How to use custom liveries online!

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

There are two ways to have a livery in the game, one that works online, and one that can work online. We'll obviously look at, and use the one that we know works.
So, you've found and downloaded an epic livery, or maybe you've made a piece of art yourself? Now you want to use it in a race (preferably at RD) but you don't feel completely sure on how to do it, hopefully this will help. Also, even though it is 8 steps, it is actually quite easy! Stick with me, and you'll figure it out in a minute!

Basic Livery - Cars without region maps.​

1. The file you've downloaded comes as a zip, rar or 7zip, unpack this so you get the file in an open folder. (If you have made your livery yourself you don't have to unpack it, logically). Now you'll have something like this:
   
   
2. Now it's time to go in to the game. Choose the car you've made the livery for, in this situation my new shiny livery is for the Brabham BT20, and I've chosen car #14. Click the "Customize" button.
   
   
3. This will take you to a new screen, with a spinner/studio/showroom where you can look at your car, and to changes. Click the "create" button on the top left, and then click on "Create skin dir".
   
   
4. Now it's time to find where the skin directory is hiding. This brings you to [YOUR PC Location] Steam\steamapps\common\rFactor 2\UserData\player\Settings. So in my case, as Steam is installed directly to disk E, it is "E:\Steam\steamapps\common\rFactor 2\UserData\player\Settings". We know that we are racing the Brabham BT20, so we know what we are looking for. The Brabham folder, in this case called "brabham_1966". If you don't know what the folder is called, you can go in and out of the "customize" in rF2, and the file directory will show on the "create" page (you can see that later on in the guide).
   
   
5. Now that you've found the car-folder, it's time to find the folder of your car. For the Brabham I have a lot of custom liveries. But we remember from earlier in the guide, that I chose car #14, so that means the BT20_14 is the folder I want. Enter that folder.
   
   
6. When in this folder, copy the dds(livery) file that you unpacked in step 1. And paste in to the folder, it will then be like this:
   
   
7. Good. Now all the techy techy - folder bits are done. Go back in to the game and the customize tab. Go to "create" again, and you will now have the option of a dropbox menu. Click that and you will have options of different liveries. As you can see here, under this dropdown-menu, you see the file-directory for the car. So if you don't find it in step 4/5 you can find the correct folder here.
   
   
8. Choose the livery you want, in my situation that is the "alt_myr". Click on that and voila!
   
   
9. Now you can go back from this area of the, and enter the server like you normally would, and everyone on the server will download your livery and see you drive with it.
10. Do NOT fill in "driver name", "Team Name", "Car Description" and "Car Number" and "Create Team Car"!! This can work. However, there is no guarantee, and you won't know it before the server jumps to "race". If it doesn't work you are kicked from the server. Stick with just an alternative livery for the car NOT a custom team.

Liveries with more than 1 file (Region, WINDOW, EXTRA etc.)Click to go to the post.​

NOTE For Creators: If you change your livery frequently, saving new liveries with the same name is not recommended. As all drivers download your livery, they save your livery on their computer under the same name. E.g anyone racing with me will have downloaded the "alt_myr" in to their "BT20_14" folder. As the game only checks the name of files in the future, they will not download any new liveries with the same name, and they will only see the old livery. Give new liveries a new name, or use a different car.

 

[AyrtonForever]

Good guide! But what about we have (created too) the region file for material effects and maybe also windshield and so on?

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

Good guide! But what about we have (created too) the region file for material effects and maybe also windshield and so on?

Ah.
Mas guide coming up (or linking to the old one that was made 6 years ago, which still applies) in the future. Not 100% sure when. But it will

 

[Colin Peach]

Should sticky this thread

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

Should sticky this thread

It's been pinned since day 1

 

[Pappa_G_27]

Ah.
Mas guide coming up (or linking to the old one that was made 6 years ago, which still applies) in the future. Not 100% sure when. But it will

Would love to see a current guide on this, especially if anything has changed with the new UI

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

Would love to see a current guide on this, especially if anything has changed with the new UI

No really. Except the whole region-maps thing in the showroom seemingly only work as some sort of "this is how your car could be", as none of those settings seems to actually apply when you enter the server.

 

[Pappa_G_27]

No really. Except the whole region-maps thing in the showroom seemingly only work as some sort of "this is how your car could be", as none of those settings seems to actually apply when you enter the server.

I assume thats a new UI issue? I know you had to reload to get them to stick in the previous one, but it has been a while since i have done a livery,

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

I assume thats a new UI issue? I know you had to reload to get them to stick in the previous one, but it has been a while since i have done a livery,

One of the features (as I understood it) in the new UI was that you didn't have to use that web-browser localhost-thing to apply the region-effects. Maybe I've just misunderstood?
Not that it is that relevant for the guide here, I don't plan to use this as a "how to make a livery" guide, I am far from smart enough to do that Just seen that we've had people getting booted from races now and then due to livery issues

 

[Pappa_G_27]

One of the features (as I understood it) in the new UI was that you didn't have to use that web-browser localhost-thing to apply the region-effects. Maybe I've just misunderstood?
Not that it is that relevant for the guide here, I don't plan to use this as a "how to make a livery" guide, I am far from smart enough to do that Just seen that we've had people getting booted from races now and then due to livery issues

haha i'm sure you are plenty smart to do that Ole. Hopefully s397 update their guide that they have here for the new UI. That all worked for me when I used it a while back. https://docs.studio-397.com/users-guide/how-to-paint-a-car-with-the-new-material-system

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

haha i'm sure you are plenty smart to do that Ole. Hopefully s397 update their guide that they have here for the new UI. That all worked for me when I used it a while back. https://docs.studio-397.com/users-guide/how-to-paint-a-car-with-the-new-material-system

That still works. It's just that whole whole part 3 thing were supposed to be done from the new UI as I understood it

 

[Pappa_G_27]

That still works. It's just that whole whole part 3 thing were supposed to be done from the new UI as I understood it

Yeh thats the bit they need to update. Also i'm still confussed with part 4, but may give it a try soon, as i have a livery nearly ready to go.

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

Yeh thats the bit they need to update. Also i'm still confussed with part 4, but may give it a try soon, as i have a livery nearly ready to go.

I'll do that one tomorrow

Though, I highly advice against doing it the way from that guide, as you create an own driver/team from it. I have yet to see any livery on a server go bad if you skip that part, but I've seen numerous of drivers being kicked when making a driver/team for their livery.
Unless someone notices that your livery is "off" when you are in practice/qual/warmup you'll not know anything yourself until you are kicked when moving to race session.

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

Liveries with more than 1 file (Region, WINDOW, EXTRA etc.)
​

1. For this part of the guide, I assume you have already done, or learned the basic part above. So let's jump in to a car that doesn't work as planned. With cars that's updated to the newest materials, shaders etc. or mods that are made to this standard, you now get region-files that can be used to apply different type of materials, like carbon, paint, vinyl, chrome etc. to different parts of the car. This isn't something you have to do. However,you do need a region-map, if not you'll get a shine through. As show on my "magnificent" and "amazing" pink Alpine, you can see both the logos from the original car shining through, but also the basic design (look at front bumper and you see different shades of pink).
   

   
2. That means you have to make a region-file. Now, this can be made extremely simple, or very complicated. I've gone down the middle road with my stuff. I've also made a WINDOW-file as that template was given to us by EnduRacers.
   

   
3. Would you look at that! It worked without any issues on the very first try!
   

   
4. I wish I could say that this was the case in all situations. As shown on a different car in the mod, the windows just doesn't load in:
   

   

   
   Why this is? No-one really knows,it's just one of the many rF2 things. As you can see, the files and set up exactly the same, and it's put in to the folder in the exact same order. The top folder is the car with working windows, the bottom is the car where the windows doesn't work. The difference is that for the top folder, the .mas file (the file without a picture) loaded in all files automatically, something that didn't happen with the bottom one. Don't worry, this can be fixed.
   

   
5. So, for the car where the windows doesn't show up. Just click on the window-file, hold the left mouse button down, and drag it on top of the mas-file, this should cause the windows file to be added to the .mas and it should work.​
6. In the case that this doesn't work (it didn't for me in this situation), you have to find the rF2 MAS utility. That's located in "Steam\steamapps\common\rFactor 2\Support\Tools". Both MAS2 and MAS2_x64 works (the support for 32bit will end soon). Open the MAS2 utility, and you will see this:
   

   
7. Now, mark your livery files. In my situation that is the "alt_pin","alt_pin_region" and "alt_pinWINDOW" and drag those files in to the MAS2 utility. (ctrl click for marking more than one file and hold mouse button down when dragging). You should then have something like this:
   

   
8. Great! Now you have to save it! As my main livery-file is called "alt_pin" that is what the mas file must be saved as. You also need to save it in the same folder. Luckily, as you can see in the picture above, the file-path is shown, so you know that the mas-file must be saved there. Again, remember to save it as the exact same name as your main livery-file. Click "save" and let the utility do it's 10 second job.
   

   
9. Then check in your game, and the windows should magically appear, just like this:
   

   
10. There is situations where even this doesn't work - and the standard windows shows up. If that happens, put the window file back in to the MAS file. Then after the you have saved it, right click on the .mas, choose "properties" and make it read-only. As there are random (?) situations where the game overwrites your custom window-file.
    

    
11. You might have templates that comes with EXTRA0, EXTRA2, EXTRA4 etc. files as well (for rims, tyres and whatever). This all works the same way. Just remember the way to name the files: The region file is; mainliveryname_region while all the EXTRA/WINDOW stuff is mainliverynameWINDOW/mainliverynameEXTRA etc. In other words, no underscore.
    The creators should name the templates the correct way, so if you have a template for a part of the car called "EXTRA3" then that should be the name on your additional livery-file as well.​

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

@AyrtonForever and @Pappa_G_27 Should be enough in this second guide.

I might delete this thread and make a new one with the guide-stuff following each other though. Will have a think about that

 

[Reiche]

Do NOT fill in "driver name", "Team Name", "Car Description" and "Car Number" and "Create Team Car"!! This can work. However, there is no guarantee, and you won't know it before the server jumps to "race". If it doesn't work you are kicked from the server. Stick with just an alternative livery for the car NOT a custom team.

@Ole Marius Myrvold , do you know if there are any issues if I change the driver name inside the *.veh file? I think the changes you mention there would be saved to some *.rcd file?

I really didn't get my head around all the files of rF2 yet...

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

@Ole Marius Myrvold , do you know if there are any issues if I change the driver name inside the *.veh file? I think the changes you mention there would be saved to some *.rcd file?

I really didn't get my head around all the files of rF2 yet...

No idea. Never done it. Don't think it should be an issue.

 

[Shaxx's 3rd left rib bone]

Sorry to revive an old thread but I'm having an issue whereby the the window file that i've named alt_pWINDOW (alt_p being my main livery name) just creates a new skin file rather than changing the windows of the livery, it's attatched in the .mas file and i've setting it to read only didn't help.

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

Sorry to revive an old thread but I'm having an issue whereby the the window file that i've named alt_pWINDOW (alt_p being my main livery name) just creates a new skin file rather than changing the windows of the livery, it's attatched in the .mas file and i've setting it to read only didn't help.

Sorry for not seeing this earlier. What car is this for?