How To: Skinning tutorial for beginners, XML2 edition

[BLaw]

Well kids. Don't wanna spend time using the search function to know how to skin? Then looky here. Like I promised a couple of months ago, a skinning tutorial!

Waddooooooo I need?
- A look at the XML Galleries on pages 1 and 2, starting HERE
- A look at the XML2 Offset Central HERE and the PS2 Offset Central HERE.
- Backups of the file you want to edit.
- TextureFinder v1.32 (for finding PS2 offsets) & v2.1, which can be found HERE.
- MUASkinner (If you want to edit BMP's immediately). Download it HERE. Credits to Nba2k for this great program.
- NRSkinner (For PS2 skins). Download it HERE. Make sure to check Norrin Radd's topic HERE.
- Photoshop, PaintShop, GIMP (Freeware. I use it in combination with NRSkinner) or any other photo-editing program.

- Since we're are going to use GIMP, download this plugin: DA PLUGIN.
- Optional, Irfanview. Download it HERE



PS2 skins
So yeah. I use TextureFinder (from now on TF) v1.32 for finding the offsets for PS2 skins. How can thou find these thou might ask thouselves? Well looky here: http://marvelmods.com/forum/index.php?topic=7.msg2749#msg2749

Now, if you've found those and you have NRSkinner installed, configure NRSkinner.cfg and add those PS2 offset thingies. A line will look like this:

7803.igb ps2 256 256 27151 56023 .

Notice the spaces between each resolution and offset and at the end of the last offset another space and THEN the dot.

A note on the side: if you've found offsets, either it be of XML2 or PS2 skins, please do post them in the correct topics. It makes it easier for other skinners to use the models for skinning aswell.
So save the file and start NRSkinner.exe, which will give you a prompt. Well U wants to skin aight? So press 1 and hit enter. Now enter the name of the igb file (e.g. 7803.igb) and hit enter. Now enter a name for the DDS file (e.g. Colossus1.dds). DO NOT AND I REPEAT DO NOT FORGET TO PUT ".dds" AFTER THE FILENAME. Otherwise no dds file will be exported. Got that? *Ok roger that over and out*.

Now it's editting time. The fun part. Or maybe not. If you're good with GIMP, feel free to edit with GIMP. I prefer to use PhotoShop (without needing to download any dds plugins of some sort), so we're going to save the D(umb)D(ip)S(ht) file as a B(ig)M(*th*rf***in)P(laya) file...

Open the DDS file in GIMP. Then click on Image, then Mode, then RGB. Now click on File, then Save As. Just change the .DDS part into .BMP and click on OK. You'll see a small window popup with the Advanced Options in theah (arnold style) DO NOT TOUCH THAT DeeDee! Just hit the Save button, leave the DDS file open and go edit the BMP to your liking in PhotoShop!

When you're done, save the file as a PSD/PDD file. This will let all layers be there, so it doesn't merge them into 1 layer. BUTTTTT now you need to flatten the image so it becomes 1 layer! Copy the image to GIMP. Now click on Image, Mode, Indexed. Then save the file as a .DDS file. Probably the normale Save in the menu doesn't work, so always choose Save As. Just give the DDS file the same name as the one you exported before, and hit Save. If you did not flatten the image in GIMP (which I always forget) you'll get an error saying that a volume map can't be written. Just hit OK on the Save as DDS file without adjusting the options. But you DO need to check the Generate Mipmaps option. Oyeah, and click the error away will ya!

NOTE; Sometimes the skin can look really screwed in-game when the Generate MipMaps option is checked. When this is the case, just save the file without that option checked and see if that works.

Now open NRSkinner.exe and when started, press 0 and hit enter. Enter the name of the IGB file (so 7803.igb) and hit enter again. Then enter the name of the ddsfile (Colossus.dds) and ooh hit me baby one more time, sang the Enter button on your keyboard.

Voila, the skin is complete and ready to be placed in the MUA/Actors folder. You CAN load a savegame with replaced skins. And you CAN play while replacing skins. To see your skin, just go to a Extraction Point and change the costumes. And look what you have done you fiend! Yo skin is in yo game! If some things aren't skinned the way you wanted to, just alt+tab your way out of the game and to Photoshop and edit your skin till it's right.



XML2 Skins
I use TF v2.1 for finding XML2 Offsets. These textures are in the DXT3 format and can be found in the following widths: 256x256, 128x128, 64x64, 32x32 and lower.. If you can't find the lowest widths offsets, try to ask someone here at the forum in the XML2 Offset topic.

When you've found the correct offsets for your character, open Muaskinner.cfg and enter the offsets like this:

skinnumber.igb,-DXT3,256,256,1033370,128,128,367770,64,64,2919258,32,32,2917530,16,16,2919130,8,8,2921306.

Now start MUASkinner.exe and load the IGB file. When opened, you can view the texture at his highest found width. Export the texture. You can name the BMP file anyway you want, just let it be a BMP file!

So as you can see, the colors are sooo wrong! That's why you'll need to flip RGB to BGR. I use Irfanview for that, because it's so easy!

Open the BMP in Irfanview. Click on Image > Swap Colors > RGB > BGR (Second option if I'm correct). You'll see that the colors are now correct. Save! Now edit that thang!~

When done, open your BMP in Irfanview again and Swap the colors using the same option. Then Save.
Now import the fully editted BMP file via MUASkinner and hit the Accept button. VOILA! Throw the IGB file in the Actors folder and play the game!

Tips for safety, no rubbertalky here:
- Use layers. If mr. or ms or mrs didn't make any backups of the IGB file and lost the CD, you can make all layers dissappear, except for the texture which belonged to the original skin. That way you can get the original skin back. But don't forget to make a backup of the editted skin!!!
- Get as much reference material as possible! At least that's what I do. Just to get an almost perfect looking skin (which mine aren't at all )

If something is not correct or if I've been missing additional information, please let me know. Anyway good luck with skinning! (If anyone reads this lol )

[noxnyc]

BLaw, I have a question-- forgive me if it's silly.  I tried using your 7803.igb offset example in Texture Finder 2.1 and at 256x256 tried the skew of 27151 and 56023 and also tried subtracting 1, and these offsets were not correct.  Am I missing something?  I neither understand why there are two values next to the 256 256 in that line.  Which is the offset?   Or was that just for example purposes and had no intention of being technically correct?

[nodoubt_jr]

those are ps2 offsets so you should be using v1.32 to look at them, the first number after the 256 is the palette offset + 1, the second is the texture offset.  For regular skins look at the "XML2 Skins" info

[noxnyc]

thanks nodoubt; sorry, i didnt catch that the first time

[DiamondPheonix]

NRSkinner (For PS2 skins). Download it HERE. Make sure to check Norrin Radd's topic HERE.


this does not work!, the link takes me to the home page and says page does not exist.

[BLaw]

Hmm. I'll update the first post when I find the link. It's on this forum under General Modding Discussion, so you could take a look there.

[DiamondPheonix]

IS there another way that I can receive the PS2 offsets because for some reason I cannot access it.

[BLaw]

For receiving PS2 offsets you need texturefinder.

Can you see Norrin Radd's NRSkinner RELEASE topic?

[DiamondPheonix]

yes, I downloaded the NRskinner v1.6
and i also have texture finder(would I have to get it from him in order for it to work?)

[BLaw]

Define "him". If you mean Norrin: No. Texture finders 2.1 and 1.2 or something similar are needed to find PS2 offsets. My tut has a link to a "Finding PS2 offsets"-tut.

[DiamondPheonix]

So I have the texture finder, and I have V2.1, what am I supposed to do from there?

[BLaw]

Load the same IGB in both texturefinders. From there, follow Neolemach's PS2 texture finder tutorial here:

http://marvelmods.com/forum/index.php?topic=7.msg2749#msg2749

(Actually this link is also in my tutorial)

With 2.1 you need to position the map correctly. The top section of the map should be horizontally FLAT.

___________________ <-like this
___---------------- <-not like this
----------------___ <-or this

You can recognize the flatness by scrolling the map all the way to the upper border (don't forget to set the size to 256!). From there, use shift bitmap to align it perfectly.

For example:

if you have scrolled the map to the border, and it ain't perfectly aligned, it would look like this:

__________---------- (Or something, whereas ___ = part of the map and --- = not part of the map. Look at the colors!)

So what you do, it shift the bitmap so al the ___ is going to the left till it's flat!, you will have this:
____________________

[DiamondPheonix]

I apoligize for making this hard for you.  But what I am trying to do is create a skin for my custom character and I am trying to use either Blinks base or Moonstars base and all I want to do is give her blonde long ponytailed hair(the way they have thiers), make it look like Moonstars body and she is going to where the Stepford Cuckoos' suit.  But I really cannot find Blinks anything because I dont understand this.  The link you gave me was good but it lost me on some parts.

[MonitorAccess]

Does anyone have a link to Texture Finder 1.32 for finding PS2 offsets?  The above link only gets you v2.1

[Jeanfan321]

Does anyone have a link to Texture Finder 1.32 for finding PS2 offsets?  The above link only gets you v2.1

nope i doubt anyone does. ask Blaw to maybe upload his