Tutorial:Texture modification

From RRU Knowledge Base
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Texture Modification is a fairly simple form of Game Modification. Often referred to as skinning or reskinning, it involves changing the textures or skins used in the game. These textures can range from anything from the start-up screen, to the interface, to the actual skins of models.

Texture Editing

Most of the game's textures are in bitmap (.bmp) format, which normally can be easily edited in Windows Paint. However, much of these bitmaps are in a compressed bit depth, in other words they are in 8 bit (256 colors). Paint automatically saves bitmaps in 24-bit or 32-bit, which will not be compatible with most of the games bitmaps. To check to see the depth of the bitmap, right click it, then select properties, and then on the details tab. At the top under "Image," it gets it's bit depth. When you modify texture files it is important to save it in the same bit depth that it is in by default, otherwise it will not work in-game.

If you have a good graphics program, like Photoshop, you can easily select the bit depth you want, however, this is not easy to do with simpler programs. Fortunately there are some helpful programs that can easily compress the bit depth of bitmaps. One good example would be IrfanView which is free. To decrease the bit depth in IrfanView, just click on the "Image" bar and select "Decrease Color Depth."

Some textures in the game, however, cannot be edited, primarily text. Any changes to these files will result in strange things such as the text disappearing.

Recoloring

Some colors, such as Rock Raider hand and neck/stud colors are in the LWO Files, and a Hex-Editor is required. Simply look for the hex-code translation of the color code (Purple, 255:000:255, would be FF 00 FF).

Models

All skin textures of Rock raiders, creatures, vehicles, buildings and other items are in 8 bit.

Texture names for Rock Raiders:

  • Arms and Side of Legs - Pbodytop
  • Torso - Pbody
  • Back - Pback
  • Side of Torso - Pside
  • Top Back of Legs - PlegBACKRUpper
  • Face- Pface
  • Head Side - Headside
  • Bottom Back of Legs - PlegBackRLower
  • Bottom of Foot - Pslb
  • Bottom Front of Legs - PlegRLower
  • Top Front of Legs - PlegRUpper

Graphics

Like model skins, graphic interface are 8 bit.

CFG Items

Screens linked directly to the cfg are usualy 24 bit.

Locations

Start-up screens, which are fully editable, can be found in LegoRR0/Languages. Interface, such as buttons and windows in the game, can be found in LegoRR0/Interface. Model skins can be found in the same folders as their corresponding models (the Buildings, Creatures, Mini-Figures, and Vehicles folders, all found in LegoRR0). Other textures, such as world textures (the textures of walls, floors, etc) can be found in LegoRR0/Worlds.