How to Add Custom Character downloads to FF3R

Started by Cap, September 19, 2013, 02:18:43 PM

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Cap

September 19, 2013, 02:18:43 PM
Hi, guys. Looked elsewhere and couldn't find this info. I played FF when it first came out, but I just bought a new copy of FF Vs The 3rd Reich and loaded it and want to add custom characters to the game. First off, most of the characters I have downloaed from around the web may have been created for the original FF. Will that be a problem? I've got a couple of dozen heroes I'd like to insert in the game, mainly members of the original JSA.

I'm old and stupid so I'll need step-by-step instructions written for the feeble-minded. :)

Thanks for any help.

spydermann93

#1
September 19, 2013, 04:33:27 PM
Quote from: Cap on September 19, 2013, 02:18:43 PM
Hi, guys. Looked elsewhere and couldn't find this info. I played FF when it first came out, but I just bought a new copy of FF Vs The 3rd Reich and loaded it and want to add custom characters to the game. First off, most of the characters I have downloaed from around the web may have been created for the original FF. Will that be a problem? I've got a couple of dozen heroes I'd like to insert in the game, mainly members of the original JSA.

I'm old and stupid so I'll need step-by-step instructions written for the feeble-minded. :)

Thanks for any help.

Hey Cap,

Firstly, I want to welcome you to the boards.  It's always good to see new members.

As for converting :ff: meshes to :ffvstr:, there are a few inconsistencies that you'll have to be aware of.

Firstly, whenever I download a character model, unless it is explicitly specified that the mesh was made for :ffvstr:, I run the mesh through the EZnifConvereter (http://www.alexff.com/eznif.php).  What this tool does is it runs a character's .nif (the model) and their .kf (animations) through a batch-processing program that readjusts the mesh to work for :ffvstr:.  You'll find that quite a number of meshes for :ff: work for :ffvstr: without the need of conversion, but I always run the meshes and keyframes through the tool, just to be safe.

What I also do is I convert all .tga files into .dds format.  TGA files do work with :ffvstr:, but there are occasional issues, such as a character's skin being pink rather than what it's supposed to be.  I use Paint.NET (http://www.getpaint.net/download.html) to open .tga files and then I save them as .dds files (A8R8G8B8 format - you'll see what I mean when you try it for yourself).  This process is entirely optional, but since I can't stand characters not looking like what they were created to look like, I convert all files anyways.

I hope that this was informative for you.  If you ever have any questions, feel free to send me a private message at any time and I'll try and help you out as best as I can.

spydermann93

#2
September 19, 2013, 04:39:42 PM
Oh, just for the record:

all character folders should go into your Custom/Art/library/characters folder in your :ffvstr: directory (where your game is installed).

Cap

#3
September 19, 2013, 09:31:48 PM
First, thanks for responding.

Wow! Lots of information. When I download someone's custom character it is a compressed file. So I extract the files inside to where? I sometimes just see .tga files sometimes a .nif file [these things are from all over the web, and some I think are pretty old.] I am a complete noob again with this game. I can see an enormous amount of work and evolution has occured within this community since I first played FF. I don't understand most of what's happening here. Not even sure where to start in asking for help. Places I've been to offered advice I didn't understand. I'm just really confused.

For instance. I have a compressed file called Flash1_Jay Garrick. When I open it, it only shows a number of .tga files. I have another called drfate_GA and it contains more than 20 .tga files and a .Nif file. One called Captain Canuck has two compressed folders inside: a skin and a HEXed Nif. As I search each downloaded character folder I notice that the majority of them contain only .tga files. Are these just skins requiring a mesh(?) or are they usable?

I tried downloading that converter thing but couldn't get it to work as it said it needed a Frame download (?) I apparently all ready have in my Win 8.

I've already spent three or four hours stumbling around like a blind man trying to do what I imagined would be something simple. Extremely frustrating.

Amazo Version 2.2

#4
September 19, 2013, 10:02:04 PM
welcome to freedom reborn cap, hopefully we can get you playing and having some seriously sweet fun.

if a file has just tga files in it, then it is a skin and will require a mesh of some sort to work. in the zip file with the skin should be a file called "read me" or some type of text file. that file will tell you what mesh you need for your skin and sometimes where to get it. if the zip file has a nif file, then it is type of mesh, either whats called a hex or a skope, but either way its a type of mesh. what you would also need then are keyframes, the 'read me" file should say which ones to use. and if you have trouble finding a mesh or keyframes or even a skin, got to the requests thread and someone could help you find what you need.

basically, in your characters folder, you will have a file (lets say "Superman_Ren"), and in that file, you will have a nif file and a keyframes or kf file, as well as another folder titled "skins". in your "skins" folder, you will have another file called "standard" (or another skin name) and in that file will be your tga files. that should be all the components you need for a character to get started.

and just a heads up, some skinners use dds files instead of tga files, that's fine for  :ffvstr:.

as for the frame download, hopefully someone else can help you out there.

hopefully I've been at least a little help to you.
For anyone, and everyone, who has ever done anything to improve the FF/FFvs3R gaming experience, I want to say thank you. Life is so short, and you have all brought me so much joy. I hope that one day, I am somehow able to return the kindness and generosity that all of you have shown.

Cap

#5
September 19, 2013, 10:31:52 PM
Thank you. I can almost make out a very dim light in the distance. Skin files are .tga or .dds. Mesh files are .Nif. Where do they go?

For instance. I just downloaded a few characters from Courtnall6. Mostly JSA members. Hourman, Flash, Atom, Green Lantern, Spectre, etc. I open Hourman and a text document says,"Mesh model: Hourman_GA_Ren" the rest are .tga files. Where do I find the mesh and where do I put it exactly if I find it?

Randomdays

#6
September 19, 2013, 10:55:00 PM
That's where things get more complicated. Someone will put out a full character, with the nif, keyframes and tgas for the skin. Someone else may change the mesh and just release the modified mesh without the kfs to chsave space on the download and then you have to find the kfs.

In this case, C6 just made a news skin for an existing character. If you had it slready, you would go into the skins directory and make a new subdirectory besides the "standard" one and put C6's in there. In game, this would appear as an alternate version of the character.

Characters, skins, mesh changes (skopes) are eveerywhere. A lot of the web sites that hosted them are gone but luckily tons are still left in Yahoo groups that people have set up that are still available, even if the original creator hasn'r been active for years. For Freedom Force and FFVTTR alone, there are over 300 yahoo groups out there with almost every DC and Marvel, plus movie, TV and original creatons. There are probably 4000+ characters created over the years for these games

To find what you're looking for;
                                                1) ask on the request forum. Many members keep a huge collection in their personal collection.

                                                 2) there's an excel spread sheet out there which lists tons of meshes,skins, etc and there locations. I'm not at home, but maybe someone can send it to you.

                                                 3) there's  master list at http://frworld.wikispaces.com/        - outdated but useful

                                                 4) search on the web.

Good luck

Cyber Burn

#7
September 20, 2013, 12:29:17 AM Last Edit: September 20, 2013, 12:42:32 AM by Cyber Burn
Welcome to the community Cap, if you don't mind, I'll put my two cents in, and I will apologize in advance for the image heavy post.

This is what your characters path should look like:

"C:\Program Files\Irrational Games\Freedom Force vs The 3rd Reich\Custom\Art\library\characters"



Now lets take a look at a character file, we'll go with one of my skopes called "Space_Ranger". Inside the file, you will want to have at least three things.

1. A file called "Character.nif" - This is the Mesh/Hex/Skope, all pretty much the same thing.
2. A file called "Keyframes.kf" - This is the file that gives the Mesh it's animations.
3. A folder titled "Skins" - This is where your skin files will go.
4. A Text File (Optional) called "Read_Me" (Often goes by other names) - This file gives you various information about the Mesh/Hex/Skope/Skin that you have downloaded.



Inside the "Skins" folder, you'll want at least one file titled "Standard". You'll notice that I have two folders, one titled "Standard", and one titled "Space_Ranger", the "Space_Ranger" file is for a second skin. So if you download a "Skin" from somewhere, this is where it will go.



Inside the "Standard" folder, you will have either a group of (.TGA) files or a group of (.DDS) files. This group of files is the skin.



Basically, the Mesh/Hex/Skope is the 3D Model, the Keyframes are the animations, and the Skin is the art texture.

I hope this helps at least a little, and if I can answer anymore questions you may have, I would be glad to help.


Post edited because I am a bonehead and hit "Post" instead of "Preview". Sorry.

Cyber Burn

#8
September 20, 2013, 12:50:48 AM Last Edit: September 28, 2013, 03:36:19 AM by Cyber Burn

Cap

#9
September 20, 2013, 02:16:02 AM
Thank you all, fellas! Very much appreciated. I guess the first thing I have to do is get hold of complete characters (mesh, animations and skins).

spydermann93

#10
September 20, 2013, 04:04:02 AM
Quote from: Cap on September 20, 2013, 02:16:02 AM
Thank you all, fellas! Very much appreciated. I guess the first thing I have to do is get hold of complete characters (mesh, animations and skins).

Just let us know if you have any troubles and we'll help you down the right path. :cool:
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