Reskinning Player Models

StoneFrog · 04-22-2009, 05:30 PM

I'm looking to reskin the player models - mainly I'm simply intent on making the team colors less vibrant, akin to TFC's (probably in the style of old models where it's just duller, as opposed to the new models where everything is just way too dark to recognize).

I already tinkered around a bit in Photoshop and made a "test batch" for the Demoman. I use VTFEdit and I converted it into a VTF using the settings I think the default textures used (I got these just by opening the defaults up in said program and looking at what was checked). A thumbnail of the Demoman's blue team texture below:

DXT1 alpha format, all boxes such as "No Mipmap" unchecked. I back up my pre-existing textures for the Demoman and place my new ones in.

Both ingame and in the model viewer, the model is all trippy - striped and shimmery and all kinds of other words that begin with the letter S.

What am I doing wrong? Are there any specific settings I'm supposed to use? Some special line to be changed in the VMT? I tried both using the pre-existing VMT and recompiling it with the new texture, but no dice.

Oh, and let me know if there's already a project out there similar to this before I waste too much of my life doing this.

**Crazycarl** · 04-22-2009, 05:50 PM

You shouldn't have to edit the vmt at all. It seems like something went wrong with the vtf creation. Try some different settings.

I don't know of anyone doing reskins right now.

StoneFrog · 04-22-2009, 07:20 PM

I fixed it by keeping the "No Mipmap" and "No Level of Detail" flags checked, even though I think the defaults have those boxes unchecked. Then again, maybe VTFEdit just can't properly show a pre-existing VTF's parameters properly.

pF · 04-23-2009, 09:52 AM

Not sure about Level of Detail, but i would encourage the use of mipmaps.. or your pc will be displaying the original 1024x sized skin for the model at all ranges (as opposed to a smaller, less memory intensive version at longer distances)

StoneFrog · 04-23-2009, 03:32 PM

Hmm. Good point. Do the original models use mipmaps, though?

Either way, I've made all my alpha channel selections in Photoshop and finished the first rough batch for all the classes and their colors. I'll play around with mipmaps and stuff before making a release, though. Here's a quick shot of the four demoman teamcolors:

EquilibriuM · 04-23-2009, 06:06 PM

When you do the soldier, sniper plz don't use the current suits they wear, you know the blueberry pie, and rassberry pie ones? ye personally i asked jester, one of the only modder around well, that messes with skins,models, would never do my request of old tfc models, the old old ones, but still dev team needs to give us an option to change from, old to new models like we had in tfc. But ye i am likeing this look of your demoman so far, good work frog i hope you stick around awhile.

StoneFrog · 04-23-2009, 06:30 PM

I have all the team colors done, but I may do some additional tweaks in the future such as making their faces less reddish. I swear, that HWGuy has lipstick on.

I love the old models in TFC! They have "character". Not to mention I can actually tell them apart. The new models are just a bunch of ugly army guys running around in cow spot camouflage. They're also too dark for my tastes.

EDIT: Oh, yeah. They were a bit too indistinguishable on some maps, so they're a bit more colorful now. Still a lot better looking than the originals, though.

Jester · 04-23-2009, 08:31 PM

I'll do the classic TFC players eventually. Just wish there were a larger amount of players to use them with how much time it takes to convert them.

StoneFrog · 04-23-2009, 08:47 PM

Just figure I'd show you guys the medic while I'm at it. They're all done, but I don't feel I'm ready to release them yet, so the showboating commences.

As you can see, he's a bit more colorful than the image of the Demomen I put in my previous post, as I had to redo them. Basically I made these by painstakingly making selections of the teamcolorable areas (and saving these selections as channels for use on the other 3 colors) and then simply changing the saturation/contrast. I was originally doing -75 saturation, but I switched over to -50.

MonoXideAtWork · 04-23-2009, 10:34 PM

request: Full team color suits. Ty.

fishBurger · 04-23-2009, 10:35 PM

I like em. I think it would be neat to see some before/after pics to really emphasize the changes.

StoneFrog · 04-23-2009, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishBurger

I like em. I think it would be neat to see some before/after pics to really emphasize the changes.

Top row is the original FF Demoman's textures. Bottom row is the modified ones. Nothing too drastic, just enough to bring them into the realm of subtle.

I may darken the teamcolored areas just so they still maintain some color in them, kind of like TFC's. I'm also considering doing TFC old model style ones, where the "camo" is generally greyscale and the teamcoloring is on the hats, class insignias, and arm/leg bands.

EquilibriuM · 04-23-2009, 11:51 PM

That's it right there, just looking at these you can already tell the difference in visual's much clearer, at least to me. Keep up the good work man. Oh and if you could, after your all done can you make a lil avi of sorts, so we can kinda see them in in-game action?

StoneFrog · 04-24-2009, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EquilibriuM

Oh and if you could, after your all done can you make a lil avi of sorts, so we can kinda see them in in-game action?

I can't promise much more than some random clips of me spectating players in action, but sure. The change in color vibrancy is a lot more noticeable ingame. It's nice.

Also, here's Walker, Texas Ranger:

(Why didn't I consider using GIFs in the first place?)

Jester · 04-24-2009, 02:40 AM

I'm pretty sure the player skins at one point were just brightened, so all you are doing is reverting to the old player skins, a lot of effort for something you could get from an older patch

StoneFrog · 04-24-2009, 03:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jester

I'm pretty sure the player skins at one point were just brightened, so all you are doing is reverting to the old player skins, a lot of effort for something you could get from an older patch

No comment. Since people still appear interested in these, I'll keep at it until otherwise.

Jester · 04-24-2009, 03:49 AM

Just saying you could save the work and make a .zip of the old ones.

You can still see them on the media page even:
http://www.fortress-forever.com/media/5 One on right is pre-2.0
http://www.fortress-forever.com/media/sniper_render_4

**squeek.** · 04-24-2009, 04:00 AM

I actually already have them packaged and uploaded here:

http://www.ffpickup.com/files/player_skins_FF_1_0.rar

MonoXideAtWork · 04-24-2009, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by squeek.

I actually already have them packaged and uploaded here:

http://www.ffpickup.com/files/player_skins_FF_1_0.rar

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**squeek.** · 04-24-2009, 05:37 AM

Yeah, poopy. Trying to get it sorted.

EDIT: Fixed.

04-22-2009, 05:30 PM	#1
StoneFrog Born to Frag. Join Date: Feb 2009 Class/Position: Demoman Gametype: Capture the Flag Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	Reskinning Player Models I'm looking to reskin the player models - mainly I'm simply intent on making the team colors less vibrant, akin to TFC's (probably in the style of old models where it's just duller, as opposed to the new models where everything is just way too dark to recognize). I already tinkered around a bit in Photoshop and made a "test batch" for the Demoman. I use VTFEdit and I converted it into a VTF using the settings I think the default textures used (I got these just by opening the defaults up in said program and looking at what was checked). A thumbnail of the Demoman's blue team texture below: DXT1 alpha format, all boxes such as "No Mipmap" unchecked. I back up my pre-existing textures for the Demoman and place my new ones in. Both ingame and in the model viewer, the model is all trippy - striped and shimmery and all kinds of other words that begin with the letter S. What am I doing wrong? Are there any specific settings I'm supposed to use? Some special line to be changed in the VMT? I tried both using the pre-existing VMT and recompiling it with the new texture, but no dice. Oh, and let me know if there's already a project out there similar to this before I waste too much of my life doing this.

04-22-2009, 05:50 PM	#2
Crazycarl D&A Member Wiki Team Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts Rated Helpful 31 Times	You shouldn't have to edit the vmt at all. It seems like something went wrong with the vtf creation. Try some different settings. I don't know of anyone doing reskins right now. __________________ Support FF:

04-23-2009, 09:52 AM	#4
pF no war but class war Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: big bad berlin Class/Position: Soldier / Scout Gametype: ctf Affiliations: [w~k!] Posts Rated Helpful 3 Times	Not sure about Level of Detail, but i would encourage the use of mipmaps.. or your pc will be displaying the original 1024x sized skin for the model at all ranges (as opposed to a smaller, less memory intensive version at longer distances) __________________ Support FF: Gay And Lesbian Fiction \| Teen Books \| Bath Products

04-23-2009, 06:30 PM	#7
StoneFrog Born to Frag. Join Date: Feb 2009 Class/Position: Demoman Gametype: Capture the Flag Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	I have all the team colors done, but I may do some additional tweaks in the future such as making their faces less reddish. I swear, that HWGuy has lipstick on. I love the old models in TFC! They have "character". Not to mention I can actually tell them apart. The new models are just a bunch of ugly army guys running around in cow spot camouflage. They're also too dark for my tastes. EDIT: Oh, yeah. They were a bit too indistinguishable on some maps, so they're a bit more colorful now. Still a lot better looking than the originals, though. Last edited by StoneFrog; 04-23-2009 at 06:37 PM.

04-23-2009, 10:35 PM	#11
fishBurger get off my lawn Join Date: Mar 2007 Class/Position: O scout / demo Gametype: killing Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	I like em. I think it would be neat to see some before/after pics to really emphasize the changes. __________________ That means that either you are an American, or you are NOT an American. There is no hyphenated exception. -Iggy

04-22-2009, 07:20 PM	#3
StoneFrog Born to Frag. Join Date: Feb 2009 Class/Position: Demoman Gametype: Capture the Flag Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	I fixed it by keeping the "No Mipmap" and "No Level of Detail" flags checked, even though I think the defaults have those boxes unchecked. Then again, maybe VTFEdit just can't properly show a pre-existing VTF's parameters properly.

04-23-2009, 03:32 PM	#5
StoneFrog Born to Frag. Join Date: Feb 2009 Class/Position: Demoman Gametype: Capture the Flag Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	Hmm. Good point. Do the original models use mipmaps, though? Either way, I've made all my alpha channel selections in Photoshop and finished the first rough batch for all the classes and their colors. I'll play around with mipmaps and stuff before making a release, though. Here's a quick shot of the four demoman teamcolors:

04-23-2009, 06:06 PM	#6
EquilibriuM G9- D&A Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Florida Class/Position: D Solly,Engy Gametype: ALL Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	When you do the soldier, sniper plz don't use the current suits they wear, you know the blueberry pie, and rassberry pie ones? ye personally i asked jester, one of the only modder around well, that messes with skins,models, would never do my request of old tfc models, the old old ones, but still dev team needs to give us an option to change from, old to new models like we had in tfc. But ye i am likeing this look of your demoman so far, good work frog i hope you stick around awhile.

04-23-2009, 08:31 PM	#8
Jester Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Sep 2007 Class/Position: O: Scout Affiliations: {NFO} - New Family Order Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	I'll do the classic TFC players eventually. Just wish there were a larger amount of players to use them with how much time it takes to convert them.

04-23-2009, 08:47 PM	#9
StoneFrog Born to Frag. Join Date: Feb 2009 Class/Position: Demoman Gametype: Capture the Flag Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	Just figure I'd show you guys the medic while I'm at it. They're all done, but I don't feel I'm ready to release them yet, so the showboating commences. As you can see, he's a bit more colorful than the image of the Demomen I put in my previous post, as I had to redo them. Basically I made these by painstakingly making selections of the teamcolorable areas (and saving these selections as channels for use on the other 3 colors) and then simply changing the saturation/contrast. I was originally doing -75 saturation, but I switched over to -50.

04-23-2009, 10:34 PM	#10
MonoXideAtWork Pub Allstar! Beta Tester Join Date: Aug 2008 Class/Position: under en kvinna Gametype: Capture the Flag Affiliations: Eternal Order, Must be h4x, Mono's happy funtime. Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	request: Full team color suits. Ty.

04-23-2009, 11:51 PM	#13
EquilibriuM G9- D&A Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Florida Class/Position: D Solly,Engy Gametype: ALL Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	That's it right there, just looking at these you can already tell the difference in visual's much clearer, at least to me. Keep up the good work man. Oh and if you could, after your all done can you make a lil avi of sorts, so we can kinda see them in in-game action?

04-24-2009, 02:40 AM	#15
Jester Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Sep 2007 Class/Position: O: Scout Affiliations: {NFO} - New Family Order Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	I'm pretty sure the player skins at one point were just brightened, so all you are doing is reverting to the old player skins, a lot of effort for something you could get from an older patch

04-24-2009, 03:49 AM	#17
Jester Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Sep 2007 Class/Position: O: Scout Affiliations: {NFO} - New Family Order Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	Just saying you could save the work and make a .zip of the old ones. You can still see them on the media page even: http://www.fortress-forever.com/media/5 One on right is pre-2.0 http://www.fortress-forever.com/media/sniper_render_4

04-24-2009, 04:00 AM	#18
squeek. Stuff Do-er Lua Team Wiki Team Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Northern California Class/Position: Rallygun Shooter Gametype: Conc tag (you just wait) Affiliations: Mustache Brigade Posts Rated Helpful 352 Times	I actually already have them packaged and uploaded here: http://www.ffpickup.com/files/player_skins_FF_1_0.rar __________________ #FF.Pickup ¤ Fortress-Forever pickups My Non-official Maps Released FF_DM_Squeek - FF_2Mesa3_Classic - FF_Siege_Classic Beta FF_Myth - FF_Redlight_Greenlight Sick of the people on the internet, always moanin'. They just moan. - Karl Pilkington

04-24-2009, 05:37 AM	#20
squeek. Stuff Do-er Lua Team Wiki Team Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Northern California Class/Position: Rallygun Shooter Gametype: Conc tag (you just wait) Affiliations: Mustache Brigade Posts Rated Helpful 352 Times	Yeah, poopy. Trying to get it sorted. EDIT: Fixed. __________________ #FF.Pickup ¤ Fortress-Forever pickups My Non-official Maps Released FF_DM_Squeek - FF_2Mesa3_Classic - FF_Siege_Classic Beta FF_Myth - FF_Redlight_Greenlight Sick of the people on the internet, always moanin'. They just moan. - Karl Pilkington

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