First off in order to make a new skin you have to unpak the Art0.FPK file with the PakBuild utility found here:

Windows XP: http://www.civfanatics.net/downloads...y/PakBuild.zip (http://www.civfanatics.net/downloads/civ4/utility/PakBuild.zip)
Windows 2000: http://www.civfanatics.net/downloads...ld-Win2000.zip (http://www.civfanatics.net/downloads/civ4/utility/PakBuild-Win2000.zip)

Next you need to get a .dds converter found here:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/dds_converter_v21.zip

or if you are using GIMP you may find this better as it will make it so you can load .dds files and save them without the conversion process. This is a very nice plugin.

http://nifelheim.dyndns.org/~cocidius/dds/

Now you need some sort of graphic editor. I prefer GIMP as it is free and really good which can be found here:

www.gimp.org

1. Now we are ready to make a skin. You should have unpaked the Art0.FPK file already and put in in a folder for reference.

2. Start off by starting up the dds converter and then go to where you unpaked the Art0.FPK file and select the file you want to make a skin for. Convert it to a format like .gif, .jpeg, or .png in a folder seperate of the place you unpaked the Art0.FPK file as this will be you working folder.

3. Go to where you you converted your file and open it with your graphics editor. Change the texture until you like what you see then save it in the same place you converted your file to with the same name as it.

4. Now load up the dds converter again and go to the file you just got done creating. Select .dds as the extension to save as, and click Convert.

5. Go to the folder you now converted .dds file is in and edit, copy it.

6. Go to your My Documents\My Games\ Sid Meier's Civilization 4\CustomAssets\art\ and put in in the file that corresponds to the one you originaly converted it from.

7. Load up Civ 4 and see the new skin in action, as it will override the original file.

8. If you decide you want to get rid of the skin and use what came with the game instead or use a different skin simply replace it with a new .dds file or delete the one that is already there.

Nice info. As an old time modder, it made me quite happy to be honest.

However, the converter .zip is broken. I don't think it's too big of a file anyway, why not just upload it to CFC?

There tell me if it works now. It isn't my upload by the way. It is one I found in another post. I am using it because there compression software must be much better than mine because mine gets it just over twice the amount alotted.

If you guys are having any trouble with the dds programs, you can try this:

DDS Gimp Plugin (http://nifelheim.dyndns.org/~cocidius/dds/)

Truthfully, I'm not sure how well it works in terms of writing to a dds file, since I've only used it so far to read from them, so it may not support all the needed features for your needs. Perhaps someone more experienced could shed light?

Thanks I just dl the plugin and it does work great. You can preview the picture before you open it and then save with it again. Works perfect. Also is it ok if I make reference to your post in the first one?

Yeah, the plugin works great.

For whatever reason, that upack utility can't manage the Art0.fpk file... any ideas on why this is?

For whatever reason, that upack utility can't manage the Art0.fpk file... any ideas on why this is?

Ditto here. A directory problem, maybe?

Now when you say it can't manage it, do you mean it comes up with an error or it seems to freeze? If it seems to freeze just wait longer, on my computer it takes it about 5 minutes to do this, you have to realize that it is working with over 300 megabytes. If it comes up with an error, tell me what it says and I'll see if I can figure it out.

yea, it won't respond when i try to unpack the file, but maybe it us just my fully-retarded computer
anyway, any ideas for a newb on making skins?

Got it now. Used Pak on top bar instead of file.open.

meeeeeeeeep! OOSeful!

OK, I'm trying to mod the Swordsman into a Scottish Highlander.

I've managed to unpak to art0.fpk file and found the Swordsman folder.

Question is, there are two .dds files, Swordsman.dds and Swordsman_128.dds

What is the difference between these files? They're visually different. Do I need to mod both? Are the two combined to make the final product?

thanks in advance.

:)

Also..

Within the \art\units\swordsman folder there are 35 other files besides the .dds files. I assume these are the animation files.

So if I want to add "Highlander" to the game without replacing "Swordsman" do I need to copy/rename this folder and all it's contents?

Can I refenece/use this new unit by only hacking the appropriate xml files, or do I need to hack python as well?

thanks again.

OK, I'm trying to mod the Swordsman into a Scottish Highlander.

I've managed to unpak to art0.fpk file and found the Swordsman folder.

Question is, there are two .dds files, Swordsman.dds and Swordsman_128.dds

What is the difference between these files? They're visually different. Do I need to mod both? Are the two combined to make the final product?

thanks in advance.

:)

yes you will have to do them both but you could just make the same one then save it to both names.

The reason they are both there is because you may notice that after making a few of the units not all of them look the same some would be the Swordsman.dds and some would be the Swordsman_128.dds.

Also..

Within the \art\units\swordsman folder there are 35 other files besides the .dds files. I assume these are the animation files.

So if I want to add "Highlander" to the game without replacing "Swordsman" do I need to copy/rename this folder and all it's contents?

Can I refenece/use this new unit by only hacking the appropriate xml files, or do I need to hack python as well?

thanks again.

This would include both python and xml files and seeing were we can't make models yet you would have to copy the contents of swordsman file then paste in the highlander file. Add your new skins. And thats as far as I can get you as I havn't dived into unit creation yet.

This would include both python and xml files and seeing were we can't make models yet you would have to copy the contents of swordsman file then paste in the highlander file. Add your new skins. And thats as far as I can get you as I havn't dived into unit creation yet.

OK, So I guess my question is do I have to rename "swordsman_md_diea.kf" to "highlander_md_diea.kf" for example?

you could but you wouldn't have to. you could just leave it were it is and call it in python or copy it over with the same name or change it. I ugess it would depend on how you want to do it. all that is different is a couple of keystrokes.

ooo.. problem is I don't know the first damned thing about python.

Visual Basic is my life (and my living) I'm an old BASIC programmer from back in the day (started on an Atari 400)

If I try to convert a jpeg to dds I get an error message saying "could not create xxx.dds --> file not found."

Why is that?

If I try to convert a jpeg to dds I get an error message saying "could not create xxx.dds --> file not found."

Why is that?Hmm I'm not sure. You may try using .png for the extension. That is all I have personally used and haven't had a problem with it.

I think DDS format need to be a size of the power of 2. No idea what it means but there you go.

Where do i extract the art thingy too

Ok forget my first post is their a way i can convert the whole art folder at once or do i have to do one at a time

im not good with computers but my art0.fpk is empty. so i dont know what to "unpak"

Yeah... I got the same problem as Chose. I'm thinking maybe the new patch changed some stuff and maybe now all the files are in assets0(1,2,...).fpk. But then again I could be dangerously mistaken. Just out of curiosity though, what is in those files and what's the difference between 0,1,2,3, etc.

im reinstalling the game to see if anything changed and im not going to install the patch yet. (Lord thor i dont know what the difference is)

i think i found it out, there is a art0.FPK file in assets and a art0.fpk folder
in assets then art.

Is this before the patch or after it?

Err all the steps are clear except for what you're supposed to do once the converted dds is opened in your graphic editor (PaintShip in my case). All I see once there is some sort of.. origami like graphic will all parts sprayed out flat...

I'm no graphic artist so trying to change anything in that mess will only look ugly... Is there more we should know ?



G.

Is there any tool that allows you to see the finished model without starting the entire game? It's a bit tedious to do all the time when tinkering with the skins.

Is this before the patch or after it?
its before the patch

grallon, it is the same for me it is a flat picture with all the parts of the unit

I'm new at this skinning thing too but I think that's how it's suppose to be (laid out flat). I believe the computer puts the skin in the game when you start it up. Again just a guess becuase I haven't tried it yet, but if you want to skin something... for example change the color of the prophet's robe to purple... you color the robe purple in your picture editor then save, convert to dds, and replace the file with the one in the game.

Although I think it would help all of us if there was a pro here.

maby your right thor it may suppose to be flat. i just dont know

when i make a change in the pucture then seve it. i load up the dds converter but i cant fined the picture to convert to dds... some help .....

i wish a experienced modder or some one good with this kind of stuff could help us.................. please

bump
could an expeirend modder plz help me with this ?

bump 2

i will ask the question again

When i make the change in the picture then save it. I load up the dds converter but i cant find the pictur to convert. could i get some help with this please.

maby your right thor it may suppose to be flat. i just dont know

when i make a change in the pucture then seve it. i load up the dds converter but i cant fined the picture to convert to dds... some help .....

i wish a experienced modder or some one good with this kind of stuff could help us.................. please

I don't know about the converter. I use GIMP (splendid program) with the plug-in and it works like a charm.

Since I've never skinned anything, but am getting the itch to try can someone jot down a completely idiot proof SOP for me? The first post tells me what to download which I did, but after that I'll admit that brain turned to mush... Even the simplest of advice would be welcomed.

Okay, I'll admit that I can't even unpak art0.fpk. Hell, I can't even find it!

Bizarr-o. I use the PakBuild utility, select Pak/Unpack, find the art0.fpk folder, and when I select it nothing happens. It appears to be empty. What the hell am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance.

I won't hog the thread any longer. I found the files after they divied them up after 1.09. Now I'll see if I can actually skin anything... :D

Sorry It took me so long to answer I kinda was taken a break.

First off when reskinning the image is is flat. The 3d moddel knows how to wrap the image. So basicly use the outlines it has and you can change anything and have a decent product.

Second of all with the unpaking try to put your problem as detailed as possible and if nessisary pm me. I will probly get that before I check this tread first.

Third I don't believe there is a program for viewing the 3d moddel before playing the game. Although someone could easily code one.

I didn't have all the problems a lot of people are having with the pak/unpack utility because i had went through the ati fix.

I think patch 1.09 through a lot of us off. It's now 4 separate files that I unpacked at one time. Worked fine, but I see how hard it is to skin now. I'm absolutely no good at it. :(

I've been doing some skinning for the past few days but have one quick question. How do you get rid of the "nation specific color" part of the unit? So certain parts of each unit change color based on what the color of that nation is. My question is, if I want to get rid of that, how do I do it? I've tried coloring over but that doesn't seem to work.

I don't quite understand where to put the file after I've edited a unit. Anyone with success AFTER the 1.09 patch?

where do i have to unpack the GIMP plugin to?
i tried ...\GIMP-2.0\lib\gimp\2.0\plug-ins, but this didn't work for me.

still nobody that can tell me where to put the plugin?

I got a problem with Civ4 overriding skins...
I copied my custom unit skin to the customassets\art\units\.. folder and the games still using the default skins. I tried it with buildings and it worked but no luck with units. Any help?

Where the heck is the thing I'm supposed to unpak?

Is there a unpacker for win98? That is what I am running civ 4 on.

I got a problem with Civ4 overriding skins...
I copied my custom unit skin to the customassets\art\units\.. folder and the games still using the default skins. I tried it with buildings and it worked but no luck with units. Any help?

Are you sure you modified the correct skin files? Because usually there's a unit.dds, unit_128.dds and a unit_256.dds.

Where the heck is the thing I'm supposed to unpak?

They're in the Assets directory in your root CIV IV directory. You'll find 4 Assets files in there.

Are you sure you modified the correct skin files? Because usually there's a unit.dds, unit_128.dds and a unit_256.dds.

It's working now... some problem with the update.
Anyway, thanks for your help.
Btw why are the two .dds files there? I haven't seen the other being used at all.
Correct me if am wrong.

I may depend on graphics card detection. weaker graphics cards may call the 128's.

Either that or it's and Level of Detail (LOD) thing, where when zoomed at a certain distance, it only clals the 128 instead of the 256 to try and save graphic memory, since it is need more at further out zooms, due to there being more models.

I do not have anything in my Art.0 assets folder!!!! Help please.

Sorry for sounding retared but I can't find the art0.fpk file anywhere. Where should it be? :(

They're in the Assets directory in your root CIV IV directory. You'll find 4 Assets files in there. Pay attention:p

Yes, to clarify, in my version, updated to 1.52 you will not find an art0.fpk file instead you will find 4 assest.fpk files, unpak these to the same folder and you will have your files.

Also anyone who has photoshop and is more comfortable in that program there is a dds plugin available for that as well from nvidia. Have no idea why i have it, or to what purpose i originally intended it for, but i do. Will find a link

http://developer.nvidia.com/object/nv_texture_tools.html

for those of you who dont know about it.

If you do, hooray!

It's working now... some problem with the update.
Anyway, thanks for your help.
Btw why are the two .dds files there? I haven't seen the other being used at all.
Correct me if am wrong.
How did you fix it? Where exactly do you put these because there isn't a 'knight' folder? I put in my edited knighthorse-128 into the customassets/art folder and nothing happened. Do I create a knight folder? Sorry, new to this.

Bump, it's been 4 days.

guess i cant mod this stuff then, its a shame.

Thanks GrinningMonk !

Yes, thanks Monk.

Ok every time i click open it tells me the file could not be found. When i look in the assets folder i see both the art0.fpk file, and i get all four of those assets.fpk files. It doesnt matter which one i try to open with my computer tells me the file could not be found. I do have the 1.52 patch installed. Does is have to do with what file i tell it to look at the top of the box? Do i have to try to open all of them at the same time? Thanks in advance.

ok i have a question... i opened up the DDS Converter 2.1 and went to the folder the i put PakBuild in and all it says below it is "circle"???

OK, I've got gimp with dds converter. I unpacked the fpk and rearranged them all into one logical structure instead of four sets. I want to reskin a unit. I look at the correct DDS. I see a rectangle with various parts of the unit's surface all laid out in a crazy way like, well, an animal that has been skinned. Is there some systematic way to know what part is what other than just guessing and trial and error?

Trial and Error sadly enough, at least at first. A lot of loading your skin into a test mod, looking at it, making a small change, repeating. It is cool to see your changes though.

downloaded pakbuild. tried to "unpak" art0.fpk everytime i try it says "extracting to folder" (the folder i selected art0.FPK to be unpacked to) and then the program doesnt respond. so i uninstalled and tried again.... same thing. This is just not my day.... week..... year...... life. :eek:

I created a "Skin" folder on my C drive that I extracted to and had no issues. Maybe it's that easy?

lol thanks woodelf that worked.

i got one more question.... are you following me? :lol:

I'm like a Guardian Angel to noobs. ;)

I'm trying to create an interface button, but i can't find a template for the border. I'm using gimp and i vaguely recall working in animation (over a decade ago!) and using 2 layers, then combining, but everywhere i've looked, i cannot find one. Does anyone know if a template button has been posted or is already in the civ directories?

Looking at the original atlas files for the buttons, i think they just used circular canvases(?) and plonked them onto the atlas file, as it's more efficient to load that into memory and then index the button you want. I can't find any guides on how to set up an atlas file, alas... there must be some way of automatically aligning the new images. Configure grid? I know nutheeeenk! Nutheeenk!