Original Thread (http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=143695)

Ok as we all know the default saber skin sucks. As most skinners know, the uv map is the reason it sucks. It makes re-skinning the hilt very limiting, and just plain a pain. About 3% of the tga was actually used on the model in the old uvmap, and all of it overlaped somewhere. Recently Chains.2da, gave me an idea of how to solve this problem; re-map it. So i came up with this (http://gallery51159.fotopic.net/p11417874.html) A brand new complete uv map for the default hilt model. It has each of the 20 layers of the hilt, seperately mapped and seperated for much easier skinning. Included in the zip, the default mdl and mdx(with new mapping), the new tga. file, and a copy of the orignal psd. Use the model files however you want, for anything you want(they're not mine, too cheap looking;) ) If you just drop the files in Over-ride, you will only change the green saber, and it will have the "map" skin. you can easily change all sabers to use this map, or you can use it to make custom hilts that wont overwrite the defaults. Get the files here (http://www.freewebs.com/fosterproductions)

Originally posted by Seprithro
Ok as we all know the default saber skin sucks. As most skinners know, the uv map is the reason it sucks. It makes re-skinning the hilt very limiting, and just plain a pain. About 3% of the tga was actually used on the model in the old uvmap, and all of it overlaped somewhere. Recently Chains.2da, gave me an idea of how to solve this problem; re-map it. So i came up with this (http://gallery51159.fotopic.net/p11417874.html) A brand new complete uv map for the default hilt model. It has each of the 20 layers of the hilt, seperately mapped and seperated for much easier skinning.
Beautiful Sep! This will help out so many people (me included)! Especially those still daunted by GMAX & modeling, this will at least give hope to some new unique sabers. I look forward to all the new hilts I'm sure we'll see in the next coming weeks (that's your cue peepz... hehehe) Especially since BoL_Stryke has stated that TSL's sabers are the original tube sabers that haunt us till this day :rolleyes: This is something that is going to keep helping throughout the run of TSL and it's modding lifespan...

Just as a 'supplement' to help everyone out, here's a visual reference of what Sep's new UVmap affects. There's no limitations (and no excuses) now not to have some really fine skins available!

Normal Saber (Seprithro) Skin Map Views (http://www.jumpstationz.com/kotor%20screens/SkinMap-RegSaber_Seprithro-Views.jpg)

**- just right click and "Save" to have a copy of this reference. Have it opened alongside Sep's Skin Map to see "what affects what" :)

Awesome Job indeed Sep, and thanks for doing this! :thumbsup: