Some Help With My First Mod/Model?

[JT-1138]

Hello, JK Hub!

 

This is my first time getting into modding. I want to put a Luke Skywalker head onto a Stormtrooper body. It will probably look ugly. =)

 

I also want to make it an SP/MP species skin. The variant will be the stormtrooper head and the Luke Skywalker head, so I can switch back and forth between the two. 

 

The question is: how exactly do I go about doing this?

 

I know it's complicated, so I would love it if you guys could simply link me to some tutorials!

 

Here is what I know about:

GMAX: http://www.turbosquid.com/gmax

Inyri SP Species Tut: http://inyri.info/tutorial_spspecies.php

Inyri ModView Tut: http://jediknight3.filefront.com/info/ModView

 

I also have Pakscape.

 

Is this all I need? Should I just take a shot at it with these resources?

[Ruxith]

You'd probably want to take a look at the modelling tutorials here at JKHub, as you haven't made any mods which were modelled by yourself before:

http://jkhub.org/tutorials/category/13-modelling/

 

I don't know where to begin with modelling in general but there's a lot of people here who do so i'm sure you'll get some help if you need it along the way. Note that this has been before by Darth_shiftee. If you havent seen them then take a look here.

[mrwonko]

I would suggest you start by changing the texture of a model, to get a feel for how Jedi Academy modding works in general. Modelling is no easy thing to do, and by starting here you should already know:

• How to unpack the models and other data
• How to change it, ideally while working with a copy and not the original (unless you want to change how the original looks, but usually you'll want the modifications to be separately selectable)
• What a .skin file is and what it does, since you'll need one for the model as well, especially if you want to be able to change the head back and forth.
• How to pack the finished mod into a .pk3 for easier distribution

If you've never created a model before, maybe you shouldn't start with something as complex as a playermodel... A lightsaber would be simpler since it doesn't need to move. That said, stitchting together existing models is about the simplest possible new player model, although somewhat tedious and there's still a lot that can go wrong.

The only tool I'm aware of that can import and then re-export a playermodel (without any extra work required for it to keep working) is Blender in combination with my plugin suite. Well, when I say no extra work, I am referring to a single model. Stitching two together does require quite some work - you'll have lots of duplicate parts that need deleting and you'll also need to fix the hierarchies, i.e. parent-child-relations between different parts, like making the new head a child of the old body. (The model is split up in multiple parts to make dismemberment possible.) And this needs to be done for every Level Of Detail (LOD). (There are multiple versions of the models in different levels of quality - the game switches to a simpler one when the model is further away to improve the FPS.)

Sadly the plugin suite lacks proper documentation. One of these days I'll write it. But you should learn how to use Blender first anyway - for the changes you're trying to make you'll need to know:

• How to navigate
• How to select things
• How to delete things
• Probably how to hide and move things
• How to change the hierarchy/parent-child-relations - to this end it would be useful to understand the Outliner since it gives you a quick overview of the hierarchy.

As for how to create a model with variants (i.e. species) - you should start by taking a look at the existing ones and seeing how they work.

 

Good luck and welcome to JKHUB and Jedi Academy modding!

[Astral Serpent]

Yeah, you're not going to get anywhere starting modelling off first, start off with a skin to get a feel with how the game works with stuff.

[Circa]

Doing the default jedi heads in trooper armor would be a better option in my opinion because I don't think it's been done before. I'd download it right away if there was one.

[JT-1138]

Thank you, everyone who responded. I appreciate that you took the time to advise me.

 

Ruxith, I'll inspect those tutorial topics more closely. Thanks. But to be honest, I've seen a lot of guides, I just don't understand them. Really, if you want to find good JKA modding guides, you just have to stalk Inyri. She's famous, you know, and all she seems to post is mods or neat tutorials.

 

As for Darth_shiftee's mod, I have seen other mods, too, where Luke's head is stitched onto a stormtrooper body. Remember, I just have a goal in the world of JKA modding I want to meet. Luke's head on a stormtrooper body was just an example, for my own pleasure. I don't intend on uploading or publishing any mods I make. I don't feel like a first mod made by me would be outstanding enough to share with the JKA community. =P

 

mrwonko thanks for your in-depth response. I don't know how to do any of those things. But I'll figure it out, or ask the random question here and there on JKhub. So, I have a question about Blender as a modelling tool. You have a Blender 2.64 Plugin Suite, which you linked me to. 

 

http://www.blender.org/download/get-blender/

 

Should I get that 2.64 Blender download at the bottom, or the 2.65 or what? Does it matter? Everything compatable?

 

Also, yeah I'm thinking more and more I should just do, say a lightsaber, haha.

 

Astral Serpent Alright, sounds cool. I could just try skinning something at first, to get the hang of things. But remember, I'm not necessarily starting modelling--I'm just interested in doing one specific thing through modelling, you know?

 

Master_Ibonek Haha, thanks for the idea. Once I get the hang of one head-splicing trick, who knows what I'll do in the future. But I'm sure I won't be uploading many mods. That's a job for some skilled modeller out there.

 

Thanks everyone, once more. 

 

Hope I start to get the hang of these softwares, and get the feel for things. Wish me luck.

[minilogoguy18]

You don't have to start out skinning, I didn't.

[mrwonko]

mrwonko thanks for your in-depth response. I don't know how to do any of those things. But I'll figure it out, or ask the random question here and there on JKhub. So, I have a question about Blender as a modelling tool. You have a Blender 2.64 Plugin Suite, which you linked me to. 

 

 

http://www.blender.org/download/get-blender/

 

Should I get that 2.64 Blender download at the bottom, or the 2.65 or what? Does it matter? Everything compatable?

 

I haven't tried it yet, but it should be compatible with newer Blender versions.

[Circa]

Master_Ibonek Haha, thanks for the idea. Once I get the hang of one head-splicing trick, who knows what I'll do in the future. But I'm sure I won't be uploading many mods. That's a job for some skilled modeller out there.

 

Thanks everyone, once more. 

 

Hope I start to get the hang of these softwares, and get the feel for things. Wish me luck.

If your mods turn out good, why not share them? I'm sure you'll make great mods. Good luck.

[Circa]

I didn't want to start a new thread since this one talks about it. I came across this picture:

 

 

That is clearly a stormtrooper model with Luke's head. Where can this model be found? I've never seen it before. Strange...

[Ruxith]

Read the second post.

[Circa]

Oh I didn't read that it had Luke as well. The photos only show Kyle. Thanks!

[Jolly]

I didn't want to start a new thread since this one talks about it. I came across this picture:

 

 

That is clearly a stormtrooper model with Luke's head. Where can this model be found? I've never seen it before. Strange...

That is from KOTF. way to resurrect a post right?

[Circa]

That is from KOTF. way to resurrect a post right?

Wow. This was before I changed my name.

 

And no, its in KOTF, but it's not from it. Nothing should be considered "from" KOTF.