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Customizing the wheels

Concerning the wheels we want to make them colorable with CrystalCoat but we would like to select their paint aspect independently of the rest of the vehicle. So we can have a vehicle with metallic paint and wheels using the glossy paint.

For the Mahir Supron all the wheels use the same mesh file so it will be easier. The wheel components are these ones:

wheel_01_fl_a
wheel_01_fr_a
wheel_01_bl_a
wheel_01_br_a

Duplicate the wheel_01_fl_a component to create two new components named wheel_01_fl_a_painted and wheel_01_fl_a_inserts. Set their meshAppearance to standard.

Add the mesh file to your project and duplicate it twice. Add theses suffixes to your new mesh files _painted and _inserts. Assign all three files to your three components:

wheel_01_fl_a
wheel_01_fl_a_painted
wheel_01_fl_a_inserts

Repeat this process for the other wheels using the same mesh files. If your front wheels and back wheels are using two different mesh files then repeat this process for both groups.

Submesh the wheels

Export your three mesh files and import one of them into Blender. Hide all submeshes except the relevant one you want to work with.

Submesh these parts for the _inserts component.

Select this new submesh alone and export it to the _inserts mesh file. Submesh these parts for the _painted component.

Select this new submesh alone and export it to the _painted mesh file. Then select all the other submeshes and export them to the base mesh file.

Import your three mesh files back into WolvenKit. Now duplicate one of your WorldWidgetComponents named visual_customization_<some_component> for the painted component and another one for the inserts component. Rename them and update their meshTargetBinding > bindName and parentTransform > bindName fields with their new component name.

You must update the AppearanceVisualController list when you create a new component or if you modify its name, mesh appearance or mesh file path.

Refer to this paragraph to do so.

Add new mod settings

We need to create four mod settings to handle wheels. Two for CrystalCoat OFF state and two more for CrystalCoat ON state.

As usual in the following code you need to replace the mod name and secondary keys for translation. See that CrystalCoat OFF settings are using EMeshAppearanceStandard type while CrystalCoat ON settings are using EWheelAppearanceCC type because we want to replace the Painted value with a list of paint aspects directly. So we also need to use the relevant translation entries above the field.

/////////////////////////
// WHEELS
/////////////////////////

@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.mod", "MyModName")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.category", "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-cat")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.category.order", "3")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.displayName", "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-on-painted")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.description", "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-on-painted-desc")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.displayValues.Standard", "MyNickName-MyModName-enum-standard")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.displayValues.Coated", "MyNickName-MyModName-enum-coated")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.displayValues.Metallic", "MyNickName-MyModName-enum-metallic")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.displayValues.Glossy", "MyNickName-MyModName-enum-glossy")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.displayValues.Black", "MyNickName-MyModName-enum-black")
public let wheelPaintedAppearanceCC: EWheelAppearanceCC = EWheelAppearanceCC.Black;

@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.mod", "MyModName")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.category", "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-cat")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.category.order", "3")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.displayName", "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-off-painted")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.description", "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-off-painted-desc")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.displayValues.Standard", "MyNickName-MyModName-enum-standard")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.displayValues.Black", "MyNickName-MyModName-enum-black")
public let wheelPaintedAppearance: EMeshAppearanceStandard = EMeshAppearanceStandard.Standard;

@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.mod", "MyModName")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.category", "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-cat")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.category.order", "3")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.displayName", "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-on-inserts")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.description", "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-on-inserts-desc")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.displayValues.Standard", "MyNickName-MyModName-enum-standard")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.displayValues.Coated", "MyNickName-MyModName-enum-coated")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.displayValues.Metallic", "MyNickName-MyModName-enum-metallic")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.displayValues.Glossy", "MyNickName-MyModName-enum-glossy")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.displayValues.Black", "MyNickName-MyModName-enum-black")
public let wheelInsertsAppearanceCC: EWheelAppearanceCC = EWheelAppearanceCC.Glossy;

@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.mod", "MyModName")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.category", "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-cat")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.category.order", "3")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.displayName", "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-off-inserts")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.description", "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-off-inserts-desc")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.displayValues.Standard", "MyNickName-MyModName-enum-standard")
@runtimeProperty("ModSettings.displayValues.Black", "MyNickName-MyModName-enum-black")
public let wheelInsertsAppearance: EMeshAppearanceStandard = EMeshAppearanceStandard.Standard;

Then create the new EWheelAppearanceCC enumerated type.

enum EWheelAppearanceCC {
  Standard = 0,
  Coated = 1,
  Metallic = 2,
  Glossy = 3,
  Black = 4
}

As we have 4 wheels to link with our new settings we need to add this code (lines 10-21) in the Utils.CustomizeMesh method.

switch vehicleModel {
  case ESupportedVehicle.Supron:

    if Equals(meshComp.name, n"body_01_roof_custom") {
      meshAppearance = ccEnabled ? ToString(MyModSettings.Get(gi).settings.roofAppearanceCC) : ToString(MyModSettings.Get(gi).settings.roofAppearance);
    }
    else if Equals(meshComp.name, n"body_01_sunvisor_custom") {
      meshAppearance = ccEnabled ? ToString(MyModSettings.Get(gi).settings.sunvisorAppearanceCC) : ToString(MyModSettings.Get(gi).settings.sunvisorAppearance);
    }
    else if Equals(meshComp.name, n"wheel_01_fl_a_painted_custom")
    || Equals(meshComp.name, n"wheel_01_fr_a_painted_custom")
    || Equals(meshComp.name, n"wheel_01_bl_a_painted_custom")
    || Equals(meshComp.name, n"wheel_01_br_a_painted_custom") {
      meshAppearance = ccEnabled ? ToString(MyModSettings.Get(gi).settings.wheelPaintedAppearanceCC) : ToString(MyModSettings.Get(gi).settings.wheelPaintedAppearance);
    }
    else if Equals(meshComp.name, n"wheel_01_fl_a_inserts_custom")
    || Equals(meshComp.name, n"wheel_01_fr_a_inserts_custom")
    || Equals(meshComp.name, n"wheel_01_bl_a_inserts_custom")
    || Equals(meshComp.name, n"wheel_01_br_a_inserts_custom") {
      meshAppearance = ccEnabled ? ToString(MyModSettings.Get(gi).settings.wheelInsertsAppearanceCC) : ToString(MyModSettings.Get(gi).settings.wheelInsertsAppearance);
    }
    else {
      if ccEnabled {
        meshAppearance = ToString(MyModSettings.Get(gi).settings.paintAspectEnabled ? EMeshAppearanceCC.Painted : EMeshAppearanceCC.Coated);
      }
      else {
        meshAppearance = ToString(EMeshAppearanceCC.Standard);
      }
    }
    break;

  default:
    return null;
    break;
}

Add new translation keys

We need to add new localized strings for our new settings. Export your en-us.json file then add these elements into it and update their secondary keys.

{
  "$type": "localizationPersistenceOnScreenEntry",
  "femaleVariant": "Supron / Wheels",
  "maleVariant": "",
  "primaryKey": "0",
  "secondaryKey": "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-cat"
},
{
  "$type": "localizationPersistenceOnScreenEntry",
  "femaleVariant": "Painted areas",
  "maleVariant": "",
  "primaryKey": "0",
  "secondaryKey": "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-on-painted"
},
{
  "$type": "localizationPersistenceOnScreenEntry",
  "femaleVariant": "Choose what appearance you want to apply on the painted areas of the wheels when CrystalCoat™ is enabled.",
  "maleVariant": "",
  "primaryKey": "0",
  "secondaryKey": "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-on-painted-desc"
},
{
  "$type": "localizationPersistenceOnScreenEntry",
  "femaleVariant": "Painted areas (CrystalCoat™ OFF)",
  "maleVariant": "",
  "primaryKey": "0",
  "secondaryKey": "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-off-painted"
},
{
  "$type": "localizationPersistenceOnScreenEntry",
  "femaleVariant": "Choose what appearance you want to apply on the painted areas of the wheels when CrystalCoat™ is disabled.",
  "maleVariant": "",
  "primaryKey": "0",
  "secondaryKey": "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-off-painted-desc"
},
{
  "$type": "localizationPersistenceOnScreenEntry",
  "femaleVariant": "Inserts",
  "maleVariant": "",
  "primaryKey": "0",
  "secondaryKey": "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-on-inserts"
},
{
  "$type": "localizationPersistenceOnScreenEntry",
  "femaleVariant": "Choose what appearance you want to apply on the wheels inserts when CrystalCoat™ is enabled.",
  "maleVariant": "",
  "primaryKey": "0",
  "secondaryKey": "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-on-inserts-desc"
},
{
  "$type": "localizationPersistenceOnScreenEntry",
  "femaleVariant": "Inserts (CrystalCoat™ OFF)",
  "maleVariant": "",
  "primaryKey": "0",
  "secondaryKey": "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-off-inserts"
},
{
  "$type": "localizationPersistenceOnScreenEntry",
  "femaleVariant": "Choose what appearance you want to apply on the wheels inserts when CrystalCoat™ is disabled.",
  "maleVariant": "",
  "primaryKey": "0",
  "secondaryKey": "MyNickName-MyModName-wheels-off-inserts-desc"
}

Then import it back into CR2W by right-clicking on it and select Convert from JSON. Repeat this process with any other language you have set.

Create materials

Open your _inserts mesh file so we can create the materials and appearances. Delete all appearances and create these ones with a single chunk (appearance name -> chunk name).

standard -> poor_01
metallic -> metallic
glossy -> glossy
coated -> coated
black -> black

In the materialEntries and localMaterialBuffer > materials arrays remove all entries except poor_01. Then copy the existing materials from another of your mesh files concerning metallic, glossy, coated and black materials.

You must rebuild the index of the materialEntries array after you have finished to reorganize it. Right-click on it and choose Recalculate child index properties.

Define the coated material

For the coated material, reuse the original mlmask file from the poor_01 material. Add its associated mlsetup file to your project and rename it to wheel_coated.mlsetup. Assign this new file to localMaterialBuffer > materials > coated > MultilayerSetup. Then right-click on the file and select Convert to JSON.

Open it in MLSB and disable the layers that make the wheel dirty: 15, 17, 18. To do so turn their opacity to 0. Then export the file to JSON and import it back into WolvenKit.

Define the metallic material

Concerning this one as this is a textured material we need to define its Tiles value into the mlsetup file because depending on the mesh UV, the texture resolution will be different.

Duplicate the existing metallic.mlsetup and name it wheel_metallic.mlsetup. Then assign it to localMaterialBuffer > materials > metallic > MultilayerSetup.

Edit the file into MLSB and set its Tiles value to 8 on the layer 0. Save the file and import it back into WolvenKit. Now we also need to define a new mlmask file for the wheels.

We cannot reuse the existing painted.mlmask file because it uses layer 0 and layer 2. Indeed the Mahir Supron has side stripes thanks to layer 2.

Duplicate the painted.mlmask file and name it wheel_painted.mlmask. Export it and replace the layer 2 image by a black image using the same size and name. Then import the mlmask back into WolvenKit.

Assign it to your metallic material into localMaterialBuffer > materials > metallic > MultilayerMask.

Define the glossy material

For this one we don't need to duplicate the mlsetup. Simply assign your wheel_painted.mlmask file into localMaterialBuffer > materials > glossy > MultilayerMask.

Finally concerning the black material this is exactly the same process as the glossy one.

Now you can test your mod and see the result !

If your wheels stay black when you activate CrystalCoat, switch between the third-person perspective (TPP) and the first-person perspective (FPP) so widgets will be updated.

This is fantastic ! My vehicle now looks premios ! But wait ! It is all dirty on the tires and around the vehicle !