I did a few quick texture tests, to see what they'd look like on the models. Though I can't add any new models to the SDK to test, I can add new base textures to the human model.
This is the bluesuit, with human skin 3 underneath (black man, no tattoos). The clothing texture is split into several subsets (0 Short Sleeve, 1 Shirt Body, 2 Long Sleeve, 3 Knee, 4 Shoe, 5 Hands, 6 Briefs, 7 Hi-Boot, 8 Short Pants, 9 Head, 10 Hi waist female). The bluesuit texture has been applied to 0,1,2,3,4,6,7,8, leaving the head and hands to show the skin texture underneath.Comparing the two characters, it probably needs a little tweaking to get just right, but it's pretty close. I think the main difference in the images is the shadow and highlight from the engine.
I removed the yellow stripe off the vault suit, to make a "base texture" of highlight and shadow, and tried a few colour tints to it. So this one is literally just tinted red, and tinted blue-grey. No extra work into it. The texture hasn't been applied to subsets 2, 9 and 10, leaving the face, hands and lower arm showing the skin texture underneath. Obviously, it's the wrong model (3D hero model talking to weak sprite), and the colour isn't quite there - but I don't think it'd be much more work to make it correct. In theory, once the other body types are implemented you could drop this texture on it, and it'd be ready. It also means these coloured clothes could be worn by all body types.
Though you missed all the action, fake 3D Martin Frobisher killed real sprite Martin Frobisher with some pretty accurate punching animations. He could have killed him with any of the current skin colours, or any of the current clothing textures, without the need for 10,000 more sprites to be drawn. That's pretty awesome, really. If he wants a "13" or "8" painted on his back, just add it to the texture, then it's all ready to go.
Again this is simply a colour tint, with no extra work. It's not quite right though. It's meant to match the peasant guy stood next to him. One of the problems I've found is the lighting and colour seems quite different between the image file, testing in 3D program and the game engine, so it's a bit of trial and error. Basically, I need to save the game, quit, adjust in photoshop, resave, then reload. It's still 9,999 times quicker than drawing all the frames though. I can test them on this model, until the colours are right, then when the appropriate models are implemented, it'll automatically work.
Fake 3D Martin Frobisher can convince these two ladies that he's the real thing, but can he convince you? No? Then we need to think about what he'd need to do to look better. I think the lighting / shadow on the model is probably the first one, followed by tweaking the colours until they're perfect. Fake 3D Martin Frobisher needs
your feedback, thoughts and ideas.
These colours seem about right, I think. With another 10 minutes in photoshop, that texture's probably ready to use on the junkie model. Note that the texture layering has missed out "subset 2" along with face and hands, so he has short sleeves, and the skin tone for the arms shows instead.
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How are those faces on model done? Every single armor sources it in it's own texture or it uses single file?
I mean somebody mights want to mod it early (because tbh it is not pleasant at all) and editing all the files would be a pain. But then again it wouldn't make sense to waste image space by having empty spots for every single model.
The face textures are part of a lower "layer" of texture (param 150). By default, this is a man in underpants. An extra layer of clothing texture (param 155) can be applied on top of this, and as explained above, can cover certain parts of it and leave others blank. On top of that, an extra layer of armour (param 153) and helmet (param 154) can be added on top. You can add / take away all these bits separately.
Basically, the face / hands on the clothing textures are not needed, unless they cover up the face or hands (gloves, for example). If someone redraws a the face, it would be updated for everything automatically (magically).
