Do you Want to mod SW-KotOR? Then Start here.Mod Tutorials!

[T7nowhere]

Note that we are currently reviewing tutorials and the links hereinbelow may not have been updated. Please verify our new modding tutorials forums at the top of the main page at Holowan labs to get the lastest version as well as brand new tutorials.


Last Updated January 22, 2004 If you know of a thread you have found helpfull PM me and I'll add it. All recently added threads will have NEW infront of the name.

I decided to compile this list so that people will have easy access to what I think are the most important threads in this forum to date.

I hope this helps new and veteran modders alike. Mostly I want to keep the really informative threads from being lost amongst the chaos.
It should be noted If your new to modding SW-KotOR Then you can find all of the tools availible @ Tools and Mods

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Tutorials:
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NEWWaypoints DONE
How to recruit an npc in less than 10 steps DONE
Editing Items Using KotOR Tool - Tutorial
Achilles' Lightsaber walkthrough
Module and Dialogue Creation in depth Tutorial
How to Make your Saber Upgradeable
Introduction to SW:KotOR Modding with Fred Tetra's Kotor Tool
How to add journal entries
A guide to "new area" creation
Tutorial for changing models
Tutorial for adding retextured NPC armor as new items.
Tutorial On Creating Custom Items
How Lightsabers were built. OR the chaotic Saber genesis
Want to make a custom Lightsaber
Removing Item Restrictions
Turn Clothes into more than just a fasion statement
On texture editing and adding new reskined player heads
Adding new item properties (The combinations are almost endless)
Can I make my own item?
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3D modeling
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Modeling tips: tuts For Gmax and 3DSMax 4 KotOR A complete intro to modeling for KotOR. DONE
KotOR model tool Extract and decompile KotOR models.
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Texture Reskinning:
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Texture overlay defining a pattern and using layer effects
step by step for a white saber blade
step by step for a black saber blade
PS texture editing: Making Alpha channels(post 9) DONE
Armor textures and the uti's they belong too. Decoded DONE
Photoshop Tips

Making textures transparent useing Photoshop
PS tutorials: Texture_Preparation, Texture_Extraction

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Scripting: I have not tried all of these scripts so if they won't work for you don't blame me
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NEW How to create your own Padawan mod?
NEW Travelling to other planets IS possible, try it. (Syntax error in k_inc_ebonhawk.nss) DONE
NEW Syntax Error in KotOR2 nwscript.nss
Starting cutscenes DONE
Rapid Transit System on custom made planets DONE
npc exit script DONE
Scripting Tip: the power of ExecuteScript command DONE
Random Explosions Tutorial DONE
NCSRIP Small utility that extracts all *.ncs files from all *_s.rim files. You can then use nwnnsscomp to decompile all *.ncs files, which you can then search using a command line such as
How to create a custom force power DONE
Extending force power time
Spawning Npc's
Debug functions in scripts DONE
Talk - Fight - Talk sequence DONE
How to use HazardX's .nss compiler
A couple usefull links for scripting functions + Tutorials
Useing globals with dialogs
A script to initiate a new dialog
A script to change the player model (could be used to disguise the PC at a plot
Earlier post of the same script with some more useful info
Tired of your party members? Want more Jedi?
Playing as Bastila
Function to teleport you to another location
Question about romance mod..
How to plant player made items in the game
And
more of how to plant items
A script to make an npc attack you when attached to dialog

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2DA editing:
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Numbered animations in Animations.2da and their effect.
Adding New selectable PC's
Spells.2da column descriptions
See Gleaner’s post (6th down) on featgain/classpowergain.2da editing
Editing classes.2da to add more Feats
ON classpowergain.2da feats.2da
Editing forceadjust.2da
Editing Appearance.2da to replace PC models with NPC ones (Darth Bandon body)

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Miscellaneous:
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how do i make masks invisible
How to add lipsync and voice to a custom dialog DONE
Play a new game with the inventory from your last game (Warnning I advise you to remove all the plot items from INVENTORY.res before doing this)
How to get the HotG and MotF Early in-game
A discussion about models
Texture editing
Useful features in swkotor.ini
Holowan CloakWorks (I thought I would add this)
A level in taris that you can't get to in the game, but can warp to.
Deconstructing the yuthura mod

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Web links:
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Lilac Soul's NWN Script Generator is designed for NWN,But it may help you get started Scripting and point you in the right direction.
NWN scripting functions
Biowares NWN script Forum
Bioware Dev section. Very useful
TrainingTools.com
This is a great site with many Tutorials For Apps like Photoshop(5.5-7).

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Mod Ideas:
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Armor creation project
Adding Yuthera
A Story concept

If any of the links are broken please let me know. And remmber there many more informative posts that are here. So the search function is your friend.

[Commas]

dude you freaking rock.

thanks for all this work, it is most useful, nomination for stickiness

[Jackel]

"nomination for stickiness"

seconded

only change id make , is to the one talkingbaout changing your NPC people classes , you can also do this in tk102's save game editor now , which makes for some fun

[Boba Rhett]

Motion carried.

[Kitty Kitty]

Nice job T7. Been meaning to do something like this myself but just plain haven't had the time. Hopefully this will cut down on the "lost noob" factor a little bit and help people find some of the help they need.

And thanks for the sticky btw Boba Rhett. Kinda pointless to even compile this sort of post without them getting tacked up and all.

-Kitty

[T7nowhere]

Originally posted by Kitty Kitty
Hopefully this will cut down on the "lost noob" factor a little bit and help people find some of the help they need.

-Kitty

My thought exactly. I don't mind helping people to get started, I myself am still very new to this stuff. But most of the "noob" questions have been answered many times. So to save people time and frustration, I thought this was the best idea. The more that people know about how to mod KotOR the better this community will become and we will start seeing the ambitious mods that everyone wants. Such as new worlds, story, NPC's and quests.

[Gerasimb]

Where can I find some info about new dialods in the game? About .dlg format...

[tk102]

Regarding the .dlg format:
Here's a document I found at nwn.bioware.com/developers.

DLG Format

[messkell]

nice organization t7.

thanks

[dufflover]

Yes finally. A starters' guide (well, sorta).

Big applause to T7!
When new ideas or tutorials are written, will you just edit the original top thread?

otherwise searching through this thread would not be much different to searching through the forum.

[T7nowhere]

Ya, I will keep the first post updated atleast once a week, but probly more often than that.

So far I have only added one new thread in the scripts section. I was originally thinking of just adding threads that hit the second page, But I think instead I will add threads that have relevant information on how to mod a specific part of KotOR.

And I guess I could add NEW to each new thread.

I welocome any suggestions on keeping this thread current and usefull or better organized.

[Jackel]

what about putting at the top of the page

"last update : 9th march" or something , so we can just come in , check the update date and see if there is anything new .. hmm this is also an idea ill pass on to Kitty , should make checking if there is no mods easier aswell ..

thanks for making me think T7

[Gerasimb]

Thanks for link about Dlg format. Another question: How can i make my own conversatoin? and what tool i need for this(NWN toolkit is useful?) Or edit originals dlg files with "copy And paste"?

[Juriel]

You can use the GFF Editor to modify the dialog files directly, but that is a very annoying method. However, to my knowledge that is the only way to MODIFY them - you can look at them in NWN's toolset (if you replace NWN's dialog.tlk with KotOR's), but if you change them in that, you seem to lose the attached scripts and animations. The toolset does allow you to make new ones easily enough, though.

[Panglicar]

how can i edit a sword to have lightsaber properties..like blaster bolt deflection... ? i tried using genoharadan sword but in the game i got a lightsaber version of it...something very very green pretty weird though..

i'm asking this because my video card has a glitch when i'm using lightsabers in wide spaces...and i hate that ... it makes the game look crappy

[T7nowhere]

I don't know if that is possible. I'll look into it when I get some time. I wouldn't hold my breath though, it probly does not work that way.

[darth makaan]

hmm

how do i combine 2 difference appearance 2da files into one so those 2 mods can work together?

[parazie_X_]

i made a custom saber and i want it to be upgradable and functional i foloewed your tutorial and it dosent work like it should suposed and i would like to know what im doing wrong!
and if some body have some custom tectures for my swoop bike and the ebon hawk send them to parazite_X_@hotmail.com
thank you !

[Poggle]

how do i combine 2 difference appearance 2da files into one so those 2 mods can work together?

basically you just have to copy the edited fields from one 2da to the other a bit time consuming but i think its the only way

[Nikana]

hmmm... i download kotor tools and it doesnt work why?
it says something like this:
"It didn´t work to initiate the program correctly (0xc0000135).Press OK to close the program"

[Poggle]

Have you downloaded the microsoft developers network framework 1.1?

[Nikana]

aha! well i download it but when i press ctrl +alt+del then i see that i takes up a WHOLE lot of memory why?

[noob_AZN]

i cant read the photoshop tutorial by suchan...anyone know why?

[T7nowhere]

His site is apparently gone. I have tryed to contact him but, I have recieved no responce. I'll upload the version I have of it.

[pascalneder009]

I think Suchan is gone cause he has only his avatar pic at his site

His lightsaber tutorial is also gone

[T7nowhere]

Ok I deleted that link as well. I have sent Suchan271's PS tutorials to uru so when he gets them up I'll add the links again. Sry I don't have the Lightsaber tutorial so if anyone has that you can let uru know and I'm sure it will get put up.

[EvilPNMI]

I'm late to do it, but thanks T7 for your hundred thousand of link!

I discovered this forum not so long ago (we're always late, nous les français...) and there are just so many things to read!

Began reskinning my own character (thank to Kitty's tutorials too!) and I must confess every post is valuable here.

Okay for this.

I will ask only one question :

what about a 3DViewer in Ktools?
When working on a skin, it's such a pain in****** since I have to launch the Game, and when the skin doesn't fit my wills, I have to quit and work again on photoshop. And then I have to launch Kotor again, and again and again....

So. What about a 3D Viewer?
Maybe it's already done??? I should read all the posts then... Well if there already is an aswer for this in any post in HLabs, just blame me for the bother.
If not... what do you think?

Ok now everybody, I wish you a pleasant day and long nights (If I don't tell rubbish, you should find this in "Wizard and Glass" by S.King... If I do, it must be something like that...)

E.P.

[JedI_XtRmIsT]

@EP

no there isn't (to my knowledge) a 3d viewer it would be nice but there isn't one

[T7nowhere]

The model formatt has not yet been cracked so you'll have to wait a while for a 3d model viewer.

[EvilPNMI]

I am able to wait for a long long time...
Till it comes out, I'll continue working with that KTOOLS-Photoshop-KOTOR method.

@T7 : do you allow me to translate your tutorials in french for those who'd like to MOD Kotor? I have the same question for all those who put a Tutorial here, anyway...

Another question for you, T7 : you mentioned the fact that there were two entries for Light Side heads in heads.2da (or appearance? Damn, I should check before asking!! Sorry), is there any possibility to enable Angel Faces?

Wish you pleasant days again....

E.P.

[T7nowhere]

@T7 : do you allow me to translate your tutorials in french for those who'd like to MOD Kotor?

Ofcourse you can translate anything( as long as credit comes back here) I have written. The whole reason I write anything is so that others can learn what I have about Modding KotOR. In the next couple weeks I will be writing a couple tutorials for http://www.map-review.com/ I will start by bringing what I have posted here into a more cohesive tutorials.

Another question for you, T7 : you mentioned the fact that there were two entries for Light Side heads in heads.2da (or appearance? Damn, I should check before asking!! Sorry), is there any possibility to enable Angel Faces?

Yup there in heads.2da. Funny thing about that is I haven't tried to get them to work or even to see if they do. I think Kitty tried it a while back,but couldn't get it to work. But sinse you asked I just gave it a quik test and unfortunately there was no change in the skin. There might be someway to enable it, but I'll leave that up to you if you want to try it. It is possible that the function and those columns are just a remanent of something Bioware was thinking of adding.

[EvilPNMI]

Ofcourse you can translate anything( as long as credit comes back here) I have written.

I'll do the translation then, and I'll try not to forget you! Well, I will not forget to credit you nor anyone who'd put a tutorial and allow me to translate it.

There might be someway to enable it, but I'll leave that up to you if you want to try it.

Well. Ok EP, let's finish your skin, you got real work ahead!
Oh, my god! Is it really the Tower? Yes my son. Go west and you'll find answers...

See you all!

[shukrallah]

Interesting. I just got KOTOR, Im about half way through with it. I think when Im done modding for Jedi Academy, I might make a few KOTOR moddifications. Its a pretty good game. A lot longer than Academy.

[Achilles]

Hi all,

To preface this message, I want to clearly state to all that I have about 15 minutes of experience with Photoshop. If you are able and willing to help me, I will greatly appreciate it, but please use small words and lots of detail =)

On to my question: how would one go about creating a custom sabercrystal color in photoshop? I'm sure that this software has a custom lightsaber crystal wizard somewhere that will do it all for me, but I can't seem to find it. If you've had some success with this yourself, would you please be kind enough to share your wisdom with me?

TIA,
Achilles

[Mav]

Achillies buddy, I don't think you really need photoshop for a simple blade color. All you really need is MSpaint. All you do is make a 128x128 pixel painting fill it in with black then add your saber color into the middle in circles, although photoshop would be better since you can save it as a .tga.

[Achilles]

Originally posted by maverick187
Achillies buddy, I don't think you really need photoshop for a simple blade color. All you really need is MSpaint. All you do is make a 128x128 pixel painting fill it in with black then add your saber color into the middle in circles, although photoshop would be better since you can save it as a .tga.

I've tried that but have been upable to get the nice blended look that the orginal saber crystals have. Many of my attempts make it look like the "light" was replaced with a glowing stick. Know what I mean?

[Mav]

What you may want to try if you have photoshop is make your usual 128x128 pixel image and fill it with black again and if you just want a single color than pick the airbrush tool and small spray and then just click a few times until you see a small solid circle in the middle then what you want to do is go to the gamma correction edit thing and increase it until you get the glow you are looking for. I think that should work I'll give it a try too and post up a screenie.

Mav

[Mav]

saber 1

For this one don't mind the little white line it must have been a screen capture error or wahtever.

saber 2


Okay which one are you after?

saber one is simple all you do is take the airbrush tool and make it a little wider than you want the width of the blade and set the flow rate to really really slow and click and hold this should give you that "blend" you are looking for.

the only difference in saber 2 is that white-ish glow in the middle to get that do the same as above and then if you are suing photoshop go to image>adjust>curves or hit ctrl+m to bring up the curve option and tinker with that until you have a light color in the middle of the color circle.

Hope this Helps,
Mav

[Achilles]

Thanks! I'll continue to tinker, but my end goal is to make images similiar to the w_lsabrexxxx01 found in the tpa.erf directory (but in different colors).

Cheers,

Achilles

[Mav]

you could try to extract those ones and open them in photoshop and just use the replace color option it might work???