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Emergency 3 skinning tutorial:
To give Vehicles a new appearance (skinning) in Emergency 3 is very easy, everyone can do it, even I.
Always make a backup of the Emergency 3 Data map first!
You will find the skins of vehicles in the Emergency 3 program directory, for example emergency 3 demo\\\\data\\\\models\\\\vehicles. Every emergency service has its own subdir in the vehicles dir. For example emergency 3 demo\\\\data\\\\models\\\\vehicles\\\\polizei ( in German version ) for police force cars ...\\\\ambulanze ( in German version ) ambulances and ...\\\\feuerwehr ( in German version ) for fire brigade. Skin-files finish on *.dds.
There are 2 ways to edit .dds files, with a Photoshop plug-in and by converting them to a standard graphics file format like .bmp with a program called DDS_converter. Both can be downloaded from this site.
How to install The Photoshop plugin:
First download the zip-file. Unzip all files, ( except .dll files ) in the map …\\\\Program Files\\\\Adobe\\\\Photoshop\\\\plugins, like this: Photoshop\\\\plugins\\\\em3. Unzip the .dll files in the main Photoshop dir, like this: …\\\\Program Files\\\\Adobe\\\\Photoshop. Now you can open .dds files using the File - Open menu option.
If you don\'t know how to use Photoshop, use the stand-alone program DDS_Converter.
Then you can make skins with the standard Windows Paint.
Tips:
• Always try to keep details intact, such as door handles and seams, this gives the best result.
• The easiest way is to use a real photo of your car.
• Most dds-files are half skins, meaning the skin contains only one side of the vehicle. The other side is the mirror picture of the first, this is especially a problem for texts, unfortunately there isn’t a solution for that yet.
• Texts and characters look better if you write them by your own hand, because most of the time the text option in graphic programs gives a bad result.
Finished with your new skin? Then you must save it to the right place… If it’s a:
• Policecar = stw.dds ( for example …\\\\emergency 3 demo\\\\data\\\\models\\\\vehicles\\\\polizei\\\\stw.dds )
• Emergency doctor\'s car = nef.dds
• Ambulance = rtw.dds
• Helicopter = rhc.dds
• Fire brigade = rw.dds
• Fire brigade ( car salvage vehicle ) = asf.dds
Etc.
Photoshop Plugin and Nvidia ddsplugin: Once you\'ve finished your skin first type the filename and file type ( .dds ), than save it with the following options: DXT1 RGB (No Alpha)â€, “2D Textureâ€en “No MIPmapsâ€.
If you use the DDS_Converter, first you must save your skin as a bitmap file ( .bmp ). After that you must put the file for example rtw.bmp back still in its original directory with the converter. So you get rtw.dds again. Start the game and check your own skins.
It doesn’t work, or you don’t like it? The only thing you have to do is put the original file back in its place.
Good luck
*( TRANSLATED FROM DUTCH TO ENGLISH BY JANTJUH )*
To give Vehicles a new appearance (skinning) in Emergency 3 is very easy, everyone can do it, even I.
Always make a backup of the Emergency 3 Data map first!
You will find the skins of vehicles in the Emergency 3 program directory, for example emergency 3 demo\\\\data\\\\models\\\\vehicles. Every emergency service has its own subdir in the vehicles dir. For example emergency 3 demo\\\\data\\\\models\\\\vehicles\\\\polizei ( in German version ) for police force cars ...\\\\ambulanze ( in German version ) ambulances and ...\\\\feuerwehr ( in German version ) for fire brigade. Skin-files finish on *.dds.
There are 2 ways to edit .dds files, with a Photoshop plug-in and by converting them to a standard graphics file format like .bmp with a program called DDS_converter. Both can be downloaded from this site.
How to install The Photoshop plugin:
First download the zip-file. Unzip all files, ( except .dll files ) in the map …\\\\Program Files\\\\Adobe\\\\Photoshop\\\\plugins, like this: Photoshop\\\\plugins\\\\em3. Unzip the .dll files in the main Photoshop dir, like this: …\\\\Program Files\\\\Adobe\\\\Photoshop. Now you can open .dds files using the File - Open menu option.
If you don\'t know how to use Photoshop, use the stand-alone program DDS_Converter.
Then you can make skins with the standard Windows Paint.
Tips:
• Always try to keep details intact, such as door handles and seams, this gives the best result.
• The easiest way is to use a real photo of your car.
• Most dds-files are half skins, meaning the skin contains only one side of the vehicle. The other side is the mirror picture of the first, this is especially a problem for texts, unfortunately there isn’t a solution for that yet.
• Texts and characters look better if you write them by your own hand, because most of the time the text option in graphic programs gives a bad result.
Finished with your new skin? Then you must save it to the right place… If it’s a:
• Policecar = stw.dds ( for example …\\\\emergency 3 demo\\\\data\\\\models\\\\vehicles\\\\polizei\\\\stw.dds )
• Emergency doctor\'s car = nef.dds
• Ambulance = rtw.dds
• Helicopter = rhc.dds
• Fire brigade = rw.dds
• Fire brigade ( car salvage vehicle ) = asf.dds
Etc.
Photoshop Plugin and Nvidia ddsplugin: Once you\'ve finished your skin first type the filename and file type ( .dds ), than save it with the following options: DXT1 RGB (No Alpha)â€, “2D Textureâ€en “No MIPmapsâ€.
If you use the DDS_Converter, first you must save your skin as a bitmap file ( .bmp ). After that you must put the file for example rtw.bmp back still in its original directory with the converter. So you get rtw.dds again. Start the game and check your own skins.
It doesn’t work, or you don’t like it? The only thing you have to do is put the original file back in its place.
Good luck
*( TRANSLATED FROM DUTCH TO ENGLISH BY JANTJUH )*
