Asset Creation - Modder Questions

[John_M]

Taleworlds is seeking to increase their documentation on asset creation and is interested in the help from the modding community. This thread is meant to organize and collect modders' questions on the topic. Participation from the community will allow a larger encompassing documentation for all.

The current collection of questions can be viewed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xvYs6UXQjZNFqaTnEbGaVCpHGVQ7Hwuj01WasTGbPpk/edit?usp=sharing

If you have questions about asset creation, post below. Formatting the questions and separating it from any comments would be appreciated. Categorize your questions using the headers or topics below. If you are unsure if your question is relevant, or unsure about it's categorization, ask anyways. The questions will be reviewed before being made presentable. Please focus on the questions and keep discussion to a minimum.

Importing and Exporting​

Importing and exporting assets to and from Bannerlord.

Resource Browser
Using the Resource Browser for asset creation or implementation.

Export Settings
Bannerlord may require different exports from different 3D software, the specific requirements could be specified for the community.

Tpac Organization
The way the folder structure is created within the Resource Browser, and in return, the structure of the generated TPACs.

Meshes​

Meshes or models for their use in BL.

Keyframes
Meshes can have keyframes that are necessary for some of the functions within the editor.

Naming Conventions
Meshes require naming conventions to be recognized for specific purposes by the editor.

Lods
Levels of detail are created for meshes to improve performance at a distance.

Polycount
The number or limit for meshes in Bannerlord.

Materials and Textures​

Materials created within the editor, their settings, and textures.

Materials
The settings available on materials.

Opacity
Using material settings and textures to create transparency on meshes.

Shaders
Using material settings and textures to create transparency on meshes.

Animations and Skeletons​

Modding animations and skeletons.

Vertex Animation
Animations that are baked into a mesh and the frames imported into Bannerlord.

Custom Skeletons
Custom skeletons that have been added by modders.

Custom Animations
Custom animations that have been added by modders.

Asset Implementation​

Workflow pertaining to implementing assets(weapons, armours, characters, UI, scene props, etc) properly in game.

2D Art and User Interface
Textures/images that make up the user interface.

Characters/races/mounts
Implementing custom characters and mounts, or editing the existing ones.

Cloth Physics
The use of simulation meshes and vertex alphas to create cloth physics.

Weapons
Getting ranged and melee weapons and shields to work and look properly

Armours
Adding armours to Bannerlord.

Scene Assets and Prefabs
Adding or overriding scene assets or prefabs with the editor.

Modding Resources​

Taleworlds has provided 3 skeletons as modding resources for the community, they may choose to continue and expand these.

Skeletons
Skeletons for modders to rig their assets to.

Other
Any other resource outside of the mod tools that may be considered for the modding community.



Thank you for your assistance!

 

[Lucon]

Thanks again to @John_M for a good and useful topic.

 

[HyperCharge]

Custom Animations
how to properly add custom animations?

 

[takeoshigeru]

Resource Browser

• Is it possible to export an asset from the resource browser? For example I would be interested in editing the color of "Mission\hero_icon" in the hud.
• How to pack assets? The documentation mentions that you can pack your assets but doesn't explain how.

2D Art and User Interface

• Can I create sprite sheets from the editor and how to use them?
• How to enable UI debug mode? The method TaleWorlds.Engine.GauntletUI.UIResourceManager.Update checks that NativeConfig.GetUIDebugMode is true to hot reload GUI changes. What is NativeConfig and how to modify it?

 

[Adonnay]

I would love a detailed tutorial/description on how to import bows and crossbows (and or course quivers) preferably using Blender.

 

[TheOldRealms]

Resource Browser

• Implementation of items without xmls. Being able to input Attributes (Like item parts for weapons for example: Guard, blade, hilt or Length, weight) to added items in the resource browser
• HDR map for substance painter

Materials and Textures

• Being able to project banners on armor like shields
• Use ID color maps on shields like on armor (would save a lot of performance, time and loading time: That means we could use one texture/material for multiple shields)
• More ID Colors for Banners
• Import pictures (.png or .tiff) to be used on banners
• Change Materials on one object or change with the state of the object (Change status of a weapon visually like rusty, broken)

Animations and Skeletons

• How to create joints outside of the mod tools?
• Auto-Generate-Joints Function is not working
• Documentation on how to add/edit custom animations
• If you create ID in the action set xml, the game crashes - so its currently not possible to add new animation sets for different skeletons.

Characters/races/mounts

• Specify a race (like a custom skeleton, Body meshes, animation etc...) to a Kingdom/clan/faction. Like for example Dwarfs, Orcs, etc...
• Being able to make custom races

Scene Assets and Prefabs

• Vertex Painting in the modding tools is not working
• Editing the World Map crashes the game
• Custom World maps have broken terrain
• Custom decals atlas creation doesn't work

Modding Resources

• Provide Animations to test rigging inside 3D Tools

Other

• Being able to edit more through the Modding tools instead of xmls.
  Or maybe a xml editor within the modding tools?
• Make modding tools more beginner-friendly
• A way to add intro animations (Intro Video)
• At Beta 1.5.7 having any modules (even empty ones) increases the loading times drastically
• It seems that you cannot import a 16k RAW file for a heightmap because you have to set the dimensions of the RAW in the scene editor, and the prompt is capped at 4 digits, which makes it impossible to 16384
• A way to see when/if the official TaleWorlds Documentations has been updated or what has been changed/added. Would be very helpful to know.
• an easy way to access and possibly change the UI elements of the game, or at least the locations of all the UI elements listed out
• let resource browser see the tpac files of the other modules besides native
• a separate changelog for the modding tools on steam

 

[FullmetalAnalyst]

How do i remove a native faction / kingdom / lord from the game?
Basically i want to create a conversion mod with only 4 main factions, how would i get rid of the remaining factions without breaking the game?

 

[The_Schwarz]

My question, is something I have not researched fully yet and is about skins and their application to the agent object.

Edit: I revisited this and noticed my first attempt was a little confusing. Below is the second attempt.

I think that it is pretty straight forward to manipulate the current or create a new skins.xml with the tools. By simply following the native lay-out I believe I could create several new skins using altered meshes for the body_meta's seen below:

<skin id="skin_default_id"
          gender="0"
          name="man"
          mesh_maturity_type ="adult"
          morph_key="0"
          uses_stitching="true"
          body_mesh_suffix=""
          min_scale ="1.07"
          skeleton="human_skeleton"
          body_meta_mesh="body_male_a"
          body_meta_mesh_shoulders="body_male_a_sh"
          body_meta_mesh_upperbody="box_a"
          legs_mesh="feet_male_a"
          hands_mesh="hands_male_a"
          face_meta_mesh="head_male_a"
          underwear_bottom_mesh="underwear_male"
          underwear_top_mesh="" >

My question is how via C# does a person get / set or alter the current skin of an existing Agent? Is there some setting that I haven't found in the Agent object that could be set? Same goes for "Mission.Current.SpawnAgent".... how can I set/apply a skin?

 

[Snah1979]

Hi!

I have created GauntletLayer which I host load from city menu. In the layer I have EditableTextWidget in which I want to capture some text. It works all fine except when I click on shortkey key, then for example for L the encyclopedia is loaded and my widget doesnt get the "L" letter. As I could deduct the events are not passed down from input to layers to widgets with focus. How can I make it work, is it even possible? I was looking little how it is done in option to capture key changes. There some mock is used in form of KeybindingPopup which uses own GauntletLayer and does some magic inside which seams quite complicated. Is there "easy" way to get what Im looking for? IE disabling shortcuts in my GauntletLayer?

 

[John_M]

Hi!

I have created GauntletLayer which I host load from city menu. In the layer I have EditableTextWidget in which I want to capture some text. It works all fine except when I click on shortkey key, then for example for L the encyclopedia is loaded and my widget doesnt get the "L" letter. As I could deduct the events are not passed down from input to layers to widgets with focus. How can I make it work, is it even possible? I was looking little how it is done in option to capture key changes. There some mock is used in form of KeybindingPopup which uses own GauntletLayer and does some magic inside which seams quite complicated. Is there "easy" way to get what Im looking for? IE disabling shortcuts in my GauntletLayer?

Sorry, this thread is unrelated to Gauntlet, perhaps you might find help in the QnA https://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php?forums/modding-q-a.538/

My question is how via C# does a person get / set or alter the current skin of an existing Agent? Is there some setting that I haven't found in the Agent object that could be set? Same goes for "Mission.Current.SpawnAgent".... how can I set/apply a skin?

Currently, you can't. It's something on TW's radar, so hopefully they will provide a fix for this at some point.

 

[The_Schwarz]

Sorry, this thread is unrelated to Gauntlet, perhaps you might find help in the QnA https://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php?forums/modding-q-a.538/



Currently, you can't. It's something on TW's radar, so hopefully they will provide a fix for this at some point.

Thanks