Malkior

M478_Staff
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Everything posted by Malkior

  1. Malkior

    Blasters Reloaded

    That's genuinely frustrating to hear. TSLPatcher is "Supposed" to keep install files like those in the backup, but I guess it doesn't always work as intended. It's always been a bit out of my area of understanding, as the tool itself was invented several decades ago, and unfortunately as of now there is no alternative I know of. I do know that multiple subsequent installations (Hitting the executable and going through the process multiple times) will wipe the originally backed-up data, so it could be what happened, but honestly beyond that, I have no idea.
  2. Malkior

    Blasters Reloaded

    Yeah, when I wrote that I didn't realize items are save-baked. The TSLPatcher is kind of a all or nothing sort of affair, so using the backup files is literally the only way to undo its changes without just making a backup yourself. In the meantime, I will amend the description to hopefully prevent others from unexpectedly experiencing the same issue. In other words, you can't revert anything that UTI files have changed without restarting from a point in your game before you received those items. You don't have to reinstall your game files, but you definitely have to start from a new save.
  3. Your cynicism and statements are perfectly reasonable, but your action went too far. Many mods don't get done on time because the author loses interest or simply has inadequate resources to make it a reality yes; but stating with no evidence that the project is "dead" only serves to spread misinformation, especially when the author has gone on the record several times that they are still working on it.
  4. Fair enough. Ironically, that naming scheme is one of those rare moments where both Disney and Legends content agrees. I do hope you at least retain the few things Disney decided to add unaltered from the old Expanded Universe such as those created during the Republic Commando and Open Seasons era as I consider those the strongest times for Mandalorian content.
  5. I'm definitely looking forward to the Mandalorian update! The faction had a lot of coverage in the game, but the original 3 or so variations were so visually limiting. (BTW, as a minor aside, Beskar or "Beskar Gam" wasn't invented by Disney, but was an invention of Karen Traviss in her Republic Commando books and then backported into the Disney canon via Filoni. Humorously, her books had so many parts canonized that she should probably be credited at least partially with the show. )
  6. Wish I had seen this mod when it was released. This is brilliant! They look a bit odd with human proportions, but I still love the idea just the same. Is there any plan to make more Duros NPCs in other areas of Kotor or even Kotor 2?
  7. I know you probably worked for a while on everything as a whole, but that Ithorian with his hat really stole the show! This looks phenomenal.
    Overall a fantastic new tool! I love how each plugin seamlessly activates whenever the user double-clicks virtually anything and just how many new plugins were developed. For example, there's a new soundset editor which includes useful things such as the string to identify what a specific sound is supposed to be, and sliders to control its volume. There's also a much more robust texture viewer including even settings to change your TXI data on the fly. Speaking of textures, there's now a new 3d model viewer, so we can finally see which module piece or vehicle we're working on with a simple double-click from the asset menu. If you're interested in editing dialogue, there's a setting for that too with a near replica of the old dialogue editor included with this tool. If your files are in the Override, it has the ability to access and edit all of those files from within the tool; and all of these features are a part of the new Module editor which takes the original concept from Kotortool but expands on it to include a 3d viewer, map, and comprehensive list of every asset so you can add them into your mod with minimal effort. Lastly, the 2DA Editor is by far my favorite improvement. I want to personally thank the UI designer as the font and layout you chose has saved my eyes hours of pain. The whole thing runs out of the folder with no further steps beyond picking your folder directories which are made even easier with the tooltips which will help step-by-step to do so. Now, I would recommend this as a perfect replacement for Kotortool as it has started to show its age and Holocron has so many improved features, but there are a couple of caveats that I also need to cover. 1.) Performance. One of the most helpful features of Kotortool was how lightweight it was. As of writing this, there are a few areas of the Holocron Toolset that experience brutal lag such as startup (It takes a while to initialize when it populates the list after choosing which game to run) This is especially rough when you try to open some of the heavier plugins like the Module Editor which I was able to crash on multiple occasions by simply hitting "open" too many times. And, speaking of crashing, it has a nasty habit of freezing up the program whenever a plugin gets too overloaded and you may lose a lot of work if you even move the window while a plugin is loading. 2.) Interface. For the most part, the UI is immaculate, but if you're a Windows user like myself, you may become frustrated with how navigation is done in the 3d model viewer. Ctrl- Left Mouse is move the object, Ctrl Middle Mouse is rotate the object, and Ctrl- Mouse Wheel is how to pan the camera up or down for anyone interested. I personally was able to pick it up pretty easily after a bit, but I just wanted to drop that warning in case you come from a Windows background. These will probably be addressed in future patches and I'm sure performance will continue to improve as well, but even though there is some bad, it is FAR outweighed by the good. That said, I'm looking forward to each new update as this tool matures.
  8. This isn't the place to look for something like that. And I'm pretty sure nude mods (Especially full nudes) fall under that specific definition.
  9. True, that could eliminate the problem altogether, yeah. Regarding pronunciation though, the games themselves aren't even consistent with how they pronounce worlds like Taris or Nar Shadaa. (Nar Shadda, anyone?) so it could be a non issue. However, if you're certain you absolutely want that specific version of the speech, you could try something like Mah-Non which I believe most computer voices can pronounce properly.
  10. Weird question, but what is the syntax Kotor 1 uses for its clothing meshes? I've scoured Kotortool up and down, yet I can't seem to find them.

    1. Show previous comments  1 more
    2. Malkior

      Malkior

      Turns out I didn't realize there are other BIF file folders with their own models in Kotortool. For some reason I assumed "Models.bif" was the only one containing MDL files..

      (For anyone following, the folder I was looking for was "Player.bif")

      Additionally, there are other filetypes than just MDL files such as scripts and GUI in the other BIFs, so I believe they are actually just a generic storage format that I just happened to know contain the models. There's probably a tutorial somewhere that I missed which explains BIF file format in detail, but I guess I missed it..

      Thanks for the tip! I appreciate the info and I will continue to post as I learn new things to hopefully demystify these files for laymen such as myself. :)

    3. DarthDrija

      DarthDrija

      Ah, you were talking about where they were located. It didn't cross my mind scouring through the .bif files since I just search by name in the Holocron Toolset, it just makes life easier!

      That said, glad you found them. 😀

    4. Malkior

      Malkior

      Yeah, I've only ever used Kotortool to extract textures and in rare occasions, generic models like vehicles for example, so I only know very specific places to find the assets. It's funny that just focusing on one specific thing every time creates these misconceptions such as mine where there was only one place to find a filetype.

  11. I know it's been said that Nihilis and the Exile were designed to be mirror opposites of eachother, but I personally think it goes deeper to the point that Nihilis and the Exile had the exact same connectivity to their fellow soldiers and jedi. So, while the Exile dealt with the trauma of the Mass Shadow Generator by cutting themselves off, Nihilis used it to survive the detonation and possible exposure to the vacuum of space. The Exile is also the one answer to Nihilis' endless hunger as it is impossible to absorb something that is no longer there or more accurately something that has effectively become its antimatter. So if one subscribes to the Unifying Force theory, it had a hand in creating Nihilis, but also created the Exile to cancel him out. (also as an aside, it'd have been pretty awesome to see the Exile use a visual effect when they defeat Nihilis like an accretion disk from a Black Hole that envelops then annihliates him until his empty mask lands on the ground where he once stood) I can understand why Kreia was so adamant about destroying the Force, but it makes me wonder if it might have found some way to stop her anyway. (Though I guess technically it does since the player can't actually agree to go through with her plan)
  12. That's actually a very good point. Darth Parametric definitely has been instrumental in many other modding endeavors as well. It's amazing how much we've been able to accomplish thanks to his work and knowledge of the game's inner workings. The visible eyeball issue has been present in the game since it launched, and until the Fixed Holograms mod, it was just something I'd gotten used to as part of The Sith Lords gameplay. Those were dark times..
  13. I'm so glad we never have to see those horrifying x-ray faces and visible eyeballs ever again! This implementation is so well designed that it looks like it could have shipped with the game and the additional scanlines were a nice touch to make it stand out more. Out of morbid curiosity though, is there any way to add color to the holograms in a similar visual style to Kotor 1? I'm a huge fan of the Prequel era holos, but the way Bioware decided to do something different made the game feel more like it took place at a much earlier time and helped the game feel more unique at least in my opinion. If it's outside of your interests or scope, I can understand, but I figured I'd ask.
  14. Just put the final touches on a big update for one of my mods. Massive thanks to everyone including ConansHair for the help in continuing to improve the level of quality and Dark Hope for the window textures.

    These were perfect for quickly finding locations to test in for my recent project. Special thanks to the author for including the entry point of each planet and important storybeats so modders can easily test in specific places throughout the game.
  15. View File Ebon Hawk Revival Reskin Project (Kotor 1) Description: Ever since I first saw the blurry mess of a texture in the Kotor 2 prologue, I've dreamt of a way to fix it. This project thus will consist of two stages, this first release is for the Ebon Hawk you see in Kotor 1 with a full visual exterior overhaul. Every panel is completely drawn by hand to ensure the model looks good from every angle with the ultimate goal of using this as the basis for finally fixing the Ebon Hawk during the T3 sequence in Kotor 2. The next step will be the fully battle damaged exterior piece with emphasis on making it finally look decent. I was also informed by a trusted source that the minigame model texture could greatly benefit from this treatment, so that's also in the works. Update 1.1 While working on the Kotor 2 version, I noticed there were a few areas that I could improve on with its Kotor 1 counterpart. The panel work has received a massive overhaul to better match the Vanilla texture including far more detailed colors and a completely redesigned nacelle top. I've also created a much better version of the engine trench (The metallic texture on the sides that denote exposed mechanical details) which I really felt needed the facelift. Lastly, per a great suggestion by ConansHair, I've included some window textures to complement the exteriors with permission from Dark Hope's IGM. This will hopefully be the last big update, but as I continue to work on the Kotor 2 and now the minigame model, I will continue to incorporate any improvements as I make them. Installation: Inside of the zip file are twelve textures for the Ebon Hawk wherever it is landed as well as twelve window textures with TXIs. To install, simply drag these files into your Override folder, or if you don't happen to have one it must be created. (Default Steam Path is C:\\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\Common\SWKOTOR) Uninstallation: Take the textures and TXI files included in the ZIP file out of your Override Permissions: Please let me know if you want to use these textures in one of your mods. I only ask you to credit me for the vast amount of work this ended up being Credits: This would have never seen the light of day without help from my friends on DS. ConansHair for Beta testing and for continually awesome suggestions like incorporating EnvMaps and adding features from other Vanilla Hawk textures which vastly improved the overall look. Sith Holocron for his helpful feedback and the use of his landing platform texture Dark Hope for letting me use her cockpit textures which have greatly increased the visual style of the windows and allowed me to customize them per planet. I would also like to thank Thor110 for letting me use his upscaled Ebon Hawk texture from his modder's resources which more or less also inspired this endeavor. Kotor1 Saves by djh269 for help while testing (special shoutout for having Force Speed on by default ), Fred Tetra for Kotortool, Adobe for their Photoshop, Bioware for creating Kotor, and lastly George Lucas for being instrumental in creating this Star Wars universe I continue to enjoy. Submitter Malkior Submitted 02/07/2023 Category Mods K1R Compatible Yes  
  16. Version 1.1.0

    745 downloads

    Description: Ever since I first saw the blurry mess of a texture in the Kotor 2 prologue, I've dreamt of a way to fix it. This project thus will consist of two stages, this first release is for the Ebon Hawk you see in Kotor 1 with a full visual exterior overhaul. Every panel is completely drawn by hand to ensure the model looks good from every angle with the ultimate goal of using this as the basis for finally fixing the Ebon Hawk during the T3 sequence in Kotor 2. The next step will be the fully battle damaged exterior piece with emphasis on making it finally look decent. I was also informed by a trusted source that the minigame model texture could greatly benefit from this treatment, so that's also in the works. Update 1.1 While working on the Kotor 2 version, I noticed there were a few areas that I could improve on with its Kotor 1 counterpart. The panel work has received a massive overhaul to better match the Vanilla texture including far more detailed colors and a completely redesigned nacelle top. I've also created a much better version of the engine trench (The metallic texture on the sides that denote exposed mechanical details) which I really felt needed the facelift. Lastly, per a great suggestion by ConansHair, I've included some window textures to complement the exteriors with permission from Dark Hope's IGM. This will hopefully be the last big update, but as I continue to work on the Kotor 2 and now the minigame model, I will continue to incorporate any improvements as I make them. Installation: Inside of the zip file are twelve textures for the Ebon Hawk wherever it is landed as well as twelve window textures with TXIs. To install, simply drag these files into your Override folder, or if you don't happen to have one it must be created. (Default Steam Path is C:\\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\Common\SWKOTOR) Uninstallation: Take the textures and TXI files included in the ZIP file out of your Override Permissions: Please let me know if you want to use these textures in one of your mods. I only ask you to credit me for the vast amount of work this ended up being Credits: This would have never seen the light of day without help from my friends on DS. ConansHair for Beta testing and for continually awesome suggestions like incorporating EnvMaps and adding features from other Vanilla Hawk textures which vastly improved the overall look. Sith Holocron for his helpful feedback and the use of his landing platform texture Dark Hope for letting me use her cockpit textures which have greatly increased the visual style of the windows and allowed me to customize them per planet. I would also like to thank Thor110 for letting me use his upscaled Ebon Hawk texture from his modder's resources which more or less also inspired this endeavor. Kotor1 Saves by djh269 for help while testing (special shoutout for having Force Speed on by default ), Fred Tetra for Kotortool, Adobe for their Photoshop, Bioware for creating Kotor, and lastly George Lucas for being instrumental in creating this Star Wars universe I continue to enjoy.
  17. Out of curiosity, is there texture generating program (Preferably free) that you guys swear by?

     

    I've been doing this thing manually forever and I'd like to find some tools to speed it up a bit.

    1. Show previous comments  4 more
    2. DarthParametric

      DarthParametric

      There's also Blender, which has the benefit of being able to directly utilise KOTOR models via KBlender.

    3. Malkior

      Malkior

      I appreciate the tips. I've noticed lately that I've been using a combination of filters for the most dramatic effect on making textures and so it made logical sense to start utilizing tools with a similar approach (Although with more control). 

    4. DarthParametric

      DarthParametric

      What you're working on dictates what you need to a large degree. Stuff like sabers that make heavy use of envmaps don't really need anything fancy because the texture is going to be mostly drowned out by the envmap anyway.

      Here's an example of one of my sabers using procedural materials. Mostly just simple metal materials with a bit of edge wear and dirt. Here is the source, rendered in PBR:

      Obi-Wan_ANH_Saber_03.jpg.acc70a79b1d9b1367db92b24f8194d88.jpg

      And then here's that same model and texture set in Odyssey:

      Obi-Wan_ANH_Saber_02.jpg.80e2f56be84b10e63ff44a169e71b442.jpg

      Obi-Wan_ANH_Saber_01.jpg.8bb4597acb17a17658a72bafc679e2bc.jpg

      One of the primary things you'll want is a good ambient occlusion (AO) bake. PBR textures don't have any lighting baked in, since they rely on the engine to provide correct lighting. So the albedo you'll get will be completely flat:

      Obi-Wan_ANH_Saber_Albedo.jpg.7d6559e8b139898b1b4b49570d8b6be8.jpg

      That's where the AO comes in:

      Obi-Wan_ANH_Saber_AO.jpg.2bbede7ef683f55cf4966b91a96016a2.jpg

      You take the AO and overlay it as a multiply layer, giving you a resultant diffuse with a bit more depth:

      Obi-Wan_ANH_Saber_Diffuse_with_AO.jpg.344c245fabd477d3cf0929b2e514be48.jpg

      The lack of a spec map is where Odyssey really falls down here, since envmaps are a poor substitute.

      Some programs may also have the provision to create baked lighting for Blinn-Phong textures. Substance Painter can do this, for example.

  18. Yeah, that's my bad. I saw the pic of the same droid head and assumed.
    This is honestly my new favorite tool! Instantly opens and converts literally thousands of TPC files in seconds with no memory issues and no lag on my system. All it took was learning to hold ALT while dragging the files, and now everything TGA and TXI instantly show up in the folder. Minor caveat, it has no dialogue boxes to indicate when a file is transferred or saved, so just be aware that the second you hold ALT and drag into the program, those files are going to show up in the same folder as your TPCs. Also, for new users, there is no user interface at all, so if a big grey box shows up, that means the program is working.
  19. There's nothing so strangely ironic about having to download your own mods after having lost the originals over time and computer changes..

    1. Effix

      Effix

      I think I salvaged one of my first mods like that, stored in the Cloud before that was a term.

    2. jc2

      jc2

      Feels strange, especially if you had notes for improvements, other ideas, or version update and those were not (for good reason) uploaded. On the other hand, it is a reminder of just how neat of a site deadlystream is to remember all our mods we've made throughout the years. Cheers to the Staff and Tyvokka for keeping us alive!

  20. I've given this topic a bit more thought somewhat lately, and I think in the eyes of the internet, the most appropriate method to "clear the air" about a subject is to post a follow-up video with your updated perspective and how it has changed over the years. A blog post is an adequate method, yes, but to get the most exposure and to provide a means to even allow the original video to stand on its own would be to contrast its view with your new one so that the public is aware that you feel the original was too harsh and perhaps that this wasn't your original intention.
  21. Great to see you back! I figured you had left modding to pursue school and then everyday life took over. Glad to see your return after so long.