What the .MAO is that?

[BarefootWarrior]

I need some help and I'm sure this has been asked many times, but I can't seem to find a simple anwser to my question. I am trying to re-texture some of the armor and incorporate some alpha / transparency with the textures (dds files). I have no problems doing the texture work and I found out I have to make the normals maps different, so far, so good on that one. But, in trying to get these textures to show alpha or become transparent in game is another matter.

 

What I am trying to create is a more 'earthy' or natural / organic very light leather armor for the Dalish male Elfs. The attached picture will show what I am trying to do. Creating a composite screen shot and editing in Photoshop shows the look that I am trying to create. I would like to create leather bracers, possibly shin guards and maybe boots to go along with this.

 

In FO3, FONV...you have to assign the alpha property to the mesh / model in order for the alpha to show correctly in game using NifSkope, or at least that's how I do it. But in DAO (maybe DA2 as well) I am not able to do this, I have nothing to show the .msh / model to attach those properties. But...now I have found out that you have to edit an 'MAO' file and add the alpha / transparent property in a text editor? What?

 

News to me....

 

So, some of you have more experience then I and I would like to ask you folks simply....How do you incorporate and alpha texture into the game and have it work correctly? Is it possible?

 

Where are the MAO files located and how to do tell the texture to be transparent...if this is the case that is.

 

And a refferal to some tutorials would be great, I have literally spent hours on line trying to find this out and most tutorials I have found are no longer available or give very little in the way of an explanation.

 

Next step...on to You Tube and hope for the best.

Edited April 5, 2013 by BarefootWarrior

[Risibisi]

Hi,

I can answer your mao file question:

Ressources in general are located in erf. files in the game data folders. You can extract them with the toolset or gyff4 editor. For example dds files are in "textures.erf and mao in the"materialobjects.erf".

Hm, the alpha transparent property... I'm not sure if the Nug is your solution but maybe it works. Look here:

http://social.bioware.com/forum/Dragon-Age-Toolset/Toolset-Custom-Content/Transparency-460163-1.html

[BarefootWarrior]

Hi,

 

Thanks for that info and the link, it was a big help and a step into the right direction. It appears that the .MAO files are part of the ERF? I have the gyff4 and the toolset, but still getting things figured out. This little project is turning into quite the education for sure. I hope there will be some more comments on this topic. Thanks for the response.

[Risibisi]

You can have a look at this tool: http://social.bioware.com/project/41/

You can export all necessary files with it.. armours too. I'm using it to get the vanilla hairmeshes and the maos.

There will be a warning that it is obsolete.. just ignore that.

The nug model and it's files should be there too. So you have another way to get the Nugmao which you take instead of your armour mao..to get rid of the black parts.

You have just to edit the Nugmao corresponding to your files ( names, format).. maybe it works.

Another good place to ask is at the Bioware social network site (BSN).