toon in Icon, I loaded it in place of Ms Libby- and it looked like she just changed costumes, not size or shape. sweet. It's a lot of fun to change the world.

("stripper pole" made me snort milk)

[wyldhunt]

Fantastic!

[MaidMercury]

Awesome images, great work!