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Dragon7350's Custom Skin: Zeltas  XML
Forum Index -> UT2004 Skins
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Dragon7350

Rampage
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Joined: 06/10/2011 21:05:04
Messages: 168
Location: IL, USA
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Here's a download of my new (and very first) custom character skin. Anyone's welcome to use it.

Zeltas is a dragon-like warrior with a grudge against the Skaarj...like most of the humanoids of the Unreal universe.

Download at Dropbox here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/79040827/Video%20Games/Unreal%20Tournament%202004/Zeltas.zip

Weapon Master: Draconyx
Adrenaline Master: PuffTheMagicDragon
Medic/Monster Master: Dragon7350
Engineer: Dragonark
General: Dragonlance

Get the DC Invasion program HERE.
I use the custom character skin "Arkos." Get it HERE.
If you want your own custom skin (and you have played at least 3 months on the DC server), post a new thread on the forums containing your request. (As of June 2013)
[Email] [Yahoo!]
Jefe

Godlike
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Joined: 11/05/2008 22:52:53
Messages: 361
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It looks great for your first character. I like the details on his body, the only thing I think is a little off is the color scheme on the clothing. It looks a little like a biker in spandex, but otherwise I love how it turned out.

Technically I do see some minor issues. First, I see that you're using 2 1024x1024 DXT5 compressed textures for the base textures, but you're also using two separate DXT5-compressed 1024x1024 textures for specularity. This increases your texture use and texture package size unnecessarily. There's no reason to use DXT5 if the texture doesn't contain an alpha layer. Either add the alpha to one of the base textures (preferably the non-team color skin) or or compress the base textures to DXT1. You could then use the separate alpha texture, which doesn't have to be 1024x1024 btw, it could be smaller, on all the team skins for your shaders and final blends.

Also I see that the ukx file is set to display the skin textures. There are a couple of good reasons change it so that textures are cleared from the ukx. Whenever you update game files, like UKX or UTX files, you must rename the files for proper compatibility (for example on the svn, or any servers pushing the skin). So if you revise the texture, you now must revise the ukx because it will still require a texture with the original name. UPL and INT files are exempt from this rule. It also makes it a bit more difficult for skinners to release updates, unless they also release a modified ukx. (I've had to do that a few times.)

Beside those minor details, and none of them are game-breaking, it's one of the best custom characters to come out in recent years. It's far better than I expected from the first screenshots.

The new DC server:
Dragon7350

Rampage
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Joined: 06/10/2011 21:05:04
Messages: 168
Location: IL, USA
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Thanks dude. Yeah the colors are a bit gawdy. Oh well. The texture probably looks nice because I used a pasted high-poly texture data directly onto the low-poly model. It took a VERY long time .
I was worried about the size of the texture file being too large, but I saw that many of the custom characters from the DC package were using large, DXT5 compressed textures. I just followed suit. I'll fix that I suppose, but I don't think I'll be updating this character publicly.

Oh, about the alpha layer. Is that referring to a texture that contains alpha data (base textures as opposed to specular textures)?

By the way, following your advice saved around 6-7mb on the texture file.

Weapon Master: Draconyx
Adrenaline Master: PuffTheMagicDragon
Medic/Monster Master: Dragon7350
Engineer: Dragonark
General: Dragonlance

Get the DC Invasion program HERE.
I use the custom character skin "Arkos." Get it HERE.
If you want your own custom skin (and you have played at least 3 months on the DC server), post a new thread on the forums containing your request. (As of June 2013)
[Email] [Yahoo!]
Jefe

Godlike
[Avatar]

Joined: 11/05/2008 22:52:53
Messages: 361
Offline

When you import a texture to unreal ed, you can indicate if it's supposed to be an "alpha texture" so that it's displayed see-through by default, but you don't have to check that box. You can still use that texture's alpha data when you set up your shaders. There really isn't such a thing as a specular texture, it's just an effect created by combining an environment map with a base texture using alpha data (which could come from the base texture) to control how shiny it is.

I think you should release this skin on Epic's forums too.



The new DC server:
Dragon7350

Rampage
[Avatar]

Joined: 06/10/2011 21:05:04
Messages: 168
Location: IL, USA
Offline

Yeah. I'll put it on Epic Games forums eventually.

At first, I did use the base textures for "specular" image data. However, I had to do a grueling process of mixing the specular texture's alpha with the base texture (I actually had to make a program for this). Then I added the base texture (with alpha set to 0.1%) as a layer below the one affected by the specular texture's alpha. Finally, I saved the results. By then, I can't edit it at all unless I want to repeat the above. Ugh!

Using base textures without specular textures would technically save two 512 × 512 textures from being used. Dunno if that's all worth the trouble.

Oh, how do I update my texture on Gamefront? Can I delete the old one and put in the smaller one?

Weapon Master: Draconyx
Adrenaline Master: PuffTheMagicDragon
Medic/Monster Master: Dragon7350
Engineer: Dragonark
General: Dragonlance

Get the DC Invasion program HERE.
I use the custom character skin "Arkos." Get it HERE.
If you want your own custom skin (and you have played at least 3 months on the DC server), post a new thread on the forums containing your request. (As of June 2013)
[Email] [Yahoo!]
Dragon7350

Rampage
[Avatar]

Joined: 06/10/2011 21:05:04
Messages: 168
Location: IL, USA
Offline

The file has been updated. This includes the files "Zeltas.ukx" and "Zeltas.utx." You'll have to replace these if you've already downloaded the skin.

It looks a little daunting posting on Epic Games forums. I'll get around to it eventually, but they have lots of posting rules.

Weapon Master: Draconyx
Adrenaline Master: PuffTheMagicDragon
Medic/Monster Master: Dragon7350
Engineer: Dragonark
General: Dragonlance

Get the DC Invasion program HERE.
I use the custom character skin "Arkos." Get it HERE.
If you want your own custom skin (and you have played at least 3 months on the DC server), post a new thread on the forums containing your request. (As of June 2013)
[Email] [Yahoo!]
 
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