SA Modding Guide - GTASA Modding guide Part-2

What is modding?

Modding also means modifying (“modding” word is not in the dictionary). It mostly refers to GTA games but it could be used in anything that involves giving a touch, mostly unofficial. There are few types or methods of modding. These methods are used by the beginners to the experts who are keen to GTA modding. These methods are also used to modify other GTA Series’ 3d game (I am not sure about GTA IV and V because I have not played them). This I am going to explain this because these contents are very important for this guide as it is the main overview and the understanding point for all readers. Below are some famous styles of modding GTA San Andreas.

1. Texture editing: This is the most common and easy way of getting into the game of GTA San Andreas. When I was new to this game, I had no idea that we can also modify the game and the famous game like GTA San Andreas. But after some tries I was successful to modify the game and it wasn’t so hard at all. Most of the people who are beginners in GTA modding will definitely try it because it is exciting and not so hard at all. This modification method just require you to download the tool for editing .txd files (the texture files) and then load the desired txd file either from .img(the archive for storing several game files) or from folders like models. The highly recommended file for opening txd files is TxdWorkshop (the latest version up to this article written date is v4.9). 

TXD WORKSHOP

Txd files mostly contain multiple images or textures which can be extracted in .png, .bmp and .tga graphic file formats. We can also replace the existing images by the images of same formats of extracting. BMP file will not extract the image with transparent background, only PNG can. But always backup before modding because if you do so then you can fix mistake or restore the files. It’s easy modify vehicles texture, just fire up txd workshop and then open gta3.img archive (this archive contains most of the game models and their COLs and textures) and then select any car’s txd file for example, sentinel.txd, shamal.txd, etc. If the vehicles have poor UV map then the texture is not good. The HD models have very detailed texture. You can also modify the textures of map items (map items are all models of physical world, e.g. building, bridges, poles, towers, etc). I cannot say the texture filename of all the models. Here is a list of few if you want to start or you are a beginner. All the map models and texture are in gta3.img:

i. Golden Gate Bridge, San Fierro: goldengate_sfw.txd

ii. The big satellite dish: des_telescopestuff.txd    

iii. The long tower near satellite dish: des_transtower.txd

iv. The rail bridge, San Fierro: railbridge_sfse.txd

v. Verdant Meadows airport runway: des_ne.txd  

vi. Verdant Meadows airport elements: des_boneyard.txd

vii. Military aircraft carrier, San Fierro: carrier_sfse.txd

viii. TV tower, San Fierro: tvtower_sfs.txd

I cannot tell you all. You can view the entire map texture item easily by using Medor GTA San Andreas map editor. See the explanation about map editing and this software in the topic below.

2. Map editing: In my point of view, this is the most interesting and best way to start the advance modding in the GTA modding world. Map editing means modifying the world of GTA San Andreas. For this method you need to know about some very important configuration of GTA San Andreas. Well, the most or root folder of the GTA San Andreas map is %game directory%/data/maps/:

As you can see that there are some 8 folders (in default). These folders contain two types of folder i.e. “.ide” and “.ipl”. IDE files formats usually refer to some other programming language format (not sure which one). But in GTA San Andreas IDE file means the definition file of the map items. IDE file defines the items, giving definition means giving ID, model and texture. We can create a custom IDE file or use the pre files. In easy language IDE files mix up the models and its texture and make up the map item for the placement. The files with IPL formats are the files which gives the coordinates to the IDE items. I mean the lines in IPL files place the 3d models and give them ID, Coordinates (x, y, and z) and rotations. We can edit the lines via any simple text editor (notepad recommended). But it is not possible to make a new mod using the lines only so in order to place it visually or like placing in the game itself we have to use MED or Map Editor (currently v0.32) is latest. I am going to post a whole new tutorial about this tutorial is later parts. In the maps folder the 3 cities and county have different IDE and IPL in their own folders. Country folder has the files of Bone County and Flint County. LA has Los Santos’s file, SF has San Fierro’s file and Vegas has the Las Ventures file. Generic folder has the IDE definitions of the objects like doors, dumpsters, etc. (not buildings). There are other folders and files which has the configurations for other files.

3. Coding: This is one of the hardest method, if you don’t know how to write the codes. Honest writing, I don’t know this method very well. I just know how to modify the codes and write some simple scripts like Parked car generator, player teleporting, marker and radar icon placing and some other. There are some programs for doing this but the best is Sanny Builder 3. For running the script, we need CLEO. CLEO is library which hooks the exe function of GTA San Andreas. After installing CLEO a folder named “CLEO” is placed in main directory of the game and we have to place our script in it. Most common format is “.cs”. Other formats like “.cm” can also be placed though. Download it. Latest version currently is v4.**. To write scripts simply download SannyBuilder. I will explain about this software little later along with MED. Coding help us to add some more functions or feature in the game. CLEO is available for GTA3, GTA Vice City, and GTA San Andreas. GTA IV has similar library but different name because the file system of GTA IV is different them the earlier GTAs. The example of a simple script is:

The script above generates a Sanchez motorbike in Mt. Chiliad’s top.

As already said I will explain their working in the separate tutorial of Sanny Builder.

4. Vehicle handling editing: This is quite easy and not so important at all. But if you want to be a good modeler then you have to know something about it. The main handling file i.e. the file which defines the vehicles weight, drag, turn mass, etc is handling.cfg. It can be easily opened by notepad but if you don’t understand what is written inside it then just download GTA San Andreashandling editor and you can see the data in correct place. In handling.cfg you can see 4 sections especially i.e. 2 wheelers, 4+ wheelers (cars, trucks and other vehicles), water vehicles and air. There also the plane’s handling lines in cars section because on land the planes have to work as the cars but after takeoff in air the plane has to work with different handling file and the files are marked with $ in front. Skimmer (air- water plane) and sea sparrow (air-water helicopter) don’t have their cars’ handling files; instead they have boat’s handling line because before takeoff they act as boats. The handling title and their function are:

Image adopted from www.projectcerbera.com

 For complete list of handling heading and their meaning go to this URL.

      

5. Modeling: This is also hard but we don’t need to know any code for it but this modeling is a lot heavier than any other modding. The model file format used in GTA San Andreas is “.dff”. We can modify the model quite easily after some practices and some mistakes. We need to adopt according to the 3d software we are using to modify these models. The most common programs are, i) Autodesk’s 3ds max, ii) Zmodeler 2 and iii) Gmax. I use Zmodeler 2 because I don’t have good internet to download 3ds max and I don’t like Gmax. Zmodeler 2 is very good and light program. It has its own pre-installed “.dff” import script. But we need to install custom import max script in Gmax and 3ds max. The one script I know is Kam’s Max Script. If you really want to be a professional modeler then I recommend you to buy 3ds max but if you just do it for fun like me then just download 3ds max cracked or hacked version or simply download Gmax. FYI Gmax is very similar to 3ds max but it lacks many features. I use Zmodeler 2, Zmodeler 3 has also been released but I don’t like it and it doesn't have .dff import script.  I don’t know much about 3ds max so if you want the tutorial then I can’t help you. There are tons of tutorials in YouTube and some GTA Forums. As I have been saying, along with other program’s tutorial I will post some tutorial about modding the models using Zmodeler. In that tutorial I will also show UV mapping, i.e. texturing the model.

I will post the other part very soon. So please keep visiting and commenting.