6497 réponses à ce sujet

[McRileyW]

hm after reading the last several msgs about using me3explorer, I hope there is a way to replace textures for ME 1 and 2

[KFreon]

@MCRileyW: There is, using the same program. Works like a charm for the most part.

[McRileyW]

@KFreon

Thanks. I would give it a try but it would be a huge task to unpack tpf files and add them one by one ...

Arghhh why isn't TexMod updated to today's hardware yet. uMod didn't work for me at all.

*idea

What if we make a sfar file, and let masseffect3.exe load it automatically as another DLC?

Modifié par McRileyW, 21 juin 2013 - 04:02 .

[KFreon]

There are mod files but I don't know much about them. I assume they work for ME1 and 2. Just add them to a list and it does the replacements for you.

Yeah uMod is like a bludgeon. Very hit and miss.

The sfar thing is interesting and I'm not sure if possible, but how would that help?

[Ottemis]

@McRileyW: Texmod is a tool with a method since 2005 (i think), the method is hit or miss depending on your particular hardware. It's been that way since the beginning. You can't optimize something like that for every hardware configuration, or rather, 'update'. It's method is still valid, it's just a horribly convoluted way of having to mod a game. Not really Texmod's fault, there's only so many ways you can viably do a thing.

Me3Explorer .MOD files do the job.
Check the ME3Explorer forums download section, not only have members extracted and converted a bucketload of mods from this thread (alongside others, and they have conveniently listed them on a wiki page for you), there is also research on ways of making tpf to .mod conversion easier (even automated).

It's an easy google search, hell there's even thread about available .MODs by me here in this subsection of the BSN.
I suggest you go check it out.

Modifié par Ottemis, 21 juin 2013 - 08:11 .

[McRileyW]

Ottemis wrote...

@McRileyW: Texmod is a tool with a method since 2005 (i think), the method is hit or miss depending on your particular hardware. It's been that way since the beginning. You can't optimize something like that for every hardware configuration, or rather, 'update'. It's method is still valid, it's just a horribly convoluted way of having to mod a game. Not really Texmod's fault, there's only so many ways you can viably do a thing.

Me3Explorer .MOD files do the job.
Check the ME3Explorer forums download section, not only have members extracted and converted a bucketload of mods from this thread (alongside others, and they have conveniently listed them on a wiki page for you), there is also research on ways of making tpf to .mod conversion easier (even automated).

It's an easy google search, hell there's even thread about available .MODs by me here in this subsection of the BSN.
I suggest you go check it out.

Thank you. First, I'd like to stay with TexMod because I don't use all high resolution textures provided in this thread.

Second, I talked about making a sfar file in order to brainstorm, as I read the previous pages.

@KFeron

Well, I was told sfar is actually 7z. So it wouldn't be difficult to compress.

ME3's DLCs are all in sfar format. And, ( hope I don't break the forum rules ), with a special version of masseffect3.exe I can run the game without Origin.

As I see it, you guys are about to install modified PCC files to the cookedpc folder. And backing up the original files can be a trouble. So what if we make a sfar file, put modified PCC in it, and let the game load it, just like official DLCs. In that way, no need to back up the CookedPC folder. If we like to disable the textures, just move the fan dlc to another place.

I was also inspired by the MP DLCs because it seems that data in newer DLC would override data in older DLC. So it may be possible that textures in the fan dlc may override textures in CookedPC

Dunno if it would work but it is an idea. We can test a sfar with one texture first, say, Liara's default amour. if  it works we would add other textures, and we would not need any installer

Modifié par McRileyW, 21 juin 2013 - 03:53 .

[KFreon]

That is an interesting idea, but I'm not sure if the DLC stuff always overrides the original. It seems random to me, not that I've tested much of that sort of thing, or know much about it.
I do know that it would mean creating new pcc's though, and I don't know how that would go.

As for your first statement, texmod slows everything down, and precludes using things like sweetfx. Why wouldn't you just double click (almost) on a .mod file and not have to wait at startup?

[shep82]

Hey I'm trying to use explorer to install some mods by replacing textures and it gives me a missing mip mapa error any thoughts?

[McRileyW]

KFreon wrote...

That is an interesting idea, but I'm not sure if the DLC stuff always overrides the original. It seems random to me, not that I've tested much of that sort of thing, or know much about it.
I do know that it would mean creating new pcc's though, and I don't know how that would go.

As for your first statement, texmod slows everything down, and precludes using things like sweetfx. Why wouldn't you just double click (almost) on a .mod file and not have to wait at startup?

because my internet is rather slow. so I will wait and see and make my own mod files. thanks for the tip

[KFreon]

@McRileyW: Fair enough then. Whatever works I guess.

@shep82: You need the DirectX SDK, which contains a tool called dxtex. Use it to generate mipmaps Google will have tonnes on that. There's a dds plugin for photoshop too which can do it with mixed results. Doesn't work properly all the time for me.

[Ottemis]

KFreon wrote...
@shep82: You need the DirectX SDK, which contains a tool called dxtex. Use it to generate mipmaps Google will have tonnes on that. There's a dds plugin for photoshop too which can do it with mixed results. Doesn't work properly all the time for me.

Exactly this. Checkit:

Modifié par Ottemis, 22 juin 2013 - 12:58 .

[theflyingzamboni]

Out of curiosity, are there people now working to convert the entire DLC texture packs into .mods? Because that would be amazing.

[KFreon]

Currently, DLC modding is kinda up in the air. It does work with old versions of ME3Explorer, but they are old for reasons. Now, I don't know how that piece of gold modmaker works, so I don't know if using an old version will work.
Someone might be, but I personally wouldn't use it until ME3Explorer works properly.
Ottemis has a bunch of .mods, and there's a thread here about putting everything into .mod. So take a look around and see what's there.

[theflyingzamboni]

I've been busy installing all of these textures as .mods, and I have to say, things are looking much better.

I would like to make a special thanks to wadres for his Rannoch/Dreadnaught textures. All the other environmental textures add a little bit, but they aren't as huge of improvements as I was hoping for after seeing wadres' retextures. Seriously, that's how it's done. My jaw dropped when I got a look at those structures. wadres, if you see this, incredible job. I would love to see what you do with other environments, if you're so inclined. The added detail you put in is just fantastic, and I would love for the whole game to have that same attention to detail.

[ItzR4nd0m]

Can someone please tell me how to fix this?:http://gyazo.com/521206bd0385a38fbf7baad6cc94ff8d

[Ottemis]

ItzR4nd0m wrote...

Can someone please tell me how to fix this?:http://gyazo.com/521206bd0385a38fbf7baad6cc94ff8d

You can get these kinds of issues running texmod and alt-tabbing. You can 'fix' the overlay by alt-tabbing a couple of times untill it goes away or by reloading your game entirely and try to avoid alt-tabbing completely while using texmod.

Alternately use ME3Explorer for permanent texture replacement. Here are their boards.

Modifié par Ottemis, 27 juin 2013 - 03:47 .

[theflyingzamboni]

Great, now I'm getting sucked into this whole texture modding thing. I look around now and think, hey, that could look better.

So quick question: What size textures do people use to balance quality and memory when working on environmental textures? I was fiddling around with scuffing on the painted stripes on the diffuse map for the Tomkah in Tuchanka, and it looked a lot better at 4096 vs. 1024, but it increased the file size from 1MB to 16MB. 1024 just doesn't seem clear enough, but I'm guessing that creating an environment at that level of detail is not viable memory-wise (although if I turn out to be good at this I'll be modding my textures directly into the game, not using TexMod). So where's a good balance point?

[Ottemis]

I personally will use 1024 for most environmental textures unless there's text or intricate detail involved that doesn't fare well with that size ingame. 2048 at DXT1 (-alpha) is still quite manageable size-wise. You generally only really need DXT5 for specmaps with alpha channels. I've personally only gone as large as 4096 on my Normandy reskin as it's wrapped across a massive surface, but that includes a 4096 specmap which makes half the difference.

Consider in how often a texture is repeated environmentally and how much impact it has on the overall look and feel of an area when deciding size as well. Mind that the inclusion of a specmap at the same size as the diffuse can make a really big difference in therms of the sharpness of the texture, so don't forget to include those.

Also you can always downscale a texture you've created before release.
Bigger isn't always better, stay as small as you can while preserving detail, especially on environmentals because even with permanent replacements the heavier the textures the harder you're making it for your system (and that of others if publicly released).

Just my 5 cents.

Modifié par Ottemis, 27 juin 2013 - 08:45 .

[Taki17]

(How do I delete a post? What I wrote here originally was wrong and it's irrelevant now)

Modifié par Captain Proton, 27 juin 2013 - 08:42 .

[ItzR4nd0m]

Ottemis wrote...

ItzR4nd0m wrote...

Can someone please tell me how to fix this?:http://gyazo.com/521206bd0385a38fbf7baad6cc94ff8d

You can get these kinds of issues running texmod and alt-tabbing. You can 'fix' the overlay by alt-tabbing a couple of times untill it goes away or by reloading your game entirely and try to avoid alt-tabbing completely while using texmod.

Alternately use ME3Explorer for permanent texture replacement. Here are their boards.

Thanks, Ottemis

[theflyingzamboni]

Ottemis wrote...

I personally will use 1024 for most environmental textures unless there's text or intricate detail involved that doesn't fare well with that size ingame. 2048 at DXT1 (-alpha) is still quite manageable size-wise. You generally only really need DXT5 for specmaps with alpha channels. I've personally only gone as large as 4096 on my Normandy reskin as it's wrapped across a massive surface, but that includes a 4096 specmap which makes half the difference.

Consider in how often a texture is repeated environmentally and how much impact it has on the overall look and feel of an area when deciding size as well. Mind that the inclusion of a specmap at the same size as the diffuse can make a really big difference in therms of the sharpness of the texture, so don't forget to include those.

Also you can always downscale a texture you've created before release.
Bigger isn't always better, stay as small as you can while preserving detail, especially on environmentals because even with permanent replacements the heavier the textures the harder you're making it for your system (and that of others if publicly released).

Just my 5 cents.

This seems pretty reasonable. The reason I don't particularly want to use 1024 is because that's the size used for the retextures in Tuchanka that I've been looking at, and I honestly see very little improvement. This may just be because they were upscaled without any actual retexturing, though.  I might go for 2048 as a standard rule. The Rannoch re-texture has incredibly fine detail at that size, although again, that may be because it was entirely re-textured, and not just upscaled.

The only concern I can see (with .mod, obviously TexMod represents a significant increase in RAM usage) is hard drive space. With everything available installed, it increases the size of CookedPCConsole by about 6.3 GB. It does not, however, tax the system any more than the standard res textures. I swapped them back and forth, and found that VRAM usage was the same, and that RAM usage only increased by 200 MB at most, maxing at around 1.5 GB once. So it seems to me that as long as the textures are actually modded into the the game files that a person's computer specs shouldn't be an issue, which is good news. TexMod is still TexMod though:pinched:.

Thank you for the advice!

[Ottemis]

On too many large textures when perma-replaced you can experience more texture popins as the system takes progressively more time loading all textures ingame on load of areas or scenario's. Wether texmod or ME3Explorer the files still need to be loaded in. And yes this is something I've personally experienced. I run on a 6core 16gig rig.
My citadel environmental pack largely consists of full retextures (not upscales), take a look for reference as to size vs gain if you want.

Modifié par Ottemis, 28 juin 2013 - 12:50 .

[theflyingzamboni]

Ah, thanks for clarifying that. So far I've only had one small, almost unnoticeable instance of pop-in (on Rannoch), so it's fine so far. I'm assuming that your Citadel retexture is the one included in this thread. If so: 1) great job, it looks awesome, and 2) that's actually one of the levels I was using to test memory usage, and uses the most of anything I've seen so far, but causes no problems, so I'll definitely take a look through its files.

[Ottemis]

No. I have my own thread. This thread features Smarteck's Citadel Pack.

[theflyingzamboni]

Ah, okay. I'll check yours out then and see what you've done with it. I liked your work on the armors and casuals. Those at least I know are yours.