How to make reskin with GIMP?

[carlos2912 10]

Hi friends, I'm doing with two other friends a Latino America modification to ArmA 3, we're starting with Brazil but we are introducing.

I think It's simple to make a reskin/ retexture of an american unit (present on the alpha version) with gimp program?

What do i need? may you guys give me a little teach?

Thanks.

[carlos2912 10]

Guys ?

[Leaulux 2]

http://www.sparrowstudio.net/armavdv/texturing_howto_A.pdf

http://www.ofpec.com/addons_depot/index.php?action=list&cat=tu

http://forum.armedassault.info/index.php?showtopic=69&mode=threaded&pid=17585

[AmericanFAC 1]

Step one: extract the pbo, many apps on how to do this

Step two: find the textrue (.paa) file that matches what you want to have redone

Step three: get the .paa plugin for Photoshop or use the Bistudio 2's application, Tex view to open the file

Step Four: Edit the texture

Step Five: Remake the .pbo

Step Six: Launch game and test

Step Seven: Go back to step Four because you did something wrong/forgot to do xyz/it doesn't look good.

[aidas2 10]

I'm using photoshop but this might help.

1. Extract the required pbo with Eliteness ( I've heard it's the only one that can extract a3 pbos atm )

2. Open the textures with TexView and save them as png.

3. Make your own addon ( I suggest downloading the recently released woodland marpat camo soldier ) It's very easy to reverse engineer the whole thing and figure out how it all works. And the author allows that.

4. Load up the texture in gimp/shop. If you're applying camo, then make it tileable first, then cover the entire texture with it and delete parts of your camo that cover parts you don't want to retexture. Load the nohq (normal map) texture and do the same as with your camo and place it as an overlay, I find vivid light at 70-80% the best, because it gives a lot of detail to the texture. After that only shading and minor details like dirt are left. That's the way I do it with photoshop and it ends up great.

[fully 1]

I'm using photoshop but this might help.

1. Extract the required pbo with Eliteness ( I've heard it's the only one that can extract a3 pbos atm )

2. Open the textures with TexView and save them as png.

3. Make your own addon ( I suggest downloading the recently released woodland marpat camo soldier ) It's very easy to reverse engineer the whole thing and figure out how it all works. And the author allows that.

4. Load up the texture in gimp/shop. If you're applying camo, then make it tileable first, then cover the entire texture with it and delete parts of your camo that cover parts you don't want to retexture. Load the nohq (normal map) texture and do the same as with your camo and place it as an overlay, I find vivid light at 70-80% the best, because it gives a lot of detail to the texture. After that only shading and minor details like dirt are left. That's the way I do it with photoshop and it ends up great.

PBO Manager v1.4 beta works on A3 pbo's =)

[Maio 293]

PBO Manager v1.4 beta works on A3 pbo's =)

I'm using this to extract one of the OPFOR character .paa's, but for some reason, texView 2 wont open the file.

Any tips?

[carlos2912 10]

I'm using this to extract one of the OPFOR character .paa's, but for some reason, texView 2 wont open the file.

Any tips?

Same question, Texview can't open PAA files or P3D, how should i proceed?

And i cant open config.bin files to find the PAA and P3D so, i used other reskin on this forum that i downloaded the editable file.

[aidas2 10]

Texview should open paa files. Open up texview then browse to the textures directory. P3d files can be opened with Oxygen 2 or if you want to modify texture paths then through notepad++, but keep in mind that your texture path must have the same ammount of symbols as the original or it won't work. Config.bin can be opened with unRap.

[carlos2912 10]

Texview should open paa files. Open up texview then browse to the textures directory. P3d files can be opened with Oxygen 2 or if you want to modify texture paths then through notepad++, but keep in mind that your texture path must have the same ammount of symbols as the original or it won't work. Config.bin can be opened with unRap.

Error loading the PAA file, ?

[Maio 293]

Error loading the PAA file, ?

Same for me.

Nevermind. I just had to download the latest BI tools version.

Edited March 10, 2013 by Maio

[Leaulux 2]

If you are using Gimp, make sure you disable that "Compression" box when you export the file.

[bigpickle 0]

I'm using photoshop but this might help.

1. Extract the required pbo with Eliteness ( I've heard it's the only one that can extract a3 pbos atm )

2. Open the textures with TexView and save them as png.

3. Make your own addon ( I suggest downloading the recently released woodland marpat camo soldier ) It's very easy to reverse engineer the whole thing and figure out how it all works. And the author allows that.

4. Load up the texture in gimp/shop. If you're applying camo, then make it tileable first, then cover the entire texture with it and delete parts of your camo that cover parts you don't want to retexture. Load the nohq (normal map) texture and do the same as with your camo and place it as an overlay, I find vivid light at 70-80% the best, because it gives a lot of detail to the texture. After that only shading and minor details like dirt are left. That's the way I do it with photoshop and it ends up great.

I think I might have done something wrong :

http://puu.sh/2fzaq (445 kB)

i know its a pain to ask but could you do a screen shot for each step so i can see how it should look?

[fluttershy 2]

Make sure that you not only have TexView 2 installed but the full BI-Community Tools. It won't work with just TexView 2 installed. I had the same error a while back.

When saving the reowkred PNG make sure to include an Alpha Channel. Load the PNG into Texview2 (make sure the file is properly named as XYZ_co.png in order to make texview save it as color map correctly)

[aidas2 10]

My bad, forgot to mention one thing. Make the normal map parts black and white and make them as overlay or any other filter that makes them look good and doesn't drasticly change the color also play around with opacity if you need to. I'll release my UCP soldiers in a few, will include the psd so you can check it out. You also might need to play around with the brightness of the camo because the nrm overlay can make it darker or lighter, depending on the camo shade.

Edited March 11, 2013 by aidas2

[victim913 10]

If you have any issues or questions directly with gimp you can pm me. I had to learn alot about it when I started skinning Battlefield 2 stuff with no one really knowing how to do it outside photoshop. I also did stuff with Arma 2. So if you get stuck with specific gimp stuff let me know.