How to: Import a Skin

[Archian]

How to Import a Skin
by Archian

Description
In Warcraft it is possible to replace an original skin in the scenarios you make. In this tutorial we are going to replace the Mountain Giant with a green one. When importing a skin it is very important to put the skin in the right destination so the game can find it. Just leaving the skin in the war3imported folder will let your unit stay invisible.

Download Skins
You can download skins from many places on the net. Making a quick Google query might be very successful. For this tutorial I'm going to use the Mecha-Giant skin by timfarman. You can yourself download it here.
You can download more skins from these websites:

• [self="http://hiveworkshop.com/resources_new/skins/"]The Hive Workshop[/self]
• Warcraft3 Campaigns
• wc3.sear.ch
• Clan CBS
• Samods

Download it, and extract the files into a folder.
Make sure that the skin(s) are in .blp format.

Importing
Open up the Import Manager (F12) and import the skins you need.

Locate the skin you want to replace, in our case we are looking for the Mountain Giant skin. We now have to replace the Mountain Giant skin by ticking Use Custom Path on the imported skin and set it to the same path as the Mountain Giant skin.
The path should not look like this: "war3mapImported\???.blp".
This is incorrect and you need to edit it.
The path for the Mountain Giant skin should look like this Textures\MountainGiant.blp

Usually creators write the paths for the models/skins in red so people know what path they should use.
After you've entered the correct path, click on OK.

After a skin has been imported it will be invisible. To check if World Editor can display the skin you can either close the map (and W.E.) then open it again, or you can
click File -> Preferences -> Video -> Change detail of models and textures. Changing the detail will force Warcraft to reload all the models and textures.

Unknown Skin Path
Two methods exist for finding unknown skin paths.

• Use Warcraft III Viewer. Open Warcreft III Viewer and then a model with an unknown skin. Select Current File > Show Used Texture Names.
• Use an MPQ extractor. Click Open and locate your Warcraft MPQ files (in the warcraft directory). Search through them all to find the model that should use your skin. Right-Click the model and press Extract.
  Then open up the model in notepad and see if you can find something like Textures/Somename.blp, there might be more than one of them but see if you can find a clue there.

MPQ master
Warcraft III Viewer

This is how our Mountain Giant is gonna look like when we're done.

 

[Carlzerx99]

How 'bout using the .blp file to another skin???Like when I want to use the model for something else and not only for the m. giant??

 

[r.ace613]

It doesn't work

 

[Chaosy]

Give details if you want help.

 

[Rheiko]

It doesn't work

You probably input the wrong custom path

 

[r.ace613]

You probably input the wrong custom path

Yeah I putted it in the wrong path and now I know what to do

 

[CrazyTeddiez]

Sorry I couldnt pass the Import Manager bit and where to find it, im trying to put a skin on the huntress its bpl but im just not sure how to

 

[Warseeker]

Try this http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/miscellaneous-tutorials-456/importing-models-skins-icons-160555/

 

[Chaosy]

Sorry I couldnt pass the Import Manager bit and where to find it, im trying to put a skin on the huntress its bpl but im just not sure how to

You need The Frozen Throne expansion to use the import manager.

 

[Alfee :)]

hey can someone help me with reforged world editor (i have made it classic only becuse i like it better) i cant make a orc warlock into a human shaman (its a skin so i tought i could find help here)

 

[Superfrycook]

Is this still working on Reforged?

 

[RanchBurner]

Yeah, this tutorial needs to be updated. I could never get this right, and now with the Reforged makeover, I'd be eager to try again.

 

[BogdanW3]

Importing textures (even for skins) has not been changed in Reforged, the only thing you may want to consider looking into when using reforged are all the new toggles available in the asset manager, most prominently the Asset mode that pertains to whether the asset will be used for SD or only for HD.
Changing the imported files' paths no longer opens a new window but instead happens in the already open window (THE asset manager). Other notable things that were not present at the time of making of this ancient tutorial are the folder mode which would allow you to place the imports using a file explorer (what you move all other files on your pc with) and for the part mentioning unknown file paths, you would no longer be able to open mdx files with any of the old software and should use an up-to-date tool like Retera's Model Studio.

 

[Chaosy]

I think that the basic concept is roughly the same so I wouldn't say this needs to be updated.
The following could still be considered:

• HD/SD
• Certain paths are different in HD and SD mode, tilesets come to mind.
• You can also specify a texture for one unit only (at least for pre-placed units)

The above points are situational, but probably helpful knowledge.

 

[BogdanW3]

The first two points, while very valid, fall into general reforged importing, with the second also falling under "unknown skin path" which is itself a part of "unknown asset path", with both too useful not to mention which is what my previous message did.
I am not aware of what the 3rd point is about so if that is indeed possible (specifying a texture for only one preplaced unit), that should probably get explained since it would be very useful.