Character Customization: Difference between revisions
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| M2 || Model file, technical docs [[M2|here]]. | | M2 || Model file, technical docs [[M2|here]]. | ||
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| Geoset || Set of 3D geometry, also referred to as submesh. For a list of known character geosets, check [[M2/.skin#Mesh_part_ID|here]]. | | Geoset || Set of 3D geometry, also referred to as submesh or mesh part. For a list of known character geosets, check [[M2/.skin#Mesh_part_ID|here]]. | ||
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Revision as of 12:03, 29 July 2020
Shadowlands/9.0 made some big changes to the character customization system!
Reasoning
Blizzard wanted to move to a more "data-driven" customization system in Shadowlands that allows them to build up character models from multiple source textures instead of baking textures for each model/race/variation.
Terminology
Table | Description |
---|---|
DB2 | Database table, technical docs here. |
FileDataID | Reference to a specific file. Used in various DBs formats. Comes from TACT's root file. |
M2 | Model file, technical docs here. |
Geoset | Set of 3D geometry, also referred to as submesh or mesh part. For a list of known character geosets, check here. |
Relevant DB2s
This system introduced many new DB2s. Table below is for summary explanations only, for actual structures you check WoWDBDefs or read the designated page (if available).
Table | WoW.tools link | Description |
---|---|---|
ChrCustomization | Browse | Not new in Shadowlands, introduced back in 7.3.5 but ChrCustomizationOption still refers to it. |
ChrCustomizationBoneSet | Browse | Links .bone FileDataIDs with .m2 FileDataIDs. |
ChrCustomizationCategory | Browse | Lists categories (e.g. Body, Face, Accessoires, Hair, Markings) shown in character creation. |
ChrCustomizationChoice | Browse | Lists all the combinations and if available, their names. Links to ChrCustomizationOption and ChrCustomizationReq. |
ChrCustomizationCondModel | Browse | Creature related |
ChrCustomizationConversion | Browse | Creature related |
ChrCustomizationDisplayInfo | Browse | Shapeshift form related |
ChrCustomizationElement | Browse | Links up Choice, Geoset, SkinnedModel, Material, BoneSet and CondModel and DisplayID tables. |
ChrCustomizationGeoset | Browse | List of geosets. Matches with these IDs (Type being the first 2 numbers, IDs the last 2) |
ChrCustomizationMaterial | Browse | Links MaterialID to ChrModelTextureTargetID and TextureFileData.MaterialResourcesID |
ChrCustomizationOption | Browse | The different options, mostly important for UI |
ChrCustomizationReq | Browse | Various requirements for certain choices, most common one is a class requirement (e.g. demon hunter only, death knight only choices). |
ChrCustomizationReqChoice | Browse | Links choices to requirements. |
ChrCustomizationSkinnedModel | Browse | Lists various collection models ((ab)used for additional geosets like DH blindfolds, mechagnome parts) |
ChrCustClientChoiceConversion | Browse | |
ChrModel | Browse | DisplayIDs/Death skeletons. Look up by race can be found in ChrRaceXChrModel. |
ChrModelMaterial | Browse | Primarily used to link up a TextureLayout to a TextureType |
ChrModelTextureLayer | Browse | Contains information required to correctly combine the different layers of character textures. |
ChrModelTextureTarget | Browse | Appears to be just a list of valid texture targets. |
ChrRaceXChrModel | Browse | Links up Race IDs from ChrRaces to ChrModel IDs. |
TextureFileData | Browse | Not new, but links up MaterialResourcesID (from ChrCustomizationMaterial but also other DBs of other systems) to FileDataIDs. |
Important DB2 links
Fields in this paragraph are designated with a Table::Field notation.
ChrCustomizationChoice::ChrCustomizationOptionID => ChrCustomizationOption
An option (i.e. Skin Color) can have multiple choices. These choices are linked to an option through ChrCustomizationChoice::ChrCustomizationOptionID. All options have names, but not all choices do.
ChrCustomizationElement::ChrCustomizationChoiceID => Various other DBs
Many of the DBs are referenced from ChrCustomizationElement. In most cases, this DB links up a certain ChrCustomizationChoiceID with one other DB at a time, with all other columns being 0 (with the exception of RelatedChrCustomizationChoiceID which sometimes has values if the other column having values is ChrCustomizationGeosetID or ChrCustomizationMaterialID).
=> ChrCustomizationGeosetID
Which geoset IDs to enable for this specific choice ID.
=> ChrCustomizationMaterialID
Which materials(!) to apply for this choice.
Rendering
This section is specific to rendering characters models using the new customization system, for technical information on rendering things from WoW in general, check out the Rendering and M2/Rendering pages as well as the M2 page itself.
Geosets
Based on which choices are enabled, different geosets will have to be enabled/disabled. A list of geosets can be found in the ChrCustomizationGeoset table, these numbers are the same ones as can be found on the M2 .skin page here but formatted differently. In the ChrCustomizationGeoset DB2 the GeosetType field matches the first 2 (0-padded) numbers in the linked submesh table and the GeosetID field from the DB2 points to the last 2 numbers (** in the submesh table).
TODO: Describe default geosets to be enabled/disabled.
Items
For more on how geosets work in combination with items, see DB/ItemDisplayInfo
Textures
Character skins consist out of several layers.
TODO: Describe base layer (type 1) vs overlay layers (6, 8, 10, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24), how to compile base layer texture as well as how to overlay layer > 1 textures.