.DDS and .V30 files: what's the difference?

[heyjoojoo]

I'm trying to edit a mod so that my main LAPD Crown Vic does not have the Arjent lighting but has the Whelen LEDs instead. I also like the body on one of the other Crown Vic models since it includes the pushbars. So instead of going into Zmodeler and learning how to edit and develop what I want, I decided to just switch around files and rename them. I added a LAPD CV file from another mod which had the Whelen lightbar and reanmed it so that it becomes the new main LAPD CV unit with the Whelen lights & pushbars.

I successfully did this a few days ago but then when I reinstalled the game, I apparently forgot a step or missed something. It's not working now. For some reason, I get the correct model shape with whelen lightbars and pushbars but some of the doors and the roof are all white. What happened?

[MikeyPI]

The texture that is supposed to be asssociated with the model is missing, either open the model in zmod and reassociate the texture to it, or alternatively open the v3o with notepad and manually write it in

SRF, Body, 0, 0, 0, engine02_1.png, 517, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
SRF, Body2, 0, 0, 0, engine02_2.png, 517, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0

you need to change the engine02_1.png to match the dds that you want it to be associated with.

[heyjoojoo]

The texture that is supposed to be asssociated with the model is missing, either open the model in zmod and reassociate the texture to it, or alternatively open the v3o with notepad and manually write it in

SRF, Body, 0, 0, 0, engine02_1.png, 517, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
SRF, Body2, 0, 0, 0, engine02_2.png, 517, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0

you need to change the engine02_1.png to match the dds that you want it to be associated with.

MikePI, you have saved the day. I spent several hours of my day trying to fix this using process of elimination. That was one option I did not try. Thanks...

[heyjoojoo]

Hey MikePI,

I was trying to replace one of my medic ambulances in LA Mod 2 with one of the ambulances (F-350 style) from the New York Mod. I checked all text references, copied the dds file and all the v30 files but I still keep seeing some missing doors and the wrong the misaligned wheels (or wheels from the original LA mod ambulance). What do think I missed? Additional files?

[MikeyPI]

You should have just copied the prototype of the original vehicle that you wanted to add into the mod... you are trying to swap the model into the existing prototype, so all of the childs to it (the doors) and wheels will still reflect the original vehicle unless you go through and change them as well.

[heyjoojoo]

You should have just copied the prototype of the original vehicle that you wanted to add into the mod... you are trying to swap the model into the existing prototype, so all of the childs to it (the doors) and wheels will still reflect the original vehicle unless you go through and change them as well.

Really, just the prototype folder?

Oh wait MikePI, I didn't swap the model files in the wrong folders. I've only swapped files in the Model folder. I haven't touched the Prototype folder.

[MikeyPI]

I am aware of this, but that is why nothing aligns, the prototypes are what setup the vehicle's in-game appearance since every model part (tire body doors) is its own part you must use the game's editor to place them right... Imo, rename the protos to the vehicle that you want to plug into the la mod and copy/paste those protos in, its alot easier than the alternative of having to redo the protos for every door, wheel, body, and then aligning the childs.

[heyjoojoo]

I am aware of this, but that is why nothing aligns, the prototypes are what setup the vehicle's in-game appearance since every model part (tire body doors) is its own part you must use the game's editor to place them right... Imo, rename the protos to the vehicle that you want to plug into the la mod and copy/paste those protos in, its alot easier than the alternative of having to redo the protos for every door, wheel, body, and then aligning the childs.

Thanks MikeyPI.

So just leave the model folder alone entirely? Just copy the newambulance prototype files (i.e. ambulance01.e4p) to the LA Mod prototype ambulance files? And that will change the body of the older ambulance to the newer F-350 style ambulance?

[MikeyPI]

You said you already added the model files, from what I understand you've taken them from an LA submod, so it should already be setup to replace the existing LA vehicle, if the prototype is the correct one IE ambulance01.e4p then you just need to ensure that all the model/skin files and prototype files for the ambo are copied over to the original la mod where you want to port it to..... IF it is a different prototype than the one you've decided to replace it with (IE ambulance02.e4p) you're going to have to edit the existing prototype by adding the model parts to the vehicle in the edit childs tab of the prototype thing in the editor, or alternatively change alot of scripts to replace it... Since it came from a submod it should already replace an existing ambo, hopefully the one that you want to replace in the first place.... If it doesnt and it's another vehicle proto than the one you intended to replace, you're probrably going to do best to just update the existing protos and re-add the doors and wheels yourself to the existing prototype.

[heyjoojoo]

You said you already added the model files, from what I understand you've taken them from an LA submod, so it should already be setup to replace the existing LA vehicle, if the prototype is the correct one IE ambulance01.e4p then you just need to ensure that all the model/skin files and prototype files for the ambo are copied over to the original la mod where you want to port it to..... IF it is a different prototype than the one you've decided to replace it with (IE ambulance02.e4p) you're going to have to edit the existing prototype by adding the model parts to the vehicle in the edit childs tab of the prototype thing in the editor, or alternatively change alot of scripts to replace it... Since it came from a submod it should already replace an existing ambo, hopefully the one that you want to replace in the first place.... If it doesnt and it's another vehicle proto than the one you intended to replace, you're probrably going to do best to just update the existing protos and re-add the doors and wheels yourself to the existing prototype.

Ah. Okay... Tackling this one now.