skins - working

[tdev]

working with Changelog#0.38.42 (just released) only!
it uses the GUID (Truck_Description_File#GUID) of vehicles to associate skins to trucks.


example for sarens skin:
a) add GUID to the truck you want to skin. Ideally, all trucks should have one. You might need to clear the cache, so the GUID will be in the cache as well.
You could generate some GUIDs there: http://www.guidgenerator.com/

b) create a file named "sarens.skin" with the following content:

Sarens Skin for Sennebogen 5500
{
// < this is a comment line, it is ignored when parsing. It always starts with //
// replaceTexture = <original_texture.png> <skin_texture.png>
	replaceTexture   = blansjaar41.jpg, blansjaar41_sarens.jpg
	replaceTexture   = blansjaarkleur.jpg, blansjaarkleur_sarens.jpg
	replaceTexture   = blansjaarlogo5500.jpg, blansjaarlogo5500_sarens.jpg
// replaceMaterial = <originalMaterialName> <skinMaterialName>
// preview = <preview_image.png>
	preview          = 9c15cccf8a8dca392b84b7b778e3517139cef287.png
// description = text that will show in the selectionWindow
	description      = sarens skin for the sennebogen 5500
// AuthorName = <author name, no special characters>
	authorName       = Rotexx
// AuthorID = <forum ID of the author>
	AuthorID         = 39570
// GUID = <of the truck to which this skin fits>
	GUID             = 90670430-695d-467b-8c91-dcb67a42633c
}

replaceTexture defines the texture replacements, its first argument is the original texture name, the second argument is the texture name of the skin. Please note that those must be different, or you will get a file collision. You can use this line as much as you like.

// is the comment keyword

GUID will refer to the truck's GUID.

c) put all the files into a zip archive named "sarens.skinzip" and put that into the packs folder

the .skinzip is important, as it will force RoR to always load this zip to parse the skin information from it.

d) start the game and select the truck, it should have a valid GUID in the selection menu. When pressing enter, the skin selection GUI will pop up


How to test the fast way (how to use the attached files):
download them all into your packs folder, do not unpack them. Delete any old "sennebogen5500" versions. (all i changed was adding a GUID to it...)

[tdev]

its now also possible to upload .skinzip to the repo

[rainingheavy]

Skin chooser works great, but the crane revs madly when started, and auto-shifts to max gear, but no movement...
I used the first one, 24.3m boom, on simple map. I've tried both modded skins.
HTML & logs attached.

Mike.

[jcb]

Skin chooser works great, but the crane revs madly when started, and auto-shifts to max gear, but no movement...
I used the first one, 24m beam or something, on simple map. I'll try again and post logs etc.

Mike.

no need to its the engine just use the f9-f12 keys

[rainingheavy]

no need to its the engine just use the f9-f12 keys

Ah! that'll be why then!

Cheers.

[Miura]

I'll test the feature later, but I think it would be a good idea to put the name of the base pack in front of the skin's filename. For example "sennebogen5500-1_sarens.skinzip". Otherwise the packs folder is going to be even messier if there's no way to tell what mod the skins are for without opening the file.

[SeaDooSnipe]

Great feature!!

I think Rotexx could use this, it is a cleaner and more efficient way to do it!

[Lenni]

Finally!

I was waiting forever for something like this!


I agree about the name, it should be easy to see what the skin is for,
but it's just up to the skin authors to do that right, isn't it?

[VeyronEB]

Finally!

I was waiting forever for something like this!


I agree about the name, it should be easy to see what the skin is for,
but it's just up to the skin authors to do that right, isn't it?

Thats like trying to get cows to fly

Anyway this looks very useful, nice work tdev.

[tdev]

Finally!

I was waiting forever for something like this!


I agree about the name, it should be easy to see what the skin is for,
but it's just up to the skin authors to do that right, isn't it?

sorry for taking some months longer than expected x|

the skin author is responsible for the naming, yes. However in the wiki we should propose a naming scheme like originalTruckName_SkinName.skinzip

[Joebus]

Thank you for this. I hope to be testing it out on the Ultralight soon.

Is there anyway to keep the .skin files within the original pack? The .skinzips seem like they will clutter the Packs folder quite a bit.

I suppose the current setup makes installation for a common end-user super simple though.

[Lenni]

What if more than one trucks are in a zip, does each one need it's own GUID or do they all just get the same?

[tdev]

Thank you for this. I hope to be testing it out on the Ultralight soon.

Is there anyway to keep the .skin files within the original pack? The .skinzips seem like they will clutter the Packs folder quite a bit.

I suppose the current setup makes installation for a common end-user super simple though.

atm, you need to have the .skin files in a .skinzip, otherwise they will not get recognized during RoR startup :-/

i need to improve this later on, but thats much more work

What if more than one trucks are in a zip, does each one need it's own GUID or do they all just get the same?

i would say that you all give them their own GUID's and the skin then fits to multiple guids simply (need to add that, but thats simple)

[Lenni]

After testing the skins I still miss the possibility to use two different skins at once,
after spawning a vehicle with one skin the second one will have the same skin even if I select a different one, will this be changed someday?

It still is a great feature because it allows adding skins without changing the original files.

[Rotexx]

+++

[Lenni]

I think there is a mistake:
instead of

    AuthorID         = 39570
// GUID = <of the truck to which this skin fits
    GUID             = 90670430-695d-467b-8c91-dcb67a42633c>

it should be

    AuthorID         = 39570
// GUID = <of the truck to which this skin fits>
    GUID             = 90670430-695d-467b-8c91-dcb67a42633c

[tdev]

the // are comments, its in there to explain stuff. the <> should be placeholders for things you should put there :-/


also, i fixed that bug that the skin system only works once

UPDATE< saw and removed the > thx

[Lenni]

I also noticed that the version of the crane on the repo has a different GUID than the one here, so the skins here won't fit and the skins from the repo won't fit to this version.

[tdev]

I also noticed that the version of the crane on the repo has a different GUID than the one here, so the skins here won't fit and the skins from the repo won't fit to this version.

yes, this was an experimental version. in the repo version (which i fixed lots of things yesterday) i used a different GUID.

i am thinking of how to make truck skinning easier for modders. Any ideas?

[Lenni]

I think the skin files are a good way, modders just need to get used to them and fill out the file properly, and the trucks need guids.

It would help to use normal zips instead of .skinzip, so you could drag and drop files into them.

How to use the replace material line, do I need to put a .material file into the skinzip that defines the replacement material?