Save it, bookmark it, love it, have babies with it.. this is the new home for all the how to with SC assets for fan art, don't lose it!
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/spectrum/community/SC/forum/50172/thread/howto-create-your-own-art-using-game-assets
Just incase my reply on that thread disappears... for backup here's what my reply was/is:
For anyone that wants this, this is what I do with both Markemp's, Alluran's, and Eppi's tools:
Step 1:
I copy all pak files to a new folder and unpack everything using 7zip (7za.exe needs to be copied to same location) and this bat script with one exception, one of the pak files is (I think) encrypted so unpacking requires step 1b.
https://pastebin.com/8BRVvsVC
Don't forget to also unpack the socpak files! simply rewrite the extension in the script to unpack that specific file extension.
Step 1b:
IIRC one tiny pak file required the PakDecrypt.exe file to unpack properly in one of the previous versions of SC, but this step is probably not needed anymore.
this is the bat script I used for that
https://pastebin.com/C4iyRLbs
I also found that if I used this script to check the pak files and output the pak files to zip, i would get less unpack errors in general.. in fact, after using PakDecrypt.exe, it did some voodoo magic where all of the pak files which gave errors in 7zip... would then unpack without error as a zip file after this tool converted them. If you want to do this, rewrite the extension in the unpack script to zip instead of pak. Take this with a grain of salt.. it might just be coincidence in my experiences.
Step 2:
I run Eppi's amazing texture converter, legacy forum thread is here:
https://forums.robertsspaceindustries.com/discussion/369524/sc-texture-converter/p1
And github here
https://github.com/Madfish71/SCTextureConverter
It completely automates the texture conversion process with many output options as well as getting many previously missed nuances like emission maps and gloss maps separate from the normals.
Step 3:
Use Alluran's HoloXPLOR.DataForge
https://github.com/dolkensp/HoloXPLOR/tree/master/HoloXPLOR.DataForge
To un-serialize the many files that are serialized (MTLs , XMLs, and SOC files)
For me, I don't have a script that runs his tool on every folder recursively while renaming the serialized file extension (to preserve it) and writing the new unserialized file to the same folder... so if someone can get his tool to do this, please share! There still needs to be some manual (or automated if you write a bat script) conversion of these deserialized MTLs to be readable as standard MTL files, including some minor alterations of the obj files (which are human readable too). @Red_Raven made a nice reply about part of that process here https://forums.robertsspaceindustries.com/discussion/comment/7613656/#Comment_7613656
Step 4:
Run Markemp's converter now to do the heavy lifting with all the geometry,
I use this bat script for that
https://pastebin.com/kpMBxV8a
After doing these three steps, you'll be able to do pretty much anything you want to create with pretty dang close to the ingame look minus the shaders and minus automated rebuilding such as hangars, stations, and complex ships or external part placement such as thrusters, engines, countermeasures, weapons. All those have to be moved (guesstimated) manually.
@dymek Was able to get ships and characters automatically imported properly into Cry Engine and Lumberyard, but AFAIK hasn't shared a tutorial yet on how to do it.
I have been trying to find someone to write a script that would automatically properly rebuild assets as in game such as hangars and ships (because my OCD requires perfection) but have had no luck yet, if I manage to find a solution I'll edit my reply here.
I hope this helps fellow backers make their fan art!
Happy fan art-ing!
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/spectrum/community/SC/forum/50172/thread/howto-create-your-own-art-using-game-assets
Just incase my reply on that thread disappears... for backup here's what my reply was/is:
For anyone that wants this, this is what I do with both Markemp's, Alluran's, and Eppi's tools:
Step 1:
I copy all pak files to a new folder and unpack everything using 7zip (7za.exe needs to be copied to same location) and this bat script with one exception, one of the pak files is (I think) encrypted so unpacking requires step 1b.
https://pastebin.com/8BRVvsVC
Don't forget to also unpack the socpak files! simply rewrite the extension in the script to unpack that specific file extension.
Step 1b:
IIRC one tiny pak file required the PakDecrypt.exe file to unpack properly in one of the previous versions of SC, but this step is probably not needed anymore.
this is the bat script I used for that
https://pastebin.com/C4iyRLbs
I also found that if I used this script to check the pak files and output the pak files to zip, i would get less unpack errors in general.. in fact, after using PakDecrypt.exe, it did some voodoo magic where all of the pak files which gave errors in 7zip... would then unpack without error as a zip file after this tool converted them. If you want to do this, rewrite the extension in the unpack script to zip instead of pak. Take this with a grain of salt.. it might just be coincidence in my experiences.
Step 2:
I run Eppi's amazing texture converter, legacy forum thread is here:
https://forums.robertsspaceindustries.com/discussion/369524/sc-texture-converter/p1
And github here
https://github.com/Madfish71/SCTextureConverter
It completely automates the texture conversion process with many output options as well as getting many previously missed nuances like emission maps and gloss maps separate from the normals.
Step 3:
Use Alluran's HoloXPLOR.DataForge
https://github.com/dolkensp/HoloXPLOR/tree/master/HoloXPLOR.DataForge
To un-serialize the many files that are serialized (MTLs , XMLs, and SOC files)
For me, I don't have a script that runs his tool on every folder recursively while renaming the serialized file extension (to preserve it) and writing the new unserialized file to the same folder... so if someone can get his tool to do this, please share! There still needs to be some manual (or automated if you write a bat script) conversion of these deserialized MTLs to be readable as standard MTL files, including some minor alterations of the obj files (which are human readable too). @Red_Raven made a nice reply about part of that process here https://forums.robertsspaceindustries.com/discussion/comment/7613656/#Comment_7613656
Step 4:
Run Markemp's converter now to do the heavy lifting with all the geometry,
I use this bat script for that
https://pastebin.com/kpMBxV8a
After doing these three steps, you'll be able to do pretty much anything you want to create with pretty dang close to the ingame look minus the shaders and minus automated rebuilding such as hangars, stations, and complex ships or external part placement such as thrusters, engines, countermeasures, weapons. All those have to be moved (guesstimated) manually.
@dymek Was able to get ships and characters automatically imported properly into Cry Engine and Lumberyard, but AFAIK hasn't shared a tutorial yet on how to do it.
I have been trying to find someone to write a script that would automatically properly rebuild assets as in game such as hangars and ships (because my OCD requires perfection) but have had no luck yet, if I manage to find a solution I'll edit my reply here.
I hope this helps fellow backers make their fan art!
Happy fan art-ing!
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