Post by FlairDarkSlayer on Sept 6, 2019 21:12:24 GMT
DMC4SE Effect Recoloring is very similar to DMC4 Vanilla with few smaller differences.
After unpacking the ARC files, most (if not all) of the effects files (they have .efl extension) used by playable characters or NPCs (depending on unpacked archive) are put under "effect\efl\" folder.
Effect editing requires hex editor (as usual). The screens were made while using Hex Editor Neo.
Here's a nice website with plenty of color codes www.color-hex.com/
Okay, so let's start:
1. Open the .efl file you want to modify with hex editor. (Don't have it? Download it ).
2. Use search option and look for "BM" phrase. The color codes needed for recoloring are always near the "BM" phrase.
3. This is more or less a view you're going to get:
The first three bytes highlighted on red (bb d5 ff) are color code values. Depending on the color palette the effect part uses (see 2.1), each byte represents from left to right:
--------------RGB\CMYK
BB - value for Red\Cyan
D5 - value for Green\Magenta
FF - value for Blue\Yellow
Minimum value is 00, maximum is FF (FF in hexadecimal system = 255 in standard decimal system)
RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is an additive color palette (connecting all creates white), so it's better used for more colorful or brighter (closer to white) effects.
Sometimes this byte may not be present at some parts, if you see 00 in this place, that means the effect part doesn't have that indicator.
After unpacking the ARC files, most (if not all) of the effects files (they have .efl extension) used by playable characters or NPCs (depending on unpacked archive) are put under "effect\efl\" folder.
Effect editing requires hex editor (as usual). The screens were made while using Hex Editor Neo.
Here's a nice website with plenty of color codes www.color-hex.com/
Okay, so let's start:
1. Open the .efl file you want to modify with hex editor. (Don't have it? Download it ).
2. Use search option and look for "BM" phrase. The color codes needed for recoloring are always near the "BM" phrase.
3. This is more or less a view you're going to get:
1.1
MAIN COLOR CODE (focus mainly on red part)
Tip: Every color code you can modify is always four lines above "BM" and is repeated ONCE EXACTLY THE SAME WAY. So if the four byes in here (bb d5 ff 2b) are repeated (the purple part to the right), then it's 100% a color code. You can edit both parts of the doubled code, but the first part is the one that will make the biggest difference.The first three bytes highlighted on red (bb d5 ff) are color code values. Depending on the color palette the effect part uses (see 2.1), each byte represents from left to right:
--------------RGB\CMYK
BB - value for Red\Cyan
D5 - value for Green\Magenta
FF - value for Blue\Yellow
Minimum value is 00, maximum is FF (FF in hexadecimal system = 255 in standard decimal system)
Difference between original and SE: Color codes in original were in inverted order, the first value determined the Blue\Yellow color (so it was BGR/YMC, not RGB/CMY).
1.2
SECONDARY COLOR CODE
One effect part has two path strings - first is "effect\tex\..._BM", few lines after it is second "effect\ean\com..." path string...Sometimes under "effect\ean..." part there may be one more color code present. It doesn't have as much influence as the one above "BM" but it may blend in with the primary color code, resulting in slightly changed color in the game. The "repeated code" rule applies in here as well. If you see the same four bytes exactly repeated, it's a color code. If not, leave it alone. Those patterns repeat systematically.
2.1
RGB\CMYK INDICATOR - in DMC4 Vanilla known as "54 10/14 12" sequence. This byte determines which color palette will be used by currently modified effect part. 00 & 01 = RGB, 05 & 06 = CMYK palette. If you have difiiculties finding that byte (sometimes it's 00 after all), it's in 8th line above the "BM" phrase (BM = 42 4d in hex) and fourth byte in first column.RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is an additive color palette (connecting all creates white), so it's better used for more colorful or brighter (closer to white) effects.
CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (a.k.a Black)) is a subtractive color palette (connecting all creates black), so it's more recommended for darker (closer to black) effects.
2.2
This byte in original DMC4 determined the saturation and intensity of color in effect, but now in SE effects, it changes not only that, but also the size and distance of the effect (higher value = more saturation, bigger size, but also longer distance from character, which sometimes results in lesser visibility). If someone remembers well, the size in original was determined by the values in the first half of the effect file (the "80 3f" part, if you changed the 3f to 40 or 41, the effect got a lot bigger.Sometimes this byte may not be present at some parts, if you see 00 in this place, that means the effect part doesn't have that indicator.
After changing the mentioned parts, search for another "BM" (or "tex") in the file and repeat the steps until you run out of searching results. It's time-consuming, but it should be easy to get used to even for novices.
For now it's a copy and paste from old forum to check how making posts works in here. This might get updated a bit more later...