Multiskins, how they work?

[Dowly]

Goddammit, you're the one I can always trust to answer my questions. The last thing I asked (the particle generator stuff), I first though of PM'ing you as I knew you'd know the answer. This time around, I again though of first PM'in you, but decided to post an public thread.

Thanks for the answer, mate!

Here's a quick follow-up Q, I take the multiskin thing is stock in SHIII? So, am I right to assume that I can just make a mod with few different skins for the 109, for example, and have JSGME install them all to the texture folder? The game then uses them all automatically?

Again, thanks Priv!

If the folder has TGA's ending with _T01 etc?
It's a Multi-skinned unit.
If not?
Then it's a single skinned unit.

And Single skinned unit can be converted to Multi-skinned
by the way.

Any TGA placed in the texture folders will override the tga's in other areas.
As long as the names are the same.

For replaceing Multi-Skinned Tga's?
Just place them in the correct unit folder.

You don't skin Ships by any chance do you?

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by privateer

You don't skin Ships by any chance do you?

You know me, only aircraft. Tho, been meaning to have a go at skinning ships, but I really couldnt even think of where to begin to search schematics/blueprints showing how the ships were build. I.e. where to put panel lines, where rivets etc.

One last question to make sure I understood it correctly.

If I want to make the [insert a multiskinned plane here] a multiskin one, I first do the skin normally, put that to the texture folder so it overwrites the texture in the .dat file and all the further skins I put to the Air/[insert a multiskinned plane here] folder? For example Silent Hunter III/Data/Air/Hurricane (or whatever the folder is called).

As DivingDuck said,
First we would need to convert said unit to Multi skin by editing the
relevant areas in it's dat.
Then we would use TGA's in the data/air/unit folder

Important thing is.....

IF there are a number of TGA files ending with T0?
It's already multi skinned.
If there are NO TGA's ending with T0?
It's a single skin unit.

[DivingDuck]

First check the unit´s folder and / or *.dat file whether it features multiskin already or not.

If not, search the *.dat for the texture in question. Rename the 08/00 chunk to read 'cfg#TXR_...". Delete the 03/00 chunk (embedded image). Now it´s ready for multiskin. The *.tga files must be named 'unit´s name_T0x' and belong in the unit´s folder.

[Dowly]

Ok, thanks guys. Got it now.

[DivingDuck]

Moin Dowly,

it depends on the unit. Nameing conventions have to be met for the *.dat file. The 08/00 chunk must be named 'cfg#TXR_any_name'. The important part is 'cfg#TXR_'. Thus the game engine detects whether multiple skins have to be applied or not. The 02/00 chunk, parent to the 08/00, holds all property infos, a 03/00 (embedded image) is not needed / available. IIRC the 'T_0x' files must be in the same folder as the unit´s *.dat.

Regards,
DD