Tutorial Skinning a Model

[elmstfreddie]

This tutorial will explain how to have 2 models: one with your new skin, one with the default skin. So, obviously, you will need a custom skin for this tutorial

First of all, we will need a program. I will try to explain step-by-step in case you have never used this program before.
War3 Model Editor (aka Mago's Model Editor) (got this link from the Useful Tools thread)
Download that, and let's begin!


1. Pre-Model Editor
Before we open the model editor, we will need a folder with your skin in it. Don't forget to have your skin as a blp. Remember this folder, and where in this folder the texture is. This will be important for when you import your newly skinned model into the World Editor. From now on, do NOT move your texture around. Keep it where it is.



2. Open the Model Editor
Now that the model editor is open, go to Windows -> MPQ Browser. In the MPQ browser, you must find the model that the new skin was created for.

Note: The website you downloaded the skin from will tell you the path that the skin should go on. Follow that path in the MPQ browser, and then find the MDX (not the blp!). If you can't find the MDX, it's most likely that the skin you downloaded was supposed to be imported into the Textures folder. Some hero textures are found in this folder, however their model counterparts will be found where you expect it to be (for example, the Mountain King skin is in the Textures folder, however the model is under Units\Human\HeroMountainKing\HeroMountainKing.mdx)

Now, open that model.
On the original window of the Model Editor, you will now see the model. With your model visible, hold left control, and click on the part of the model with the skin, and see the model flash black (if the model doesn't flash black, you didn't control click on the correct part of the model. You cannot click on a part with team colour. Otherwise something else got in the way, like hero glow, etc). Here's what the footman looks like when you control click the correct part of the model.

With the correct part of the model selected, we can now see which geoset uses the texture by going into the geoset manager. That can be found in Window - Geoset Manager.
With the Geoset Manager open, one of the Geosets will be selected.

Now, double click on this Geoset and another window will open. Remember the material which this Geoset uses, which can be found here.

Now, close this window and the Geoset Manager, and go into the Texture Manager. This can also be found in the Windows tab.
Import your new skin into the texture manager by right clicking anywhere (not on an existing texture though), and selecting Import. From here, find your blp, and then press open. Now, since we are using a new skin, we don't need the old one! So, right click on the old skin, and select remove. However, now that we removed the old skin, the model will look like this in the main window:

Don't worry, this is perfectly normal.
This time, we will go into the Material Manager (Also found under the windows tab). Open that material you were supposed to remember, and you will see a window with a list of Material Layers.
A lot of materials only have 1 layer, however some models have more than 1 layer. We will have to edit every layer if there is more than one, but it's quite simple.
Double click on the first layer, so that a window opens. There are 5 sections, Alpha, Flags, Texture ID, Animated Texture ID, and Filter Mode. You will notice that Texture ID and Animated Texture ID will have (none) as a selection. Animated Texture ID is not important, however we will need to set Texture ID to our new texture:

Select that one, and change it to your new texture.
When you go back to the main window, parts of your model will still be black, like this:

This is because the Material with team colour has more than 1 layer. One layer is for team colour, the other is for the texture. So now, left control click on one of the black parts of your model, then open up the Material Manager. A material will be selected, open this one to find 2 layers. Double click both layers, and examine the texture it uses. One of the textures will be (none), and the other will be Replaceable ID 1. On the one with (none), replace (none) with your imported texture. Now, go back to the original window, and there should be no more black spots.
Now that we're done with the Model Editor, just save your model to the same folder which contains your skin. You can name the model however you like.



3. Into World Editor
Now that we are done with our model, we just have to import it into the World Editor. This is quite simple.
Import your model, import your texture, and then remove war3imported from the file path. That's it.
In the Object Editor, select your imported model from the list of imports, and you can now place your newly skinned unit along with the original unit.
Have fun skinning!


**If a mod feels they need to scale down the pictures you have my permission (I guess you don't really require it though lol)

 

[ReVolver]

Faster way...

Convert to .mdl > change skin path to w/e you want > convert to .mdx > done.

 

[elmstfreddie]

..
what?
You've lost me. I know, lost me in that short of a sentance.

 

[ReVolver]

Look for the unit texture in this case its

Textures 3 {
	Bitmap {
		Image "Textures\Footman.blp",
	}
	Bitmap {
		Image "",
		ReplaceableId 1,
	}
	Bitmap {
		Image "Textures\gutz.blp",
	}
}

Change "Textures\Footman.blp" to w/e you want like Myskin.blp and when you import the model change the skin path to Myskin.blp

Here is the source for Footman.mdl

 

[elmstfreddie]

But in that case you'd still have to make a new model based off the original... Might as well do it all with one comprehensible program

 

[ReVolver]

Instead of messing with the model's materials just change the texture path. Its a lot faster and easier to do.

 

[madmuffin]

I'm confused in the process which you are changing the unit's texture path Orc_Tamer, can you explain it in detail?

 

[elmstfreddie]

In Orc_Tamer's method he saves the mdx, converts it to an mdl, opens it in notepad, finds the section with textures, changes the path, save as an mdl, converts to mdx, then imports the mdx and mdl. Kind of a more complicated method though...

 

[ReVolver]

I'm confused in the process which you are changing the unit's texture path Orc_Tamer, can you explain it in detail?

1.Get Magos Model editor
2.Save the model as .mdl
3. Open the .mdl file with notepad
4. Search for "Yourskinpath.blp" < the path of the skin of your model
5. Change it to w/e you want.
6. Open in Magos Model editor
7. Save as .mdx
8. Import to map and use the texture path of the one you changed.

 

[madmuffin]

1.Get Magos Model editor
2.Save the model as .mdl
3. Open the .mdl file with notepad
4. Search for "Yourskinpath.blp" < the path of the skin of your model
5. Change it to w/e you want.
6. Open in Magos Model editor
7. Save as .mdx
8. Import to map and use the texture path of the one you changed.

When I tried to open it with the model editor after changing path, it said the texture did not exist.

 

[ReVolver]

http://www.thehelper.net/forums/showthread.php?t=65900

Try reading guide I just made

 

[covenant1]

when i skin i cant save it to wat ever i want..i have to save it to footman or else it says there is an unknown extension