SKIN:TSL Backdrop Improvements

[Kexikus 995]

View File

TSL Backdrop Improvements

---

This mod aims to improve the space scenes in Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. This is done both to improve the visual quality as well as the continuity between cutscenes and playable areas.
The changes made to achieve this are thus also twofold: First there are new high resolution textures provided for almost all space backdrops and then there are model changes to create more extensive edits. For a full list of what has been changed, see below (contains spoilers).
Additionally there is an optional part of the mod that brings the galaxy map appearance of some planets in line with the new backdrops. See below for installation instructions.

 

There are some mods by other authors that already do an amazing job at improving certain backdrops, so I did not see the need to imitate their work. Instead, I highly recommend you install those mods as well. I will list them below.

 

COMPABILITY

 

This mod is not compatible with other mods that edit the same textures or models.
Notable exceptions are TSLRCM and M4-78 EP:
- This mod overrides 222TEL15.mdl and 222TEL15.mdx provided by TSLRCM. This will replace some VISUAL ONLY! changes by TSLRCM with my version. Check the screenshots to see which one you prefer.
- Also, this mod will override 003EBOq.mdl and 003EBOq.mdx from M4-78EP. In this case my mod includes the changes done by M4-78 EP, so you can safely override those files (make a backup though).

 

INSTALLATION

 

If you have TSLRCM and/or M4-78 EP installed, go to your Override folder and make backups of 222TEL15.mdl, 222TEL15.mdx, 003EBOq.mdl and 003EBOq.mdx just in case.
Then copy all files from the "To Override" folder into your Override folder.

 

If you want to install the galaxy map changes as well, also copy the files from the "Optional Galaxy Map Changes" folder to your Override folder.

 

And finally I highly recommend you install the other backdrop improvement mods listed below.

 

UNINSTALLATION

 

Delete this mod's files from your Override folder and restore the backups of 222TEL15.mdl, 222TEL15.mdx, 003EBOq.mdl and 003EBOq.mdx (if you have TSLRCM and/or M4-78 EP installed).

 

RECOMMENDED MODS

 

- Improved Peragus Asteroid Fields by Vasilii Zaytsev
- Replacement Peragus II Artwork by Trench
- Telos Citadel Station Skybox by Quanon
- Alternatively you can use the TEL_Bdrp.tga and TEL_Bdrp.txi from TSL Remastered by sELFiNDUCEDcOMA

 

KNOWN BUGS

 

- The asteroids during the Peragus escape sequence appear out of nowhere. This is either due to my limited knowledge or due to limitations in our tools but I haven't been able to fix it yet. Should that bother you, remove 003EBOs.mdl and 003EBOs.mdx from your Override folder. Note however that you will also loose the Dxun backdrop for the Arrival at Dxun scene.

 

LIST OF CHANGES (SPOILERS!!!)

 

 

 

General:
- High resolution textures for all star backgrounds

 

Prologue:
- High resolution texture for Peragus nebula

 

Peragus:
- Added moving asteroids visible from Administration Level
- Peragus nebula is now visible from Administration Level and Exterior
- Added additional asteroids to Exterior
- Added second nebula to Exterior

 

Harbinger:
- Added Peragus with Nebula, moving asteroids and second nebula visible from Command Deck

 

Ebon Hawk:
- Added moving asteroids for Peragus escape sequence
- Improved and animated hyperspace tunnel
- Dxun and part of the blockade is visible during the first arrival at Dxun

 

Nar Shaddaa Goto's Yacht:
- High resolution texture for Nar Shaddaa backdrop
- Yacht exterior is now visible from the inside

 

Dxun:
- High resolution texture for Dxun and Onderon's second moon during the space battle
- High resolution ship backdrops for space battle
- High resolution Dxun and Onderon backdrop for Tobin scene

 

Telos Citadel Station:
- High resolution planet surface
- High resolution Ravager and Sith Fighters for final battle
- High resolution and properly placed Telos for Carth's arrival cutscene
- Full Sith fleet and part of the Republic fleet visible in Carth's arrival scene

 

Ravager:
- High resolution and properly placed Telos
- Both Sith and Republic fleet are now visible from the Ravager
- Removed nebula
- Sith fighters flying around Telos are no longer rectangles but actual Sith fighters
- Added additional lasers
- Ravager exterior is visible from the bridge
- Removed distance fog (although this is only due to limitations of my knowledge and will hopefully be reverted at some point)

 

 

CREDITS

 

This mod was created by Kexikus.
With contributions by:
- Jeroenimo (http://www.moddb.com/members/jeroenimo😞 Several ship models used for backdrop textures
- Kreia: Interdictor class (Leviathan) ship models
- Malkior: Additional damage detail on Ravager backdrop
The starfields were created using spacescape.
The nebula photos are taken from NASA and hubblesite.org
The planet backdrops were created with the help of the following tutorials:
- http://the-prototype92.deviantart.com/art/Realistic-Earthly-Planet-Texture-Tutorial-V3-414190291?q=gallery%3Aphotoshop-tutorials%2F3518842&qo=3
- http://rodrigogua.deviantart.com/art/City-Lights-Tutorial-9161677
- Make a Planet by Greg Martin (link no longer available)
Using cloudmaps from: http://www.shadedrelief.com/natural3/pages/clouds.html
A big thank you to Sithspecter, Quanon and Fair Strides who helped me to get into world of 3d modelling for KotOR and also thank you everyone who answered my never ending questions^^

 

THIS MOD IS NOT SUPPORTED BY LUCASARTS OR OBSIDIAN. USE THIS FILE AT YOUR OWN RISK. NEITHER THE AUTHOR OF THIS MOD NOR THE COMPANIES MENTIONED ABOVE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER WHEN USING THIS FILE.

---

• Submitter
  Kexikus
• Submitted
  11/29/2016
• Category
  Skins
• TSLRCM Compatible
  No

 

[milestails 264]

Yet another winner from Kexikus. Required download!

[Haveayap 127]

Your work always amazes me Kexikus... Changes like these are always great

[Rinku 22]

This will be a delightful override addition. Thanks for always providing quality mods

[Red Hessian 9]

A must have. TSL mod of the year in my book.

[Sith Holocron 2,480]

Red Hessian: Then nominate it!

[Kexikus 995]

Thanks for all the kind words. I'm glad you like the mod

[Kexikus 995]

Updated the mod to version 1.1:

The only "new" thing is the reactivation of fog in the Ravager levels.

 

This was possible due to bead-v's discovery of which byte enables/disables fog rendering on a model. For some more details: Fog in the KotOR games is a one color overlay with increasing opacity in the distance. Now if fog was rendered on a skybox or star backdrop, that backdrop would obviously disappear behind this solid color, which is why there had to be something in the model telling the game whether it receives fog or not. But until yesterday, I didn't know what so the only way to make my added backdrop models not appear as flat grey on the Ravager was to disable the fog entirely. But with bead-v's discovery I could now re-enable the fog while keeping my backdrop models normally visible.

 

 

The screenshot shows the view from the Ravager in v1.0 as well as in v1.1. As you can see, there is now a grey overlay on the Ravagers structure while the backdrop is completely visible. On the right, you see what happens when fog is enabled in v1.0... which is obviously not great.

 

 

And here's a screenshot from inside the Ravager that shows the improved atmosphere with fog re-enabled.

[LDR 234]

Great job guys!

[Guibaesa 15]

Hey there, excellent work you did there, still, I'm afraid I have to report that there is a problem with it.

 

It seems that this mod have removed the fires inside the Ravager, you know, the ones that start right after the cut-scene when we see the Mandalorians boarding the ship.

 

Can you fix it?

[Kexikus 995]

Hey there, excellent work you did there, still, I'm afraid I have to report that there is a problem with it.

 

It seems that this mod have removed the fires inside the Ravager, you know, the ones that start right after the cut-scene when we see the Mandalorians boarding the ship.

 

Can you fix it?

 

Uhm, no idea how that would happen, but I'll have a look.

[Fair Strides 510]

It seems that this mod have removed the fires inside the Ravager, you know, the ones that start right after the cut-scene when we see the Mandalorians boarding the ship.

 

First question: What mods are you using?

Second question: How can you tell it's this mod specifically that's causing the issue?

[Guibaesa 15]

First question: What mods are you using?

Second question: How can you tell it's this mod specifically that's causing the issue?

 

Im sure because this problem only appeared after I installed this mod.

 

I'm using TSLRCM 1.8.5, PartySwap 1.3.1b and Extended Enclave.

[Kexikus 995]

I can confirm this. For some reason, my newly added model 852nih53.mdl/mdx removes these fires. But I've no idea why as this model is not replacing anything but only adding stuff. So I also have no idea how to fix this :/

[bead-v 251]

So if you remove 851nih.lyt and 851nih.vis from your override, the fires are back?

[Kexikus 995]

So if you remove 851nih.lyt and 851nih.vis from your override, the fires are back?

 

Yeah. As soon as the model 851nih53 gets added to the level (i.e. 851nih.lyt, 851nih.vis AND 851nih53.mdl and 851nih53.mdx) are in the Override, the flames will disappear. Having only the .lyt and .vis file OR the model files, doesn't cause any issue. And I should mention again: 851nih53 is a custom model that doesn't replace a vanilla one.

[bead-v 251]

Have you tried making 851nih02 (which contains the flame and smoke emitters) visible from 851nih53 and vice versa?

[Kexikus 995]

Have you tried making 851nih02 (which contains the flame and smoke emitters) visible from 851nih53 and vice versa?

 

I tried now and it didn't change anything :/

[bead-v 251]

DarthParametric has found a solution, which is to get rid of the walkmesh. I can confirm for my own installation, and I've been trying to find the exact reason why this happens. It's not the name, or the position in the model, or the fact that it has an empty animation node, or that it has surfaces IDs 64 instead of 7, or that it had render on, .... still trying things. But in terms of getting it to work, you can just delete the walkmesh, since that model doesn't really need it anyway.

[Guibaesa 15]

DarthParametric has found a solution, which is to get rid of the walkmesh. I can confirm for my own installation, and I've been trying to find the exact reason why this happens. It's not the name, or the position in the model, or the fact that it has an empty animation node, or that it has surfaces IDs 64 instead of 7, or that it had render on, .... still trying things. But in terms of getting it to work, you can just delete the walkmesh, since that model doesn't really need it anyway.

 

Whats the name of the file I have to remove exactly?

[bead-v 251]

Whats the name of the file I have to remove exactly?

 

Sorry, my post was intended for Kexikus. 851nih53.mdl and its .mdx need to be modified by removing the aabb node, so unless you've dealt with this before you should wait until Kex fixes it.

[Kexikus 995]

If you really want the fire back, you can temporarily remove 851nih53.mdl and .mdx from your Override. However that will also result in you losing most of the changes I did to the Ravager section of the game.

 

The solution bead-v speaks about is not a solution by the way as removing the walkmesh will also render the rest of the model invisible (for some reason that smarter people than me still have to figure out).

[Guibaesa 15]

If you really want the fire back, you can temporarily remove 851nih53.mdl and .mdx from your Override. However that will also result in you losing most of the changes I did to the Ravager section of the game.

 

The solution bead-v speaks about is not a solution by the way as removing the walkmesh will also render the rest of the model invisible (for some reason that smarter people than me still have to figure out).

 

Alright, I'm deleting those files.

 

When you or anyone finds a perfect solution for this (one that does not remove the changes you did to the Ravager), please inform us. I'll be waiting.

[bead-v 251]

Alright, I'm deleting those files.

 

When you or anyone finds a perfect solution for this (one that does not remove the changes you did to the Ravager), please inform us. I'll be waiting.

 

Have just a little more patience, we seem to be on the right track

[Kexikus 995]

The fire issue is fixed now and version 1.2 is uploaded.

Thanks to bead-v and DarthParametric for figuring this out for me