Arma3 Characters Modding Tutorial

[Choctaw 1]

Thanks for all of this fine info, Vespa (and others)! Hopefully I can get some help here: http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?149727-Problems-with-config-cpp

[johncage 30]

thank you for the help. because of you, i am become daniel craig tank commander:

http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/8316/sagew.jpg

Edited March 13, 2013 by johncage

[wormeaten 0]

Scarecrow's guide linked in OP and in tutorial itself. Many thanks!

wormeaten - it is part of the examples package https://community.bistudio.com/wikidata/images/a/a7/A3_Character_Examples_1.1.zip

Thanks m8. I manage as well with 3ds standard.

[Quakecry 10]

So i've been trying to create textures and i was wondering how i convert these files:

to the required paa files for usage ingame since obviously just psd won't work.

[Stiltman 3]

I save my files as .tga

then open them up in Texview 2 and re-save them as .paa

http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/BI_Tools_2.5

[LODU 19]

Hello Vespa

I'm trying to transfer a character created for arma3 ArmA2 helmet chin strap and gives strange results, because the selections of the new head "bysta" of arma3 have been changed in their name.

Example, where I had "chin", he now "Face_Chin", etc..

The problem is that not having 3dmax I can not have access to files fbx (I work with blender/o2) and head kindly release a addonmaker on this forum, not available selections: suddenly I'm working blind.

Question: would it be possible to provide a "bysta" p3d format, in order to accurately place my selections?

Thank you.

[Vespa 1]

Yes, that would be better, i'll ask if we can release it. Meanwhile, use "Face_Jawbone" for the specific issue

[LODU 19]

OK, thank you for your reply.:)

[ovenmit 11]

Im getting a "cannot load texture" error in game? My path seems right as far as I can see... At first I thought it was my texture, but i've even tried with the original games texture to test... still no joy. What am I missing here?

enum {

// = 2, // Error parsing: Empty enum name

DESTRUCTENGINE = 2,

DESTRUCTDEFAULT = 6,

DESTRUCTWRECK = 7,

DESTRUCTTREE = 3,

DESTRUCTTENT = 4,

STABILIZEDINAXISX = 1,

STABILIZEDINAXESXYZ = 4,

STABILIZEDINAXISY = 2,

STABILIZEDINAXESBOTH = 3,

DESTRUCTNO = 0,

STABILIZEDINAXESNONE = 0,

DESTRUCTMAN = 5,

DESTRUCTBUILDING = 1,

};

class CfgPatches {

class OV_ZAOPFOR {

units[] = {};

weapons[] = {};

requiredVersion = 0.1;

requiredAddons[] = {"A3_Data_F", "A3_Weapons_F", "A3_Characters_F", "A3_Characters_F_BLUFOR"};

};

};

class UniformSlotInfo {

slotType = 0;

linkProxy = "-";

};

class CfgFactionClasses {

access = "ReadAndCreate";

class OV_ZAOPFOR {

displayName = "ZA OPFOR";

priority = 2;

side = 2;

};

};

class CfgVehicleClasses {

class OV_ZAOPFOR {

displayName = "Infantry";

};

};

class cfgWeapons {

class Uniform_Base;

class UniformItem;

class ov_combatuniform_za : Uniform_Base {

scope = 2;

displayName = "ZA OPFOR Uniform";

picture = "\A3\characters_f\data\ui\icon_U_B_CombatUniform_mcam_ca.paa";

model = "\A3\Characters_F\Common\Suitpacks\suitpack_blufor_diver";

class ItemInfo : UniformItem {

uniformModel = "-";

uniformClass = "ZAOPFOR_Soldier_F"; //would be same as our made soldier class

containerClass = "Supply20"; //how much it can carry

mass = 80; //how much it weights

};

};

};

class CfgVehicles {

class B_Soldier_base_F;

class ZAOPFOR_Soldier_F : B_Soldier_base_F {

_generalMacro = "B_Soldier_F"; //unsure what this does

faction = "OV_ZAOPFOR";

vehicleClass = "OV_ZAOPFOR";

scope = 2;

displayName = "ZA Opfor Unit";

nakedUniform = "U_BasicBody"; //class for "naked" body

uniformClass = "ov_combatuniform_za"; //the uniform item

hiddenSelections[] = {"Camo"};

hiddenSelectionsTextures[] = {"OV_ZAOPFOR\Data\clothing1_co.paa"};

};

};

Nevermind... I figured it out. I was making the pbo from eliteness instead on binPbo.

Edited March 14, 2013 by Ovenmit
update

[zooloo75 833]

I'm trying to do a simple retexture of the NATO soldier ingame with

player setobjecttexture [0,"retexture.paa"]; hint "Texture Changed";

but it isnt doing anything.

[antoineflemming 14]

I'm trying to do a simple retexture of the NATO soldier ingame with

player setobjecttexture [0,"retexture.paa"]; hint "Texture Changed";

but it isnt doing anything.

You have to put the full texture path in there. Do you have the texture in a pbo file?

[zooloo75 833]

You have to put the full texture path in there. Do you have the texture in a pbo file?

The texture is in my mission folder. This worked perfectly in ArmA2. I even tested that my texture wasn't the issue by using someone elses texture and it had no effect. I also tested paths and it was the right path because when I put a non-existant path, it gave me an error.

[surpher 1]

Has the blufor clothing1_co texture been reduced in size from 4096x4096 down to 2048x2048?

[instagoat 133]

So if I want to make a complete retexture, like Sabres Units, where I replace pretty much all the textures with new ones, I cannot use the hidden selections....

Like, new normal maps, sdmi, etc...

How do I go about that?

[antoineflemming 14]

So if I want to make a complete retexture, like Sabres Units, where I replace pretty much all the textures with new ones, I cannot use the hidden selections....

Like, new normal maps, sdmi, etc...

How do I go about that?

Hex edit is the only way I know how, but I think that's kinda frowned upon.

[instagoat 133]

Hex edit is the only way I know how, but I think that's kinda frowned upon.

How do people get access to these parts of the Units then? Getting the files from BIS, or being the producers of the Units themselves?

I am also unsure how to retexture bodyarmour without making a whole new config: I use the editor for testing textures, so I put down a Unit, and add the setobjecttexture thing to the init. The texture is added to the folder as a .paa.

Is there any way to paint the hidden selection of the bodyarmour without configging a brand new one from scratch or messing with scripting?

[contrails 10]

Hexedit is the only way I know as well - you would do it with a binarized P3D which comes from unpbo'ing the addon.

As for the config, you can make a quick config by inheriingt from the class you are retexturing and change only the name and hidden selections values.

[AlexVestin 24]

I have a question regarding uniforms.

Do a uniform require something extra to make it usable together with a vest/headgear/eyewear?

I'm asking since the BIS models of the ghillie uniform can't be used together with a vest.

Any kind of vest/headgear/eyewear is hidden but still equipped.

Is there any way to paint the hidden selection of the bodyarmour without configging a brand new one from scratch or messing with scripting?

I'm fairly sure you can tell your config to use the default existing A3 vest model and settings, then just have your new vest just use a different hidden selection.

But if you want another .rvmat, then you have to hex edit the original .p3d vest model file.

There's a program called HxD something somewhere on the internets able to hex edit.

Edited March 27, 2013 by AlexVestin

[pauliesss 2]

I have a question regarding wound textures, or better said, how to get them working.

Thanks.

[antoineflemming 14]

I have a question regarding uniforms.

Do a uniform require something extra to make it usable together with a vest/headgear/eyewear?

I'm asking since the BIS models of the ghillie uniform can't be used together with a vest.

Any kind of vest/headgear/eyewear is hidden but still equipped.

I'm fairly sure you can tell your config to use the default existing A3 vest model and settings, then just have your new vest just use a different hidden selection.

But if you want another .rvmat, then you have to hex edit the original .p3d vest model file.

There's a program called HxD something somewhere on the internets able to hex edit.

It probably doesn't have the correct proxies, and it's definitely designed that way. The diver suit is the same way.

[SneakyDuck 1]

My Texview refuses to open the default textures. I've tried reinstalling several times, unpacking the .pbo several times but the same vague error keeps popping up. Opening my own .paa files works fine.

http://i.imgur.com/JGJNzs3.png

Am I missing something?

[Binkowski 25]

My Texview refuses to open the default textures. I've tried reinstalling several times, unpacking the .pbo several times but the same vague error keeps popping up. Opening my own .paa files works fine.

http://i.imgur.com/JGJNzs3.png

Am I missing something?

File format of the .tga or .paa is probably newer or different than the supported formats of TexView. I know when you bake a model in 3ds and try to open the .tga in TexView you get the same error. Try opening it in photoshop, then saving it as .tga there. After that you should be able to open it in TexView.

[instagoat 133]

I have a question regarding the hidden selections.

I am trying to test a texture I made on the default blufor units, using this in the init line:

this setobjecttexture [0,"clothingR_co.paa"]

However, the texture is not showing up. It is a 2048 x 2048 px .paa file, just like the one BI has in their own files. People seem to be using the hidden selections on these Units for their retexes, however, I can´t get this to work.

When I am using other Units (for example the helo coveralls or the opfor thermosuit) the command above works.

is the hidden selections part of the blufor units bugged?

[liukang168 1]

One simple question:

My model seems to generate shadows of some proxies. I see triangle shadoes in the world. HOw can I alter these properties in O2?

[NordKindchen 12]

I am only asking this here because its damn hard to get help regarding this theme.

I am trying to retexture some vegetation, rocks and the midrange-texture.

I know where the needed files are and I know how to alter them.

What I dont know is how to get this into a running addon.

Also my pbo programms give me some headache. I tried ExtractPBO, cpbo.exe, MakePBO, Eliteness and BinPBO. Ive got them working without errors, but still everyhing I unpack and pack again wont work.

For example: I took an existing addon and unpacked it via Eliteness. Then I instantly repacked it with cpbo.exe. The filesize is EXACTLY THE SAME. Even unpacking and packing an infinately amount of times doesnt change filesize and outcome of the files inside.

Still - if I try to load the altered file the game wont load it.

But when I try to pack the files back with say - MakePBO - some files go missing. Same as with BinPBO. (BinPbo even made over 1000 files disappearing from an addon....before 3700 files- after packing 2400files inserted)

I am trying to get this running since 3 days now.

I even made allready two topics about this (for example here)- but it seems I am talking with myself most of the time.

Now I wouldnt keep on spamming the forums if I wouldnt know that there are plenty of people who know how to do this kind of stuff.

It seems to be basic knowlegde. Still I cant find any really usefull source...=/

I would greatly appreciate any help!

Greetz