SC2Mapster

Ok, really stupid question. I haven't really done anything with textures before, so what does "Diffuse", "Emissive", "Normal", and "Specular" mean?

@seraphlio: Go Maybe dark archon works, then. The standard archon causes the problems for me.

@TacoManStan: Go

Diffuse = all color information, the "painted" layer of the model
Emissive = any direct light source, glow of the model
Specular = indirect light source, reflection of the model
Normal = height map, increases detail by adding 3D effects to plain areas

Wait so is there NO way to tell what the proper slot is? You just have to guess if it isn't main?

Quote from TacoManStan: Go

Wait so is there NO way to tell what the proper slot is? You just have to guess if it isn't main?

It seems, you misunderstood the concept. You don't need to guess a slot. You decide, which one to use. If you use main for the model, you need to use main for the texture. If you use hair, thats fine as well.

Any previous comments about us trying to find the correct slot was back when we had no idea what we were talking about ;)

@TacoManStan: Go

You can think like this:

If you already used slot main.diffuse, you can not use it for another texture anymore in a same model.

If you put 2 Texture Declaration in main.diffuse, one of them will not work.

so each slot on a model can only be used once.

@Kueken531: Go

Also, if your model has 2 "main" texture sets for it (like the firebat, one for the body, and one for the arms) just use the slot main(or any other) for the body section, and slot hair (or whatever you like(as long as it's not main) for the arms.

... I finally managed to modify the Zealot's Psi Blade fire and it was much easier than I remember it being last time I tried(when I first made the tutorial). It seems to be somewhat dependent on the slot it uses... since I was using a regular Zealot with no "primary" texture swapping, I was trying to modify the blade's fire by using the Main slot. Even if the texture declaration points to the proper place (Prefix FireAnim_ and Substring _X4LightBlue) it would change the main body of the zealot. Once I changed the slot from Main to Body, it modified the blades fire.

Most texture files turn this into utter crap. However, I found a few textures of sizes (1000x100 or thereabouts) turn the fire into 'lightning' type effect. Since the fire from the blade is team color dependent, it turns it into red lightning.

Oh, as well, the texture file uses slot body.diffuse. I tried using body.emissive, but it does not change anything when I do this... at least so far.

Little video of it in effect...

Imagine what you see in the video(long, thin lines) being squares instead, for the textures that make it look like crap.

EDIT: Watched the video and the effect seems a little out of focus. It looks a bit more 'lightning' like in game.

And whooray for crashing!

Ok, so in general, leave normal and specular the same, and edit diffuse to chance the color, and emissive to change the glow?

@TacoManStan: Go

Actually it depends on the model.

Most of the models use all 4 category of those Textures, Diffuse, Emissive,Specular and Normal.

Just don't mess up with Normal.

Diffuse is the base layer of your model, it defines the base value of your model.

Specular, is the texture that only show effect when there is a lighting effect.

Emissive texture, which some models don't have, it will define where on your model will glow.

If a model doesn't have Emissive texture, the glow effect will be defined in Specular texture's Alpha channel as a team colored glow effect.

If a model doesn't have a Specular texture, the lighting effect will be defined by the Alpha channel in Emissive texture. Note that here the Specular effect is not a team-Colored effect, a little different from Emissive Texture's Alpha Channel.

And, the Alpha Channel in each kind of texture is pretty important, don't mess them up. Or if you know how the alpha channel will work, you can go edit it, if you don't know, you can either try to test it or DONT TOUCH IT.

yea = =..

@BorgDragon: Go

I don't think the slot matters, all things that happened when you can't get the flame effect working is the Texture itself is not in a compatible format.

I've tried to change DarkArchon.m3 's textures, and I managed to make it nearly perfect without any of the texture not working.

And btw, I found that any slot you want to use, use it, it doesn't matter at all, you just don't use 2 same slot on a single model.

And btw again, I found that even there are a lot of textures seems same but not in a same color, if you Open them in Photoshop, they are different, usually they have different Alpha channels or some of them just don't have any Alpha channel. And then, the imcompatibility happens if you only change a green lightningZap into a red one without editing the red one in Photoshop to match the format of the original green one.

So, I just edited all the 5 Visual effect textures on DarkArchon.m3, and all the textures I use is exported from the original texture of the DarkArchon.m3.

No imcompatibility happened, the texture works just fine.

Take a minute and edit them in PS, otherwise you will waste even more time to figure out why it didn't work.

Trying to understand how this is working.
Can anybody please tell me how everything is connected? I want to replace the muzzle flash texture of the planetary fortress.
It is Emissive = AnimFireGhost4_2.dds

Where does the 'slot' in the Texture Declaration - Adaption come from? Is it only main because you use main as slot in the new texture in the Texture Tab or is it main because the model says so?
Where does the prefix come from? The new texture in the texture tab? The models texture in the previewer?
Does the name of the new texture in the texture tab have to be the same like the original texture?

@seraphlio: Go

Could you attach an example map? I wasn't able to do what you described. Some of the archon textures refused to change.

Did you do something different to the method described in the tutorial?

€ nevermind, got it. It seems, there is a limit on the amount of texture declarations. I included all adaptions in 1 declaration, and everything worked just fine.

Quote:

Where does the 'slot' in the Texture Declaration - Adaption come from? Is it only main because you use main as slot in the new texture in the Texture Tab or is it main because the model says so?

The slot is independent of the model. You pick a slot for 1 texture and 1 adaption on the model, causing this texture to replace the texture defined in the adoption.

Quote:

Where does the prefix come from? The new texture in the texture tab? The models texture in the previewer?

The prefix + the substring have to match one of the textures used at the model. You don't need the prefix at all, in your case just using the full texture name as substring should work fine. Its just, that the prefix is convenient sometimes, if multiple texture's file names happen to start with the same prefix.

Quote:

Does the name of the new texture in the texture tab have to be the same like the original texture?

Not at all

@b0ne123: Go

Ya, it's more than likely going to be AnimFireGhost4_2.dds. The other ones are smoke and a glow.

@Kueken531: Go

You are definately right.

@BorgDragon: Go

yeah I already said that. But without knowing how this replacing actually works I'm unable to replace it.

i don't like simple step by step guides without knowing what's happening in the background and why this works. I have to understand this

Trying it küken :)

@b0ne123: Go

Oh.. i just reread it. It does indeed say 'It is'. I had read it as 'Is it' hahah, hence why I replied an answer, my bad.

@b0ne123: Go

The things happening in the back ground, is.

When you add the texture declaration adptions, the model data in your map simply open a slot for the textures on that model. It means, a slot is open, so you can put another texture in it, if you don't, it will remain the same.

and then, you create a texture with a slot that matches the slot you opened in Texture Declaration. This texture will be able to fit in the slot you opened, and take effect.

Now, in the Actor, you are able to select that texture ID to actually put the new texture into the Slot.

understand?

Like Diablo 2, when your character doesn't have a armor equiped, it looks original, when you put on a armor , the armor will show up.

Or, for some reason, you can't equip the item, it's simply because your level is too low, and the item requires a level 40 slot to be equiped, but you are only level 39, so you only have a Level 39 Slot for that item. when you get leveled up to 40, your slot for Level 40 equipment will be opened.

@Kueken531: Go

I don't really think there is any limit on texture declaration, you must did something not right, but anyway, Prefix is just a little bit helpful when you are editing a set of textures, but you can definately leave it blank and only put file name in Substring area. I believe it will work and you proved it already.