High Poly Models

[MJB]

It's been a bit of a challenge, but this is a screen shot of Vanille using the high polygon model that is typically only used in the game engine generated cutscenes. So far, everything is working except you can't initiate a battle with this model as the party leader. Apparently there is something missing from the model file (some sort of "collision" area). Hopefully it's something I can track down and fix (copy from the main model more likely). You can certainly see differences in the shadowing and "round" items, like the earrings and the necklace.

High Poly Model
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1872034732

Low Poly Model
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1872029479

[MJB]

If you search around the web you can see several attempts to substitute models in the game with varying levels of success (usually with amusing results). Serah for Hope, for example. So I thought it would be a interesting diversion to give it a try as I wanted to dig into the texture files anyway. I don't know how much detail you were looking for, so here is was the general process along with some of the results along the way that I, and others, have had.

All the model files are located in white_scru.win32.bin file. Each of the main characters has two models. A low polygon model that is the one used during gameplay and a higher polygon model for the in-game generated cutscenes. I guess this gave SE the ability to have higher quality cutscenes without lower framerates as they could control the all the elements in each of the cutscenes. Each model has two files; a .trb file that contains the model information, and an .imgb file with all the texture data. The high polygon ones are models c001 through c006 with c201 through c206 being the low polygon ones.

If you just rename the two high polygon file the same as the low polygon ones (c001.win32.trb -> c201.win32.trb, and c001.win32.imgb -> c201.win32.imgb) and reload them into the game files, then you will get a humanoid shaped glowing white blob with the limbs akimbo. Like Here

If you edit the .trb file, renaming all the "c00" to "c20", so the model names like c001 becomes c201, then the textures seem to work, but the limbs and animation is still messed up (or if you swap characters). Seen Here

This is mainly because the skeletons do not match between the files. The model knows how everything is put together, but the animation work by moving the bones by index number, not by name (I think). So if in the original model, the "Left Arm" is bone index #10, and in the new model it is named the same but is now bone index #14, then the animation will still try to move bone #10, whatever that may be now. This is why you get those funny animation where odd limbs move and faces where things seem out of place.

Vanille is unique in the game as she has 3 model files and that is one of the reasons I chose to try this on her as I had several different models of the same character I could look at and compare duing the process. Luckily, her high poly model has all the bones of the low poly one (plus a few), but just in a different order. So what I did was swap the bones around (along with making other necessary adjustments, e.g. parent and child bone pointers) until the bone order was identical to the low poly model and all the extra ones were at the end of the skeleton bone list.

This actually yielded a successful model and animation in game. However, as I mentioned in the first post, there is still something missing as she can not initiate a battle as a party leader (can walk right through monsters), and also is never hit (takes no damage) when in the party. This kind of makes the whole thing still useless. So now when I need a diversion, I work on trying to identify what is missing from the model to get it to work properly or to find a different way to load the the model (substitute the meshes, shaders etc. into the base model)

Anyway, Fun Times!

[Nowa]

Looks awesome!!! Can I use it right now or it's still in development?

[MJB]

Originally posted by NaNo:

Looks awesome!!! Can I use it right now or it's still in development?

Unfortunately, no. Until I can fix the combat issue, it's not exactly useful.

[Nowa]

Originally posted by MJB:

Originally posted by NaNo:

Looks awesome!!! Can I use it right now or it's still in development?

Unfortunately, no. Until I can fix the combat issue, it's not exactly useful.

Ok, no problem. Keep it up!

[MJB]

So I was finally able to fix the combat issues by Frankensteining the two models together. However after some more testing, there is minor problem with 3 fingers on each hand when the model is "reloaded" (getting off a Chocobo, for example) that doesn't occur when it is first used. There are some discrepancies in the skeleton bones in the fingers between the two models where it looks like a few are "mislabeled" (or something like that). This should certainly be a fixable issue after I get a better understanding of what is actually wrong.

[MJB]

I think I have a working model. I've done some testing on Gran Pulse as well as the Sunleth Waterscape and things are looking good. Huge improvement in shadows and the higher resolution textures are also noticeable. I'm working on a tool/utility to automate the model changes and hopefully will have a mod ready to be uploaded this weekend. I'll then look at the other main characters, starting with Lightning to see if a similar process can be performed on them.

[NomNom]

Originally posted by MJB:

I think I have a working model. I've done some testing on Gran Pulse as well as the Sunleth Waterscape and things are looking good. Huge improvement in shadows and the higher resolution textures are also noticeable. I'm working on a tool/utility to automate the model changes and hopefully will have a mod ready to be uploaded this weekend. I'll then look at the other main characters, starting with Lightning to see if a similar process can be performed on them.

Nice work! Glad to see someone modding the game.

[MJB]

So I was trying the tool out that I am developing for the model swapping on Lightning, and while I made some quick initial (incorrect) guesses for the hair bones that didn't match between the models, it still worked fairly well. You can see in the screenshot the some of the differences between the two models, even in this cutscene. The thumb, glove, arm, clothing texture and detail, arm opening, etc.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1896408374

[MJB]

Mod uploaded to Nexusmods. If you try it and have any issues, let me know. Vanille, Sazh, Snow & Hope can be swapped out with their high quality models as they all could be converted the same way. Fang and Lightning need some additional work, especially Lightning. The only issue I know of is the Pulse brands don't show up correctly as it appears they are slightly below the skin due to model differences.

[MJB]

All 6 models are now available. Lightning's however is a hybrid with the high poly body, but with the normal hair. I will see if Serah, Lebreau or some of the other NORA folks can be substituted for the main characters with acceptable results.