Character Tool 2 : Editing Skins

[Outcast]

I've read that there are two types of skins in Character Tool 2. The standard and the custom.
I know the standard type only lets you copy the skin. So they say, when you copy the standard type skin it will give you a custom type skin which you can edit. But when i click on copy on any standard skin, it just lets me rename the skin. Afterwards, it still remains a standard type of skin which i cannot edit through the Character Tool 2. :huh:

How do you guys do it? :mellow:

I've tried using Character Tool 1 for  :ff: and it lets me edit the skin using Photoshop. (Just in case your wondering if i have no program that recognizes TGA files. :P)

[GGiant]

I think it lets you rename the new skin.
BTW, Outcast did you get photoshop around this year?

[Outcast]

I think it lets you rename the new skin.
BTW, Outcast did you get photoshop around this year?

:o What?! It just lets you rename the skin?!  :doh:

Yeah. I just got my photoshop this year. So....I'm still trying to get a hang of it. :P

[GGiant]

I think it lets you rename the new skin.
BTW, Outcast did you get photoshop around this year?

:o What?! It just lets you rename the skin?!  :doh:

Yeah. I just got my photoshop this year. So....I'm still trying to get a hang of it. :P

IT DOES WORK!
Enter the new skin name and it copies the skin with that name.
BTW, I just asked because I saw a guy here buying photoshop around october or past october, he looked excited. :lol:

[Outcast]

IT DOES WORK!
Enter the new skin name and it copies the skin with that name.

According to the help site:

You can copy, rename, delete and edit a skin. Standard skins can only be copied. When you copy a standard skin, the new copy will be a custom skin that you can then delete, rename or edit.

A skin is a 2D image that you can edit with any image editor that will read and write TGA format. When you press the edit button the tool will try to start the correct image editing tool based on the Windows file association for TGA files, in other words, it is the same as selecting the TGA skin file and selecting Edit in Windows Explorer. If you have no editor associated with that file type, you will get an error message. If you want to edit a skin, you will need to install and image editing program and associate it with the TGA file type (it should do this automatically when you install it, or provide the option for you to do so).

Standard data (meshes, skins, etc) is data that is included in the game. Custom data is data that you create or download.

Standard data is stored in the folder where the game is installed (this defaults to Program Files\Irrational Games\Freedom Force vs the 3rd Reich\Data. The tool will not allow you to modify data in this folder.

Custom data is stored in a different location depending on whether you are using Windows XP or 2000 in one case or Windows 98 or Me in another case.

In Windows XP and 2000, custom data is stored in a folder that is contained in your user folder. You can find this user folder in the \Documents and Settings folder in the root of your hard drive. It will be called whatever your user name is. Within this folder is a sub-folder called \Local Settings\Application Data\Freedom Force vs the 3rd Reich\Custom. All custom data is in here. For example, if your user name is Jon then this folder would be called \Docments and Settings\jon\Local Settings\Application Data\Freedom Force vs the 3rd Reich\Custom. This data is user-specific so if one user creates some custom data then it will not be available to another user.

:wacko:..... :unsure: Not sure if this is the way to go about it...

[the_ultimate_evil]

umm you do know the character tool is for viewing the skins only. you do all the editing in photoshop

[Outcast]

umm you do know the character tool is for viewing the skins only. you do all the editing in photoshop

yeah i know. Sorry for not being clear. :P



Here's what i meant. How do you change the usual standard skin type to custom type? In order to access the edit, rename, and delete buttons in ctool2.  :) ( the standard type only gives the "copy" button.)

[Tomato]

"Custom" merely indicates that the files are being kept in your system's application data (it's a part of your computer where save data is kept, but unless you mess with it you cannot access it) rather then the "standard" folder (custom\art\library\characters). One of the major downsides to this is that by putting it in your application folder, it makes that skin unuseable to anyone else's username. Heck, I suspect the only reason "custom" skins allow for you to use the "Edit" and "Delete" buttons is because you can't access the folder any other way without modifying your computer's settings.

Just open the files manually. It's not that hard, and it's not worth the headache moving all your skins into the application data folder would bring. The only reason you should have them at all is because it's a quick way to check the "standard" standard skin in CTool without the skin being blurred.

[Outcast]

Thanks Tomato for the feedback. I probably just got used to Ctool 1 having the edit button available.  ^_^

Your right, i can always edit the skins by going directly to the folders or just use photoshop. No problem.   :)