Car skinning question - can't find .DDS files for some parts

[Mr. Malarkey]

I've got a car mod that I've downloaded recently that has an awful and poorly done skin that I'd like to replace. Everything on it looks like it's made of plastic, the graphics are really low-rez, and the wheel blur is atrocious. Re-texturing the body of the car was no problem, as there is a car_chassis.DDS file in the skins folder. But, aside from the usual files for the driver skin, the livery, preview, and ui files, there are no other files I can alter. For example, in the showroom, if I click on the tires, it says the skin used is MGTC_TIRE.DDS, but there is no such file in my Assetto Corsa content folder. Same with the rims and other parts of the car. Are these files hidden somewhere within some other file? How do I replace these textures? I've modified skins before, and never run into this issue.

Thanks in advance!

(I don't know if this is the right forum for this question - if I need to move it to another, please let me know.)

 

[jeanvendors]

You only need the file name in order to replace it. The textures are all packed within the model and it's only looking for an image with that same name at runtime, so as long as you save a .dds with the same name in a skin folder, it should replace the texture you're looking at.

 

[Mr. Malarkey]

You only need the file name in order to replace it. The textures are all packed within the model

Ah-ha! I figured it might be something like that.

and it's only looking for an image with that same name at runtime, so as long as you save a .dds with the same name in a skin folder, it should replace the texture you're looking at.

I would have expected that would cause a conflict with the existing file - how does it know whether to use the file from the skins folder or the previous texture? But I will give it a go, and if it works I won't worry about it.

Thanks for your reply!

 

[jeanvendors]

I would have expected that would cause a conflict with the existing file - how does it know whether to use the file from the skins folder or the previous texture? But I will give it a go, and if it works I won't worry about it.

Thanks for your reply!

AC and CM Showroom always load a skin whenever they load a car, going down the .kn5's material list and checking each name. If the skin folder has a map.dds and it's one of the materials listed in the model, that's the one that gets used, but if not the texture in the model is the one that gets loaded.

Effectively when you're making a skin you're just making a new texture folder for the model. Theoretically you could make a skin replacing every texture if you wanted.

I could be wrong, but I think the /car/texture folder is generally used as a resource for people making skins, that's why depending on the car it's incomplete or has nothing in it. (Excluding the /flames folder, as flames aren't a part of the car model)

& Glad I could help, I can relate to trying your hardest to make a bad mod tolerable.

 

[Mr. Malarkey]

AC and CM Showroom always load a skin whenever they load a car, going down the .kn5's material list and checking each name. If the skin folder has a map.dds and it's one of the materials listed in the model, that's the one that gets used, but if not the texture in the model is the one that gets loaded.

That makes sense. Since you mentioned a map.dds file: I am looking at a model with a really great skin to kind of guide me through this, and I notice it has a Skin.dds file, and then a Skin_Map.dds file. Do you know what that second file is used for?

EDIT: Never mind, I found a tutorial that explains what each of the files are for. YAY!

Effectively when you're making a skin you're just making a new texture folder for the model. Theoretically you could make a skin replacing every texture if you wanted.

Which is essentially what I'm going to need to do, here.

I could be wrong, but I think the /car/texture folder is generally used as a resource for people making skins, that's why depending on the car it's incomplete or has nothing in it. (Excluding the /flames folder, as flames aren't a part of the car model)

Oh, I've never messed with that folder before. I had no idea.

& Glad I could help, I can relate to trying your hardest to make a bad mod tolerable.

Yeah, I knew this car was going to be a problem, but I figured "How bad could it be?" I didn't expect that the car would look like a Skittle with wheels. Whoever made it obviously didn't know or care enough to do even a competent job. But I really wanted it to round out my grid for this particular vintage period - and now, because I'm so picky, I am going to have to re-skin the darn thing so that it doesn't bother me when I'm racing against it.

 

[S.Cargo]

That makes sense. Since you mentioned a map.dds file: I am looking at a model with a really great skin to kind of guide me through this, and I notice it has a Skin.dds file, and then a Skin_Map.dds file. Do you know what that second file is used for?

EDIT: Never mind, I found a tutorial that explains what each of the files are for. YAY!

Hello @Mr. Malarkey
Would you be so kind as to post a pointer to this tutorial ?
I'm struggling with this kind of questions now and have not been smart enough to find answers...
Thanks

 

[Mr. Malarkey]

Hello @Mr. Malarkey
Would you be so kind as to post a pointer to this tutorial ?
I'm struggling with this kind of questions now and have not been smart enough to find answers...
Thanks

Here you go! https://www.racedepartment.com/threads/the-what-are-you-working-on-thread.126119/post-2462780

 

[S.Cargo]

Thanks a lot ! Sure this will help
And that thread seems to be worth reading... which is going to keep me busy for a while