Tutorial: Creating Reskins

Although there are other guides out there already, this will try to be as beginner-friendly as possible. So many can abuse their powers of creating reskins.

Video Presentation

Video of the tutorial

Installing Proper Softwares

A few things you need to be able to retexture KF:

• Killing Floor

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You need the game to have the files. Get it.

• Editing software

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I use Photoshop, but free alternatives include Paint.net or Gimp.

• DDS plugin

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Some plugin that allows you to edit .dds files for your respective editing software. Google is your friend.

• Killing Floor Software Development Kit (SDK)

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Everyone with Killing Floor on steam has the KF SDK in their steam browser. Library>Tools>Killing Floor SDK. Install it and you're good to go.

Exporting Textures

Typically when reskinning/retexturing, you start with the base texture. For that, we need to export the skin.

NOTE: feel free to click on the pictures to enlarge them

• Open Killing Floor SDK

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Steam Browser > Library > Tools > Killing Floor SDK



It should end up looking like this. We'll be using the window the red arrow is pointing to










If that window is missing, go to View > Show Texture Browser

• Find the texture you want to edit

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Be in the texture browser/manager window of the SDK. Navigate through the packages (.utx files if you choose to use File > Open approach).

§ Most KF characters files start with KF_Soilder

§ Most KF weapons files start with KF_Weapons

• Export the texture

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Select the Texture (usually says "Texture" in front of the name and ends with [DXT3] or [DXT5]) and File > Export (or you can right-click > export file) and choose where to export it in your computer.

It will export as a .DDS file.

Edit Textures

Now it is up to your creativity and ability around the editing program. As this process is highly dependent on your editing software, this section is kept very brief.

• Open DDS file in editing program

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File > open usually works.

• Make changes

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Go crazy

• Save changes

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File > save into a .dds file. Either DXT3 or DXT5 compression does the trick.

Import into KF SDK

This is probably the trickiest section in the retexturing process, so follow closely.

• Open Killing Floor SDK

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Refer to first step of Exporting Texture

• Import via texture browser

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File > Import

Be sure to make your own package name. Group name is semi-optional; not needed, but a nice organizational feature.

• Create environment combiner

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File > New.

Name what you will (I usually add "_cmb_env" at the end) and change MaterialClass to the Class'Engine.Combiner'

In the properties (right-click > properties), place your texture as Material1 and Material2 as

TexEnvMap'KF_Weapons_Trip_T.reflection.weapon_reflection_env'

Also change the CombineOperation to CO_Add_With_Mask_Modulation.

• Create combiner

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File > New

Name what you will (I usually add "_cmb" at the end) and change MaterialClass to the Class'Engine.Combiner'

In the properties (right-click > properties), place your Texture file as Material1 and Mask and Material2 as your previous combiner.

Also change the CombineOperation to CO_AlphaBlend_With_Mask.

• Save package

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!!!!!!!!!MOST IMPORTANT STEP!!!!!!!!!
File > Save

Using Textures In-Game

To use weapon reskins in-game, I'll kindly direct you to Whiskey's Tutorial[forums.tripwireinteractive.com] as just replacing textures will only give you file-mismatch errors when you join multiplayer games.

To use character reskins though, all you have to do is redirect the character's .upl to your reskin. Although your 1st person arms do not change, it will replace the 3rd person skins for you.

Find your character's .upl file from ...killingfloor/system folder.

Right-click > edit/open with notepad or your favorite text editor.

Find where it says "BodySkin=" and replace what follows with the location of your retexture so it looks like so:

BodySkin=YourPackageName.YourGroupName.YourFileName_cmb

Example:
BodySkin=AwesomeReskin.3rdPerson.CoolDude_cmb

And that's it. Congrats!

Note: the _cmb is linked so reflective features are still present.

[Reptid]

@sR~"""'
That happens when you mess up something with the combiners and the _env textures orders. The solution (or atleast in my case) is to redo the cmb textures again.

[sR~]

My skin shows up at the character selection screen looking all oily, but when i start the game the skin still default.

help?

[Boudica]

I have been trying to get this working with any skin. When I export the file PS can't open it even with the NVIDIA plugin installed.
I have also tried some DDS converter websites and the DDS converter program but still no chance. When the texture files are open only a white canvas appears.

[Boudica]

With some characters like Mrs. Foster, I can only find 1st person textures :(

[Xutred]

A nice guide, THX!

[Reptid]

DEAR GOD, thank you!

[Kuebic]

In that case, I'd ask someone else, as I have not done either of that. Zedek the Plague Doctor or anyone else that ported a weapon over.

[SuspiciouspegasusTTV]

yes and models.

[Kuebic]

Do you mean porting textures from other games?

[SuspiciouspegasusTTV]

what about porting?