I would appreciate any help with these:
1.) I'm looking for a program that can allow me to see my changes (skins) in real time, instead of messing up because I thought one body piece was another
2.) Where might I find the files for the sith soldiers and commandos in KT?

I would appreciate any help with these:
1.) I'm looking for a program that can allow me to see my changes (skins) in real time, instead of messing up because I thought one body piece was another
GMax or 3dsMax (GMax is free) (google for links)

1.) I'm looking for a program that can allow me to see my changes (skins) in real time, instead of messing up because I thought one body piece was another
I've never been too good at reskinning myself :p But if you get Gmax, a free "lesser" form of 3ds max, then you can import the model and when you make changes to the texture and go back to Gmax the texture will update on the model. If it doesn't then in the material palette just select "Reload". If you need some help getting Gmax and importing then there should be some links around here, otherwise just ask. :)

2.) Where might I find the files for the sith soldiers and commandos in KT?
Creature template files (UTC) can be found in Kotor 1 > BIFs > templates.bif > n_sithsoldier.
Models files can be found in Kotor 1 > BIFs > Models > Aurora Model / Aurora Model Extention > n_sithsoldier.mdl/mdx

Sweet, thanks, but first, how exactly do you use Gmax?
I went into Kotor 1 > BIFs > Models > Aurora Model / Aurora Model Extention >
found the watersuit model I was gonna use as a test, but now what?

Sweet, thanks, but first, how exactly do you use Gmax?
I went into Kotor 1 > BIFs > Models > Aurora Model / Aurora Model Extention >
found the watersuit model I was gonna use as a test, but now what?

Well now you need a second little programm called MDLops 0.5 or 0.6, doesn't matter much.

You'll need to compile your model to ascii, ( which MDLops does, look for the button read&write ;) )that is the format that G-max + Nwmax uses to import the model.

So just install G-Max, then search for NWmax, it an extra addition for Gmax to be able to modify Kotor models.


Once you got all that you're set to easly view models with their Skins without the need to start the game everytime.

Ok, so, downloaded everything got MDLops up, Gmax and NWmax up,
so I selected the model file in MDLops, pressed Read and Write, except, now what? Use the Replacer or something?

Sweet, thanks, but first, how exactly do you use Gmax?
I went into Kotor 1 > BIFs > Models > Aurora Model / Aurora Model Extention >
found the watersuit model I was gonna use as a test, but now what?
Here is a step by step guide on how to put a model into GMax and apply a texture to it.
1) extract the two models to somewhere on your computer
2) use mdlops to make an ascii model (read and write)
3) Open up GMax (and by extension, NWMax. If you don't have it, google it)
4) In the MDL Loading section of NWMax, select your model, and it'll go into the GMax after you hit import. Recommended that you don't import the animations, just the Geo.
5) Select the parts of your model that will have the texture. Usually torso, larm, and rarm. In rare cases, there is a legs part too (protip: h is a hotkey for selecting by name.)
6) After you selected all the model parts, right click and hit "Hide Unselected", which will hide the model parts you aren't using.
Optional) For quicker access to apply the material, select the torso, go into the modifiers menu, click editable mesh, and find the button that says attach. Now, click each of the parts of the model that aren't selected, and the model will become one object.
7) Select the object(s) (fyi, object = parts of the model) and click m. That will bring up the Materials. Select Metal as the shader parameter, click the small gray box and find your new texture. After that, click Apply.
8) When you make a change to the texture, select the model(s) again, click m, and find the button that says "Reload." That will 'reload' your texture to apply your changes so you can see them in GMax.

(protip: If the texture looks odd or fuzzy in GMax, don't worry; GMax doesn't have real good rendering capabilities.)

so I selected the model file in MDLops, pressed Read and Write, except, now what? Use the Replacer or something?
After you hit read and write, a file named the same as your mdl/mdx file will appear with -ascii at the end of it. Thats what you select in NWmax. No need for replacing unless your modeling a saber. (or something else that requires the replacer; can't think of anything off the top of my head.)