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Post by giftfish on Mar 5, 2017 2:36:06 GMT
@bull -- We have several tutorials in the works, and I believe one of them is already a mesh tutorial involving cloning, so I think we're good. Thanks for the offer.
Also, one question about your methodology above. You mention cloning materials and meshes, but did not specify any editing of binary references that are frequently found in these objects. Do they have any binary hex after the Unreal properties end?
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Post by bullobrien on Mar 5, 2017 20:01:28 GMT
Back in the day when you used to use Ashley66444's methods there was a place where you had to hex edit the pcc file to change the MAT so that it is referencing the appropriate DIFF NORM and SPEC. In ME3explorer v3 this is accomplished in the "interpreter/hex editor" tab. It certainly shows you the hex so that I suppose you could edit it if you wish but it is no longer required since you can just change the number in the blank provided at the top and it will change the hex entry for you.
A vast improvement as far as I am concerned.
I never had to change anything else from a hex editing point of view to make it work before so I don't think there is anything else now.
I have done this in the past with CTH, NKD, ARM, and HGR pcc files. but I have pretty much always done them in functional groupings. An Armor entry, A headgear entry etc. I never tried cloning materials from one thing independently and use it on something else like some of you all have been talking about doing.
Other than that i can't answer your question. Not being a coder I really don't understand the file structures the way that some of you all do.
I will tell you one thing I noticed which although odd has not caused any problems that I could find...
Once you clone a NORM texture, it has a property "FloatProperty" which shows several entries that say "UnpackMin" with a value of "-1". If you clone this clone then the number of times that that entry is show goes up every time you clone it. To the point where on one of my entries their are 20 or so lines that say UnpackMin -1
I don't know what the "Float Property" does or why it multiplies when cloned, but it made me wonder so I stopped cloning clones after I noticed it. It may be that it is from the texture itself and propagates once the original texture is replaced with another and then another when that one is cloned etc.
Maybe someone else knows this.
Bull
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Post by giftfish on Mar 6, 2017 3:45:23 GMT
Back in the day when you used to use Ashley66444's methods there was a place where you had to hex edit the pcc file to change the MAT so that it is referencing the appropriate DIFF NORM and SPEC. In ME3explorer v3 this is accomplished in the "interpreter/hex editor" tab. It certainly shows you the hex so that I suppose you could edit it if you wish but it is no longer required since you can just change the number in the blank provided at the top and it will change the hex entry for you. Those are Unreal properties. The hex I'm talking about is binary that picks up after the Unreal references leave off. In other words, if the hex continues below where the final "None" entry exists, there is binary in the mesh/material. That binary data contains references that need to be edited to ensure errors don't occur.
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Post by bullobrien on Mar 6, 2017 6:14:20 GMT
Yeah. I got nothin. I don't even know how to check for that.
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Post by bullobrien on Mar 8, 2017 1:37:02 GMT
I will tell you one thing I noticed which although odd has not caused any problems that I could find...
Once you clone a NORM texture, it has a property "FloatProperty" which shows several entries that say "UnpackMin" with a value of "-1". If you clone this clone then the number of times that that entry is show goes up every time you clone it. To the point where on one of my entries their are 20 or so lines that say UnpackMin -1
I don't know what the "Float Property" does or why it multiplies when cloned, but it made me wonder so I stopped cloning clones after I noticed it. It may be that it is from the texture itself and propagates once the original texture is replaced with another and then another when that one is cloned etc.
Maybe someone else knows this.So wanted to follow up. This change on FloatProperty seems to happen not when you clone but when you overwrite the textures using Texplorer. So if you clone a NORM entry that was previous cloned and a texture added then add another texture you end up with more of these FloatProperty entries showing up. I have not seen that it causes problems, but wanted to clarify after figuring it out.
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Post by bullobrien on Mar 15, 2017 17:29:51 GMT
I had an idea and I wanted to pass it by you all to see what you thought.
Mods like mine and ElysiumFic's closet and armory mods goal is to expand the options people have for armor and casual outfits in the closet without overwriting existing ones. This provides flexibility for the end user via an easy to use format
However it does restrict the end user to the armors and casuals we include
I was wondering if there would be value in making a DLC that has had cloned spots created and included in the Coaslesced but no MDLs or Textures added. Effectively a blank. Then provide the end user with instructions on using Meshplorer and Texplorer to add the models and textures they wanted from any that they can find. This would allow them to use old mods that are not available or permissions can't be gained for their own personal use. This would also allow them to customize their closet themselves instead of living with the choices we mod makers give them.
I realize this would not be for novice modders but their might be an audience who would appreciate it.
Thoughts?
Bull
ps. I noticed that there is a thread for mod announcements. I realize that my mods are not as fancy as all the cool content mods you make but was wondering if it was still ok to announce their posting.
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Post by ottemis on Mar 15, 2017 17:33:55 GMT
It's not that simple. Depending on which slot you clone, the material dictates the specmap channels should be set up a certain way, and this is different for any existing armor slot or casual. Means any outfit you'd want to add would have to be optimized for that slot/cloned material. It also means, not every armor can go into every slot and retain their vanilla look. As it woudn't be plug and play, that's something modders could do for themselves but not users, and as modders we already can. There's nothing stopping us from plugging our preferred armor into preexisting slots in DLC mods made by other modders, as long as it's for personal use. I'd gauge the average user will be more than happy with what modders do/have released.
And yes, you can use the mod highlight thread for your releases.
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Post by bullobrien on Mar 15, 2017 19:02:29 GMT
Ah I see your point. I was thinking mostly about CTHk or CTHj replacement types but someone could indeed try to put some FBD replacement in there and it would not work causing much consternation etc.
Thanks for the feedback
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Post by giftfish on Mar 15, 2017 22:04:20 GMT
ps. I noticed that there is a thread for mod announcements. I realize that my mods are not as fancy as all the cool content mods you make but was wondering if it was still ok to announce their posting. And yes, you can use the mod highlight thread for your releases. And to follow up on your question just a bit more, the OP of the Mod Spotlight thread outlines which mod announcements are appropriate there and which are not. Take a look to make sure yours is appropriate.
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