Need a little help changing a part's appearance

[Foxster]

I'm a total nub to textures and graphics for parts, I really have not got one clue. 

What I'm trying to do is create a round mk1-sized RTG. I have the cfg file sorted and it functions perfectly. It has the power (and heat) properties of the PB-NUK and the attachment and aero properties of the Z-1K battery bank.

For appearance I copied the Z-1K battery bank's model.mu, model000.dds and model001.dds files into my new part directory. 

Now all I'd like to do is get rid of the black & yellow band around the part and have a grey surface instead, kinda like the stock RTG. 

I really don't want to try to learn a whole load of graphics stuff just to do this one-off. So can someone help me with this please?

A big ask I know but if someone could make the files I need then I'd be really grateful.  

BTW, here's the cfg file...

PART
{
	name = RTGRound
	module = Part
	author = Foxster
	mesh = model.mu
	rescaleFactor = 1
	node_stack_top = 0.0, 0.1108553, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0
	node_stack_bottom = 0.0, -0.1108553, 0.0, 0.0, -1.0, 0.0
	TechRequired = experimentalElectrics
	entryCost = 58000
	cost = 23300
	category = Utility
	subcategory = 0
	title = PB-NUK - Round
	manufacturer = Ionic Symphonic Protonic Electronics
	description = Like the PB-NUK RTG...but round!
	attachRules = 1,0,1,1,0
	mass = 0.08
	dragModelType = default
	maximum_drag = 0.2
	minimum_drag = 0.2
	angularDrag = 1
	crashTolerance = 8
	maxTemp = 2000 // = 3200
	bulkheadProfiles = size1
	radiatorMax = 1.5
	tags = active atom charge e/c elect energ generat isotope 
	MODULE
	{
		name = ModuleGenerator
		isAlwaysActive = true
		OUTPUT_RESOURCE
		{
			name = ElectricCharge
			rate = 0.75
		}
	}


	MODULE
	{
		name = ModuleCoreHeat
		CoreTempGoal = 350					//Internal temp goal - we don't transfer till we hit this point
		CoreToPartRatio = 0.1				//Scale back cooling if the part is this % of core temp
		CoreTempGoalAdjustment = 0			//Dynamic goal adjustment
		CoreEnergyMultiplier = 0.01			//What percentage of our core energy do we transfer to the part
		HeatRadiantMultiplier = 0.01			//If the core is hotter, how much heat radiates?
		CoolingRadiantMultiplier = 0		//If the core is colder, how much radiates?
		HeatTransferMultiplier = 0			//If the part is hotter, how much heat transfers in?
		CoolantTransferMultiplier = 0		//If the part is colder, how much of our energy can we transfer?
		radiatorCoolingFactor = 0			//How much energy we pull from core with an active radiator?  >= 1
		radiatorHeatingFactor = 0			//How much energy we push to the active radiator
		MaxCalculationWarp = 1000			//Based on how dramatic the changes are, this is the max rate of change
		CoreShutdownTemp = 10000			//At what core temperature do we shut down all generators on this part?
		MaxCoolant = 0						//Maximum amount of radiator capacity we can consume - 2500 = 1 small
		PassiveEnergy
		{
			key = 0 	25000
			key = 200 	10000
			key = 250 	50		
			key = 300	25
			key = 350	0
		}
	}	
}

 

Edited July 20, 2016 by Foxster

[NecroBones]

 

The good news is that it isn't hard. You can use a variety of free online tools, or plugins for Photoshop (or whatever) to convert the DDS texture from the part into a format you can edit. Then you can draw over it, and save that as a new copy of the texture. (Just remember that DDS textures are flipped vertically, so you'll need to unflip it before editing it further). You can use the existing model (without making a copy) by changing how it calls the model.

 

For instance, let's say you have a folder for this located as "GameData/myMod/RTGRound", the top of your config file could look like this:

PART
{
	name = RTGRound
	module = Part
	author = Foxster
	MODEL {
		model = Squad/Parts/Electrical/z-1kBattery/model
		texture = model000, myMod/RTGRound/newTexture
	}
	rescaleFactor = 1
...

 

This is replacing the "mesh = " line with that "MODEL {}" section. The texture reassignment only needs to happen with the diffuse/specular texture, since the other one is the Normal Map and probably won't need to change for your purposes. But if you wanted to change that too, you could add a second  "texture" line for it too.

 

 

[Foxster]

Thanks for that. It doesn't sound too hard - unless you are a dweeb like me

I've opened both .dds files and they look like this in GIMP (which I have just installed for this and I have no clue how to use properly)...

Nothing there looks like the black/yellow edge that I'm trying to amend. 

Could I have another clue please?

[MrMeeb]

21 hours ago, Foxster said:

Thanks for that. It doesn't sound too hard - unless you are a dweeb like me

I've opened both .dds files and they look like this in GIMP (which I have just installed for this and I have no clue how to use properly)...

Nothing there looks like the black/yellow edge that I'm trying to amend. 

Could I have another clue please?

For opening .DDS files, I had the same problem with GIMP, so I add another step. I use an app called DDS Viewer to open them, and then it can save them in a collection of formats including .jpg and .png. I then import them into GIMP  

[Foxster]

Ah, right. That helped and when I open the model000.dds file now in GIMP after saving it as a .jpg with DDS viewer I can see it OK now with the yellow/black band. 

However...when I edit it (fill the yellow/black band with a grey pattern) and export it as a .dds, KSP doesn't seem to like the file and the part is shown as just grey apart from the overlay of the model001.dds on the faces. 

There are various options when exporting the file as a .dds. Do I need to take any of these?

[MrMeeb]

Just now, Foxster said:

Ah, right. That helped and when I open the model000.dds file now in GIMP after saving it as a .jpg with DDS viewer I can see it OK now with the yellow/black band. 

However...when I edit it (fill the yellow/black band with a grey pattern) and export it as a .dds, KSP doesn't seem to like the file and the part is shown as just grey apart from the overlay of the model001.dds on the faces. 

There are various options when exporting the file as a .dds. Do I need to take any of these?

Well, technically, you don't need to have it as a .DDS, especially for testing purposes. I haven't actually got further than when I've told you just yet, so I don't know about exporting .DDSs in GIMP

[Foxster]

Oh, I can leave it as a .jpg and it should work?

[MrMeeb]

Just now, Foxster said:

Oh, I can leave it as a .jpg and it should work?

I believe so, yes

[Foxster]

I'm just about there. 

I needed to save the .dds with the compression set to BC3/DXT5 with mitmaps on and it worked. 

Just need to pick a nicer pattern - "urban camo" not being ideal...

Edited July 21, 2016 by Foxster

[Foxster]

I think that looks OK...

[wasml]

I don't remember where I first found this - it's here on the forum somewhere but for DDS the recommendations were:

- Generate Mipmaps
- Save Flipped Vertically
- DXT1 for RGB maps, DXT5 for RGB + Alpha, DXT5nm for normal maps