How to preview my skins in 3d

[Bakkels]

Well the title says it all. I've been making some skins, and I hate to open SH3 everytime I want to preview my skin. But with what program can I watch my .tga on the 3d sub model? I've been trying a lot (gmax, s3ditor, wings3d etc.) but I can't seem to find a program that'll open a .tga and attach it to a 3d sub model. Or one of these programs will do it but it's my ignorance So how do I do it? (And where's the 3d sub model file exactly located?)

[danlisa]

Any 3D Suite will do this. You only need to assign the edited TGA file as the applied default texture......some even apply the new skin with Drag & Drop.

S3ditor will display the new texture ONLY after you have imported the altered texture into the DAT file, as this editor reads directly from the objects DAT file and ignores standalone textures. It's advisable to work with copy/backup DAT files.

Personally, I have a program called Deep Exploration which will do exactly what you need. The only caveats are that a) it's not free and b) you need to extract the model (OBJ) data from the DAT files to view anything.

The best/cheapest/simple option is to use S3ditor, this program will also allow you to locate and extract OBJ files (3d meshes).

[Bakkels]

Hey Dan, thanks again. I've been fooling around with s3ditor. Seems like quite the handy little program. Even though I only understand maybe 2% of its possibilities right now.
But here's my problem: If I open the NSS_Uboat9b.dat file (the model I'm working on a skin for), I can see the right .tga is already assigned to the model. (Makes sense, as I just edit the default skin .tga in /data/textures/tnormal), and my skin works in SH3, but I can't find an option in s3ditor to preview my skin without starting up sh3. I can look at a 3d model, but it doesn't show a skin, it's just a grey 3d model.

*EDIT* I just noticed; my skin does work in sh3, but in s3ditor the assigned .tga is the default skin? Or is this what I keep reading; that the .tga file in /data/textures 'overrules' (for lack of a better term) the tga in the .dat file? Well anyway, my first question still stands; how can I preview my skin?

[danlisa]

Originally Posted by Bakkels

But how do I import my .tga skin into the .dat file? Can s3ditor do that or do I need another program to do this?

S3ditor can do this.

First step: Copy the DAT file and only open/edit this copy.

After you have opened the DAT copy, look down the left side menu at the listing of all the objects and nodes. Work down the list, expanding as you go and eventually you will locate the group for the Hull Model. If you select the the appropriate section a Preview will appear on the bottom right of the GUI. Within this group (on the left) will be an entry for the texture that is applied to the model (it will be named exactly the same as the standalone texture). Right click on it and choose Import.

I've done this from memory and I have no game files or S3ditor to hand at the moment, so I may be a little rusty recalling the details.

Needless to say, if you are working from a Copy File, don't be scared to experiment.

Originally Posted by Bakkels

*EDIT* I just noticed; my skin does work in sh3, but in s3ditor the assigned .tga is the default skin? Or is this what I keep reading; that the .tga file in /data/textures 'overrules' (for lack of a better term) the tga in the .dat file? Well anyway, my first question still stands; how can I preview my skin?

Yes, any TGA file in the Textures folder will be called by the game before it looks at a texture file embedded in a DAT file. This is why it's best to work with standalone texture. S3ditor, will ONLY look to a DAT entry, it doesn't care what is in the Textures folder.

Above the model preview window in S3ditor, there is a set of toggles which turn on Light Maps, Colour Maps and various other maps (textures), click them until the Skin appears. It only needs turning on.

[Bakkels]

Jeez I feel like a complete retard now... All I had to do was click 'enable diffuse map'. Thanks a lot!