How to make an addon

[hardrock 1]

<span style='color:green'>Update July 06: ofp.info links fixed</span>

Since this question appeared several times, I'll post here what you need to make an addon:

Check out here if the addon doesn't already exist in good quality.

Necessary tools:

Oxygen Light (3D modelling tool)

If you hear somebody speaking about "O2", that's the same

Oxygen Viewer (necessary for Oxygen Light)

TexView (to convert TGA-files into OFP's texture format)

WinPBO (Tool to pack/unpack PBO files - OFP's addon format) <span style='color:green'>updated - replaces the following two</span>

MakePBO 1.1 (To pack all files into OFP's addon format) <span style='color:red'>old school</span>

PBO decryptor 1.5 (To unpack OFP's addon format) <span style='color:red'>old school</span>

It's also good to have a graphics program like Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro to make textures, since this won't work very well with MS Paint. Also many of the texturing tutorials are written for these programs.

Tutorials:

Addon making/Modeling

Brsseb's tutorial pages (Very good tutorials about installing Oxygen and making addons)

Colonel Klink's tutorial pages (more advanced tutorials on making addons)

OFPEC tutorials on making addons

Marfy's texturing tutorials (advanced tutorials on how to make good-looking textures)

Oxygen tutorials

Status_cz's Oxygen tutorials

3D Studio Max Tutorials <span style='color:green'>new</span>

Texturing

2D Art/Skinning Tutorials <span style='color:green'>new</span>

Texturing Videos <span style='color:green'>new</span>

Painting worn metal textures <span style='color:green'>new</span>

Skinning Tutorials <span style='color:green'>new</span>

Digital Art Resource <span style='color:green'>new</span>

Samples:

BIS sample models, but read the readme first!

BIS commented config.cpp 1.91

Links:

OFPEC (_The_ site about editing in OFP)

Breathe (BIS official addon-making website)

TheAvonLady's OFP FAQ (covers nearly every question about OFP)

These forums

When you once are more advanced on making addons, you may also need:

Other useful tools:

ODOL Explorer 2.0 + Update to 2.44 (to open and learn from binarized models, but don't copy them without permission! )

PAATool (Texture conversion tool with better quality than TexView, but without preview)

OFPAnim 0.98 and the update on 0.981 (Tool to make OFP animations)

CfgCheck (Replace all tags in a .p3d's texture paths / convert bin to cpp - only unicode) <span style='color:green'>updated</span>

Chris' OFP Script Editor 3.1 (script editor with ofp syntax highlighting and many tools and functions) <span style='color:green'>updated</span>

Patch Generator 1.0 (easily create patches for updates of your addons) <span style='color:green'>updated</span>

Resources:

Camouflage patterns of the world <span style='color:green'>new</span>

Camouflage nets <span style='color:green'>new</span>

If there is anything missing in this list, I'll edit this post.

[Ex-RoNiN 0]

If you call the thread "How to make an addon", then it might be more useful to say more than just what tools you need

You could make a small tutorial in which you make something easy, like a re-skin or editing/making a new model

[Ironsight 1]

Tool to add:

P3D Texture Swap Utility retexture utility

There are a lot of tools on this site Click here

[hardrock 1]

Tool to add:

P3D Texture Swap Utility retexture utility

At least for me this tool doesn't work properly, so I didn't add it to the list.

[Ironsight 1]

Tool to add:

P3D Texture Swap Utility retexture utility

At least for me this tool doesn't work properly, so I didn't add it to the list.

It worked earlier for me but lately I got some errors, but it is a handy tool  

[Sole 0]

I personally prefer StuffPBO for packing a folder into a pbo.

a. Because it leaves everything uncompressed. (I don't like compressed pbo's, thats where we got Winrar/Winzip for.)

b. It doesn't have the LSD-tripping interface

You can grab it from this page on opflash.org (scroll a bit down).

[m21man 0]

To make an addon, you also need a good graphics editing program. MS Paint is not a suitable program. Adobe Photoshop is the most common program used, and Jasc Paint Shop Pro is another common program. If you don't want to buy one of these (You cheapskate ), then you can use the the GIMP.

Quote[/b] ]b. It doesn't have the LSD-tripping interface

That's the best part .

[Tomislav 0]

what progs do you need to reskin vehicles,

some tell me that i need photoshop additionally

[m21man 0]

@Tomislav - You need Photoshop, most texturing tutorials are for it and it's a very good program.

[hardrock 1]

a. Because it leaves everything uncompressed. (I don't like compressed pbo's, thats where we got Winrar/Winzip for.)

Ever tried to click "Properties" right beneath "Select dir." (in MakePBO)? There you can choose which files you want to be compressed.

[raedor 8]

some files (eg .wavs) are always compressed.

but i never use wavs in final addon versions...

[FW200 0]

Here is something for beginners to look at (These skins are nowhere near perfect and can offcourse be improved):

Fouga Magister basic metal skin:

Paint Shop Pro example PSP

Photoshop example PSD

F-4 Phantom (Footmunch) example skin:

Paint Shop Pro example PSP

Photoshop example PSD

These files are all around the 700-800kb so 56k'ers can also download them (the real file size is much larger though , long live RAR compression). If requested.. I will post .zip versions.

[Sole 0]

a. Because it leaves everything uncompressed. (I don't like compressed pbo's, thats where we got Winrar/Winzip for.)

Ever tried to click "Properties" right beneath "Select dir." (in MakePBO)? There you can choose which files you want to be compressed.  

I stand corrected  

(still leaves us with point B though )

[raedor 8]

but it's double work with stuffpbo: you have to choose in- and output. with makepbo you only have to choose input and it automatically does the rest...

[m21man 0]

I heard that PBO compression can actually cause damage to the addon file. Is this true, or just a rumor?

[raedor 8]

afaik unpbo 1.5 can sometimes damage pac/paa files. i had that eg with rhs crew and tried years to find the bug (i thought it was something from the config/my scripts). or the releaseversion of t-64s has a damaged texture...

it's not hard to test: take some paa/pac files, pbo them unpbo them... and do that until you get a damaged file j/k

[drow 0]

This isnt a very good guide to making addons IMO guys, noone even really tells you how to start or anything.

Maybe someone could give some tips, or links to tutorials or something useful, right now it sounds like a bunch of addon makers talking.  

(I think things like what you wish you would have known when you started out and know now, learnt though making mistakes and such... Tips, you know.)

Tutorials and Info Sites:

This guy has posted links to lots of modeling tut's.

hope it helps someone.

[hardrock 1]

Maybe someone could give some tips, or links to tutorials or something useful, right now it sounds like a bunch of addon makers talking.

Tutorials:

Brsseb's tutorial pages (Very good tutorials about installing Oxygen and making addons)

Colonel Klink's tutorial pages (more advanced tutorials on making addons)

OFPEC tutorials on making addons

Marfy's texturing tutorials (advanced tutorials on how to make good-looking textures)

I found these quite good...

And the main intention of this thread was to give starters an overview about how to make addons for OFP at all. When I think when i started, I first had to search lots of tutorials until I knew which tools to use.

[drow 0]

I see  

well sorry if I sounded like I just being mean, I just wanted to remind you guys what this thread seems like it should be about.

I guess this was originally just like "addon making ingredients" type thread, but now I hope people make it live up to its name!

[Pathy 0]

Heres my contribution.

Weapon texture tute for Photoshop.

Needs someone to take the time to work it thru and tell me whats wrong with it. Also has links to other good tutes at the bottom. Doesnt tell you how to map, just to make. And i never got round to illustrating it. Maybe a later version....

Not meant to be a definative method, but a quick and easy way that anyone can do, and one that will make good looking textures as well.

Pathfinders PS texture tute

NB: The email address given in that for me is wrong, that mail adress got hacked and i was locked out, im now at OFP_Pathfinder@hotmail.com

[norsu 180]

Feer's PAAtool for better texture quality, http://www.flashpoint1985.com/cgi-bin....t=38198

[AtStWalker 0]

Tutorials and Info Sites:

This guy has posted links to lots of modeling tut's.

  hope it helps someone.

TNX DANKE MERCI ^_^

i'm the "guy"

Tutorials:

"Oxygen for Newbies" http://www.storiamilitare.org/o2

cya,

AT

[FW200 0]

I updated the Fouga Magister skin

Fouga Magister basic metal skin version 2:

Paint Shop Pro example PSP

Photoshop example PSD

[m21man 0]

Here's a site with many pictures of AFV interiors .

[Gul 0]

Hey people, i cant download Oxygen somehow. All links are broken, anywhere else i can get it