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Official Tri-CSP Creation

DRGN

Technowizard
Moderator
Joined
Aug 20, 2005
Messages
2,178
Location
Sacramento, CA

What's a Tri-CSP you ask? These!

banner.png


(CSP = Character Select Portrait)

Originally conceived by @krvntn, these allow you to browse the L/R alternate costumes right on the Character Select Screen! Each CSP image group is identical in size & position, so they transition seamlessly as you cycle through the costume colors in-game. Variations of these have been created in the past, particularly for 20XX, but they often aren't easily reproducible by others, which means that as new costumes come out, they can't be used with the old CSP sets (or at least, you will see jarring size/position changes of the images as you cycle through them). This project solves this by standardizing and simplifying the process for creating and sharing Tri-CSPs.

What you'll find here:


A full set of these tri-CSPs for the default costume set in 20XXHP 4.06 or 4.07.​
A methodology to create your own matching CSPs using any costumes, all pixel-perfect, so they'll blend right in as you cycle through costumes in-game.​
A methodology to create new Tri-CSPs using whatever poses you want, while keeping your set pixel-perfect and reproducible. This allows for easy sharing to others so that they too can use and add to them with their own costumes.​
A modded FD to remove the background stars, and a modded Classic Mode VS Screen to remove the background globe.​
The Classic Pose Grabber AHK Script (optional. Explained in the section The "AHK Method" and Classic Mode Poses)​
And finally, the Tri-CSP Creator, a program to automate the image editing portion of making the above CSPs.​
Video Guides - Look in the post following this one.​
Downloads:


Vanilla-Res Full Set (MnSlChr.usd for 20XX) | High-Res Full Set (Textures for Dolphin)​
Raw CSP Screenshots (For 20XX HP v4.06 & v4.07. 148 MB). These are what the CSPs in the above CSS file were created from, and includes what's needed for making new CSP costume cobinations to match them, if you want to change some of your costumes. If this download is a bit too big or you just don't need everything, you can download packs for individual characters in the spoiler below:​
Tri-CSP Creator - v1.1 (x64) ( TCC v1.0 Downloads: x64 / x86 ) [GitHub repo]​
Setup:



The first file in the downloads section is the CSS (Character Select Screen) file containing the full set of Tri-CSPs for the default 20XXHP 4.06 costumes. To import this, open your 20XX iso in DTW, navigate to the MnSlChr file (the Disc Shortcut to Menus is useful for this), select it, click import, choose the new CSS file, and save.

If you have a lot of other custom stuff on the CSS and just want to import the images, you can load the CSS file in DTW, and then extract the CSP textures. You can use the Image Filters (Settings -> Adjust Texture Filters), as pictured below, to make this a bit easier:
filtering.png
Once you've extracted all of the CSPs, load up your copy of the game, and while on the Disc File Tree tab, import the CSPs you extracted from the CSS file. [You'll need to use a version of DTW before 5.0, or, if it's out by the time you're reading this, use v5.1 or higher.] They should all be imported to your game's CSS file without affecting any other textures.

The High-Res textures are used with Dolphin's Load Custom Textures feature, explained here. You can find more high-res textures for Melee in the Melee HD Texture Pack thread and the HD Texture pack for 20XX for Dolphin.
If all you want to do is use the default costumes and CSPs for 20XXHP 4.06, you can just download and install the MnSlChr (CSS) file from the downloads section and add it (or just the images from it) to your game. Instructions for that are in the spoiler above. The procedure in the rest of this section is done if you want to create new CSPs; whether to match existing sets using new costumes, or to make new CSP sets.
- - - - - -​

Video Guide by Stache:
This might not be too clear in the video, but the most important aspect of the screenshots (for side poses, which is probably what you're trying to get) is that they need to be 1920x1080.

Dolphin Settings:​
First, you need to set some settings in Dolphin to ensure your screenshots will be 1920x1080. Start by going into Dolphin's Graphics Configuration, and set these on the Enhancements tab:
  • Internal Resolution: 3x (1920x1080)
  • Anti-Aliasing: 8x
  • Anisotropic Filtering: 16x
And I recommend setting your graphics backend to OpenGL (done in the General tab of the graphics settings), which gives better shading gradients and is what we used to get our screenshots.

The most important aspect of these settings is to have your screenshots to be 1920x1080. Other settings such as Anti-Aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering can be lower if needed. If you go too much lower than what's recommended though then you might start to notice a difference in the quality of your screenshot when compared to the original set that we've gathered.

The Faster Melee Dolphin builds have a really handy feature, called "Full Resolution Frame Dumps", which is found in the Advanced tab of the Graphics settings. This will force your screenshot to be based only on Dolphin's internal rendering resolution, rather than the size of the window displaying the game. Now, if you're using Faster Melee for this, check that option and you're done. If not, continue on to the directions in the spoiler below.

For non-FM builds of Dolphin, screenshots are always based on the actual size of your game window. So set your system's desktop resolution to 1920x1080.

Now in Dolphin, go to Tools -> Graphics settings (or use the button in the main interface) and set these on the General tab:
  • Aspect Ratio: Stretch to Window
  • Check the box that says "Use Fullscreen"
Now on the Enhancements tab, check the box for "Widescreen Hack"

Make sure that Gecko codes are enabled: in Dolphin go to Options -> Configure, and then near the top of the General tab you should find "Enable Cheats".

Other software:​

Download and unzip the Tri-CSP Creator from the downloads section above. Copy the GALE01.ini file found in the download and place it into your GameSettings folder, found in "C:\Users\[userName]\Documents\Dolphin Emulator\GameSettings".

Also in the download, you'll find a special copy of Final Destination. Normally, even if you disable all stage and background elements in Melee's debug mode, or use the 'Every Stage has a Plain Magenta Background' code, you will still see animations of stars from FD's background. The FD included here is modded to remove those stars. Use DTW to import this stage into your game. (FD is used to get screenshots for its particular lighting.)

Finally, the program to create the CSPs uses GIMP on the backend for its image editing, which you'll need to install if you don't already have it. You can get it here (it's a pretty quick and strait-forward installation).

Once GIMP is installed, open the folder in the Tri-CSP Creator's download named "Gimp plug-ins". Copy the two .py scripts there, and then click on the batch file there in the same folder. That should open up the plug-ins folder for GIMP. Paste the scripts you just copied to there. You're now ready to start grabbing screenshots of your new costumes.

Creating CSPs to Match an Existing Set
(Getting & processing screenshots for the Side Images)



You can find notes and a walkthrough of this below, but this whole section is also covered in Stache's excellent instructional video found in the Setup section. You can also find a video explaining how to use high-resolution CSPs with Dolphin here. If you're interested in more high-res textures, check out the HD Texture pack for 20XX for Dolphin.

First of all, be sure you've read the "Setup" section above this one. One of the main purposes of that section is to get your screenshots to come out a specific way. If you want to make a new CSPs to match an existing set (i.e. use the exact same poses with a new costume), then your screenshots need to turn out just like the raw screenshots of the other costumes in that set. Otherwise your CSPs will also definitely turn out differently. You can compare a screenshot you get with one of the raw screenshots from the CSP set you want to reproduce. If they're the same, then you'll be able to use that with the Tri-CSP Creator to create a new matching CSP.

Open Dolphin, right-click on the game you'll be using for getting screenshots, and go to Properties.

Go to the Gecko Codes tab, and set it so that these codes are enabled:
Every Stage has a Plain Magenta Background and No Stage Textures​
Disable Effect Textures​
Disable Color Overlays​
Unrestricted Pause Camera​
Remove HUD (Percentages, Stock Icons, Timer)​
One (and only one) of the Character Pose codes (e.g. "Bowser Pose (Side-b right)")​

Note the action mentioned in parenthesis to the active pose code before you close the window.

Boot the game, and set the game type to Time.

Select the character and costume you want to take a screenshot of.

Hold Start to force loading the Stage Select Screen without needing an opponent.

Load Final Destination (there are two cases that ask for Stadium, which are stated in the name of the character's pose code, which you noted above)

Perform the action that you noted by the pose code above, and the character should freeze at some point during the move.

Pause the game, and the camera should automatically move to its required position. Now just press F9 to take a screenshot with Dolphin. (Dolphin's default screenshot output is "C:\Users\[userName]\Documents\Dolphin Emulator\ScreenShots".)

You can now exit out of the match and go on to another character if you have multiple to do. You'll need to change the pose code currently enabled though, but you don't actually have to stop and restart the game to do it. Instead, ALT+TAB to the main Dolphin window, go to Tools -> Cheat Manager, and go to the Gecko Codes tab. The benefit of using this method to set Gecko codes rather than the first mentioned method is that any changes that you make can be updated while the game is running! Disable the current pose code and enable the next one that you want to use, hit Apply, and close the window.

Load up an image for each of the Left, Center, and Right Images. These are the raw screenshots taken of the character costumes. Multiple images may be given for each field, while one set (one finished CSP) will be created for each line that has a file path in each field. The usual magenta backgrounds with black bars will automatically be removed. If the given images already have their backgrounds removed, that's fine, and it may be preferred if the image has a complex or difficult background to remove, or needs other things specifically removed from the shot.

You may also give the program a different reference image to use for removing backgrounds. This is the optional "Mask" field. Provide an image for this, and that will be used as a basis for removing the backgrounds on all of the other files provided for the Left and Right image. This can be useful if all of the characters to process have the same outline, but also have other things in their frames that need to be removed.

The "Config" field is required. This is a text file that contains the sizing and positioning information for a set of images in order to turn them into a Tri-CSP. You should be able to find this in the same folder as the raw screenshots.

Setting a folder path for the Output field is optional. If you don't specify anything there, the default output folder will be the same folder as the right side image.

The "Create in High-Res" checkbox will result in a high-resolution CSP of 544x752 (4x the vanilla size of 136x188). These are for use with Dolphin's Load Custom Textures feature.


Creating a New Set with New Poses



If you want to share a new set of CSPs, you'll need to create and offer at least 3 things: The Gecko Pose Code for capturing raw screenshots, a config file for specifying sizing and position of the CSP's images, and images for the center/default costume of the CSP. It'd be great to include the raw screenshots you have for the side costumes too (or many of the more common costumes), but these aren't absolutely necessary, as they can be created as needed using the Pose Code.

To create a new code, there are just three values in the code that you need to modify: the action state ID, frame number, and pause camera position:

$Bowser Pose (Side-b right)
C216CDA0 00000009
81EDC18C 81EF0020
81EF002C 820F0010
2C10015b 40820018
A20F0894 2C104120
4082000C 3A000007
9A0F2219 81EF0000
81EF0008 2C0F0000
40A2FFD0 9421FFD0
60000000 00000000
04452f88 4172526c
04452f8c c00727ed
04452f90 426f382b


2C10015b: The Action State ID to freeze on, in hex.

There are a couple different methods:
  • During a match in debug mode, you can press Y + Dpad-Down to add displays for action and subaction names to the HUD. For actions that are common to the cast, like dodges, tilts, smashes, dash attacks, etc., these names are usually strings such as "WAIT", "KNEEBEND", or "ATTACKAIRF". For these kinds of things, you can get their associated Action State ID by looking up the string name in the Action State Reference in the SSBM Data Sheet. However, character-dependent things like many B moves often show up as a number on the HUD instead, in decimal. Convert it to hex to use it in the pose code.

  • An Action State Gecko code:

    $P1 % = P1 Action State, P2 % = P1 Subaction State (1.02) [Achilles]
    C206CA78 00000006
    89C3000C 2C0E0000
    4082001C 3DC08045
    61CE30E0 81E30010
    B1EE0000 81E30014
    B1EE0E90 8803221F
    60000000 00000000


  • And finally, the most surefire way: In debug dolphin during a match, take the pointer at 0x80453130, add 0x70 to it, and then that address will hold the action state ID that P1 is in.

2C104120: The frame number to freeze on during the action. This is represented by the first 4 characters (2 bytes) of a signed float. You can get the value for a signed float by entering a decimal number into a converter online, or the converter in MCM's tools tab. So, for example, 10 = 0x41200000 as a signed float. 4102 is then used in the Gecko code above; meaning the pose code above freezes the character on frame 10 of the chosen action.

Camera Position: These are X, Y, and Z coordinates for the pause camera, found consecutive in RAM at 0x80452f88. You can grab these in debug Dolphin while the game is in a match and the game is paused. But keep in mind that if you use the C-Stick and/or D-pad to move the camera, the game switches to [what I call] camera mode 8, and will stop updating the values for the pause camera (thus rendering the values you see there meaningless for this application). So just stick to using the main joystick and the X & Y buttons for zoom. Thanks to the unrestricted pause camera code though, you'll still have a good amount of freedom.

threshold: 40
centerImageXOffset: 0
centerImageYOffset: 0
centerImageScaling: 1
sideImagesXOffset: 0
sideImagesYOffset: 0
sideImagesScaling: 1
reverseSides: False

You'll probably need to use some trail-and-error to do your fine tuning in config file creation, but for a basis to start with, this is what the values mean:

Threshold: This value is used to distinguish between the magenta background and a character during the background removal process of image processing. Lower numbers mean a stricter (more conservative) selection area to remove, while higher values are more liberal, and may start selecting parts of the character if too high. Most cases should be able to keep this as the default value of 40.

All of the offset values are pixel offsets between the top-left corner of the CSP and the top-left corner of the original raw screenshots. This alignment is done after the initial, relative scaling phase (for example, to scale the center image so that it takes up 3/4 of the CSP area or so), but before the

The scaling values are decimal fractions between 0 and 1. High-res CSPs will use a direct result of this scaling factor, while vanilla-res CSPs will be 1/4 of that factor. So for example if you used a scaling of .4, Then the image in the finished high-res CSP would be 40% of the original, and would be 10% of the original in the vanilla-res CSP. Using a value of 1 will cause the processing for scaling to be skipped.

reverseSides is a True/False value, which simply indicates whether or not to horizontally flip the images for the side poses.

Since you're here, I'm guessing you like playing with alternate costumes. I definitely do. But there are also a lot of people who don't, and may be quite annoyed if they have to play tournament matches with them (some may be distracting or difficult to see on some stages). For this reason, many tournament organizers may not want to use your setup for tournament if the default costumes are custom costumes. So 20XX in the competitive scene, to keep it universally accepted, should really keep these character costumes vanilla.

If a CSP set does use vanilla costumes, and a full complement is made (images for all of that character's default costumes) then it's not as important if the pose can be easily reproduced by others, as one shouldn't really need any more copies of it. But some might still find it useful. And if you're using non-vanilla costumes for the center poses, there will probably be those that would like to recreate them with the default costumes, so you might want to include a method to reproduce it.

As a final note, as with the side images/poses, you'll want to capture the images at a high resolution, so that they can also be used for High-Res CSPs for those playing on Dolphin with high-res texture packs.

Some tips:
  • Keep in mind that, on the CSS, part of the bottom of the CSP will be covered up by the nametag. Which is why the Pikachu example at the top of this post (and other characters too short to fill the whole space) aren't standing on the bottom of the image, and instead kinda hover in the middle. Load up the game to take a look at how these appear in-game.
  • To make all of the CSPs in the game appear more alike one another, as if they're all part of one full-game, master set, pay attention to how much space the side poses take up. And also the height and size of the center pose. This will make all of the CSPs more homogeneous, and help prevent certain ones from looking like they're out of place on the CSS.

The "AHK Method" and Classic Mode Poses



This is an alternative method of getting screenshots for characters, for cases outside of matches where you can't use the Gecko pose codes. So far, there are just two examples that used this method: Samus' side poses, and Peach's default pose. Both of these are taken from the 1P Classic Mode. Before matches in this mode, there is a VS screen depicting the player and an opponent. These are unique poses that use the character models and textures rather than just being images. Each character has two poses, depending on whether they appear as the player or opponent (or that respective team), thus I've been calling these a character's Classic Pose 1 or Classic Pose 2.

There are a couple of issues with getting good screenshots in this mode. First, the globe in the background makes image editing to remove it and the rest of the background difficult. This is remedied by the classic mode VS screen file (IrAls.usd) in the downloads section. In that copy I've made the globe textureless and black, so it essentially disappears. Second and third issues are the black bars across the upper and lower portions of the screen, and the fact that the character models are typically facing each other rather than the screen. These two issues are solved by moving the camera using Dolphin's Free Look feature. This can be enabled in the Advanced tab of Dolphin's Graphics settings.

[Update!: The issues in the above paragraph have largely been solved thanks to the "Remove Classic Mode Vs. Screen HUD" code, by UnclePunch.]

Moving the camera to an identical place for consistent (reproducible) screenshots is tricky, because the game doesn't seem to use one of its usual camera modes, and the free look feature works in analogue according to key press duration rather than in discrete steps. This means that manual Free Look input (especially with regard to mouse movements for camera rotation) can't give consistent and reproducible results. So I wrote an AutoHotKey script, the Classic Pose Grabber, that can be configured to give these inputs for us for various poses. (The script can also be used elsewhere, such as Debug Mode's Results Test screens.)

The first thing that needs to be done is to make sure the script is able to see the game window for your build of Dolphin.
To do this, run the AHK script (it will now be a process running in the background, waiting to be activated) and then start running a game in Dolphin. Press CTRL+SHIFT+G to activate the AHK script. Dolphin should automatically pause, and the in-game camera should move a bit. If the script can't find the game window, you'll instead you see an error similar to this one:

In this case, go to line 96 in the script, and you should see a variable named "gameWindowName". Set this equal to the name your build of Dolphin uses for the window. You don't need to use the entire name; just up the "|" character is enough, in order to distinguish it from the main Dolphin window.

The main configuration for this script is seen later in the file; look/search for a section toward the end of the script labeled "Specify Camera Steps and Rotations Here". This is where you can set what actions the script takes to move the camera. You can use any combinations of the 'look' (for camera rotations) and 'move' (moving the camera up/down, left/right, or forward/back) commands.

  • Run the Classic Pose Grabber AHK script. It will now be a process running in the background, waiting to be activated by a hotkey.
  • Go to 1-P Mode -> Regular Match -> Classic, and select any character
  • Create a save state.
  • Press start and as soon as the VS screen appears, Press F10 to pause Dolphin.
  • Activate the AHK script with the hotkey CTRL+SHIFT+G. The camera should move to a new location.
  • Press F9 to take a screenshot.

If the camera position was slightly off, simply re-run the script (the script will start by resetting the camera when it runs). The occasional inaccuracy of the script I believe is due to what I mentioned before, about how the input for Free Look movements is based on key press duration, rather than discrete steps. So sometimes a key may be "pressed"/simulated for very slightly more or less than it should. But for simple camera re-positioning that doesn't have a lot of steps, like the Samus example, the script works pretty well.

In the more complex case of Peach, successful re-positioning was down to around 60%. So I just added a line to the camera positioning script to take a screenshot once it's done, and then made another hotkey (which you can still find in the AHK script) to execute that script multiple times. Then I just went to my screenshots folder and picked out the screenshot that was correct.


That's all for now!

Shoutouts and thanks go out to @UnclePunch for starting this project, and to Stache Stache for a ton of help in finishing it. And of course @Achilles1515 for 20XXHP!

If you guys come up with some new good sets or poses, post them, and they may be added to future versions of 20XX. And I'll probably later edit the second post here to be a repository of different CSP sets.
 
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Kotoha

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I followed all the steps in the video, but when i got to load Final Destination, it loaded normally without the magenta background. The characters also don't freeze on their poses in game. They don't freeze at all.
I have all of the correct gecko codes checked off, but I've made no progress.
Help?
 
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DRGN

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I followed all the steps in the video, but when i got to load Final Destination, it loaded normally without the magenta background. The characters also don't freeze on their poses in game. They don't freeze at all.
I have all of the correct gecko codes checked off, but I've made no progress.
Help?
Make sure you have Gecko codes enabled; go to Options -> Configure and look for a checkbox near the top that says, "Enable Cheats".
 

Kotoha

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Make sure you have Gecko codes enabled; go to Options -> Configure and look for a checkbox near the top that says, "Enable Cheats".
It was so simple... Thanks a bunch

Hey DRGN DRGN , are you willing to make the Tri-CSPs for me? i'm still having a lot of trouble, with the CSPs coming out with just fragments of the screenshots I put in.
I don't want to start a business for you, but if I drop my ISO here, could you make them for me? I'd be willing to pay
 
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Stache

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Oct 17, 2014
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Hey DRGN DRGN , are you willing to make the Tri-CSPs for me? i'm still having a lot of trouble, with the CSPs coming out with just fragments of the screenshots I put in.
I don't want to start a business for you, but if I drop my ISO here, could you make them for me? I'd be willing to pay
My best guess is you didn't use the correct config file. You did watch my video on it right?
 

Kotoha

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My best guess is you didn't use the correct config file. You did watch my video on it right?
Hey, thanks for responding.
I actually tried both of the config files and neither of them worked. The end results are both (With captain falcon) just a random knee in either direction

And yes i watched your video
 
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Stache

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Hey, thanks for responding.
I actually tried both of the config files and neither of them worked. The end results are both (With captain falcon) just a random knee in either direction

And yes i watched your video
That's odd since I used falcon in my example. Tell me what you wanna make and I'll do it for you
 

Kotoha

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That's odd since I used falcon in my example. Tell me what you wanna make and I'll do it for you
Bro, I was gonna make custom tri csp for literally every character/color.
if you're willing to do that, by all means. Every character has a custom skin, the non L or R alts
[Link removed. Sorry, posting game ISOs is not allowed (due to it being a copyright violation).]

It's also fine if you don't. I guess either see this as a small project, or shrug it off cause you're not obligated to do any of it
 
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DRGN

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Kotoha Kotoha

Could you post one of the screenshots you took? They should be 1920x1080, and be identical to other screenshots (aside from colors) that you find in the Raw CSP Screenshots downloads. If they're off by that point, they will be off in the finished CSP.
 

Robnu

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My screenshots seem to be cutting out some of the picture resulting in wonky things being made in Tri CSP creator. I've also followed the tutorial in gimp at the end of the video but that didn't work either. Any ideas?
Pics: http://imgur.com/T3ddKxe
http://imgur.com/ceVW0V0
 
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DRGN

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My screenshots seem to be cutting out some of the picture resulting in wonky things being made in Tri CSP creator. I've also followed the tutorial in gimp at the end of the video but that didn't work either. Any ideas?
Pics: http://imgur.com/T3ddKxe
http://imgur.com/ceVW0V0
Yeah, you'll notice that if you compare your screenshots to Falco's other screenshots, they are not the same. So the TCC will of course create something else (because it doesn't know where Falco actually is in the image, it assumes he's in the same place as all the other screenshots). So you must not have Dolphin's Graphics settings configured correctly. For one thing, your screenshots' resolution should be 1920x1080. Check the "Written Guide" in the Setup section of the OP for Dolphin's settings. If you're not using Faster Melee and/or you're using Fullscreen mode, you might need to change your system's desktop resolution to 1920x1080, if it is not already.
 

NordicWonder

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I am on a Mac and while I have always been able to do custom/swap out skins using melee toolkit, for some reason doing the same process for the MnSlChr.usd file using melee toolkit does not work. Any reason you think this might be?
 

Kotoha

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after 2 weeks of frustration, i reread the post and just found out I can only change the side poses for each tri csp. Is there a way to change the middle pose in the tri csp (E.g. C Falcon taunt)?
I'm only asking because I've changed every single skin in my own iso. aka, the left alt, the right alt, and the middle alt.
Any answers are welcome
 
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DRGN

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after 2 weeks of frustration, i reread the post and just found out I can only change the side poses for each tri csp. Is there a way to change the middle pose in the tri csp (E.g. C Falcon taunt)?
I'm only asking because I've changed every single skin in my own iso. aka, the left alt, the right alt, and the middle alt.
Any answers are welcome
Yes, you can change the center poses to use custom costumes too. Read the section called "Creating a New Set with New Poses". You can use the existing side images (or if you need to make new screenshots, you can use the existing pose code & config for the side images to get those screenshots. But you shouldn't need to worry about the sideImage values in the config file). If you want to make new center images, you'll need to create a pose code for them, and use that to take snapshots of the costumes you want to use for the center images. Then modify the centerImage values in the config file to get your new center image to line up to where you want it in the finished CSP. (You'll need to modify those values because your new center images will likely have the character in a slightly different location in the image, and at a different size. Alternatively, if you crop your new images so that the character is the same number of pixels from the top and left as the originals, and they're the same size, you may not need to modify those centerImage values.) I recommend rendering the CSP in "high-res" while you're testing to figure out what values to use, since the offset and scaling values will then be 1:1, so you'll be able to accurately see how much adjustment your values need. If you still have trouble with the config file, post the center images you create and I can help with the config values.
 

Kotoha

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Yes, you can change the center poses to use custom costumes too. Read the section called "Creating a New Set with New Poses". You can use the existing side images (or if you need to make new screenshots, you can use the existing pose code & config for the side images to get those screenshots. But you shouldn't need to worry about the sideImage values in the config file). If you want to make new center images, you'll need to create a pose code for them, and use that to take snapshots of the costumes you want to use for the center images. Then modify the centerImage values in the config file to get your new center image to line up to where you want it in the finished CSP. (You'll need to modify those values because your new center images will likely have the character in a slightly different location in the image, and at a different size. Alternatively, if you crop your new images so that the character is the same number of pixels from the top and left as the originals, and they're the same size, you may not need to modify those centerImage values.) I recommend rendering the CSP in "high-res" while you're testing to figure out what values to use, since the offset and scaling values will then be 1:1, so you'll be able to accurately see how much adjustment your values need. If you still have trouble with the config file, post the center images you create and I can help with the config values.
Yeah, i read that little bit and realize that i'd be going way too far over my head. again, if any of ya'll are willing, i could post my iso somewhere and pay to have you or anyone else do all the tri csps

my offer (or beg) still stands
 

Gehis514

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Is it necessary to have the settings run that high for this to work? I don't have a good laptop to do this and dolphin will run so slow and crash from how intensive it is
 

DRGN

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Is it necessary to have the settings run that high for this to work? I don't have a good laptop to do this and dolphin will run so slow and crash from how intensive it is
The only graphics setting that's completely necessary is the Internal Resolution of 3x (1920x1080). Anti-Aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering can be lower. If you go too much lower than what's recommended you might start to notice a difference in the quality of your screenshot when compared to the originals (the set we've already collected). Also, I could point out and add to the guide that the grapihcs backend we use is OpenGL, as it provides better shading.

As long as the game advances at all, you should probably be good, since you only need a screenshot, and there aren't many steps you need to do in-game.
 

Gehis514

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The only graphics setting that's completely necessary is the Internal Resolution of 3x (1920x1080). Anti-Aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering can be lower. If you go too much lower than what's recommended you might start to notice a difference in the quality of your screenshot when compared to the originals (the set we've already collected). Also, I could point out and add to the guide that the grapihcs backend we use is OpenGL, as it provides better shading.

As long as you can get any framerate above, you should probably be good, since you only need a screenshot, and there aren't many steps you need to do in-game.
Yeah i don't think i could do that either, dolphin runs really slow just by running it with the internal resolution at 3x :( it's fine though, i might just have to find someone who wouldn't mind doing this for me then

EDIT: My dumb self didn't realize you could just turn on the necessary settings when you get to the point where you take the screenshot in-game lol. My laptop can't actually produce 1920x1080 screenshots since the highest resolution it could go is 1366x768, but a simple and clean upscaling on GIMP fixes the size difference. Things look great in game now and I'm so happy with how it turned out, props for making such a great tool
 
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Hi, I'm also having trouble with this tool. The Tri-CSP Creator didn't output any files for me. I followed both the instructions in the OP and the video instructions to a T, I checked that all of my files and codes were in the right place, I even tried using just the Raw CSP Screenshots just to make sure that it wasn't a problem with the pictures I took - but the Tri- CSPs are nowhere to be found. (Output folder was default.) Would anyone mind helping me out?
 

DRGN

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Hi, I'm also having trouble with this tool. The Tri-CSP Creator didn't output any files for me. I followed both the instructions in the OP and the video instructions to a T, I checked that all of my files and codes were in the right place, I even tried using just the Raw CSP Screenshots just to make sure that it wasn't a problem with the pictures I took - but the Tri- CSPs are nowhere to be found. (Output folder was default.) Would anyone mind helping me out?
Maybe there's some problem with the paths the program is using. Are you using relative or absolute file paths for the filepath that you're giving the program? Do you have all of the input (images/config) files and the program on your C: drive or a different drive? You might try moving everything to somewhere on your C: drive, and try using all absolute file paths. You might also need to run the program as Administrator, depending on where you choose to run it from (in case the program doesn't have write access for that location).

If that doesn't work, can you post the input files you're using and your exact procedure? Also, what kind of system are you using; Windows _?, x86/x64?
 
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Maybe there's some problem with the paths the program is using. Are you using relative or absolute file paths for the filepath that you're giving the program? Do you have all of the input (images/config) files and the program on your C: drive or a different drive? You might try moving everything to somewhere on your C: drive, and try using all absolute file paths. You might also need to run the program as Administrator, depending on where you choose to run it from (in case the program doesn't have write access for that location).

If that doesn't work, can you post the input files you're using and your exact procedure? Also, what kind of system are you using; Windows _?, x86/x64?


I am using Windows 10 x64. I put both python scripts in the Gimp plug-ins folder from the .bat, as well as in "C:\Program Files\GIMP 2\Python\Lib" and "C:\Program Files\GIMP 2\lib\gimp\2.0\plug-ins", just to make sure that Gimp didn't miss the scripts. I also tried running TCC as an administrator after making sure that everything was in place.
 

DRGN

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Sorry for the wait. What version of GIMP are you using?

I wrote the GIMP plug-ins and the program for v2.8. The current 2.10 version uses different paths for the plug-ins folder and program executable. I can update the program to check for those. In the meantime, you could try installing version 2.8 of GIMP instead if that's not what you've already tried.

You can also bypass the TCC program altogether. Ultimately it's just a convenient wrapper for the GIMP plug-ins, and they can also be run from command line. Along with the GIMP executable in "C:\Program Files\GIMP 2\bin", there's a 'gimp-console' executable. You should be able to use that to run a command like this:

[pathToProgramExe] -d -f -i -b "(python-fu-create-tri-csp 1 \"[pathToLeftImage]\" \"[pathToCenterImage]\" \"[pathToRightImage]\" \"\" \"\" \"[outputFolderPath]\" 40 47 165 0.927 -340 -96 0.523 1 0 0)" -b "(gimp-quit 0)"

The series of numbers towards the end are only for Jigglypuff, which come from her config file. Alternatively, if you want to modify this for other CSPs, you can replace the second set of \"\", highlighted in yellow above with \"[pathToConfigFile]\" (no brackets on any of these).

This is the folder path for python plug-ins for GIMP 2.10: "C:\Users\[userName]\AppData\Roaming\GIMP\2.10\plug-ins". You can verify whether GIMP is recognizing them by opening GIMP and looking at the top menubar; a "CSPs" menu should be available, with two selections in its drop-down (it's ok if one of them is grayed out).
1559811562197.png
 
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Sorry for the wait. What version of GIMP are you using?

I wrote the GIMP plug-ins and the program for v2.8. The current 2.10 version uses different paths for the plug-ins folder and program executable. I can update the program to check for those. In the meantime, you could try installing version 2.8 of GIMP instead if that's not what you've already tried.

You can also bypass the TCC program altogether. Ultimately it's just a convenient wrapper for the GIMP plug-ins, and they can also be run from command line. Along with the GIMP executable in "C:\Program Files\GIMP 2\bin", there's a 'gimp-console' executable. You should be able to use that to run a command like this:

[pathToProgramExe] -d -f -i -b "(python-fu-create-tri-csp 1 \"[pathToLeftImage]\" \"[pathToCenterImage]\" \"[pathToRightImage]\" \"\" \"\" \"[outputFolderPath]\" 40 47 165 0.927 -340 -96 0.523 1 0 0)" -b "(gimp-quit 0)"

The series of numbers towards the end are only for Jigglypuff, which come from her config file. Alternatively, if you want to modify this for other CSPs, you can replace the second set of \"\", highlighted in yellow above with \"[pathToConfigFile]\" (no brackets on any of these).

This is the folder path for python plug-ins for GIMP 2.10: "C:\Users\[userName]\AppData\Roaming\GIMP\2.10\plug-ins". You can verify whether GIMP is recognizing them by opening GIMP and looking at the top menubar; a "CSPs" menu should be available, with two selections in its drop-down (it's ok if one of them is grayed out).
View attachment 226211
I am using GIMP 2.8.22. How exactly would I run a command using gimp-console?
 

DRGN

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I am using GIMP 2.8.22. How exactly would I run a command using gimp-console?
Are the scripts recognized in GIMP? You can open the program and check (circled in the image I posted above).

To send a command, you need to open a terminal, a.k.a. a command prompt window, preferably in the location of the executable. Open an explorer window and go to "C:\Program Files\GIMP 2\bin". In the address bar, type "cmd", as shown below, and hit Enter. That'll open a terminal. (It's "current directory" will be set as that location, which means that paths for files/folders will be referenced relative to that location.) You can then enter a command like the one I posted above, replacing the various file paths in brackets with the paths to the files you want to use.

1560321947086.png


"gimp-console-2.10.exe" would be the one to use in the example above; but yours should end with '2.8.exe'
 
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Ok, thanks! There's just one problem: My Gimp doesn't recognize the plugins (no CSPs menu on the top menubar), despite me putting them in several locations that other python scripts are located. I tried opening gimp-console to figure out why, and it said:

GIMP-Error: Unable to run plug-in "python-fu-finish-csp.py"
(C:\Users\gsdro\.gimp-2.8\plug-ins\python-fu-finish-csp.py)
Failed to execute child process (No such file or directory)

GIMP-Error: Unable to run plug-in "python-fu-create-tri-csp.py"
(C:\Users\gsdro\.gimp-2.8\plug-ins\python-fu-create-tri-csp.py)
Failed to execute child process (No such file or directory)


Do you think you can help me with this?
 
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DRGN

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I'm not sure where/how you got those error messages. What do you mean you tried opening gimp-console? What did you do exactly?

I don't remember if GIMP comes with a lightweight python environment, or if one needs to be installed. Did you install python yourself, independently of GIMP? I'm wondering what version of python you have installed (or at least, what version your GIMP is using).

If you open a GIMP console from within the program, from the top menu option, "Filters -> Python-Fu -> Console", what are the first two lines that appear in the console?

I would remove the extra copies of the scripts from all GIMP plug-in directories except for the one you reach by running the batch script ("C:\Users\[yourUserName]\.gimp-2.8\plug-ins"). Also, if all else fails, you could try installing GIMP v2.10; I've tested the plug-ins, and they do work with both versions of the program. You might need to uninstall v2.8 first, to ensure there are no conflicts between the two.

Also, by chance are you using GMIC? Some people report that python plugins stop working after installing that.
 

perpendicularman

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Video Guides:
(By Stache)​



If you're playing on Dolphin, you may also be interested to visit the thread for the 20XXHP high-resolution texture pack, which includes the high-resolution copies of the TRI-CSPs found here.
I dunno if this has been addressed already but I followed the steps in the video, but when I clicked "Create" in the program, there is no file. Any ideas?
 

DRGN

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I dunno if this has been addressed already but I followed the steps in the video, but when I clicked "Create" in the program, there is no file. Any ideas?
If you look at the posts above yours, you'll see that YouAreReadingMyUsername was having some issues, and you may be able to find solutions among the debug we were going through. If not, I would need info on what you've done for the setup and what you've installed to have a guess at what's wrong. What version GIMP are you running? Does GIMP recognize the plugins? What build of Windows are you using (and x86 or x64)?
 

DRGN

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I don't know how much people use this, but I have a few updates for the Tri-CSP Creator program, since I've been using it myself lately.

To version 1.1:

- Added support for other versions of GIMP; namely v2.10._
- Suppresses export of color profiles in finished CSPs (prevents bad iCCP chunk & import failures)
- Some GIMP command failures are now output to the terminal
- Added a shortcut for going to the Plug-ins folder for GIMP v2.10 (in the DL's "GIMP Plug-ins" folder)
- If a center image is loaded in the GUI, but no config file, it'll auto-attempt to find the config file
- Added a changelog, and a ReadMe explaining command line and mask usage
- On start, now checks/prints GIMP/TCC program versions, plus plug-in installation status and versions
- Added the "python-fu-remove-background.py" GIMP plug-in, for convenience in other image editing
Download links updated in the OP.
 

BrassMonkey

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Trying to use the Classic Pose Grabber AHK script.

I follow the instructions but after I pause dolphin with f10, the camera doesnt move (which I assume is normal since the game is paused.)
However, after resuming, the camera is not in the correct position. I'm running dolphin on my second 1920x1080p monitor, outside of that I'm not sure why its not working correctly.

 

DRGN

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For any who might be interested, I uploaded the source code and project to my github, here: https://github.com/DRGN-DRC/Tri-CSP-Creator


Trying to use the Classic Pose Grabber AHK script.

I follow the instructions but after I pause dolphin with f10, the camera doesnt move (which I assume is normal since the game is paused.)
However, after resuming, the camera is not in the correct position. I'm running dolphin on my second 1920x1080p monitor, outside of that I'm not sure why its not working correctly.

Oops. Didn't know this went unanswered. I realize this is super old, but just out of curiosity, did you solve this? You need to make sure the Free Look feature is enabled in Dolphin (under Advanced in the Graphics settings). It's turned off by default.
 

BrassMonkey

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I found the free look feature on the options tab under 'free look settings.' And can confirm that it works. But I still can't get the camera in the right spot.

According to your guide, it sounds like the camera is supposed to move while dolphin is paused which doesn't happen for me. And if I run the script while paused and then un-pause after its done. It's just a blank screen, assuming the camera is not where it should be.
 

DRGN

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I found the free look feature on the options tab under 'free look settings.' And can confirm that it works. But I still can't get the camera in the right spot.

According to your guide, it sounds like the camera is supposed to move while dolphin is paused which doesn't happen for me. And if I run the script while paused and then un-pause after its done. It's just a blank screen, assuming the camera is not where it should be.
Sorry for the slow reply, I've been super busy but wanted to take a look at the script and directions again before responding.

You're running the .ahk script, not the .exe, right? Did you change the game window name as described in the 'Configuring the Classic Pose Grabber AHK Script' spoiler in the OP? When you run the script, do you see a notification in the bottom-right of your screen that says "Classic Pose Grabber loaded."? If not, you might not have AHK installed.

When you initially run the script, it runs in the background (you should see an icon for it in the hidden taskbar items), and then you activate it (while the game is at the VS intro screen, and Dolphin is paused) by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+G. You should see the script move the camera at this point, because it also frame advances the game between its movements. You could also check line 233 or 235, and make sure the correct Dolphin hotkey is set to take the screenshot.

I've been working on a new, much easier system for making Tri-CSPs. (Which is why I happened to stop by this thread again the other day.) So far, it works perfectly with many characters, recreating the screenshots so far used in 20XX, but it has a problem with some characters. And characters that use the VS intro screens, like Samus, will have to be a special case. I haven't started on those cases yet, but I have several ideas for approaching the problem.
 
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