How to put your skin into a game?

[Jarrod Crossley]

So you've just got your hands on ARCA and whilst you've been waiting you have been skinning like mad, and now you want your skins in the game.
Well luck should have it its not as hard as you may think.

Lets start off by opening Arca from with in "My Computer" So navigate to where ever you installed ARCA "C:/Program Files/ARCA Remax/"

Yes I know so many files so little time but the one we are interested in is "GameData". Once there open the File called "Vechicles",
and then open the folder "ARCA".

From there you should see about "FIVE" folders and lods of little files. Youll notice the "Five" main folder are the main cars e.g Carmy,Charger,Fusion and so on.

Now the fun bit:

Make a folder and give it a name e.g "RD" (abreviation of league), make antother folder and again give it a name e.g "Race Depatment" (Team Name).

So far you now have a leauge Folder and within that a race team folder and folders within the leauge folder for each team.

So now to the skins:

Now depending on What car you originally skined for depends on the next part.

Lets say we have skined a "Ford" so open the "Fusion Folder" and pick a folder any folder will do and copy it over to your teams folder.

eg "Fusion/90" to "Race Department/90".

Now for a simple rule rename the folder but try and stay within 4 characters, eg rename "90" to "RD88" (I have chosen 88 because that is the number I want to race")

Now open the newly renamed folder and have alook inside.

You should have something on the lines of:

90Skins "folder"
90.DDS (Car Skin)
90.VeH
90CARD.TGA (Divers Card)
90extra1.DDS (Internal Number)
90helmet.DDS
90pitbox.DDS
90rims.DDS
90series.TGA

All these want renaming as per this example:
RD88Skins "Folder"
RD88.DDS
RD88.VEH
RD88CARD.TGA
RD88extra1.DDS
RD88pitbox.DDS
RD88rims.DDS
RD88series.TGA

Now that you've done that its time to play with your skin. If you have allredy saved your cars skin as a DDS you need to rename it to "RD88.DDS",
this is so it overwrite the original skin and now shows your own work.

Again do the same for the rims "RD88rims.DDS", and if you have a drivers card do that too.

Once you've done all that your nearly there. All thats left to alter is the VEH. Open the VEH file with "Notepad" and here is what youll see:

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// ARCA RE/MAX Series Vehicle File
//
// This information is property of Sim Factory LLC
// Copyright (C)2006 - All rights reserved
// Any/all duplication and distribution by unautorized parties
// is prohibited and protected by US copyright laws.
//
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// The first section defines what maps to load for the new vehicle skinning
// technology. The first line defines a "prefix" to be used for all generic maps.
// Currently, generic maps are used for the livery, wing, driver, driver arms,
// driver helmet, and pit crew. The second line will replace the default livery
// with the new specified, for the track specified. The format is as follows:
//
// DefaultLivery="PREFIX" // PREFIX is the base texture map name, assumed to be BMP unless specified
// PitCrewLivery="PREFIX" // This is only needed if it differs from the default livery PREFIX
// TrackLivery="TRACK, PREFIX" // TRACK is the track name as defined in the event GDB
// TrackLivery="TRACK, PREFIX" // For example, "2004_Toban"
// TrackLivery="TRACK, PREFIX" // You can have an infinite # of these lines
//

DefaultLivery="RD88.dds" // change to match skins DDS
Color=(255,255,255)
HDVehicle=ARCA_FORD.hdv
Graphics=ARCA_upgrades.gen
Spinner=ARCA_spinner.gen
Upgrades=ARCA_upgrades.ini
GenString=FUSI
Cameras=ARCA_cams.cam // Defaults to cams.cfg in UserData directory
Sounds=ARCA.sfx
HeadPhysics=ARCA_headphysics.ini // Affects driver eyepoint only
Cockpit=ARCA_cockpitinfo.ini

//////////////////////////TEAM HISTORY AND INFORMATION///////////////////////////////////////////


Number=88 /Change to the correct number
Team="RD88" // Must pinit to team folder DO NOT exceed four characters
PitGroup="Group1"
Driver="J Crossley" // Change to drivers name
Description="#88 J3st3r Designs" // A breif description
Engine="350 ci"
Manufacturer="Ford"
Classes="ARCA"

FullTeamName="#88 Jarrod Crossley" // Change if you wish
TeamFounded=2008 // you may change this
TeamHeadquarters="Blackpool" // You can alter this
TeamStarts=0
TeamPoles=0
TeamWins=0
TeamWorldChampionships=0

Category="ARCA RE/MAX Series 2007"

Hit save and your ready all the hard work is done. Just load up arca and look for your skin: E.g "RD88"

[Gareth Hickling]

Great info Jarrod!

[Lastlap]

If you wish to have different helmet, suit, rims etc name them the same in your skins folder after your extra skin.

(in your skins folder)

secondride.dds
secondriderims.dds
secondridehelmet.dds

[Gareth Hickling]

// TrackLivery="TRACK, PREFIX" // For example, "2004_Toban"

Does it really say that in the file? 2004_Toban Thats an rF track!!!!

[Sascha Henken]

As my carnumber isn´t somehow not trasmitted in standings and exports, i´ve got a question:

What is this file for?

90extra1.DDS (Internal Number)

Is this file maybe responsible for the ingame car number so that game recognizes and transmitts the carnumber in the XML exports files etc.?

[Sascha Henken]

Originally Posted by Sascha Henken

As my carnumber isn´t somehow not trasmitted in standings and exports, i´ve got a question:

What is this file for?

90extra1.DDS (Internal Number)

Is this file maybe responsible for the ingame car number so that game recognizes and transmitts the carnumber in the XML exports files etc.?

Screw it. I´ve solved the problem. Problem is, when you add your car on the server and you have the League Tools running too, you need to restart the League Tools service in order to get your carfile indexed. It´s all okay now

[Jarrod Crossley]

Sorry Sascha I was abit slow on the uptake, But I'm glad you solved it.

The ##extra1.dds is the number of your car displayed on the internal dash.

[Gareth Hickling]

Any reason why my rims would not show in game?

Its named 79rims.dds and its dropped in the 79 file,
There is no line in the .VEH file for them?

[Jarrod Crossley]

Hmm thats a good one it should pick them up asap.

[Brett Bagstad]

the hauler still isnt displayed in the game but i think they will be making it in the next patch. Currently they all stay white.

[Anderson Pereira]

Thnx, nice thread.

[Jarbas Melo]

Right, now is to install the Photoshop and begin to create skin, very grateful

[Aritan Maia]

Sorry about the noob question, but what ARCA have to do with GTR Evo???

[Jarrod Crossley]

Originally Posted by Aritan Maia

Sorry about the noob question, but what ARCA have to do with GTR Evo???

Nothing really the paint sectin got combined ages ago and this post sliped through to here.

[Aritan Maia]

Ok, ok... Just wondering...

I found out how to do the same thing in Evo using the skinning tutorial by Ramon..

BTW, thanks a lot for all your help in the other threads...

See ya.