[TEC] How to add conning tower emblems with OM/OMEGU

[etheberge]

Intro

Coming from the SH4 Pacific side of things, one of the things I really missed when playing the ATO was being able to put a custom emblem on the side of my conning tower. I confess that one of the things I was most looking forward to when playing the game was getting back to port to paint all those nice Japanese kill flags on the side of my boat.

I started with the help of the great people at the Kill Flag Mod thread, then eventually I learned how to do the changes myself instead of bugging them every time. That's mostly how I started to learn the basics about skinning and modding.

Which brings me back to the subject at hand. About two-three weeks ago I started looking for some info on how to do these kinds of things with OM and OMEGU but I wasn't really able to find anything concrete. Based on the few clues I found scattered in the forum I started to investigate it myself.

I am happy to report that I'm now able to change the conning tower texture (thus being able to add emblems and flags) on all the playable U-Boats. I will describe my findings below so that everyone can benefit and those so inclined can modify their own boats. This thread is aimed at people who are already somewhat familiar with skinning for SH4 and with Photoshop. If you need help with those basic things, I highly recommend the great skinning threads here http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=122870 and http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...light=tutorial. It is my hope that eventually something similar to the Kill Flags mod will develop for the ATO.

All right first things first: this is for people running Operation Monsun (OM) with the Operation Monsun Environmentally & Graphics Upgrade (OMEGU). The information below has been tested on a clean install with only those two mods. If you are running different setup, it will probably not be accurate.

Everything described below is the result of trial and error testing. I am by no means an expert modder, just a guy who spends too much time in the forum and who likes to figure things out. If you find anything wrong with the information here, please by all means let me know.

General background information

The playable submarine models we are interested in are located in \Data\Submarine\%subname%. The 3D model is in the file with the .DAT extension and can be opened with S3D, the Silent 3D editor available here:http://sh4.skwas.net/. While reading up on it and messing around with S3D, I learned that the .DAT file can include an embedded texture file for the model that is used if the associated texture file in \Data\Textures\TNormal\tex is missing. If however the associated external texture file is present, then it is used instead of the embedded one.

I believe the issues with skinning the models included in OM/OMEGU are mainly two folds:

1-Different authors created them so they used different naming conventions for their texture files. This made it harder to figure out which file to change for which model.

and

2- A few of the models only have embedded texture files and no external texture file.

Fortunately this is all easily resolved once the information is known.

Minor issues found

- As you will see in the following screenshots, some of the models repeat certain spots of the texture file a few times around the conning tower. With these models you can add emblems but they will be displayed 4 times, along the rim of the tower instead of just once per side. I don't really mind that, in fact I kinda like the effect. If you know how to fix this, please let us know. This only affects certain models, not all.

- For the models that only have embedded texture files, you must download the ones I extracted from the .DAT files and copy them to your \Data\Textures\TNormal\tex folder. Download ---->http://www.filefront.com/14712883/Texture_files.zip This will let the model use the new external file and lets you more easily modify it. ***I did not make these texture files, they belong to the original authors, I just extracted them from the .DAT file with S3D****

- Some of the texture file names do not properly reflect the model they are associated too. This is easily fixed but beyond the scope of this post. Just rely on the list below and you'll be alright.

- Some of the models share the same texture file.

- Some of the models use one texture file for the tower and a separate one for the rest of the boat.

Texture file list

Here is a list of the files you need to change for each sub models and some notes related to them.

Type IIB

Filename to change: "NSS_Uboat2b_T01.tga"
Notes: This is one of the model that only had an embedded texture so you must download the external one from my downland link above. As you can see certain tiles are repeating around the tower. Be careful because there is another file named "NSS_Uboat2b_T01.tga.tga" but it's unused AFAIK. There are a few different skins for the IIB that I've seen scattered in different folders. I included my favorite one in my zip file but you can use anyone of those you like, as long as it's a TGA and you name it the same it will work.

Type IIC

Filename to change: "Typ_2C_Hull.tga"
Notes: This is a weird one. The texture file for the tower is "Typ_2C_Hull.tga" but the model uses the texture for the Type IID for the rest of the boat. It's fixable but would involve re-releasing the model, see below for more on that. Anyway, for now just overwrite Typ_2D_Hull.tga with Typ_2C_Hull.tga if the look bothers you.

Type IID

Filename to change: "Typ_2D_Hull.tga"
Notes: This one works perfectly as is.

Type VIIB

Filename to change: "NSS_Uboat7b_hull.tga"
Notes: Tiles repeat 4 times around the tower, maybe less depending on where you put the emblem. Other than that no issues.

Type VIIC

Filename to change: "NSS_Uboat7c_hull.tga"
Notes: The only issue with this one is that the texture file is shared with the VIIC41 (and maybe the VIIC42, see below). The emblem placement needs to be different because of the conning tower differences between the two models.

Type VIIC41

Filename to change: "NSS_Uboat7c_hull.tga"
Notes: The only issue with this one is that the texture file is shared with the VIIC (and maybe the VIIC42, see below). The emblem placement needs to be different because of the conning tower differences between the two models.

Type VIIC42

I wasn't able to test this one because I couldn't find a single mission or career start using it. If anyone has one or wants to test it themselves let me know. I'm pretty sure it will work, it probably uses the same file as the other VIIC's. If not I can get it to work by editing the model in the worst case.

Type IX


See also my world famous U-37:

Filename to change: "turm9c_1.tga"
Notes: It has the four repeating tiles and it shares the same texture file as the type IXB. No other issues.

Type IXB

Filename to change:"turm9c_1.tga"
Notes: It has the four repeating tiles and it shares the same texture file as the type IX. No other issues.

Type IXC

Filename to change: "Turm9c.tga"
Notes: Shares the texture file with the Type IXC/40. No issues otherwise.

Type IXC/40

Filename to change: "Turm9c.tga"
Notes: Shares the texture file with the Type IXC/40. The hull uses NSSUboatC40.tga. I personnaly don't like the color mismatch. It's fixable by changing the model, see below.

Type IXD2

Filename to change: "NSS_Uboat9D2_Turm_T01.dds"
Notes: Repeating tiles. This one already has emblems on it but you could clone them out or something. You could also find a version of this skin without them, I think there's one floating around.

Type XXI

Filename to change: "Typ_21_Hull.tga"
Notes: This one works fine as is, no issues found.

Type XXIII

Filename to change: "Typ 21_Hull.tga"
Notes: Be careful, the file name for this one if the same as the Type 21 except for the first underscore. Also the name is obviously wrong but that can be fixed in the model. The skin does have an emblem present that you would need to clone out or remove somehow. You also need the other extracted texture file from my download link for this one.

Final notes and future projects

This should be enough to get you started. However as a longer term project I think it would be nice to release a tweaked version of some of the .dat files for these models.

We could fix the filenames of the texture files to be clearer, we could fix the models that use one texture for the tower and another for the hull, we could also tweak them so that every model uses one distinct texture file (to get rid of the shared ones).

All this is very easily done but it would require getting permissions from the original authors. Ideally those tweaked versions would get included in OM/OMEGU. If not, they would need to be re-tweaked for compatibility every time Lurker modifies them, if at all. The whole thing could be released as a small JSGME ready package. If you want to work on this let me know if you need more explanations. I might work on it myself don't know yet.

Anyhow, if you have corrections, ideas or questions, feel free to reply to this thread. And please ignore any typos, it's late and I don't feel like re-reading this whole post.

[Akula4745]

Fantastic job, Big E!! Thanks for all your work on this...

[Akula4745]

Well here is how mine worked out for the VIIB...






It took quite a bit of fiddling with the location before I found a spot where the emblem was not replicating 4 times around the tower. It appears the majority of the tower section replicates twice on each side of the tower split down the centerline... with the tiles inverted to face each other on both sides.

The file I modified to add the emblem was: "NSS_Uboat7b_hull.tga" - just as the Big E described. This file is located in the \Data\Textures\TNormal\tex folder.



I tried to do a screenshot of the Adobe Photoshop PSD to show you the basic positioning of my emblem on the TGA file. I hope this helps!

[etheberge]

Good stuff Akula. I'm sure we can figure out a way to use the repeating tiles around the tower to our advantage with some creativity.

Eventually I'd like to make a paintkit including PSD files with ideal placement locations already marked to make it easier for folks to know where to place their emblem.

[Akula4745]

Just tested it with the latest OM setup... the mod for the VIIB works great in mid-42! I think my version of Ops Monsun is the current flavor.

OpsMonsun_V705
OMv705_to_V715A
OMv715_patch1
OMv715_Hotfix1
OMEGU_v210
OMEGU_v210_Hotfix2
OM_Arct_Env
Csengoi's EnemiesOfGermany
Carotio_IntercontinentalRadioPack
Spaxs SH4 Uboat SPEECH FIX_V8
SMALLER SEABED ROCKS
SMALLER SEA PLANTS SMALL
Real Clothes



I'll get started on the paintkit...

[Akula4745]

I have to ask... is anyone even interested in having this option available? Not much traffic on this topic besides myself and Big E...

Just got promoted to a VIIC in late 42'... and the emblem idea using the TGA works really good. Once again you have to stay back on the tower (near center) to avoid having the emblem replicate several times as the texture tiles. Any further forward and you get crazy duplication in different spots around the tower and the splash shield.




Still have a few more to work out placement and finalize the PSD file for... current list ready to go is types VIIB, VIIC, IX, IXB, and IXC.

[Akula4745]

Coming soon... to a U-boat near you.






Kit includes emblems for:

Crews (6):
28-36-37-39-41-42

Flotillas (19):
1-2-3-5-6-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-19-21-23-24-25-26-29

U-boats (256):
3-9-19-30-34-37-38-47-48-49-59-60-65-66(b)-67-68-69-70-71-73-78-82-85-87-99-100-103-
106-107-108-109-110-116-117-123-124(b)-129-134-136-137-141-143-154-161-162-164-168-
174-178(b)-180-181(b)-188-189-190(b)-191-196-199-200-201-202-203-205-207-208-209-
210-214-216-218-220-224-225-227-233-236-238-239-244-249-251-255-257-264-265-269-
271-276-277-281-287-290-292-293-295-299-305-308-309-312-313-320-328-331-332-333-
335-350-357-385-396-403-404-405-406-407-408-413-414-421-422-429-444-455-458-460-
461-462-481-482-487-489-505-506-515-518(b)-520-552-556-561-563(b)-565-575-587-
591(b)-592(b)-593(b)-595-596-598-599-601-604-606-608-613-615-621-622-625-634-636-
640-641-642-654-660-662-666(b)-667-669-672-680(b)(c)-701-704-706-715-716-721-733-
741-751-752-764-773-775-778-847-850-857-858-861-874-901-921-923-928-957-966-969-
975-978-979-981-990-991-995-1004-1006-1008-1013-1023-1026-1059-1064-1171-1162-
1195-1201-1225-1229-1233-1302-1304-1305-2332-2513-2527-2541-3002-3003-3008(b)-
3011-3014-3015-3027-3030-3032-3512-3516-4701-4705-4711

Boat numbers which have a (b) and (c) behind them indicate a second (and third) emblems associated with the boat.

[Sgtmonkeynads]

YES! I just do not have the power to do it my self. I think that the more options you have to make your U-Boat seem more like "YOUR U-Boat" was something left out of the original game. It seems more real, and just feels better haveing your own emblam on your ship.

Keep Up the work, and Thank you in advance.

Could the same concept be applied to paint schemes? Just wondering.

[etheberge]

Looks great Akula.