Hey so what if i want to make a new custom unit or slightly change a previous one in game physically like remove the feathers from the paladins head. What are the tools i need to do that? I was hoping to see a stickie post here for modding tutorials but i didn’t see it. I would like to give modding a try.
I see AoE2 HD has new units mods but i don’t see them here in AoE2 DE. I might be wrong though.
impossible hurdle right off the bat.
once you extract graphic file you’ll realize it is all in picture frames from a rotating 3D model. you don’t have the model so removing the feather isn’t an option, you can only batch editing each frame to remove feather. then you’ll realize units’ feather (even with same canvass on each frame) have different height with walking animation so batch edit probably doesn’t work unless you have some advanced AI software that can do it for you.
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Ouch man that hurt! Haha Thanks for the info! No wonder i haven’t seen new models in DE mods. Such a shame. Hopefully someone will pull it.
Well, honestly it’s not impossible at all. I remember doing shp edits for command and conquer that required the exact same type of editing. It can be done with any image editor you are comfortable with so long as you can open and then recompile the end results. You will have to just manually do it frame by frame, which sounds way worse than it actually is, especially with photoshop. It can be a little tedious, especially with the animations, but getting through the first few frames is always the hardest, once you have a decent workflow and your tools/brushes setup, like clone tool, or erase, etc it’s cake work, especially for when you are struggling to come up with new ideas or are stumped on some technical issue and you’re ready to pull your hair out. Some mindless mouse strokes, save, open, repeat can be just the thing you need to fill some time productively.
impossible used here as in extremely difficult. it is doable, even with the image editor tool without AI’s help. if you would like to help him remove the feather that is non stationary when a paladin is idle/walking/death/attack then by all means show us the easy way to do it, we all love to learn the easy way.
it is hard because theres over 2000 frames and editing each one manually is only an option for an idiot.
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The only option is the only option. If you have the motivation anything is possible. You’re calling the way that the artwork in almost every 2d game ever made idiotic. Given, the resolution of these models are significantly higher, and they are most likely at a higher frame rate as well. The only other option would be to what, somehow get the original 3d model file? or better yet, create one from scratch, including the animations, but this time without the feathers, and render each and recompile and get it all to match up to be indistinguishable from the original(aside from the feathers). I would argue that this method would be more likely the idiot option, but this is also another very possible method to accomplish the task at hand and is what one of the devs did to create the graphics in the game.
I’ll see what i can do and possibly use method one to do what you’re asking. I cannot use method 2 because i do not have the programs i used to have anymore and am terrible with animations. A way to extract, an image editor, and some time is all it would take. And a number over 2000 does not scare me. It’s the 20,000s and 40,000 that inspire fear, especially all over a feather. 11
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