skinning

[Walker]

Best place to find a complete skinning tutorial?

 

[Darg]

what do you think of the ones in the FAQ? if you think they don't help, let me know and I'll hunt for some more tutorials.

 

[Walker]

None of them helped. They're cryptic and cover obscure things.

First off, let me say that I don't have 3DS studio, so I can't do anything that requires it.

How do I edit a skin like to change the face expressions and everything, and then how do I put it into a map?

How do I insert custom models into a map?

 

[SD_Ryoko]

I dunno how to EDIT any of the skins, but see this huge post on modeling just recently.

http://www.thehelper.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9691

Edit

Take note - Theres a JPG in there somewhere showing how to add & use the models. Theres also a link for some really cool skins and even ITEM models, (like your hero holding a sword).

 

[Walker]

As for model editing, the things shown on this image

are exactly what I WAS doing. It doesn't work. It shows up as a blank thing and a chequered-colored box on the map saying something like "Cannot load unit model" or something like that. So that whole thing doesn't work. How do I use custom models???


And I REALLY need to know how to edit skins. I know it can be done without 3D Studio, because 3 different people I know have done it with just Photoshop and War3 Image Extractor 2. I haven't been able to find out HOW they did it though. Supposedly, it comes down to extracting the BLP images, converting them to TGAs, editing them, converting them back to BLP, then putting them in your map. But I don't know HOW to do most of that. How do I convert the TGAs back to BLPs? How do I insert them into my map and use them on top of standard unit models????????

 

[SD_Ryoko]

When I loaded this file, I saw 4-5 demon hunters with new skins. It worked for me in TFT editor, version 1.14.

You gotta import the model files into the import manager, just as the image file says.

Look at the demon hunters properties and look at his settings.

Pay attention to the art-model fields and animation names.

All you see is the checker cube? Try testing the map. It may be a different story.

Try saving the file, then reloading it.

 

[Darg]

3D studio max is for modelling not skinning, you need a program like photoshop or paint shop pro for skinning. Both skinning and modelling are my weak points unfortunately, so the amount of help I can give is minimal.

From what I read from your post, you have the concept pretty much spot on. Wc3 Image Extractor II lets you do both the blp-tga and tga-blp conversions.

The only tip I can give when skinning is this: a lot of people have trouble with 'alpha channels' in the skins, which are the areas where the different player colours can be put onto the unit. If the alpha channels are destroyed, then the unit will look mostly black when you import the skin and look at it in the game. I believe to preserve the alpha channels, the skin must be kept in either tga or blp form, do NOT save it as a jpg.

 

[Walker]

Ok, I've now made over 6 complete skins for my map. Now how I insert them into the map and use them on units?

 

[Darg]

here's an example:

if the model path for the model is

Units\Creeps\JungleBeast\JungleBeast.mdx

then you would use the import manager to import the skin and set the skin name and path to

Units\Creeps\JungleBeast\JungleBeast.blp

 

[Walker]

K, I"m trying to create custom skins for my map. I've got Wc3 image extractor 2. I extract the image into a TGA, then open it in Adobe Photoshop 7.01. Then I edit to my hearts desire. Then I save the file (still as a TGA). Then I convert it back to a BLP using Image Extractor 2. Then I import it into my map and give it the same path as the base skin, in this case Units\Undead\HeroDeathKnight\

That's all correct, right? Wrong. According to the tutorials on wc3campaigns.com, that's exactly how I should do it. And it doesn't work. Whenever I use the model in my map, the colors are all weird and distorted and there are strange patterns and stuff all over. I can't even see the characters eyes.

What am I doing wrong???? How do I fix my skins so that they don't look all weirdly colored and distorted patterns when opened on the map????????? I can't even make out that he's a DeathKnight anymore when I'm playing the map .

 

[Darg]

hmm I might try to do some skinning myself, I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

 

[Walker]

Please hurry. By the way, I think it's a problem with either Photoshop or Image Extractor, becuase I just tried this experiment:

I extracted the default Archer skin as a TGA. I opened it in Photoshop. I didn't change anything. I saved it in Photoshop as a TGA again. Then I opened it in Image Extractor and saved it as a BLP. Then I imported it into my map. Just like the Deathnknight, the colors and shading and patterns were are weird and distorted. But this time I didnt' edit anything!!!

 

[Walker]

Bumping topic. Waiting for reply from Darg.

 

[Darg]

Well I'm assuming it must be photoshop then, cause i'm really puzzled as to what the problem is. I use Ulead Photoimpact myself, and I was able to extract a skin, convert to tga, do a bit of editing in photoimpact, convert back to blp and get it to show up in the map, all in under 5 minutes.

Try my skin, see if it works for you. Its the paladin hero, if it works in game, you should see two letter 'H' 's on his front torso, and two letter 'I' 's on his back. (I tried to say 'HI', but that didn't work cause I didn't realise half the torso skin was his front and the other half was his back).