Well then I think I'm ready to start...what should my first step be....hehe... :o

Start reading Achilles tut and following from top to bottom ;) make a back up of your folder just in case you mess up on the first run through..Trial and Error works wonders :) If you have any problems, post and we'll see what we can do to get you goin again

For the TXI, Achilles said there is no way to export the default but its not necessarily true when you export your lsabre<color>01.tga theres a check box thats says export TXI, you can hit that and it should export the TXI for you all you would have to do is rename that and you'd be good to go. The GFF editor is for UTI files, which basically gives the parameters for the crystal/saber your using like the model variation #, name in game, etc.

The TXI is in essence a txt file with a different extension, it tells the game what to do with the texture.No, what I said was there's no default .txi file to export. :D

What that check box will do is automatically create a .txi for you so that you do not have to manually create one (like you did when I wrote this).

No, what I said was there's no default .txi file to export. :D

What that check box will do is automatically create a .txi for you so that you do not have to manually create one (like you did when I wrote this).

Well ya :) I was just saying he doesn't have to create one from scratch which is easy but that was easier. :)

Open GFF Editor and use File<Open to open g_w_sbrcrstlxx.uti. KT has it’s owned GFF Editor, but I’m used to using this one.

Ok, this is the first part and when I open GFF editor there's nothing to do really, just the drop bar that says Type. I opened the file but I still couldn't do anything...

http://www.starwarsknights.com/HL_Tutorials/images/mav_resref.jpg)

You want to edit:

Template ResRef, Tag, and Model Variation to reflect your number don't pay attention to the name on that pic, just change the number from say "07" to whatever # you decided on using. Then hit the description tab, and change your saber to reflect what name you want and if you want type in a description.

so say your were changing it from 07 to 30

u_l_colo_07 would become u_l_colo_30 for both Template ResRef and Tag

then change model variation from 07 to 30 and move on to the description.

then rename your u_l_colo_##.uti to the same name as the Template ResRef location. In my example would be u_l_colo_30.uti :)

What the...? That looks like KT item editor stead of GFF editor...

What the...? That looks like KT item editor stead of GFF editor...

Thats what I use, Its the tool of champions..LOL go to file>open GFF file ;) It's alot easier, I found the GFF tool really confusing also. It's hard to know what your using from here, I never used the regular GFF tool.

Ok, I did that with the saber and the crystal, but something weird happened. The saber crystal file didn't change to u_l_coloxx when I extracted it, it's still named g1_w_sbrcrstl44 (I'm using 44). Shoulda mentioned that back when I was extracting files.

Ok, I did that with the saber and the crystal, but something weird happened. The saber crystal file didn't change to u_l_coloxx when I extracted it, it's still named g1_w_sbrcrstl44 (I'm using 44). Shoulda mentioned that back when I was extracting files.

it doesn't matter as long as the templateresref, tag, and crystal uti file itself all have the same name.

Then for your lghtsbr, you want it the same name as your .mdl file, along with the templateresref, and tag for that uti file.

Sorry, if its a bit confusing but once you get it down you'll be able to do it with your eyes closed :D

I'm on the last part where it says to rename the tga and txt files from 01 to 02. Unfortunately I never extracted any txts...what is it?

thats the TXI file, go back to when you extracted the blade color, double click it and it should open a preview window and you should see a little check box that says export to .txi do that and your done ;)

Well I did do that for the blade color and crystal but when I look in the file it still lists them as TGA files, not txt/txi.

And I appreciate how fast and dedicated you are to helpin me out. Thanks.

No problem man, I enjoy helping :)

http://home.comcast.net/~j3d1w4rr10r/w_lsabreblue01.txi) <--right click this and save it, rename the w_lsabreblue01 part to whatever your tga file is, leave the .txi in there though ;) and you should be ready to go.

*Laughs* This is pitiful, I'm never gonna get this :o ...since I'm using orange, what would happen if I save that blue lightsaber image?

*Laughs* This is pitiful, I'm never gonna get this :o ...since I'm using orange, what would happen if I save that blue lightsaber image?

Its not a image, its a basically a text file with commands in it all you have to do is rename the same as your blade :) It wouldn't do anything, and your blade would show up with semi-squared edges instead of how its supposed to.

Say your blade tga is named w_lsabregold02.tga you'd want your .txi file named w_lsabregold02.txi

I can't do it, I give up. Too many mess ups, I even started over but I screwed everything up so bad I just have no idea what to do. I don't even feel like playing the game anymore. Sorry I wasted your time man.

I can't do it, I give up. Too many mess ups, I even started over but I screwed everything up so bad I just have no idea what to do. I don't even feel like playing the game anymore. Sorry I wasted your time man.

Don't quit, just take a break try again tomorrow or the next day I doubt you screwed it up that bad man if you want pm me and I'll give you my email addy you can send it to me and I'll take a look at it.

step 1: open the .tga in kotor tool's image veiwer.
step 2: copy the contents of the white box in the lower left corner, then paste into wordpad/notepad and save as a .txt
step 3: rename the file extention to a .txi <from.txt to .txi> you can dot his by right clicking and chosing "rename" from the list the pops out.

you will get a warning when you do this but just click through.

the .txi is unreadable by anything other then the game, so the icon <for your .txt/.txi> should turn into a "system file"/"windows file" icon.


hope this helps.
F

Clone L68362,

If it's too much, then try something simpler and work your way up. I posted the link to the item editing tutorial a few days ago (ok, maybe it was closer to a week). Start out changing a few properties and then see where things take you. Again, considering all the stuff that KT can do now, I don't even know why people still read this outdated tutorial (you can do all the same stuff with the aforementioned item editing tut).

Clone L68362,

If it's too much, then try something simpler and work your way up. I posted the link to the item editing tutorial a few days ago (ok, maybe it was closer to a week). Start out changing a few properties and then see where things take you. Again, considering all the stuff that KT can do now, I don't even know why people still read this outdated tutorial (you can do all the same stuff with the aforementioned item editing tut).

I've been working with him in pm's, trying to get him through it from his last message sounded like he got it in game. He's working through more on Hex editing right now, trying to figure that out but I'm happy he didn't give up. It's easy to give up on these things, shows a bit of dedication to it which makes me helping him very much worth it.

Thanks again Achilles for your tut, it helped me alot when I began..:)

Grr...I'm still having trouble figuring this out. I can get everything to work in game except I want the saber to be orange and it turns turquoise in the inventory and even the Heart of the Guardian crystal is colored turquoise. I don't know if just those images are messed up and it'll be orange in game because I don't have a Jedi character to equip it yet.

Me too. I don't want to be annoying, but I just can't figure it out. I want just to make a saber that is regular but has the color of the HotF. I don't really get it. I don't think you were talking about new crystals though.

As for the lightsaber, I just can't figure it out. You give two files for the crystal and the saber. What am I supposed to extract, and what files am I supposed to do something with? Where am I supposed to put them?

Me too. I don't want to be annoying, but I just can't figure it out. I want just to make a saber that is regular but has the color of the HotF. I don't really get it. I don't think you were talking about new crystals though.

As for the lightsaber, I just can't figure it out. You give two files for the crystal and the saber. What am I supposed to extract, and what files am I supposed to do something with? Where am I supposed to put them?Open the .uti file of a regular saber using KT
Change the model var to 7
Save
Done

I'm like, 87% sure I'm doing everything right but my lightsaber image still comes out turquoise, and not upgradeable. I noticed in your tutorial you never mentioned what to do with upcrystals.2da to make it upgradeable...

Well, one more question, what in the world is the Hex Editing about? You said there would only be like 4 "1s" or something so I searced and found a ton, way more than 8, seemed like a million. Could someone tell me what I am doing wrong, or what the Hex Editor is about? Can I do it with KT or something else now, because it makes no sense.

You need to look for the 01s on the right side, the one with text and stuff, not the one with tons of number/letter combinations.

I'm giving up though. After countless tries and unexplainable errors I've lost all patience. I did it once with a blue lightsaber, everything working fine. I then tried with the orange lightsaber files, and phailed hard lolz. I just tried a blue again, deciding "Whatever I'll just cheat for a Heart of the Guardian crystal and turn it orange." Something went wrong on that blue one, when I went to Hex editor there were almost 8 01's to change even though it was in the text search. Every time I try out my orange one in game it turns out turquoise in the inventory. And lasty I don't wanna play through Taris agin just to equip it and find out the blade is also turquoise. None of it's worth it. Don't bother sayin don't give up JediWarrior, it's not like I was gonna keep modding after I made the saber.

I'm like, 87% sure I'm doing everything right but my lightsaber image still comes out turquoise, and not upgradeable. I noticed in your tutorial you never mentioned what to do with upcrystals.2da to make it upgradeable...Hmmm....I offered the model var from memory so I might have given you the wrong one. You can always check the .uti file of the saber that you're trying to emulate to verify.

Check the general tutorial sticky for the upgrade tutorial. IIRC, Maverick187 wrote that one.

Well, one more question, what in the world is the Hex Editing about? You said there would only be like 4 "1s" or something so I searced and found a ton, way more than 8, seemed like a million. Could someone tell me what I am doing wrong, or what the Hex Editor is about? Can I do it with KT or something else now, because it makes no sense. Make sure you're searching the text side not the binary side.

Seriously folks, I think this is the 3rd or 4th time that I've emphatically stated that you're better off using the Item Editing tutorial. It's like watching someone use duct tape and cotton balls to cover a scratch when band-aids are in the next room.

Open KT
Find the item you want to change
Open it
Modify any of the fields that you need to (model var, texture var, properties, etc)
Save to Override
Done

I guess that would be easier Achilles...but say I wanted to do that, if I change the orange saber would it overwrite the normal one...or...ugh this is hard to explain.

If, at the end of the game, I want my character to have the lightsaber I was trying to make, Jolee to have a lightsaber with Mantle of the Force, and Juhani with Heart of the Guardian, would doing what you suggested overwrite the orange saber completely? Or would I still be able to buy a orange crystal for Juhani, and use the orange saber I want? Sheesh...ya know what I'm saying?

Edit: Whoa, that was weird. Know how I said my problem was that my lightsaber and saber crystal images were turning turquoise, instead of orange? Well I tried the other two (I was using the files iw_lghtsbr_007 and iw_sbrcrstl_007, and tried iw_lghtsbr_008 and iw_sbrcrstl_008) and instead of being turquoise OR orange, they turned a weird purple-peach reddish color. The saber crystal this time looked like Mantle of the Force instead of Heart of the Guardian, and it was orange instead of turquoise. This is nuts!

My suggestion: Instead of hex editing the model to change the color you can also do this:

1 Extract x saber and x .tga blade texture <being sure to create your.txt for later use>
2 Open the saber texture in Paint Shop, Photoshop, or Gimp.
3 Using some kind of "color replacement tool" recolor the texture <the sky's the limit on this one, gold, chartruce, puce, indigo, whatever!>
4 Save as a 32 bit .tga and continue with Achilles's tut.

You just gave your saber a new color! Yay for you!

On a side note:

@Achilles I understand why you tell people this is out dated... but didnt you also say that its valuble <to any noob modder> if they do it once the old skool way? Seriously, I understand the current tools <and modding in general> much better because of the effort I put into completing this tut.

Uuuugh I don't have any games to play, I must do this! If only there were a new updated set of instructions for making a lightsaber...I don't really know what to do anymore.

Uuuugh I don't have any games to play, I must do this! If only there were a new updated set of instructions for making a lightsaber...I don't really know what to do anymore.

If you send it over like I said, I can find out what you did wrong just by looking at it and pass on the info to fix it. Check your old pm's to see if you still have the one with my email address, or simply re-pm me and I'll send it again.

What steps do I have to do, when I just want to replace a lightsaber and not create a new one? Apparently there is only one skin for every type (normal, short, doublebladed) of lightsaber. How can I get a single lightsaber (in my example w_ShortSbr_009) to use a different texture?

TIA

What steps do I have to do, when I just want to replace a lightsaber and not create a new one?

Just have it be the same name as the one your trying to replace, IE you extract w_lghtsbr_009 and put it in your override folder, it will override the original. You can use achilles tut, but just keep the #'s the same as the one your trying to replace.

Apparently there is only one skin for every type (normal, short, doublebladed) of lightsaber. How can I get a single lightsaber (in my example w_ShortSbr_009) to use a different texture?

This is true, unfortunately you'd prolly have to remap it and then re-export it out of max or gmax. The mapping is very umm lets say bad on the original sabers, if you just wanted it to be black or something you can just hex edit the <saber>.mdl file to use your specific modified tga . You can see what is mapped where by importing the saber in to your modeling program and unwrapping the uvw map in the modifiers tab the hit edit it will show you what is mapped where. Look around, I'm sure a step by step is around somewhere if not post here I'll see if I can't walk you through it.

Personally, I'd just remap it following T7's lightsaber tut from the mapping point on and you should be good to go. Not only will you get a better map, but if your having any problems with uvw mapping it's good practice while not having to model a brand new hilt to test your mapping skills on.

I tried sending you an email, but some of the files were causing it to not send.

Just have it be the same name as the one your trying to replace, IE you extract w_lghtsbr_009 and put it in your override folder, it will override the original. You can use achilles tut, but just keep the #'s the same as the one your trying to replace.

The model itself is running smoothly in TSL, but it's plain grey.

Personally, I'd just remap it following T7's lightsaber tut from the mapping point on and you should be good to go.

I already mapped the hilt and in GMax it looks like it's supposed to. I have three files now: w_ShortSbr_009.mdl, w_ShortSbr_009.mdx and w_ShortSbr_009.tga. How do i get TSL to use the .tga-File?

The model itself is running smoothly in TSL, but it's plain grey.



I already mapped the hilt and in GMax it looks like it's supposed to. I have three files now: w_ShortSbr_009.mdl, w_ShortSbr_009.mdx and w_ShortSbr_009.tga. How do i get TSL to use the .tga-File?

If youre just trying to re skin a standard hilt I'd suggest just downloading the cleaned up maps that ChAiNz created. (http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=143625) You can use that to create your hilt texture (.tga) Unless you are making a new model and replacing it the I dont see why you'd need to put a standard hilt into gmax (ChAiNz saved all of us alot of time on that one.)

Did you actually re-color the map? If you just used the uvmap for your skin <texture> it might turn grey ( just mapping it isint enough, the map just tells the game how to wrap your texture <.tga> around the model, and acts as a guide for painting the texture.) Did you remeber to save your image as a 32 bit targa?

Along with your .mdl .mdx and .tga do you have a .txi file? I noticed you left it off the list.

EDIT: I was assuming that you had extracted the default saber009 , if you kept the name on your model the same as its original then all you have to do is rename your.tga to the same as your model.

Originally Posted by Buzz1978
Apparently there is only one skin for every type (normal, short, doublebladed) of lightsaber. How can I get a single lightsaber (in my example w_ShortSbr_009) to use a different texture?
The post bleow has this well convered.

Hope this is helpfull.
Fuu

The model itself is running smoothly in TSL, but it's plain grey.



I already mapped the hilt and in GMax it looks like it's supposed to. I have three files now: w_ShortSbr_009.mdl, w_ShortSbr_009.mdx and w_ShortSbr_009.tga. How do i get TSL to use the .tga-File?

1st way is before exporting, the material you have in gmax you have to name it in gmax itself so when you right click your hilt and hit properties (in gmax) it says the name of your tga. I have max 5 myself, so it may be a tad different but the default material before you change it should be something like "Material #1" you want it to read "w_ShortSbr_009".

2nd way is hex editing the w_ShortSbr_009.mdl, you search for whatever the default material is say, w_ShortSbr_001 and change it to read w_ShortSbr_009.

It would prolly be easier to do the 1st way, because hex editing is quite confusing in the beginning, it was for me I had the same problem as you for like a week before i finally figured out the problem.

After you do #1, the best way to find out if you succeeded or not it to right click your hilt and hit properties and look for material name if it reads w_ShortSbr_009 you have succeeded export it and everything should be all to the good.

And remember always save a backup copy just in case..;) You can always delete it once you have everything working.

1st way is before exporting, the material you have in gmax you have to name it in gmax itself so when you right click your hilt and hit properties (in gmax) it says the name of your tga. I have max 5 myself, so it may be a tad different but the default material before you change it should be something like "Material #1" you want it to read "w_ShortSbr_009".

Full score to Mr. J3d1W4rr10r! The material was still that of my "testing texture"...

It would prolly be easier to do the 1st way, because hex editing is quite confusing in the beginning, it was for me I had the same problem as you for like a week before i finally figured out the problem.

I began hex editing back in ... with Mega Traveller 2 - if somebody knows that. Really confusing was that everywhere in the .mdl-file it read w_ShortSbr_009 already...

After you do #1, the best way to find out if you succeeded or not it to right click your hilt and hit properties and look for material name if it reads w_ShortSbr_009 you have succeeded export it and everything should be all to the good.

It still reads "Mtl #1" but that seems to be alright.

Ok, in TSL there are still a few polys grey, although it looks ok in GMax. I hope mapping once again will solve the problem. If not I will come back soon... ;)

What is the .txi-file for? I downloaded a few lightsabers to get a hint but there the only entry is "envmaptexture CM_Baremetal".

Thanks to you and Fuu for your help!

Alright I'm officially quitting. I'm just going to ask here if anyone can make a saber for me. I would have made it if I could but...I can't. So I'd rather ask someone to do it than...do nothing. I've done enough physical stuff and I don't wanna watch TV or read.

^^^^
Request should go in the request thread, but I'll play. What is it that you want? PM me with your email addy and I'll send it when it's finished.

hi there. i've just used your tutorial to c reate a custom saber. took me a while to figure out how to do it in tsl mind you, but i got there in the end.

just one problem. i've used the viridian model to build up the saber, but i noticed in your tutorial

• Use the Text Find function to locate the references to your w_lsabre<color>01 file. I usually look for “01” or the color (“blue, red, turq, etc) to ensure that I find it right away.
• Very carefully change the 01 to 02

• There are 4 of these references. Find the other three and change them as well.

##Note: Double Bladed lightsabers will have 8 of these references.
###Note: changing only some of these references will result in a multi colored saber blade

that there's potential to hav a multi coloured blade, so i also copied across the w_lsbrered01.tga to my override folder, along with the necessary txi file.

since the w_lghtsbr_050.mdl file i'm using for my saber was originally set up to use lsbreDgrn01, i changed the name of the red file to w_lsabrereed02.tga to keep the number of letters identical, as you stated was needed in your tutorial.

unfortunately the blade still just comes out all green. fyi, i changed the first saber colour entry to lsbreDgrn02, the 2nd to lsbrereed02, 3rd to lsbreDgrn, 4th and final to lsabrereed02.

there's bound to be something simple i'm just overlooking, any help from anyone would be appreciated. cheers.

argh, ignore me, i forgot to change the model variation :blush2:

If you have trouble with Achillies walkthrough there is also a great Adobe Acrobat reader file with screens and everything, but it is not my own doing so I can't exactly post it up, I believe it is a translation from Jules Windu's saber guide which was in Spanish... so I can't post a link for it or upload it so if anyone is having real trouble with Achillies walkthrough PM me and I guess I could send you the walkthrough I used to use

Hey maverick can you send me that? me email is ~snip~

Sorry howl, but for now, posting e-mail addies are against our Forum Rules:
http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=127725)

However, they will likely PM you when/if they can help :) ~ ChAiNz.2da

Hey Achilles, great tutorial, but I got some problems. Some of them I've seen in many threads, but this one is unique. I've got upside down icons of the light saber and the crystal, and they aren't nicely boxed in like others. Me email is ~snip~, can you send me your response? I'll try to send you all the files that I did.

Sorry howl, but for now, posting e-mail addies are against our Forum Rules:
http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=127725)

However, they will likely PM you when/if they can help :) ~ ChAiNz.2da

Hey Achilles, would you know anything about saber colors? See, I actually managed to get a saber working a while ago, an orange one, and I changed the HotG color since it was too similiar. Now every time I pull out a HotG saber and the saber with my orange crystal, they're both orange. I think it has something to do with the color files (Hotg is w_lsabrgold01 and orange is lsabregold02) but I have no idea. Would you know anything?

Sounds like you're on the right track. Remove any lsabre<color>.tga files from your override and see if the problem goes away.

Well, uh, removing the color files made HotG and the orange saber big white blocks. My MotF saber turned back to turquoise (I made it silver BTW).

Oh, you probably still have models pointed at those textures then. Sounds like I misunderstood your problem. What is it that you're trying to do?

In the end my goal is to have:

An orange saber crystal that acts just like a red/yellow/blue/whatever crystal.

HotG will have the same properties, but the balde and icon is a blue glow with a purple core.

MotF seems to be working fine, it's supposed to be silver.