This is a tutorial from a member at my site. It is very detailed and easy to follow. Have fun modding and be sure to come check us out!
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I've been modding this game series since GTA3 came out. I have Vice City as well but you know I've never done the 1st mission on any of these games. It's just not my type of game.
I just enjoy replacing the vehicles and driving them around in the game.
Back when GTA3 came out that's actually when I got into game modding period.
I saw that you could replace the cars with much better ones that people have created in
3D programs such as 3dmax, and photoshop for texturing. I could make a new car as well for the games but I actually never have. You know that Oblivion Tutorial I made?? Well if I where to make one on how to make completely new vehicles for this game series it would be up to 10 ten times longer than that Oblivion topic.
Where as this does reflect or more `graphical changes` than actually how the game plays, it will fit better here because you will not editing graphics, you will be replacing and editing files.
I like San Andres because of the transfender shops and how you can add stuff, and change the wheels.
Lets get started:
Requirements/Downloads/Links/Info:
1. Grand Theft Auto -San Andreas Version 1.0 UNPACTHED! if you have installed any patches you will have to uninstall the game and reinstall it.
If the version you bought is 1.2 your just out of luck.
2. GTA Inside This is my source for all the vehicles/mods/maps/games changes/tools. It's the best source on the web to me. The site is German, I guess that's German. Some of the mods you download might be in a different language. But you should be able to tell what settings to change.
3. Img Tool This is what you use to replace the files in the gta3.img
4. Handling Editor This tool allows you to modify vehicle settings. I use this sometimes
but once/if you learn what all the criterias mean you can edit these manually with a text editor, or notepad.
5. Wheel Pack I really recommend this. It changes the default wheels to much better ones.
You replace the files in the gta3.img using the Img Tool with the ones provided.
6. GTA-SA Crazy Trainer This is optional but I recommend it. This tool also can spawn cars which is useful where you can spawn a car that you have replaced instead of waiting on one to appear. SHIFT+] and SHIFT+[ cycles though car names. SHIFT+0 spawns them.
7. It will be a great idea to have a complete backup install of GTA-SA
Mainly just the data and models folder.
All mods that you download will come with instructions on how to install them.
You don't always have replace the one they say.
As an example I replaced a car with a Trailer that will pull behind a 18 Wheeler.
If you stick to modding this game you will learn which ones you can do this with.
Mainly the vehicles you download with just 2 file named like:
-NAME.dff
-NAME.txd
Also one thing you look at is the handling, which goes in handling.cfg and the vehicles.ide
For example:
You have replaced a car named Hotrod
You see this new car you absolutely love. You download this new car and it says you replace
the Hotrod. On no I have already replaced that one. If there are settings for the handling.cfg
and vehicles.ide then there is no problem. Just find you a car you haven't replaced yet and change the names of the .dff and .txd to the one you haven't used.
However if there is NOT any settings in the handling.cfg or vehicles.ide you will need the original files to get the settings. This is where your backup comes to in.
Get the information from the original files, but use those settings on the .cfg and .ide you have free to replace, and change the names of .dff and .txd
The ones you download with file names like:
-bbb_lr_slv1.dff
-bbb_lr_slv2.dff
-fbb_lr_slv1.dff
-fbb_lr_slv2.dff
-fbmp_lr_slv1.dff
You should replace the one they say.
How many vehicles have I replaced?
All of them just about. I haven't replaced any boats, or motorcycles.
With replacing this many you WILL encounter crashes more than you can bare unless
you know what you're doing, especially in the shops applying body parts.
Hers is a example of the ones I replaced: Which it already pawned the original
check out the before and after once I came out of transfender.
Before:
After:
Before:
After:
Before:
After:
These are the files you will mainly be editing when it come to vehicle replacement:
with the exception of a file names veh_mods.ide in data/maps/veh_mods
With image tool instead of REPLACEING the NAME.DFF NAME.TXD or any file.
It's better to DELETE the original. Then use img tool to import 1 at a time.
When you delete them and import instead of replacing, in img tool click Tools>Sort>Offset
then your new files you added will be at the bottom and easy to find.
img tool doesn't like to import multiple files. There is another img tool named
`Spark Image Tool` where as it does import multiple files and says you do not have to ever rebuild the archive. You DO still need to rebuild it or SA could crash. The Spark tool doesn't have the rebuild option, so you will have to use img tool instead for the rebuild.
I will say I do use them both. If I'm doing a mod where I replace more than 5 files at once I will use the spark tool to delete, import. Then use img tool for the rebuild.
I really doubt many get into this as I have but I promise, just changing the vehicles and driving them around it addictive lol.
Good luck to anyone that attempts this, and I'm here for you if you need help.
