[Tutorial] Adv. Modding - Part 02 - Parameter Tweaking

[UncleFestor]

MKX (PC) Tutorial - Advanced Modding Techniques Part 02 - Parameter Tweaking {By UncleFestor}

[Huesoman]

Hi, I was following this video tutorial but I encounter a little probem and was wondering if you (or anybody reading this) could help me. In the video at the 5:46 mark you can see this image in Umodel:


but when I load the same file with the same object I get this:


Apparently some materials don't show properly except for any object that has "xray" in its name, I have no problem with those or the skeletal ones.

My objective is to make some mods as the "Royal Kitana with facemask" you did some weeks ago, but for her other costumes and for other chars like D'vorah, Erron Black, Takeda, Reptile, etc. I think you replaced "MaterialInstanceConstant KT_A1_FaceMask_Trait1_MIC" with "MaterialInstanceConstant KT_A1_FaceMask_MIC" using the hex editor. So I was wondering how did you find what to replace ( and with what). Thus I planned to open the original Char_Kitana_A file with Umodel to get an idea what did you do, but what I found was a distorted grey image like the one for Predator above .

In summary, could you (or anybody reading this) help me to get Umodel working properly and/or give me some tips about how to turn on/off some variation indicators like Reptile's mask, Erron's hat, D'vorah's hood, etc? I already downloaded and used the decompress tool, the extract tool, the Hex editor, the color picker, the umodel, etc.... I even installed freaking photoshop .

[UncleFestor]

The only thing I can think of as to why yours looks like that is that you have an old version of Umodel. Update your Umodel to the newest version. Umodel decompresses & Unpacks any package that it's working with. So it shouldn't look like that.

Now, with that being said. You don't need Umodel to swap stuff. It's only helpful in seeing what Parameters each Mic uses ( Helpful in Parameter Tweaking). Check out my 1st Adv. Modding Tut, which will help you in what you're trying to do (Material Swapping )

[Huesoman]

Thanks for the reply. I already watched the 1st part of the video tutorials, I think I know how to swap material, the thing is I don't know what to swap (and with what). For example, if I wanted to replicate your Kitana mod I wouldn't be able to figure out what to swap without comparing your mod with the original. I mean, how to determine what to swap without a visual clue?

About Umodel version, I have this:
"UE Viewer (Umodel)
Compiled Aug 5 2015 (git 406)
Copyright 2007-2015 Konstantin Nosov (Gildor). All rights reserved."

And the files are from these dates:
readme.txt 18/08/2015 9:47
SDL2.dll 23/10/2014 12:37
umodel.exe 18/08/2015 9:46

I downloaded it (Umodel for win32) from Gildor's page: http://www.gildor.org/downloads
These are my specifications:
- Windows 7 professional 64 bits with DiectX 11
- GPU: AMD Radeon HD 5670

EDIT: If your Umodel version is different, could you uploaded it so I can try it and see if it works?

[UncleFestor]

Using the -list command or a Batch file as I show in the previous tut or that's explained on the thread, you'll get a txt file of everything you need to see, in order to do your swaps.

I have no clue what's causing your texture issues in the Viewer.

[Huesoman]

Maybe I didn't explain myself very well but I know how to obtain the .txt files using the batch. That's how I found the changes in your Kitana mod. The mods I want to make are not exactly about replacing textures as shown in your first video tutorial with Jax. My goal is to enable/disable variation indicators like Kitana's mask, Erron Black's hat, Reptile's mask, etc.

It's just that I was expecting to use visual clues through UE viewer before attempting any change, but I think trial and error will be the way to go. Thanks for your help anyway.

[UncleFestor]

Yeah, that's what the Text file shows you. And that's what I showed in my Material Swap tut. Not changing textures. Swapping Materials. That's the same thing I did with Kitana. I swapped materials to enable her Mask in all 3 traits. Same Thing I did to Jason. Swapped a bunch of materials to remove his mask from the Variations that I wanted it removed on.

Example from Rev Kitana :

Code: Select all

263   C6D9DD      3FC MaterialInstanceConstant KT_C1_Bone_T1_MIC
 264   C6DDD9      164 MaterialInstanceConstant KT_C1_Chains_MIC
 267   C6EA29      308 MaterialInstanceConstant KT_C1_FaceMask_AP_MIC
 268   C6ED31      1DC MaterialInstanceConstant KT_C1_FaceMask_MIC
 269   C6EF0D      26C MaterialInstanceConstant KT_C1_FaceMask_Trait1_MIC
 270   C6F179      310 MaterialInstanceConstant KT_C1_FaceMask_Trait2_MIC
 271   C6F489      1DC MaterialInstanceConstant KT_C1_Hair_MIC
 272   C6F665      650 MaterialInstanceConstant KT_C1_Leather_AP_MIC
 273   C6FCB5      524 MaterialInstanceConstant KT_C1_Leather_MIC
 274   C701D9      6C4 MaterialInstanceConstant KT_C1_Leather_T2_AP_MIC
 275   C7089D      63C MaterialInstanceConstant KT_C1_Leather_T2_MIC
 278   C719BD      3FC MaterialInstanceConstant KT_C1_Skin_MIC
 279   C71DB9      484 MaterialInstanceConstant KT_C1_Skin_Trait2_MIC
 280   C7223D      3FC MaterialInstanceConstant KT_C1_SkinOpacity_MIC
 281   C72639      484 MaterialInstanceConstant KT_C1_SkinOpacity_Trait2_MIC
 282   C72ABD      3FC MaterialInstanceConstant KT_C1_SkinOpacity_Trait3_MIC
 283   C72EB9      1C4 MaterialInstanceConstant KT_C2_HairOpaque_MIC
 284   C7307D      1C4 MaterialInstanceConstant KT_C2_HairTransparent_MIC

As you can see there, you can swap facemasks to use whichever one you want. There's also several other mics you can swap to remove or change other shit.

[Huesoman]

If you reread my first post you will find that I wrote this:

"My objective is to make some mods as the "Royal Kitana with facemask" you did some weeks ago, but for her other costumes and for other chars like D'vorah, Erron Black, Takeda, Reptile, etc. I think you replaced "MaterialInstanceConstant KT_A1_FaceMask_Trait1_MIC" with "MaterialInstanceConstant KT_A1_FaceMask_MIC" using the hex editor. So I was wondering how did you find what to replace ( and with what). Thus I planned to open the original Char_Kitana_A file with Umodel to get an idea what did you do, but what I found was a distorted grey image like the one for Predator above"

So again, I understand how to swap materials. What I was asking is how you find "MaterialInstanceConstant KT_A1_FaceMask_Trait1_MIC" was the variation indicator in the first place, was it just because it reads facemask_trait1 or did you watch it in umodel or other viewer? Sorry if I'm taking too much of your time.

[UncleFestor]

Okay, yeah that's my bad. I should've explained it better. I determined what to swap, just by what they're named.

I'm fairly certain that when you go to the Character select Screen and choose your traits they are listed as follows :

3, 1, 2. So FaceMask_T1 (Trait 1) on the Char Select Screen is the one without a Mask. So I swapped Facemask_T1 with Facemask, to force it to use the Face Mask on that Variation (Trait 01) .

Now with that being said, not all variation Visual Queues have their Own Trait_Mic, Some are triggered by other Mics (You'll just need to look @ all of the ones the Costume uses to help determine that) Others are "Painted" on, Like Sonya's Spec Ops & Liu Kang's Face Paints (I show how to remove those in the Hair & Visual Queues tut). And others are in the Script Assets files, Some Helmets and most weapons are usually stored there & might not be removable, but you may be able to swap them with something else.

Other things, you may get lucky & be able to swap a hair transparency mic with whatever mic is being used by the Object you want to remove to make it 100% transparent (Erron Blacks Bandanna on his Alt costume can be removed using this method)

[Huesoman]

Thank you very much Unclefestor, I will start by replicating your kitana mod but for her other costumes and then I will try with others chars. Btw, I already watched your video about Liu Kang's face paint that's why I didn't mentioned it .