Leon PL00 Skinning

[Leon Kennedy]

First of all get a copy of the RE2 demo or use your copy of RE2 platinum.

TOOLS:

TIMviewer - You use this to get into the skin files and edit them.

TIMpatch - You will use this to authenticate your TIM file to make sure it will work when you launch your game.

Microsoft Paint - You can use whatever program you're comfortable with but I use this because it is basic and easiest to use.

Ultimate Paint Free - You will use this to save your image into a 256 color bmp so it is compatable with the game.

Microsoft Office Word - You'd be amazed what this program can do with pictures. I use this to pallet change.

RESOURCES:


This is the original Leon skin. I'm posting it for both visual reference and because if you extract the PDL version it will come in 3 layers so you'll have to save 3 times and if you're new that's hassle. So use this.


This doesn't cover all of the body parts in depth but it gives you the general idea. I will tell you more about this soon.



ON WITH IT:

Ok, so you have your demo and your utilites. Decided what you want to do with the skin.

Lets start with editing the BMP file for the skin. As you see above I went and color coded the skin and put them on the model so you can see how they work. A few special notes:

A. This is the front of the upper body, not too difficult.
B. This little spot here is the cap for the elbow and shoulder. So C and D are the cylendar and B is the cap, it is repeated for both ends, so be careful with your color choice.
C. This is the inside of the upper arm.
D. This is the outside of the upper arm. This is where the RPD crest sits.
E. This is the Upper left leg.
F. Don't know yet.
G. This is the upper rear torso. If you're trying to match graphics with the front then match up the bottoms of A and G, you'll notice A is taller, but the bottoms line up the skin.
H. Not sure yet.
I. Leon's left and right waist.
J. I forgot to serperate this but the left half of J is Leon's butt essentially and the right half is his crotch (belt buckle).
K. This is the piece that combines A and G. The left half of K wraps to the back and the right wraps around the front.
L. This is Leon's right leg.
M. This is Leon's shin. This skin is repeated twice on both legs, so if you want to add knee pads or anything you will have to do so on the right side of M because it inverts and wraps around the model.
N. This is Leon's forearm. The classic skivvies under the RPD uniform.
O. I didnt know and I forgot about it, that's why it turned into O.
X. This is leon's elbow pads.

The rest is self explanitory. I haven't messed with that nose looking thing because face graphics don't interest me. Sorry kids. Hopefully this helps!

Open Ultimate Paint or your image editing software (not ms paint, it can't handle this) and save the image as a 256 bit .BMP.

Ok, your skin is great, now you want to play your super version of Leon. Lets GO!

Open TIMviewer.

Select File>Scan Raw File
Find the Leon PDL file (I'm using the demo as an example, your files may vary). RE2 Demo>PLO>PLD
And OPEN
Leon's base skin is PL00.

(It isn't totally necessary to back up PL00 because you can just copy over PL00CH, its the same file. Nix that, I just got my RE2 PC running and apparently the files are not the same. So back it up.)

Double click on the one file that pops up and then select
File>Export Multiple Files
Then type in 1 and OK

Now you have your skin to work with. But you're going to want to use the base Leon skin I put up here or you're going to have to save all 3 layers and put them together yourself.

Now when you extracted the file it saved it as 1.tim

So get your skin the way you want, use my comparison as a check sheet and you'll be fine as long as you stay in the lines.

What you're going to want to do next is save the .bmp of the skin you made as 365 colors, if you don't the file size will be wrong and the game will brick on you.

Once that is done open TIMviewer again and load the .bmp
File>Open BMP
Select your file
File>Save Tim File
Selec the 1.tim file and save over it

Now you're going to want to fix the file 100% by opening TIMpatch. So open TIMpatch
Click the humongous PATCH .TIM file... button
Select your file and patch.
Now close TIMpatch and thank The Mortician for his help.

Open up TIMviewer again and open your 1.tim file. Now you're going to want to put the tim back together again. Good thing we have more than all the king's horse and all the king's men. (I suck at being funny, but lame works just as well.)

File>Instert Tim File(s) and select the timextracts.txt OK

now you're ready to go.

Launch your copy of RE2 and revel in your accomplishments.



SPECIAL THANKS TO THE GUYS FROM RE123:

The Mortician for teaching me how to do this. Also the creator of TIMpatch
Resiyoyoyo for being so damned helpful. Still don't know what he's really good for but there most defenantly is something there.