Modding question

[IndianaFire]

Hello, I apologize for my title, I didn't know what else to title it as.

Basically, I'm trying to create my own sub-mod, but I don't know where to start. Is there any particular mod I should use as a base?

[itchboy]

Los Angeles Mod 2.1, it is the common framework 95% of US based mods  and submods use. It has an organized folder structure and it has the 'basic' functionalities that people use often in mods.

The main priority would be to replace the vehicles in the mod. Once you get replacements, you have a working submod. In order to not have to make any script edits, you need to follow the existing prototype names of the LA mod. The only thing I would like to recommend is that you setup a folder system for the model files in the mod, instead of using the LA mod's system which has everything in one folder. I'd recommend making model subfolders inside the 'Police' and 'Ambulance' folders in order to organize your models better. One important step you should definitely do is remove the LA mod original models that you are replacing. If you replace the police cruiser with a new unit, you delete the unused files of the old cruiser model.

[IndianaFire]

11 hours ago, itchboy said:

Los Angeles Mod 2.1, it is the common framework 95% of US based mods  and submods use. It has an organized folder structure and it has the 'basic' functionalities that people use often in mods.

The main priority would be to replace the vehicles in the mod. Once you get replacements, you have a working submod. In order to not have to make any script edits, you need to follow the existing prototype names of the LA mod. The only thing I would like to recommend is that you setup a folder system for the model files in the mod, instead of using the LA mod's system which has everything in one folder. I'd recommend making model subfolders inside the 'Police' and 'Ambulance' folders in order to organize your models better. One important step you should definitely do is remove the LA mod original models that you are replacing. If you replace the police cruiser with a new unit, you delete the unused files of the old cruiser model.

I'm like super new to modding, is there anyway I can do it without replacing the vehicles, and just re-skin them?

[randomperson139]

Yep, follow this tutorial and unlock the vehicles you want to edit (there's also a download with all the files already unlocked in the download centre). 

Then the open the skin file (.dds) with a suitable program (paint.net is one such suggestion) for whatever vehicle you want to edit the skin of, and edit away! 

[IndianaFire]

Will I be able to upload it, or will it have to stay private?

[MikeyPI]

If you just use the original LA mod (unaltered, nobody else's models from other mods imported) according to the open-sourced nature of the la mod, so long as you keep the original credits (readme from la mod) with the bundle and update the credits accordingly if you have help from others to make it, make sure you're crediting them for what they're doing, in this example you'd be fine to release it.  

If you want to use other people's models from other people's mods that goes to a case-by-case for each individual mod/artist involved.. Make sure you contact the original author(s) of the stuff, or find the original content if possible, most the time authors just want credit for their work to use it, when in doubt, ask for permission to use it.  I doubt you'll have to worry about this step out of the gate, but eventually you will probably want to add things from other people and replace the LA assets with newer/different things, that's when this part comes into play.  Do yourself a favor if/when you do this, get the permissions sorted as you go to use them, keep a readme with the mod and update it as you get permission/use things.. It'll make life much easier come time to publish the thing rather than trying to figure out who made what after the fact.

 

 

[IndianaFire]

Okay, thank you for telling me this.

[MikeyPI]

Just make sure when advertising the mod when you opt to publish it, you label it as a LA mod reskin project, since that's what it is.  

If down the line you get more ambitious and it starts to become it's own, it'll still probably use the la mod as a base (most american mods are based on the LA mod for their core assets); but once it starts to gain it's own identity the line between a reskin and new mod gets blurry, if you make your own content and add it to the mod rather than compiling other people's stuff from other mods is when I start to consider them a unique independent mod.  

If it's LA mod+ stuff from 2-3 other mods I still class it as a reskin mod, since the content was borrowed from others; but in the case where you've stepped out onto your own making all-new content for it then it starts to become it's own standing project.

Goodluck to you, it's not that hard to reskin vehicles for this game but as you go into more complex things understand the game is quite fickle and will crash pretty easy.  Simply editing the skins won't usually cause this to happen but when you get into adding new vehicles or scripts expect it will probably happen so just go slow and add one thing at a time should you cross that bridge.

[IndianaFire]

I'm actually working on a '67 Plymouth Belvedere in zmodeler, as I'm planning to make an LA Mod that is set in the 1970s.