Retexturing trees

[NordKindchen 12]

I think this is the best place to post - even though I am not too sure if this is really regarded as "modelling".

Well anyways. I am trying to refine some tree textures in the mid range distance. I allready found the right files - all I need to know is how to create an addon out of these.

This is of course a noob question but I am really new to this - so any link or advise will be greatly appreciated!

Greetings!

[NordKindchen 12]

Jeah well - somehow the modding community deosnt seem as lively as I imagined.

Is it really so hard to give an answer to that question? Its like the third thread I opened regarding modding and none has been answered ever.

I have been trying to figure out how to get this replacement running the whole day and all I have found out is that I have been doing something wrong.

Either it has something to do with the PboPrefix.txt or the config.cpp but I have found NO USEFULL RESOURCES ABOUT THIS nowhere. Everything I found was kept so vague that I cant work with it.

And all tuts I found are aiming at modeling which I am not looking at!

I simply want to replaces allready existing textures but I just dont get them into the game.

I am not really expecting to get an answer though....it seems this is a "very uncommon thing to ask in the modelling forums".......................................

[freakjoe 3]

I can sadly not help you with your problem but I don't think "bumping" this thread after less than a day of waiting and basically making other people look like they don't WANT to help will help you with problem...

[Defunkt 431]

I'm much more inclined to help if I can see the person has put a decent amount of effort into explaining where they're at and what they've tried. Often you can then get people heading in the right direction with just a pointer or correction. You've said so little the only thing left for somebody who wanted to help is to write you a lengthy tutorial from start to finish that covers all possibilities and all experience levels. Best advice I can offer is, find yourself a mod that does something similar and take it apart to see how they did it.

[NordKindchen 12]

Of course I agree with you Defunkt. Thanks for your answer.

The thing is: It starts at the very beginning. I allready looked for addons which I can copy from. Sadly it didnt work out.

What I want to do: Simply a retexture of some existing material.

What I dont know: What needs to be in the pbo? Needs there to be a PboPrefix.txt or config.ccp. Or is this not necessary since I am doing a simple replacement of textures.

If it is necessary: What do I put in the txt/ccp files?

How do I tell the game where to look for the files and where to integrate. Is this done via the folder structure or via the config or via the pboprefix.

What I was expecting as an answer in the first place is something like following:

Hey dude simply take the pbo you want to replace stuff from - unpack it and take the files you want to replace. Then take care the folder structure is kept and insert this and that.

After that pack them back into an pbo and put them into an mod folder like @mod/addons/.

Something like that is all I wanted to hear since at the moment I dont know if the problem is that I am missing something or my tools dont work proberly.

After approximately 12 hours of testing I am coming to the conclusion that even my tools are not working properly. I am using Eliteness V2.93 and cpbo with an unknown version number.

It seems that unpacking and repacking allready working files will break them. So the problem starts even here.

That on the other hand deosnt mean that the problems will have an end after that.

Greetings

[freakjoe 3]

I'd suggest using Mikero's ExtractPBO which you can get here : https://dev-heaven.net/projects/mikero-pbodll/files to extract the PBO files and then simply BinPBO from the BI tools suite for packing.

[NordKindchen 12]

Playing around a bit more I experienced that I can pack and unpack pbos for Arma2. Still - for Arma 3 it wont work.

Tomorrow I will try out your suggested tools - allthough I allready tried Mikeros ExtractPBO and wouldnt get it running.

Greetz

[NordKindchen 12]

I tried all mixes of tools now - MakePBO, Eliteness, ExtractPBO, BinPBO and tested different behaviors when mixing them up.

The conclusion is this: Unpacking and repacking pbos fucks things up while BinPBO fucks things up the most (Even deleted over 1000 files out of an addon while packing)

I still dont know what to insert into a replacement addon to get it running.

I still dont know if a PboPrefix.txt is crucial.

I still dont know if a config.ccp/config.bin is necessary for a simple texture replacement

I still dont know why unpacking/packing results in different files going missing and/or getting created or moved.

I still dont know if it should be even possible to unpack/pack pbos and expect them to work

I can only say: The most promising workflow which kept the files constantly the same while packing/unpacking didnt work so jeah - I have no clue on how to proceed.

[NordKindchen 12]

So Defunkt - you said you were more inclined to help if you see that someone has put some effort in it.

Well:

Ive been working on this problem the whole day since I woke up. And basically the last two days.

Here is another forum entrance of mine where I am asking help about something related to this topic.

I pm 3 guys towards this theme and spend allready about 18 hours work and still - I havent been able to get a single addon running/running again after unpacking/repacking.

I hope this is enough proof of my willingness;)

[NordKindchen 12]

I decided to act as Good Guy Greg and update what I can find out about this theme so if someone else got this problem he will find help here too.

Now I finally found something usefull regarding this theme!

THanks @Old_Painless for sending me towards this very very helpfull mini tut!

Also time and again this website is mentionned when asking for editing tips.

Greetings

[gammadust 12]

Take a look at this thread, it simplifies modding the midrange detail texture. (feel free to share your intermediate results there if you so whish)

In regards to the issues you're having with the tools, i have failed myself at it sometimes, one must indeed be careful, it is easy to miss one piece of data here and there and binning will not result in a usable .pbo.

I suspect you're having issues with proper paths. How to make sure to have working paths?

Short answer: make sure your $PBOPREFIX$ checks with the folder structure used in config.cpp.

Long answer:

midDetailTexture = "GAM\GAM_stratis_midrangedetail_a2\data\mid_range_mco.paa"; // change your tag/folder structure accordingly

This corresponds to the following:

I have a main folder where all mods i am working on sit (the "GAM\" part)

I have a folder exclusively for the mod under dev ("GAM_stratis_midrangedetail_a2\")

"config.cpp" sits in this folder (depending on mod if it requires a config.cpp or not)

The "data\" part is arbitrary it is just a subfolder to organize if you have many files (in this case i am following BI convention)

Finaly "mid_range_mco.paa" is the file itself

For this to work BinPbo must have $PBOPREFIX$ configured, it is done automatically but i always specify it in BinPbo > Options... > Addon Prefix. And what path exacly comes in here? (the file $PBOPREFIX$ itself will be created to both inside the .pbo and your editing folder)

In the example: GAM\GAM_stratis_midrangedetail_a2, not more not less. It is everything that serves as a unique path to your mod up to the root where config.cpp is created. This is also arbitrary and uses my tag (GAM) here for redundancy only.

The thing is when arma's engine reads the .pbo you can thing of it being "unbinned" to a folder as specified in the $PBOPREFIX$ file created. Since the path then will be that extended one interior files will then be found.

EDIT: Just noticed you previous post, much more extensive in the explanation, hope you manage to get some pretty textures working soon :)

Edited April 5, 2013 by gammadust

[NordKindchen 12]

I finally managed to pack and unpack pbos without problems.

I even got the files working ingame.

Before

After

But I cant manage to get them into an addon on its own.

I think I have to simply refine the path of the edited files in the config.bin.

The problem is: In no config whatsoever can I find the regarding file! I searched all Arma3 pbos for an entrance in the configs - 158 configs.

So I dont know what to alter to get the addon running.

Please help^^

[gammadust 12]

It's quite possible the .paa texture you're altering is/are defined in a .rvmat file.

Those are binary but if you open them in a text editor you should at least be able to confirm if the texture in question is defined in one of those .rvmat, i wouldn't look too far from the pbo (guessing plants_f.pbo) you opened where the .paa was in (same name even .rvmat). GL

[.kju 3245]

Be careful with repacking BI data and making it for public download. BI doesn't like that very much. Normally you need their permission to do so.

[gammadust 12]

I am sure NK will be able to come up with original textures, or ultimately distribute authorized modifications.

So far to illustrate his idea, learn the engine and show the potential to improve the default looks, it is quite effective.

[NordKindchen 12]

Thank you .kju for making me aware of that.

I will contact BI before trying to release anything.

Besides that: Here are some example pics:

Example_1_Before

Example_1_After

Example_2_Before

Example_2_After

Example_3_Before

Example_3_After

Example_4_Before

Example_4_After

let me know what you think

Greetings!

[Javi_KT 10]

You are the man!. Awesome work! You are improving this game a lot. Thank you

[[aps]gnat 28]

Impressive ..... !

Now call BIS over to this thread :)