How To: Make Leaderheads! Ekmek's Guide

I know that most leaderheads in the game have normal and non-shader versions, that Colonization leaders lack non-shader versions, and that adding shaders in leaderhead modding seems to be a relatively recent trend. This is probably a stupid question, but what are these shaders and what exactly is the difference that they make? If I simply take parts from your Leaderparts compendium and from Firaxis models, will they automatically be shader models? How can I tell if a custom leader has or lacks shaders?
 
Vrenir said:
How can I tell if a custom leader has or lacks shaders?
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For starters you can just look at them.
Shader&NonShader.jpeg
(Of course It will have to be in-game or in scene viewer cuz nifskope doesnt show shaders well in the viewport)

Basically, non-shader models look crappier than thier shader counterparts. If you still cant tell the difference, look at the mesh in nifskope and see if it has a shader assigned. Any name under the type of shader besides 'default fixed-function pipeline', is a shader (with LHs it'll say something like TLeaderHeadShader_20).
 
Nevermind. I asked a question, searched the forums, and found the answer years back when Esnaz asked it.


EDIT:

New random question. How can you tell the difference between the file types? Before I installed Nifscope, the file type line under the name was different for NIFs and KFs and KFMs and DDSs. When I have Nifscope, however, NIFs and KFs and KFMs are all simply labeled the same thing (Gamebryo something graphics file etc). It's really not very helpful for knowing what to title each. I'd imagine that there's a way that most modders deal with this, and I'd love to know what it is.
 
I downloaded the leaderhead parts package, so I'll have Mugabe done (with luck) within two weeks. I have PSAT's on Saturday and Church Sunday morning and Football the rest of the day.
 
Vrenir said:
Nevermind. I asked a question, searched the forums, and found the answer years back when Esnaz asked it.


EDIT:

New random question. How can you tell the difference between the file types? Before I installed Nifscope, the file type line under the name was different for NIFs and KFs and KFMs and DDSs. When I have Nifscope, however, NIFs and KFs and KFMs are all simply labeled the same thing (Gamebryo something graphics file etc). It's really not very helpful for knowing what to title each. I'd imagine that there's a way that most modders deal with this, and I'd love to know what it is.
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nifs are the models. kfs are animation. kfms i sthe info that tells which animation (and for BG's nifs) are used.
 
Vrenir said:
New random question. How can you tell the difference between the file types? Before I installed Nifscope, the file type line under the name was different for NIFs and KFs and KFMs and DDSs. When I have Nifscope, however, NIFs and KFs and KFMs are all simply labeled the same thing (Gamebryo something graphics file etc). It's really not very helpful for knowing what to title each. I'd imagine that there's a way that most modders deal with this, and I'd love to know what it is.
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That is annoying. After getting nifskope both the kf's and nif's have the same icon, so you have to look at the file size which isnt always a sure thing. If for no other reason than to have seperate looking icons, you should get scene viewer. Then find a nif file and set it to always open with scene viewer (you will still be able to open it with nifskope, this will just make scene viewer open automatically when you double click it). After that you will have a neat little polygon looking icon that looks different than the kf's. You can do the same with the kf's, set them to open with nifskope (which you might as well do since only nifskpe can open kf's). Then set your dds's to open with GIMP or something. Now no more guess work, as everything in a LH/units' folder will have a different icon and will tell you what type of file it is.
 
@ Venrir: Are you working off of Vista, XP, 7, Mac, etc.? On Vista I can tell what file it is because it shows the icon differently. On XP I'm not sure, and I think on 7 it's the same as Vista. I haven't tried this on a Mac yet.
 
Vortilex said:
@ Venrir: Are you working off of Vista, XP, 7, Mac, etc.? On Vista I can tell what file it is because it shows the icon differently. On XP I'm not sure, and I think on 7 it's the same as Vista. I haven't tried this on a Mac yet.
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I'm unfortunately running Vista and this isn't true.
 
I wonder how you would make it so that the leaderheads change throughout the game, like in RFC.

@Nitram15: Can't I just import FDR's suit from Ekmek's leaderhead parts package?
 
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