Editing texture paths

[Garritos]

I am an Oxygen Newbie that happens to be making an island.  I need to compile a few old object addons into one PBO for distribution with the map.  I have been searching for a way to change texture paths in the P3D to the new PBO file.  Here is the problem:  I have O2 lite and Bulldozer up and running properly but I cant seem to open and P3D's in Oxygen.  any Ideas why or an easy way to change texture paths??

[BoNeCoLLeCToR]

I think you try to open orginal BIS p3d that are in ODOL format O2 cant open these files  
If you have Hex Edit you can change there the texture paths but it is a boring thing and takes time

[Garritos]

Well I dont have hex edit but im not trying to open BIS P3D files.  they are unofficial addons.  I cannot load any P3D's in O2 only make new ones  

[Garritos]

upon further research, the add-ons may be binarized   :'(

anybody got any tips on how to use a Hex Editor to change the paths?

[SelectThis]

"Hex editing odol p3ds.. a lost art"

by SelectThis

Back in the good old days before the abundance of editing tools available today, hex editing was the only way to make an addon..blah blah blah...

Instructions:
1) Find yourself a good hex editor program (I use Ultraedit) with a "replace" function in it.

2) back up the p3d you want to edit
3) open it in the hex editor, check that it is ODOL (should be in the first few letters of the hex code)
4) use the "replace" function to change the text of the texture paths. eg
data\texturename.paa

change to

mypbo\mytexturename.paa

The good thing about ODOL as opposed to MLOD is that you can change the number of letters (the the number of letters you are putting in don't need to be the same as the ones you are replacing). If you're editing a MLOD then they must be the same.

SelectThis

[sanam]

AwAwAW
--Keep your heads down fellows, HexaBytes are flyin' low today--

Aoutch ! I'm hit ! Tell my mother that A
                                       A
                                           A
                                                              a
                                                                     arg...

Thanks to Ol'Master SelectThis to remind us the very base of the stuff, it's ALWAYS usefull to have an alternate editing way.

'Cause today one must assume that HexJobs are quite Underground-Style, but once again it's usefull && thank you.

Now for Senor Garritos Bathtub of Problems...


Only my advice, I'm afraid, but well, you know, I'm ready.


First: Are you planning to implement other-people Addon's for distribution with your island, inside your very own PBO ?
And It happens that you can't open them for one reason or another ?

Well, just ask the Addon author: I suppose they gonna be DELIGHTED to learn that their hard-jobs will get a second life.

Well, maybe not ALL of them, but, okay, just ask.

...
--There is a topic around here with a guy looking for adjustable LightBulbs... He asked BAS and... Grmpf ok OffTopic & not nice from me--
...

So... with approval from the author, ask the original P3d & .CPP
And if he's not polite enough to answer, I would personnally consider feeling free tu use his work.

Un-politness is something that I... Sorry, I soon be back on my medication.

And when they say "NO YOU CANT USE MY WORK! Build your own LightBulb !" then you know it's not worth the waste of time.

;D By the community for the community;D

AM I RIGHT ?
Even if I am, I can see the dark clouds of  OffTopic Replies acumlulating at the edge of the horizon. What is copyright for un-paid job ? What is the secrecy in your sunday-afternoon's leisure occupation ? How do you qualify an amateur job that is better than the Pro one ?


BACK TO TOPIC, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, OK BOSS.

That is IF
-the addon is binarized - So check a lot of them, it's not so often.
-Your o2 & Bull are ok
-You tryed several unPBO'ing devices.

(I Favor the old Amalfi one)

Okay now I tell you something new: I'm currently writing an o2 Commented Commands manual. Yep.

Someone interested ? When you really hit all the keys, there is strange things that happens, I can tell...

(Ough a hell of a job, by the way... Config & selection commands OK, but so much work left... Ready to send to any potential reviewer, anyway)

So, now, we say that the wanted P3d is open & running.
(Please dear Co-posters continue to help him on this matter)

Make sure the "texture" window is open somewhere in your workspace. (select window/texture library or Alt+T)

Ctrl+DbleClick on a texture figured in this window will select all concerned faces.

E will pop-up properties for these faces.

Get out of O2 (Alt+Tab), copy && paste the texture from the original place to  your Future-PBO island folder and go back to O2

On the lowMost-rightMost corner of the Face-properties window you see a small button picturing a folder: Click.

NOW YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR PATH !

Yeppeeee .

Browse, go to your folder, select, apply & VOILA there you go.

Do not do this job for textures that resides into a "DATA"-called folder: it's the in-game one, it's common for all users. Only copy && re-path the addon-specific ones.

I talk a lot, right ? It's Tiring, ask my wife.

Ok, sorry I do know O2 almost but not quite more than a bit, & I don't know a systematic, one-for-all-of-them manipulation that will save your life about transferring textures.

You should also consider, with approval of the authors, distributing the other-addons "as is", in separate PBO but in the same RAR/ZIP file:

-First, it is the usual way
-Second, it gives the addon author a better credit, because his job is still re-usable by the downloader.

-Third && Most important: It spares you the full Config CPP hardwork for all these items that already got theirs. And the re-texturing job.

Think about this third one.

Bye, Bye, Ill keep posted.

Peacepunk.

[Garritos]

Thanx guys for all of your help!!  thank you to SelectThis... that was all I needed... after talking to ebud I learned that the models were from the demo so the hex editor worked like a charm.  The Pbo is done and all together... and if the island ever sees the light of day all of the various guys I stole from will be contacted and included in the readme.  Thanx also to Peacepunk for the detailed post... there is some good stuff in there that i will surely use.  but now i have the o2 bug and im anxious to start putting some quality textures on some of my old favorite add-ons.  can somebody point me in the right direction for a few good re-texturing tutes for o2 (other than FAB's excellent one).  Im off to search the editors depot.  


 cheers