A Guide on how to port DMC3 Texture Skins by a Beginner
Jul 20, 2022 0:18:27 GMT
cheburat0rr likes this
Post by spiderlink12 on Jul 20, 2022 0:18:27 GMT
I was going to initially post this as a response to another thread asking about it, but I thought it'd be more appropriate to make it a thread so other people looking into it can more easily find it.
Before starting, it's best for You to read the whole thing first rather than trying to set things up as You read this guide, otherwise You might get annoyed at some decisions I took in formatting these steps, and for You to use this thread for easy file identification, now with that out of the way:
Here's what You need to know about porting textures:
Preparation Time:
Step 0. BACKUP YOUR DATA FILES, You never know when You'll mess something up by accident and need to resort to those, so be sure to put it in a place You can easily find and don't skip this.
Step 1. Install Python 2.7,
Without it, You can't use some of the tools You need to be able to convert the mods, so this is the first thing to do on Your list. Just scroll down a bit in the page until You find the Download tab, if You got a typical windows computer or laptop, one the Windows x86 MSI Installers should do, the 64 one being made for 64bit.
Step 2. Install the Pac tools for DMC3's Ubisoft port and HD Collection port, be sure to put them on separate folders so You can identify better which is for the Ubi port and which is for the HDC port, cause if You don't, the tools simply won't work as they are supposed to.
Step 3. Install OptPix studio (located here along with a product key You need in order to install it), You'll see why in a bit.
Step 4. Install Paint.net, OptPix doesn't work with the files that the HDC port uses, which is .dds, and Paint.net doesn't work with .tm2, which OptPix does.
Step 3 and 4's replacement. Install Noesis, this program can convert TIM2 files (the format that the standalone port uses) in an extremely simpler way than the two programs above, however, if You plan on porting HD Collection mods into the standalone port, You will still require OptPix studio, as Noesis cannot convert files back into the TIM2 format
Step 4. Organize these things, just to be in an easy place to find, really, but the important part of this step is actually setting up properly the Pac tools:
After You extracted each of the files for those tools to their respective folders, You need to get a cmd.exe in the same folder as the tools, this goes for both the Ubi port tool and the HDC port tool.
To get one of those, hit the windows key in your keyboard on Your search bar and type in command prompt and then click on the little icon on the folder, like on the image linked here, that should bring You to a shortcut that leads to the original cmd.exe, so You right click it and do the same thing, like so. After that, You copy it and You then paste it (not as a shortcut) on both of the tool's folders.
Porting Time:
for better guidance, I'm gonna be porting the White Vergil skin found in this modpack to show instead of just telling how to do it, making it less confusing for people
Step 1. Extract the files, You're gonna want to get Your mod file, and its HDC's counterpart, in my case, it'll be pl021.pac since that's the Vergil base outfit file, and put each in their respective version of the folders You have Your pac tools on. You can get Your HDC files under data>dmc3>GData.afs going from the game's main folder.
To extract the files, You open cmd.exe and type in ex.py <file name, including extension> and confirm with enter, in my case, it will be ex.py pl021.pac, this goes to both tools.
pictures of before and after here and here
Step 2. Convert the textures to .png, You're gonna want to open OptPix now, go to file, and open all the .tm2 files located under the subfolder of the Ubi port mod, (if You're porting a Vergil mod, You want to focus on the folder with typically three .tm2 files[4 if the mod has his hair down]), photos to guide here and here, and then You're going to click on the window of the specific texture You'll convert and save as a .png through the same file tab in the program, or through the shortcut ctrl+shift+S, You have to do it on each individually.
Step 3. Convert the textures to .dds, Now You can close OptPix and open Paint.net, from there You can open the .png textures You got there.
Normally, You'd save these textures as .dds right then and there using the same shortcut mentioned in the previous step (like this), and then set it as BC1 (Linear, DXT1) when it's a seemingly fully opaque texture, such as in this screenshot, but what I'd recommend is that You mess around with the transparency of the textures then and there, by copying and merging the layers together and other tools such as the select tool so You can tune in what You'd want to be semi-transparent or what is supposed to be so in the original screenshots the mod You want to port to HDC, and then save it as BC3 (Linear, DXT5), like this, this is because some textures have specifically different alpha values that You can't notice at first glance, but will be translated as fully transparent or fully opaque in the BC1 (Linear, DXT1) setting, this goes for hair which You want it to be semi-transparent for a better effect.
Step 2 & 3's replacement. Convert textures to .dds, open Noesis and locate the folder using the folder browser on the left window, the square with a + sign is to open and close the folder for any subfolders inside it (double clicking the folder also works), and to check what other files are inside the folder you click on the folder itself. when You're at the folder, double click on the .tm2 file, then click on the file dropdown menu on the upper left corner of the screen, then click export, that will show this menu, in there You click on "Main output type:" and select .dds, then hit export and You're done! You just need to do it to each individual file, however.
Step 4. Put them in the HDC folder, the same way there was a subfolder in the Ubi port, there's one in the HDC port, You're going to want to replace the .dds files there with the ones You just converted from .tm2 and repack it using the cmd.exe and the command: re.py <name of the folder, no extension needed> and confirm with enter, You can ignore this for the Ubi port's folders. Pictures here, here, here and here.
Step 5. Plug and play, for the last step, You're going to grab the .pac file with the corresponding name as that folder with the new converted textures and put it in the game's data folder, under data>dmc3>GData.afs, if there's a pop-up asking You to overwrite things, click yes. In case that was a bit too much at once, these images here, here, here and here should help.
Lastly, just boot up the game and have fun!
before and after with the mod I chose to port, along with what I said could happen if You save the .dds as BC1 (Linear, DXT1) in step 3:
Before starting, it's best for You to read the whole thing first rather than trying to set things up as You read this guide, otherwise You might get annoyed at some decisions I took in formatting these steps, and for You to use this thread for easy file identification, now with that out of the way:
Here's what You need to know about porting textures:
Preparation Time:
Step 0. BACKUP YOUR DATA FILES, You never know when You'll mess something up by accident and need to resort to those, so be sure to put it in a place You can easily find and don't skip this.
Step 1. Install Python 2.7,
Without it, You can't use some of the tools You need to be able to convert the mods, so this is the first thing to do on Your list. Just scroll down a bit in the page until You find the Download tab, if You got a typical windows computer or laptop, one the Windows x86 MSI Installers should do, the 64 one being made for 64bit.
Step 2. Install the Pac tools for DMC3's Ubisoft port and HD Collection port, be sure to put them on separate folders so You can identify better which is for the Ubi port and which is for the HDC port, cause if You don't, the tools simply won't work as they are supposed to.
Step 3 and 4's replacement. Install Noesis, this program can convert TIM2 files (the format that the standalone port uses) in an extremely simpler way than the two programs above, however, if You plan on porting HD Collection mods into the standalone port, You will still require OptPix studio, as Noesis cannot convert files back into the TIM2 format
Step 4. Organize these things, just to be in an easy place to find, really, but the important part of this step is actually setting up properly the Pac tools:
After You extracted each of the files for those tools to their respective folders, You need to get a cmd.exe in the same folder as the tools, this goes for both the Ubi port tool and the HDC port tool.
To get one of those, hit the windows key in your keyboard on Your search bar and type in command prompt and then click on the little icon on the folder, like on the image linked here, that should bring You to a shortcut that leads to the original cmd.exe, so You right click it and do the same thing, like so. After that, You copy it and You then paste it (not as a shortcut) on both of the tool's folders.
Porting Time:
for better guidance, I'm gonna be porting the White Vergil skin found in this modpack to show instead of just telling how to do it, making it less confusing for people
Step 1. Extract the files, You're gonna want to get Your mod file, and its HDC's counterpart, in my case, it'll be pl021.pac since that's the Vergil base outfit file, and put each in their respective version of the folders You have Your pac tools on. You can get Your HDC files under data>dmc3>GData.afs going from the game's main folder.
To extract the files, You open cmd.exe and type in ex.py <file name, including extension> and confirm with enter, in my case, it will be ex.py pl021.pac, this goes to both tools.
pictures of before and after here and here
Normally, You'd save these textures as .dds right then and there using the same shortcut mentioned in the previous step (like this), and then set it as BC1 (Linear, DXT1) when it's a seemingly fully opaque texture, such as in this screenshot, but what I'd recommend is that You mess around with the transparency of the textures then and there, by copying and merging the layers together and other tools such as the select tool so You can tune in what You'd want to be semi-transparent or what is supposed to be so in the original screenshots the mod You want to port to HDC, and then save it as BC3 (Linear, DXT5), like this, this is because some textures have specifically different alpha values that You can't notice at first glance, but will be translated as fully transparent or fully opaque in the BC1 (Linear, DXT1) setting, this goes for hair which You want it to be semi-transparent for a better effect.
Step 2 & 3's replacement. Convert textures to .dds, open Noesis and locate the folder using the folder browser on the left window, the square with a + sign is to open and close the folder for any subfolders inside it (double clicking the folder also works), and to check what other files are inside the folder you click on the folder itself. when You're at the folder, double click on the .tm2 file, then click on the file dropdown menu on the upper left corner of the screen, then click export, that will show this menu, in there You click on "Main output type:" and select .dds, then hit export and You're done! You just need to do it to each individual file, however.
Step 4. Put them in the HDC folder, the same way there was a subfolder in the Ubi port, there's one in the HDC port, You're going to want to replace the .dds files there with the ones You just converted from .tm2 and repack it using the cmd.exe and the command: re.py <name of the folder, no extension needed> and confirm with enter, You can ignore this for the Ubi port's folders. Pictures here, here, here and here.
Step 5. Plug and play, for the last step, You're going to grab the .pac file with the corresponding name as that folder with the new converted textures and put it in the game's data folder, under data>dmc3>GData.afs, if there's a pop-up asking You to overwrite things, click yes. In case that was a bit too much at once, these images here, here, here and here should help.
Lastly, just boot up the game and have fun!
before and after with the mod I chose to port, along with what I said could happen if You save the .dds as BC1 (Linear, DXT1) in step 3: