How to edit skins?

[Draucus]

I want to know how you guys edit your skins on halo.
If you use a certain tool, what kind of tool do you use?
If I do not know how to use it could you tell me how to use it?
If you don't know an easy way to explain it, then I will see if I can find a tutorial on youtube.

[Draucus]

Hello....
anyone?

[Igor]

*poke*
You need a program called HMT (Halo mapping tools)
Google it, and download.
Then with that you open up a map. C/: > Program etc.... Halo> maps > blood gulch (just as example.)
Then in the program opens all the bits and bobs for the maps. Go to the 5th one down (i think) called Bitmaps (234) < should have a large number, can't remember what. Then scroll down to find vehicles/warthog/vehicles/warthog < i think. Click it, and on the right will come up the default hog skin. Go to halomods.com and sign up to the forums, then under the board Halo PC is a sub board called Downloads. Search the threads for hog skins, download them. Then go back to your HMT and below the pic of the current skin is a button called inject texture. Click it, then search/open the skin you downloaded, and it replaces it for all maps. Some skins have rims and a turret bit, so they go with vehicles/warthog/vehicles/tires or something like that.

[Draucus]

Oh ok, I already have HMT.
Thanks a lot, Igor.

[Igor]

No problem

[AR~H@ngm@n]

I see that there is a generic skin for what appears to be both hogs (rocket and chain), yet in the game, rocket hogs are black and chains are gray/green.  I'm interested in painting the rocket hogs one color and chains another... am I missing something?

[Igor]

I missing something?

Yes, but it is my fault.
I forgot to mention about the RHog, this has a different file name. Its under vehicle/rhog/vehicle or something like that. They are separate files for each vehicle. So separate defaults. I forgot to say about that sorry.

[A41~CET]

To edit hog skins I use a couple different programs.

1st:

HMT 3.5

This program gets the files out of your halo game.   You can save the skins in a DDS format on your computer.

2nd:

You will need some kind of program to convert the DDS program to a workable Paint file.

I use DXTbmp.

This program will allow you to take your DDS file and convert it to a BMP file.  And then reverse the opperation to get the BMP file back to a DDS file to work in your halo program.

3rd:

You will now need an editing program for pictures,  GIMP, Photoshop and what ever you have.

I use Paint Shop Pro X.





You can download the above files for free,  just google them.   



The process is as follows:

Open up a halo map like Igor states above.

You then take your hog skin and save it to your computer.

Open up your DXTBmp program and convert your file to a BMP image.

Edit your BMP image in your paint program and then save it as another file name.   

(MAKE SURE YOU SAVE YOUR ORIGINAL FILE SO YOU CAN PUT IT BACK IN IF YOU WISH.)

Take your new BMP image and convert it back to DDS using your DXTBmp program.

Now you can open up your map again and install your new skin into your game.



I hope I didnt mess anybody up by posting this.   This is just how I have edited my hog skins.