Was cookedPC there from the beginning in W2 and can we get an equivalent for Witcher 3?

[thibaudv]

Was cookedPC there from the beginning in W2 and can we get an equivalent for Witcher 3?

The game has been released for almost three months and we have next to no mod support. I understand that releasing the modding tools is a big deal, but why can we not have an override folder (like CookedPC for Witcher 2)?
Is this because the engine works differently? Or is it there but has no one found it yet?

I feel like I'm missing something here.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

You sound like modding should be easy to make from the start. It usually isn't. Developers don't focus on it because they focus on fixing / porting the game itself. It will arrive later hopefully.

 

[thibaudv]

You sound like modding should be easy to make from the start. It usually isn't. Developers don't focus on it because they focus on fixing / porting the game itself. It will arrive later hopefully.

I did not intend to sound that way, my bad. I just heard that implementing an override folder wouldn't be too much work, and it would be a huge step forward for the modding scene.

 

[Vigilance.492]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure overwriting files is precisely how the mods that have come out have actually been achieved.

I believe it's not quite as simple as overwriting files in W2 was, and more prone to possible errors, but it's the same principle. Even then, you couldn't really do any super complex modding with overwriting files in W2, and it's much the same here (Although I am shocked by what has been achieved by some people - like the improved Gameplay mod).

 

[thibaudv]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure overwriting files is precisely how the mods that have come out have actually been achieved.

I believe it's not quite as simple as overwriting files in W2 was, and more prone to possible errors, but it's the same principle. Even then, you couldn't really do any super complex modding with overwriting files in W2, and it's much the same here (Although I am shocked by what has been achieved by some people - like the improved Gameplay mod).

With quickBMS we can overwrite files, but the big limitation of that method is that the reimported file cannot be bigger than the original file. This makes any sort of texture modding pointless. I had hoped to make some new armor/weapons myself and replace some of the ones in-game that people don't use very often, but as it stands right now that is impossible.

There's one guy who has been able to modify Geralt's face (he looks like a young version of Geralt, it's quite frightening actually), but appareantly the look only changes if you are up close to him. That's why I thought this might be an engine related problem, maybe it just isn't as easy as replacing some files (even if they allow us to be bigger than the original ones). I'm no expert on this stuff though, so I'm asking this here

 

[dragonbird]

I'm definitely hoping that there's an override folder when the mod kit does come out, as I agree, the current method is very problematic.

The issue regarding modifying Geralt's face is unlikely to be engine-related, but just that at the moment it's difficult to find all of the files - there'll be variants for the different distances, for LOD, and it sounds like he's only found/modded one of them. Either that or it's some issue with the Nvidia toolset needed for packing texture-related files. I can't remember the details now, it's a while since I did this, but I do remember it being a bit of a PITA on TW2 as well early on.

 

[thibaudv]

I'm definitely hoping that there's an override folder when the mod kit does come out, as I agree, the current method is very problematic.

The issue regarding modifying Geralt's face is unlikely to be engine-related, but just that at the moment it's difficult to find all of the files - there'll be variants for the different distances, for LOD, and it sounds like he's only found/modded one of them. Either that or it's some issue with the Nvidia toolset needed for packing texture-related files. I can't remember the details now, it's a while since I did this, but I do remember it being a bit of a PITA on TW2 as well early on.

Yeah, I'm currently trying to replicate his issue by unpacking the .bundle files with quickbms and then trying to open some meshes with The Witcher 3D models converter (made by a guy on the redkit forum) but I've had no luck so far. I keep encountering problems; I wish it was as easy as it was for Skyrim when that game came out.

 

[Guest 2364765]

With quickBMS we can overwrite files, but the big limitation of that method is that the reimported file cannot be bigger than the original file.

Supposedly, this tool:
https://github.com/adam-roth/bundle-explorer

Is able to expand archives, thus removing the byte-exact limitation, however until either CDPR gives us redkit or someone capable reverses w2ent files which hold all the juicy stuff, the modding capabilities are very low.

 

[thibaudv]

Supposedly, this tool:
https://github.com/adam-roth/bundle-explorer

Is able to expand archives, thus removing the byte-exact limitation, however until either CDPR gives us redkit or someone capable reverses w2ent files which hold all the juicy stuff, the modding capabilities are very low.

Huh, interesting stuff. However, I'm currently following this guide http://jlouisb.users.sourceforge.net/tuto_get_the_witcher_3_models.html and I'm stuck at unpacking the textures as I'm a beginner when it comes to the whole lua script thing.

 

[Richiesname]

Huh, interesting stuff. However, I'm currently following this guide http://jlouisb.users.sourceforge.net/tuto_get_the_witcher_3_models.html and I'm stuck at unpacking the textures as I'm a beginner when it comes to the whole lua script thing.

Hah. Thibaudv, you and I need to hang out or something. It seems we're in all the same threads. Anyway, I'm stuck there too. Lua scripts make my head hurt.

And if you figure out how to edit those meshes and/or textures please let me know!