[k7g]

Guys here is a manual on  how to edit the textures of the ships in FS2 in an easy way.
I'm posted this on a thought that there is no other maunal like this so if there is let me know thx.

Also post here any problems with it thx.

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[The E]

That guide is a good start (if desperately in need of proofreading).

BUT.

It only deals with editing files in a way that is retail-compatible. There is no reason to limit yourself that way.

[TopAce]

For the lazy, here's the manual itself:

Freespace 2 Open - An easy guide to Skin modification.

This simple manual will teach you how to modifiy the Skins for aircraft and ships for freespace 2 open.
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First you will need the following programs.

1. Freespace 2 (full version) and FS2 (free space 2) open 3.12+

2. Format factory or similer program to change the .PCX files to editable files (BMP,GIF, etc.) and back.

3. Paint .NET or a similer picture editor (like paint). You can use other programs like Mircrosoft Office Picture Manager but its functions are less useful (can only edit WHOLE image not a single pixel).

4. POF construction suite 2 or similer.

5. Descent Manager VPview32 or similer. To view the FS2 data tables. THESE TABLES CANNOT BE EDITTED OR THE GAME WILL NOT WORK EVEN IF YOU FIX IT. This does not happen if you extract the files from it. This is covered later in the manual.

6. Notepad or similar to edit the tables.

Ok lets begin.
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If you have just downloaded and installed FS2 Open, follow these steps to make a mod folder (ALL of your editted files go here and custom ships and weapons. NOT in the data folder of Freespace 2). If you already have a mod folder skip this section.
This has been made on that you have already installed FS2 open.

1. Goto your FS2 game folder.

2. Make a new folder and call it MOD (this can be changed later). If the computer does not go into it after creation go ino the folder.

3. Make another new folder and call it data, then enter the folder.

4. Make this folders; tables (this is where all the editted folders) ; models (this is where all of the editted ships go, as will as custom ships) ; maps (all of the editted .PCX files go here) ; missions (this is where all of the missions that you have made or editted go) ; effects (this is where all of the custom ship effects go, the game will automaticily fill it) ; cache (this is filled by the game). the game may add more later.

5.Now goto and run the FS2 open launcher (Not FS2 open yet). When it comes up select the browse button up top of the panel. Then select the file called "fs2_open_3_6_12r_INF.exe". The D version is for debugging.

6. next goto the MOD tab. Then hit the "select Mod" button, then find your MOD folder (the launcher should automaticly look in your FS2 folder, if not navigate to it). Select the folder, then hit "Ok". Now the game will look in this folder for anyone modified files here, if none are here it will use the normal ones.
E.g. If u modifiy a bomber, the game will load the modified file not the normal one. This effects the other files in the same way such as the table files.

7. after that is all done hit apply then ok. Now the game will run with MODs (if any are in the folders). Make sure to use the R version of FS2 open. Make a shortcut of FC2 open and FRED2 Open (this is used to make or edit missions).
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Now lets setup the files to edit.

The first thing to do is to select the aircraft or ship to edit. Lets select the GTB Ursa.

1. First goto the FS2 file (if u don't have it open). Find the file called "sparky_fs2" and open it up, and VPView32 will open. double click on the models folder (this is where all of the normal version are, this only contains the model files and there maps. Don't mind the rest).

2.Find the following file "bomber05". this is GTB Ursa .POF file (POFs are FCs model files. If you also have MODELVIEW32 you can in VPView, select tools and select view models in MODELVIEW32 (it says different) and browse for it that way. After finding it, in VPView select it and hit the the "Extract to dir" button and browse to your MODs model folder, then hit ok.

3.Now in MODELVIEW32 (open the Ursa file in this first). And look in the bottom right corner you can see a list a textures, we will need to find and extract these. This only has two files that we need they are "bomber05-01a" and "bomber05-02a" not the thruster one.

4.Go back to VPView. on the left of it is a folder list, in it select the maps folder. Then find the "bomber05-###" files and extract them to the maps folder.

5. Now close both VPView and MODELView, and goto the maps in your MOD folder. As you can see you should have both map files back in step 3, if not redo step 4. Make another folder and call it "editted" (this is to make more tidy) and copy the files to there.

6. Open up Format factory, goto "option" in the "Output Folder" area select change and found your folder called "editted" and select it. The next area below it is two options make sure this DON'T have a tick. The open one is just gets in the way. The hit ok.

7. Ok but format factory and your "editted" folder side by side. Select both of your map files and drag it to format factory (it will not remove those files), after draggin them a dialog appears, select which file you want them to be (DDon't select the .PCX option), then hit ok, after the box goes hit the "Start" button to begin the converting (Depending on your computer it should do it in about 1 second). Then go back to your "edited" folder and you should see 4 files, 2 are the PCX files and 2 are the converted files. (With certain map files they come out horrible if they do there is a little trick i used to fix, i'll tell after the manual).

8. Now delete the PCX files (if u leave them, when u change them back, format factory will edit they're names a bit), you still have your other PCX files still. Now open up both files in Paint .NET.

9. Tip, what ever you do in on files u MUST do in the other (so they "look" the same {for distance reasons}). Lets do a simple thing, color changing. First select the "color picker" tool and right click on the color you wish to change. Then in the "Colors" window select the top square (i don't know why panit does this) and select one of the dark colors (Don't use the light ones, for some reason they don't work). Then select the "Recolor" tool and change its brush size to a high number lets say 100, then in the tolerance bar click and drag the bar so it goes down to around 20% (if not it will must likely do the WHOLE thing). Then simple left click on the picture to change its color, then do the same thing to the other one, then save them.

10. Now go back to format factory and your "editted" folder, then drag the editted files to it and select the .PCX option and convert them. Next cut and paste them in the 'maps" folder (in your mod folder) and overwrite the files. Now you can chack out your new paint work on the Ursa in the tech room. If you want to make another paint work but don't want it on the normal one you have to do a few more steps.
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Ok this section will show you how to make your next paint work be on a different ship.

1. Goto the FS2 folder and open up the "Root_fs2" folder. goto the "tables" folder in VPView, and find the ships table then extract it to your tables folder in your MOD folder. Close VPView.

2. Now Goto your tables folder, and open the table file with notepad. (This comes with your computer, if not use program close to it). Next select the "edit" tab and select the "Find..." tool and search for the Ursa.

3. After you find the it select all of its info (Make sure not to get the next one). and copy and paste it just below it (this will now make a new aircraft). Scroll down if needed and find the line that says "model file" and it should have the ursa .POF file there (bomber05), change its .POF name to "bomber05a". Change the name of the ship if u wish, both names (the table always has the name twice for each model) make sure to change the thats says "GTB Ursa".

4. Next, goto to the Ursa .POF file in your "MOD/data/models" file and change its name to "bomber05a". If you don't do this the game will not run and complain.

5. On the "bomber05a" file, right click on it and select open with. Select the POF construction suite 2 program (if it is not in there hit the browse button and find it) Make sure to un-tick the "Use this program for this type of file", then click ok.

6. It should open now. When PCS (POF construction suite) 2 opens. You should see a list a names with lights on the left of the screen. Find the textures one and either double click on it or hit the "+" next to it. When you open the textures list you will other textures that MODELView did not show, select the "bomber05-01a" and the "bomber05-02a" and in each one and a "1" to the end of each one (use the texture text box on the right to change them), then save the file, you will need to select the file in the model folder (browse to here if needed) and over-write it.

7. Now close PSC2 then goto the maps folder. Find the .PCX files and place a "1" at the end of them, so you should end up with "bomber05-01a1" and "bomber05-02a1". Now when you start the game you should a new version of the ursa and it should have the new paint work but not the other one. Now you go back and edit the other files for it. Don't try and edit the thruster files, format factory does not covert these, but you can change its name to another thruster.
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That completes the manual. Enjoy the new paint work on your ships.
Any problems with the maunal please tell me.
-k7g
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Now to the problem i said back in the manual, heres how to fix.

After you edit and convert the files back, copy the '######-##b' version of the textures and make a copy the rename it to "######-##a". And that should fix, Enjoy.

[k7g]

what do u mean is only linked to the retail version? 
U mean it only deals with the FS2 files not the FS2 open one? i'll deal with it later if this the problem.

Also thx for posting the manual here for me, but can please ask me next time pls thank you.
I'll post the new version when i find out how to edit the open version.

Guys bad news, i have tried to edit the .dds map files but my program format factroy cannot covert .dds files.
So if one of you know a program that can let me know thx.

[FreeSpaceFreak]

GIMP with the DDS plugin will enable you to edit DDS files. Nvdxt is recommended for converting back to DDS.

1. Freespace 2 (full version) and FS2 (free space 2) open 3.12+

Version shouldn't really matter, but you probably mean 3.6.12.