[SOLVED]Texplorer not applying changes

[giftfish]

Mar 4, 2017 15:16:07 GMT kinkojiro said:

Actually just checked I am using 2.0.15 for texplorer.

And v3.0 is just re-branded v2.0.15, so that's cool. No changes were pushed; that was the pre-EGM release we did for you.

Thanks, Kinko

[ottemis]

I use 3.0.1 for CCO nowadays, I have no issues with cloned meshes + textures with a freshly generated TFC.

[giftfish]

Mar 4, 2017 15:17:52 GMT giftfish said:

Mar 4, 2017 15:10:39 GMT realsurvivor686 said:

Also: I was too hasty in believing the issue had been solved. This bug is back (I applied the texture to a PCC with an altered mesh) and it now affects even the "CustTextures0.tfc". At this point, something is going very wrong with my system and am going to try to roll-back whatever updates I made.

Okay, now this makes more sense.

Have you checked the material and texture references in Meshplorer? This sounds like a problem where they are pointing to different textures. Perhaps imported ones that aren't in the file.

realsurvivor686 - And just to be clear, if you've cloned in textures, meshes, or materials, there are references only viewable in Meshplorer that need to be changed.

Those references are likely your issue. It's the only thing that would explain a non-mesh-modded PCC displaying the textures correctly, and a mesh-modded PCC displaying them incorrectly. The problem is with the mesh references, not with Texplorer and texture replacement.

[realsurvivor686]

I think what is missing are some pictures. Let me post them and perhaps you'll understand my conundrum.

I've double checked the material, and they haven't been altered. The PCC is not searching for a material that doesn't exist. Its just the me3explorer believes that its applying textures, but it's not (as you can see in the final picture)

Also: I am running me3explorer with administrator privileges, as a matter of habit.

EDIT: Am utilizing 2048x2048 textures. Does me3explorer have a problem with the resolution of textures?

Before:


Goal:


After:

[giftfish]

realsurvivor686 -- Your picture links seem to be broken.

I realize that what you are *observing* is a problem with texture replacement, but if you are having this problem in a mesh-modded file and the problem resolves in a file with a vanilla mesh, that strongly suggests the problem is with the mesh. There is no other reason for this discrepency. What would be helpful is a screenshot of the materials and textures as viewed in Meshplorer. Or, upload a copy of the mesh-modded file so we can take a look.

2K textures are fine as long as they are properly formatted and compressed. Texplorer wouldn't allow the replacement if they were not.

[realsurvivor686]

Ok then, am not sure if I've found a workaround that is merely temporary, but in the interests of a autopsy, here is what I did:

Step 1: Uninstalled my ".Net Framework"
Step 2: Followed the automatic Windows Update and let it do it thing. Followed all the instructions
Step 3: Started me3explorer, got the alert that I didn't have ".Net Framework" and followed the link that the dialog box gave
Step 4: The Microsoft Site selelect ".Net Framework 4.6.2". Followed every instruction and then restarted Windows when prompted
Step 5: Selected a vanilla Kaidan_00 and Kaidan_00_Explore PCC and dropped it in the fan-DLC folder
Step 6: Changed the textures via textplorer (using the auto-generated TFC)
Step 7: Changed the mesh via meshplorer
Step 8: Auto TOC
Step 9: Booted up the game and success!

Remaining things to check out:
1. Whether ordering Textplorer to store the textures in a pre-selected tfc (instead of the autogenerated one) produces the bug or not
2. Whether or not changing the mesh first or second is the primary cause of the bug
3. Whether or not the other PCCs are now 'cured'

Screenshots of success:

[realsurvivor686]

Ordering Textplorer to store the texture in a pre-selected TFC, instead of letting it use the CustTextures0 TFC (for a first-time texture mod) created the bug.

One oddity that I should note: The helmet textures were changed to the target texture. Yet the body texture remained unchanged (despite what textplorer's thumbnails lead me to believe). This indicates that either textplorer's ability to store textures in a pre-selected TFC is either schizophrenic or is limited to handling only one folder at a time.

EDIT: I had firefox open whilst running textplorer. Could that have interfered with anything?

EDIT 2: Let me be clear - Utilising a vanilla PCC, ordering textplorer to utilise a pre-selected TFC and then changing the texture generated the bug.

[giftfish]

realsurvivor686 --

I'm not sure what to tell you at this point. Your results are inconsistent. What you're saying now about vanilla vs non-vanilla meshes is inconsistent than what you said earlier. In addition, Kinko -- who is using the same version of the toolset you are and who is the most experienced modder here when it comes to changes to meshes/materials/textures -- hasn't experienced the same problem. I know you don't want to hear this, but that points to some type of user error. When I get inconsistent results at modding, I take a hard look at the procedure I just used and the assumptions I'm making. I'm not saying it's impossible that this is Texplorer's issue, but the inconsistency makes it questionable.

If you want us to try to find the problem, then your best bet is to upload a file so someone here can take a look. And, no, Firefox isn't going to mess up how Texplorer replaces textures.

[realsurvivor686]

@gitfish
You are right: This entire saga has been very inconsistent. As frustrating as it is for you to try and help me, it has been double for me. The only think I can put my finger on is that the issue cropped up when we hit March. Before then I was able to create, use and distribute functioning mods.

For what it's worth, I think I may have narrowed down the issue:

For some odd reason Textplorer doesn't like using pre-existing TFCs It doesn't care whether it's using the auto-generated "CustTextures0" or "Textures_DLC_MOD_FanCreatedDLC". It doesn't care whether the meshes are changed before or after the texture swap.

The end result is the same: Textplorer generates a new thumbnail, but the actual textures are not changed.

[ottemis]

Mar 5, 2017 1:27:22 GMT realsurvivor686 said:

For some odd reason Textplorer doesn't like using pre-existing TFCs It doesn't care whether it's using the auto-generated "CustTextures0" or "Textures_DLC_MOD_FanCreatedDLC".

That would mean modding would virtually be impossible with the current version. If Texplorer wouldn't like pre-existing TFC's we'd be overflowing with bugreports from regular users and we are not.

I'd advise you go step by step, and you write down exactly what you are doing.

[kinkojiro]

My suggestion would be this:

(1) eliminate the possibility of other errors. Remove all the other pccs from your DLC directory. Add the textures to the existing tfc.

(2) Then rebuild the texture tree entirely - but only scan your DLC folder (with that one pcc in it). Then check what images are showing.

This will eliminate any other cause apart from texplorer (e.g. in game duplication, wrong files loading).

If the new thumbnail images are showing then it is likely the problem is something else. If the old ones are showing then there almost definitely is an issue in the tfc addition.

[giftfish]

Mar 5, 2017 1:27:22 GMT realsurvivor686 said:

@gitfish
You are right: This entire saga has been very inconsistent. As frustrating as it is for you to try and help me, it has been double for me. The only think I can put my finger on is that the issue cropped up when we hit March. Before then I was able to create, use and distribute functioning mods.

1. It's "Texplorer", not "Textplorer.
2. "March" is a non-issue. v3.0.1 was released in November of last year. The current stable was released in October. Nothing has changed in the toolset since then.
3. My impression is still that you are not isolating variables enough and your conclusion may be in error. I suggest taking Kinko's advice.

Mar 5, 2017 2:25:36 GMT ottemis said:

That would mean modding would virtually be impossible with the current version. If Texplorer wouldn't like pre-existing TFC's we'd be overflowing with bugreports from regular users and we are not.

^This.

Mar 5, 2017 2:33:19 GMT kinkojiro said:

My suggestion would be this:

(1) eliminate the possibility of other errors. Remove all the other pccs from your DLC directory. Add the textures to the existing tfc.

(2) Then rebuild the texture tree entirely - but only scan your DLC folder (with that one pcc in it). Then check what images are showing.

This will eliminate any other cause apart from texplorer (e.g. in game duplication, wrong files loading).

If the new thumbnail images are showing then it is likely the problem is something else. If the old ones are showing then there almost definitely is an issue in the tfc addition.

Thanks for this, Kinko. I'd also add to this that Real needs to control for a vanilla mesh vs a modded mesh. Do this process twice. First with a vanilla mesh, second with the modded mesh. Otherwise, changing those parameters between tests could result in improper conclusions.

[realsurvivor686]

I've done as you've suggested and controlled for vanilla vs altered mesh. I also wiped my installation and started from scatch. Here is what I found:

Vanilla mesh
Steps Used:
1. Copy and Paste Marine_00 and Marine_00_Explore into a pre-created DLC folder (I utilized the DLC_CON_AshWar folder in this instance)
2. Start up Texplorer and rebuild the tree with only DLC_CON_AshWar selected
3. Navigate to BIOG_HMM_ARM_SAN_R->SANA->TEXTURES
4. Navigate to "Change Custom TFC"
5. Select the "Textures_DLC_CON_AshWar.tfc" as the designated TFC. Select both Marine_00 and Marine_00_Explore in the right toolbar.
6. Change the textures for the Diff, Norm and Spec textures
7. Hit the "Save Changes Button"
8. Hit the "Rebuild Database" button
9. Confirm that thumbnails show new textures in their respective locations
10. Exit texplorer
11. Generate a new TOC, via the AutoTOC feature
12. Boot up the game. Navigate to the CIC and then select a mission

Results
1. In the pre-mission weapon selection and power customization, James' textures reflect their goal
2. Once the mission begins, James reverts back to the vanilla textures. The game completely ignores any new textures that I've applied for it

Pictures:
Pre-Mission power selection


In-mission power selection


In-mission gameplay



Modified Mesh
Steps Involved:
1. Copy and Paste Marine_00 and Marine_00_Explore into a pre-created DLC folder (I utilized the DLC_CON_AshWar folder in this instance)
2. Start up Texplorer and rebuild the tree with only DLC_CON_AshWar selected
3. Navigate to BIOG_HMM_ARM_SAN_R->SANA->TEXTURES
4. Navigate to "Change Custom TFC"
5. Select the "Textures_DLC_CON_AshWar.tfc" as the designated TFC. Select both Marine_00 and Marine_00_Explore in the right toolbar.
6. Change the textures for the Diff, Norm and Spec textures
7. Hit the "Save Changes Button"
8. Hit the "Rebuild Database" button
9. Confirm that thumbnails show new textures in their respective locations
10. Exit texplorer
11. Navigate to Meshplorer. Select Marine_00 pcc in the DLC_CON_AshWar folder
12. Change the mesh for the body, utilizing a UPK file, for all the LODs
13. Save the PCC
14. Repeat Step 11 to 13 for the Marine_00_Explore PCC
15. Generate a new TOC, via the AutoTOC feature
16. Boot up the game. Navigate to the CIC and then select a mission

Results
1. In the pre-mission weapon selection and power customization, James' textures amd meshes reflect their goal
2. Once the mission begins, James reverts back to the vanilla textures. The game completely ignores any new textures that I've applied for it. The new mesh is reflected in the game

Pictures
Pre-mission weapon selection


Pre-mission power selection


In-mission power selection


Conclusions:
There you have it. Its not the meshes that are causing the problems (as the textures are being applied properly...its just for the pre-mission files).

Could texplorer have problems storing 2048 textures in user-created-tfcs for multiple PCCs? Is this a known limit (previous texture modifications were in the 1024 size)

[kinkojiro]

Ok. Test worked perfectly. Eliminated a lot of the possibilities.

This generally is caused by the game loading 2 files with the same textures/meshes in them. Unreal works to eliminate wasted memory like this:

- Load PCC A. With resource BIOG_HMM_ARM_MDL (using mesh, but exactly the same logic applies for materials, textures any resource).
=> Move mesh to memory.

- Load PCC B. With resources BIOG_HMM_ARM_MDL and BIOG_HMM_ARM2_MDL.
=> The resource BIOG_HMM_ARM_MDL is already in memory. Discard.
=> BIOG_HMM_ARM2_MDL is not in memory. Move to memory.

So it is most likely it is not showing in mission because the armor textures are already in another file (most like Shepards armor file).

The fix is simple. Go to the name table and rename Vega's armor textures (e.g. VEGa_Diff to VEGz_Diff), and try again. If that doesn't work try renaming the material instance (not the underlying master material that can cause problems for the shaders) and the MDL.

[realsurvivor686]

Thanks for responding. If you don't mind my asking:

1. This would be the first time, I've changed the name of an entry, via PCC Editor 2.0. Are there any tutorials you would recommend before I begin? (I have added names for customized tfc, before, but outright changing the texture names is a little beyond my understanding).

2. Any ideas as to why this bug popped up for Kaidan and James? I've modified EDI and Ashley's meshes and textures and have never seen this odd behaviour before from texplorer?