How do the base colors work?

[Kung-Fu]

I've searching around and was able to get my own (blue) camo into the standard ACU. But I want to turn the rest of the suit (straps, shoes, packs, etc) into a nice deep blue to go with everything.

Standard-ACU-camo

<texture_switch material="camo" texture="self_illumination_texture" file="data/textures/atlas_characters/mul_camo_xy/camo_02/camo_ACU_test_xy_df"/>

<color_switch material="camo" color="base_color" value="0.83 0.95 1.011"/>

I assume that editing "value" is how to do it, but I don't know what the min and max values on RGB are.

[GRiN_Bumbi]

I've searching around and was able to get my own (blue) camo into the standard ACU. But I want to turn the rest of the suit (straps, shoes, packs, etc) into a nice deep blue to go with everything.

Standard-ACU-camo

<texture_switch material="camo" texture="self_illumination_texture" file="data/textures/atlas_characters/mul_camo_xy/camo_02/camo_ACU_test_xy_df"/>

<color_switch material="camo" color="base_color" value="0.83 0.95 1.011"/>

I assume that editing "value" is how to do it, but I don't know what the min and max values on RGB are.

It's a rgb value but on a scale of 0 to 1. However, the overlaid detail texture applied afterwards is doubled. That means that you also have to double the value to match it, so if you set them all to 0 0 0 then you will have black, 1 1 1 will be grey and 2 2 2 will be white.

But try something around 0,345 0,42 0,545 - could be a nice starting point

[Lancer]

So after I change the numbers in the xml how do I get to show them in game? Brings me back to my post and various pm's about the "ghost_templates.xml"

I have changed the section in <!-- XDEFINE KITS FOR ALL CAMPAIGN CHARACTERS --> for all characters from;

<texture_switch material="camo" texture="self_illumination_texture" file="data/textures/atlas_characters/mul_camo_xy/camo_02/camo_ACU_test_xy_df"/>

<color_switch material="camo" color="base_color" value="0.83 0.95 1.011"/

to

<texture_switch material="camo" texture="self_illumination_texture" file="data/textures/atlas_characters/mul_camo_xy/camo_08/camo_coyote_xy_df"/>

<color_switch material="camo" color="base_color" value="0.820313 0.78125 0.625"/>

I have saved the xml and placed it in C:\Program Files\UBISOFT\Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2\Local\English\lib\managers\xml

When I run the game I do not see the Coyote pattern, nor any colour changes, just the standard grey ACU.

[GRiN_Bumbi]

I do not know exactly what is wrong Lancer, but somehow it looks like your changes are not read in the game. I'll have a go myself trying to mod my own game during the weekend and I'll see if I can find a cause and maybe a solution

[Lancer]

Thank you Bumbi. This has me

[Kung-Fu]

@Bumbi- Thanks for the prompt reply, sir. My problem is now that I can't seem to figure out what's what as far HOW the base color is applied. Apparently the gloves and helmet use all three color channels, so you can apply color directly that way. Some straps, buckles, etc have the base color masked to em, while some of em don't. Hopefully you know something about how this works cuz I don't

@Lancer- Do you think your woes may have something to do with your unbundling of the quick.archive? I gave my skin to my platoon-mate Dewey (who has NOT unbundled anything) for testing and he had no problems seeing it at all.

[Lancer]

@ Kung Fu : Not sure what you mean by that mate. I have my unbundled files on a completely separate drive from GRAW. Only the bundled files remain in the GRAW folders. My altered xml is with the Local tree.

I've also redone the xml again using two differnt types of editor, just in case that was the problem.

Edited July 29, 2007 by Lancer

[GRiN_Bumbi]

@Bumbi- Thanks for the prompt reply, sir. My problem is now that I can't seem to figure out what's what as far HOW the base color is applied. Apparently the gloves and helmet use all three color channels, so you can apply color directly that way. Some straps, buckles, etc have the base color masked to em, while some of em don't. Hopefully you know something about how this works cuz I don't

@Lancer- Do you think your woes may have something to do with your unbundling of the quick.archive? I gave my skin to my platoon-mate Dewey (who has NOT unbundled anything) for testing and he had no problems seeing it at all.

There are several shaders used and different parts have different shaders. Some are full RGB, not tintable/camo and works as any other texture. As you said some parts are full RGB and some are using the camoshader.

The base color is alawys applied with a mask separating what shall recieve a color (the base_color value) and what shall recieve the camo pattern. At the mexicans it's made with vertex color, the mask i applied in the mesh itself. On the ghost it's done with the red channel in the texture. Use channels in photoshop to easily work with the masks for camo-work. Green is the value (greyscale) for the texture, Blue channel is unused.

I hope this clarifies a bit, or maybe it gets more confusing. Sorry, it's not simple, but it gives a lot of freedom when it's working.

I got a bit busy during the weekend, a pretty girl was in town for a visit , but I'll have another go at this as soon as I can.

[Kung-Fu]

Ok Bumbi, thanks for that. One last question. I figured out the base color for the suits, the helmets/gloves/glasses (RGB). But for the extra gear, like the waist packs and holsters, I can't get their base color to change. I've changed the ACU base color definition at the top of the ghost_template.xml and for each character. I noticed there's a separate gear diffuse dds. How do I make the base color change for that? Thanks for the help.

[GRiN_Bumbi]

Ok Bumbi, thanks for that. One last question. I figured out the base color for the suits, the helmets/gloves/glasses (RGB). But for the extra gear, like the waist packs and holsters, I can't get their base color to change. I've changed the ACU base color definition at the top of the ghost_template.xml and for each character. I noticed there's a separate gear diffuse dds. How do I make the base color change for that? Thanks for the help.

It _should_ change both materials in the same tag. The material="camo" tag in the group manager looks for any material with that has the prefix camo, goes to the texture="self_illumination" and changes file="xxx" to something else. It can be used to change any value at all the materails named camo_xxx for the character in one go.