Noob at skins need help :)

[Demented]

I think I understand the confusion here.
You want to download and use a Custom Car that has a Template you can use to make your own skin and are not sure how to use the template?
The easiest way to paint that Car is the way Tmarc suggested. Load that car into the Trackmania Painter - Paint it in there then save it with a new name.

If you really want to use a paint program to create a custom skin, the template zip for that specific car has two files in it. One with Prelight in the name and one with Wire in the name. These can both be used to see where and line up the different parts of the car model, but because every model is different identifying what the various parts are and how they line up on the car model can be a lot of trial and error work. You may have to paint a skin, save it, make adjustments and try it again. I'd recommend putting a different text or number on each section to identify them, save the skin and look at it in the editor on the car.
Also, these templates are tga files and are meant to use as layers in a graphic editing program such as Photoshop or PSP. Your finished skin will be the same size as these templates but must be saved as a .dds file for the game to read them.
Also your .dds file must replace the .dds file that is already in the zip file of the car. In this case SkinDiffuse.dds.
By the way you can use the SkinDiffuse.dds file from the zip as a template too or to simply paint over.
This skin is very similar to the Official Stadium Car skin.

[TMarc]

[LongLife]

I think I understand the confusion here.
You want to download and use a Custom Car that has a Template you can use to make your own skin and are not sure how to use the template?
The easiest way to paint that Car is the way Tmarc suggested. Load that car into the Trackmania Painter - Paint it in there then save it with a new name.

If you really want to use a paint program to create a custom skin, the template zip for that specific car has two files in it. One with Prelight in the name and one with Wire in the name. These can both be used to see where and line up the different parts of the car model, but because every model is different identifying what the various parts are and how they line up on the car model can be a lot of trial and error work. You may have to paint a skin, save it, make adjustments and try it again. I'd recommend putting a different text or number on each section to identify them, save the skin and look at it in the editor on the car.
Also, these templates are tga files and are meant to use as layers in a graphic editing program such as Photoshop or PSP. Your finished skin will be the same size as these templates but must be saved as a .dds file for the game to read them.
Also your .dds file must replace the .dds file that is already in the zip file of the car. In this case SkinDiffuse.dds.
By the way you can use the SkinDiffuse.dds file from the zip as a template too or to simply paint over.
This skin is very similar to the Official Stadium Car skin.

Yeah, that is the information that I needed but I already figured it out...I tried downloading that skin beside template , its just orange car and then I extracted it replaced all .dds files with my own and when I "zipped-it" again TM wouldn't load the skin it would show grey skin. But eventually I've found some YT video with like 1 view and he didnt extract the files he just made his own files and did overwrite in already ziped file...so yeah I found my way but thanks for the reply.



I have one question though, is there an easier way to preview skin other then saving skin then relaunching TM just to see the skin ?

[Demented]

I have one question though, is there an easier way to preview skin other then saving skin then relaunching TM just to see the skin ?

I wish there was. It can be time consuming when making small adjustments and can't quite get them lined up just right.
As far as I know there isn't. Someone made a car viewer years ago but you really couldn't see much with it. The best you can do now as far as I know is Alt+Tab the game but even then you still have to quite out of the car painter then reload your car into it and this seems to only work if you don't create a new zip for the car. A little trick I found though, if you delete the Diffuse.dds from the zip then drag and drop the new Diffuse.dds into it, you can exit the car painter and reload the car without having to quit out of TM. I'm not sure if this works with custom models but it does with the default Nadeo cars.

[TMarc]

Exactly.
Unless you have a 3D model that can be directly used in modelers to see the texturing, you normally need to close and start the game again and again to see your updated skin. It is a known limitation of the game.

[LongLife]

Exactly.
Unless you have a 3D model that can be directly used in modelers to see the texturing, you normally need to close and start the game again and again to see your updated skin. It is a known limitation of the game.

Oh, I totally forgot...I actually DO have 3D model



Now we are talking...so much easier this way

[Dommy]

Exactly.
Unless you have a 3D model that can be directly used in modelers to see the texturing, you normally need to close and start the game again and again to see your updated skin. It is a known limitation of the game.

Or you can press Ctrl + R to refresh currently displayed skin in Profile vehicle selection screen.

[LongLife]

Exactly.
Unless you have a 3D model that can be directly used in modelers to see the texturing, you normally need to close and start the game again and again to see your updated skin. It is a known limitation of the game.

Or you can press Ctrl + R to refresh currently displayed skin in Profile vehicle selection screen.

I generally thought you were kidding then I tried...pressed 1 time Ctrl+R and my skin disappeared, pressed 2nd time and then my game crashed...But it seems like it should work though, tried it multiple times and game crashed every time...

Luckily with 3D model in PS it's even faster to preview the skin but thanks for the tip, didn't know about that.

[Demented]

Cool to know. I wasn't even aware that Photoshop could display a model with skins.
What versions will do this? Or is it a plugin?

[xrayjay]

cs 4 extended (not the normal and elements version) and up can display 3d

a small how-to > http://www.trackmania-carpark.com/forum ... 31&start=0