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MUA Skinner UI

MUA Skinner UI is a front end user interface to make the process of skinning character meshes in Activision's Marvel Ultimate Alliance and X-Men Legends 2 games easier. These IGB Mesh files contain embedded DDS mipmaps of bitmap images of each character used in the game. You can use MUA Skinner UI to export and import your custom skins into the mesh files, then load them into into the games to play your favorite characters you create!

Update v1.1

- added support for XML1 DXT3 BGR RGB flipped format "-DXT3".
- fix to cfgedit screen dropdown selection .

The main menu to the SKINNER is as follows:

Skinner

Select the Skinner option in the File Menu to run the main dialog screen as follows:

Load IGB

Next Hit the Load IGB button to load the desired IGB file to import/export your custom bitmap image. (Note you must have this IGB files mipmaps locations defined from the CFG Edit/View Options, otherwise you will get a missing texure error).

In our example we have the mipmaps of 7801.igb defined, so let's load it as follows:

After the console box processes the command, now the base mipmap should be viewable as follows:

EXPORT

To Export the main mipmap as a single plane BMP, hit the export button. A DDS file with all the mipmaps defined in the CFG file for the given IGB will also be exported, so you view the lower resolution mipmaps if you want. Hit the export button as follows:

A folder box will pop up where you can then click on the output BMP (or DDS) file to edit in your bitmap editor or viewer. close that box when your done, and return to the program to do your example IMPORT.

IMPORT

To import your custom BMP that you just editted or created for your custom skin, hit the IMPORT button as follows:

Now the customized IGB file with your new graphics skin should be viewable as follows:

That's it!!!
Now copy and name the file the way you want it, and run the game to play your own custom character!!!

CFG Edit/View

The key to working with this program is defining your MUASKINNER.CFG file properly. The MUASKINNER.CFG is a text file that lists each IGB file name you can edit, the type of image used (-DXT1,DXT1,DXT3,DXT5,RAGB,ARGB), the Resolutions for X and Y, then the offset location in the file for the location of the image. You then repeat the resolution, and offset values for smaller scaled mipmaps, followed lastly by a ".'. Use TextureFinder v2.1 (also available at http://www.nba2kstuff.org/mua) to locate the offset values for each mipmap.

For our example 7801.igb, you need to define the entry in the CFG Edit screen as follows:

These values can be determined using the TextureFinder v2.1 program available also at http://www.nba2kstuff.org/mua

For each IGB file mesh you wish to customize, you must have a line defined in the CFG file.

CFGVIEW

You can also use the CFG View option to edit the muaskinner.cfg text file directly using notepad. if you are more comforatble and adept using a text editor, this option is for you.

The format of the line is as follows:

filename.igb,imagetype,Xres0,Yres0,Offset0,etc.

so for the 7801 example it would be formated as:

7801.igb,DXT3,256,256,72953,128,128,47577,64,64,21801.

1) put filename

2) for image type , you can have:

       -DXT1
       DXT1
       DXT3
      -DXT3
       DXT5
       RAGB
       ARGB

where:

        -DXT1 = used in MUA flips BGR automatically to RGB
       DXT1
       DXT3 = used in XMen Legends 2
       -DXT3 = used in XMen Legends 1 BGR automatically flipped to RGB
       DXT5
       RAGB = used in icon files and automatically flips the apha plane to ARGB standard format
       ARGB

3) Resolutions are 256,256,offset1,128,128,offset2,64,64,offset3,32,32,offset4,16,16,offset5,8,8,offset6.
for Xmen Legends 2 generally

Resolutions are 512,512,offset0,256,256,offset1,128,128,offset2,64,64,offset3,32,32,offset4,16,16,offset5,8,8,offset6
for MUA generally.

4) End each line in the MUASKINNER.CFG with a period (.)

View the supplied MUASKINNER.CFG to see some example definitions as follows:

If you find offset locations for more IGB files, and wish to contribute them others and for inclusion into the next versions of the program , please email yur MUASKINNER.CFG file to nba2kstuff@gmx.net, and we'll include them an credit you in later releases!

Also if you wish to make any contribution or donation to the development of this or other programs, simply sign up on paypal and say send money option. You can use the email account: nba2kstuff@gmx.net and that will help for continued development and support of programs to help your modding!!

Thanks, and happy modding!!!