SA [GTASA:DE] - Texture Modding Guide

[Havi]

 

Looking to modify Grand Theft Auto San Andreas: The Definitive Edition texture files?
This guide will walk you through the entire process

Beginners Friendly!

 

Utilities
These are all the tools you will need.

Unreal Engine 4
UModel (2.02MB)
Path Creator (220B)

 

Replacing Textures
Grand Theft Auto The Definitive Edition uses Unreal Engine 4.26.2
You can confirm this by going to AppData\Local\UnrealEngine. The game has to have ran once for it to show.

UModel
1. Download UModel and open up umodel_64.exe.
2. At Path to game files, click on the ... on the right and navigate to the San Andreas directory.

3. Enable Override game detected and put it on Unreal engine 4 following by Unreal engine 4.26.

4. Optional: You can leave UE3 package compression and Platform on default if you wish and press OK.

This is how it should look like once you've completed the steps above:

1. Click on Tools at the bottom middle and select Options.

2. Optional: Change the Export to this folder path to any location you desire.
3. You can tweak and play around and set it to your preference or keep it as is and press OK.

This is how it should look like once you've completed the steps above:



UModel - Extracting
We are going to extract the White Tank Top texture.

 

1. Navigate to Game/SanAndreas/Textures/player and search for t_vest_vest.
2. Right click on T_vest_vest_BC.uasset and click Export.
3. The exported file can be found at the export folder you set up during the previous steps.



4. Open the extracted T_vest_vest_BC.png and edit the texture as you desire.
5. Once you're done, make sure you save the file the exact same as before, in this case T_vest_vest_BC.png.
6. Now we need a Normal Map for our texture. You can easily create one by going to SmartNormap website.

7. On the website, Load the image and then right click the image or click the Save button at the top-right.

Reminder, ensure that the file names are exactly the same from the game data.
This is how your textures should end up looking like:


Unreal Engine 4.26.2
We now need to open up Unreal Engine. Make sure that you have the Engine version 4.26.2 installed.


1. Click on the Launch Unreal Engine 4.26.2 button.
2. Click on Games and then click the green Next button.

3. Select Blank and click the green Next button.
4. At Project Setting, make sure you set it to No Starter Content.

5. Select a location for your project to be saved and name your project. Name is something like GTADEMods.

6. Click the green Create Project button.

This is how it should look like:

 

1. Drag and Drop your textures into the Content Browser area at the bottom of Unreal Engine.

2. Click on Save All first before you go to the next step otherwise it wouldn't cook these files.


2. Navigate to the top left and click on File > Cook Content for Windows.
Note: This process can take a while depending on your system.


3. Once it's completed cooking, head over to your project folder.
(Mine was C:\Users\Havi\Desktop\GTADEMods)

4. Navigate to Saved\Cooked\WindowsNoEditor\GTADEMods\Content there you will see your Texture files and a bunch of other files.
You only need to grab the ones related to the files you imported earlier.


File Structure
It is very important that we maintain the game's original file structure. We got our file from Game/SanAndreas/Textures/player but the root folder is incorrect. We need to change this.

Wrong Path: Game/SanAndreas/Textures/player
Correct Path: Gameface/SanAndreas/Textures/player

We need to make a new folder with this exact structure. I have created a batch file which easily does this for you without you having to create each and every folder. You can download the Path Creator that was mentioned at the beginning of this guide.

1. Open the Path Creator.bat file and enter in the following path if you followed this exact guide with the same textures.
2. Press Enter and then press Enter again. Do not click the X button because that won't create the path.


3. A folder is now created following this exact path. Open it all the way up and place your files in there.


4. Go a few folders back and copy the SanAndreas folder and then go to your game's directory (Default: C:\Program Files\Rockstar Games\GTA San Andreas - Definitive Edition)
5. Open Gameface > Content and paste your SanAndreas folder in there.

The game is able to read unpacked files because we put them in the exact folder how the game reads them.
Your official Content folder should end up looking like this:


And there you go!
There is your custom texture. This seems like a lot at first but it's a very simple and easy concept. Just do it a few times and it'll be easy cake.

Edited November 18, 2021 by Havi
Removed Audio Guide and moved over to separate topic

[UncleJoey]

Amazing stuff! I hope this goes a long way brother! 

[jevolutionCL]

Good guide, I see what modders will do over time.

[ThirteenAG]

20 minutes ago, Havi said:

Now we are going to compile this into a .PAK so that we can use it in our game

You don't have to, game reads these files unpacked as well, given they are put in a proper folder.

[Havi]

4 minutes ago, ThirteenAG said:

You don't have to, game reads these files unpacked as well, given they are put in a proper folder.

 

I tried that before I made this guide and it doesn't seem to work. It could also be that I'm doing something wrong. But if you know, let me know!

[Carlo_Magno]

Thank your @Havi (Junior_Djjr)

[ThirteenAG]

9 hours ago, Havi said:

 

I tried that before I made this guide and it doesn't seem to work. It could also be that I'm doing something wrong. But if you know, let me know!

"GTA San Andreas - Definitive Edition\Gameface\Content\SanAndreas\Textures\player\T_vest_vest_BC.ubulk"

[SlowPsych]

Thank's for guide.

Edited November 15, 2021 by SlowPsych
Fixed problem myself

[Slluxx]

@Havi or @ThirteenAG, can you share the compiled asset? I am on a crappy AF laptop and cant do it myself but would like to confirm those mods working on the switch version.

[Thund3Rx]

17 hours ago, Havi said:

 

Looking to mod Grand Theft Auto San Andreas: The Definitive Edition?
This guide will walk you through the entire process
Beginners Friendly!

 

Utilities
These are all the tools you will need.

Unreal Engine 4
UModel (2.02MB)
Path Creator (220B)
PAK Extractor (9.39MB)

 

 

Replacing Textures
To keep this guide compact, I will show you exactly what you need to do for The Definitive Edition.
If you are interested to learn more about UModel, please check out Gildor's Homepage.

Grand Theft Auto The Definitive Edition uses Unreal Engine 4.26.2
You can confirm this by going to AppData\Local\UnrealEngine. The game has to have ran once for it to show.

Configuration
1. Download UModel and open up umodel_64.exe
2. At Path to game files, click on the ... on the right and navigate to the San Andreas directory

3. Enable Override game detected and put it on Unreal engine 4 following by Unreal engine 4.26

4. Optional: You can leave UE3 package compression and Platform on default if you wish and press OK

This is how it should look like once you've completed the steps above:

1. Click on Tools at the bottom middle and select Options

2. Optional: Change the Export to this folder path to any location you desire
3. You can tweak and play around and set it to your preference or keep it as is and press OK

This is how it should look like once you've completed the steps above:



You will be presented with this window.
All you need to focus on is the Game folder. 

For the sake of this tutorial, we are going to extract the White Tank Top texture

 

1. Navigate to Game/SanAndreas/Textures/player and search for t_vest_vest
2. Right click on T_vest_vest_BC.uasset and click Export
3. The exported file can be found at the export folder you set up during the previous steps



4. Open the extracted T_vest_vest_BC.png and edit the texture as you desire
5. Once you're done, make sure you save the file the exact same as before, in this case T_vest_vest_BC.png
6. Now we need a Normal Map for our texture. You can easily create one by going to SmartNormap website

7. On the website, Load the image and then right click the image or click the Save button at the top-right

This is how your textures should end up looking like.
Reminder, ensure that the file names are exactly the same from the game data


Unreal Engine 4.26.2
We now need to open up Unreal Engine. Make sure that you have the Engine version 4.26.2 installed.


1. Click on the Launch Unreal Engine 4.26.2 button
2. Click on Games and then click the green Next button

3. Select Blank and click the green Next button
4. At Project Setting, make sure you set it to No Starter Content

5. Select a location for your project to be saved and name your project. Name is something like GTADEMods

6. Click the green Create Project button

This is how it should look like

 

1. Drag and Drop your textures into the Content Browser area at the bottom of Unreal Engine

2. Click on Save All first before you go to the next step otherwise it wouldn't cook these files


2. Navigate to the top left and click on File > Cook Content for Windows
This process can take a while depending on your system


3. Once it's completed cooking, head over to your project folder
(Mine was C:\Users\Havi\Desktop\GTADEMods)

4. Navigate to Saved\Cooked\WindowsNoEditor\GTADEMods\Content there you will see your Texture files and a bunch of other files
You only need to grab the ones related to the files you imported earlier


Now we are going to compile this into a .PAK so that we can use it in our game

File Structure
It is very important that we maintain the game's original file structure. We got our file from Game/SanAndreas/Textures/player but the root folder is incorrect. We need to change this

Current Path: Game/SanAndreas/Textures/player
Real Path: Gameface/SanAndreas/Textures/player

We need to make a new folder with this exact structure. I have created a batch file which easily does this for you without you having to create each and every folder. You can download the Path Creator that was mentioned at the beginning of this guide.

1. Open the Path Creator.bat file and enter in the following path if you followed this exact guide with the same textures
2. Press Enter and close the Command Prompt


3. A folder is now created following this exact path. Open it all the way up and place your files in there


4. Go a few folders back and copy the SanAndreas folder and then go to your game's directory (Default: C:\Program Files\Rockstar Games\GTA San Andreas - Definitive Edition)
5. Open Gameface > Content and paste your SanAndreas folder in there.

The game is able to read unpacked files because we put them in the exact folder how the game reads them.
Your official Content folder should end up looking like this:


And there you go! There is your custom texture. This seems like a lot at first but it's a very simple and easy concept. Just do it a few times and it'll be easy cake.

I tried to export AK47 GTA III DE, cannot export Umodel! As PNG, i can't believe, always i want to do something, never works!

[Mrblue630]

Attempted to do a full sound swap, but it threw out this error instead.  

 

"Serialization error - action needed"

Corrupt data found, please verify your installation.

  

 

 

[Tomato__420]

11 hours ago, Mrblue630 said:

I used photoshop to edit the texture! can that be a reason why mine isn't working?
is it because I have the legit game?

 

(edit:it worked thank you very much for the guide)

 

 

Edited November 17, 2021 by Tomato__420

[GTAMythsSearcher11]

I have done all the steps correctly, I'm sure. 

I textured a custom hoodie for my game overwriting the Base5 Hoodie.

I used upscaling to enlarge the textures to x4 the original and I'm not sure if that's the issue but I will test that later.

In game I get an error along the lines of "Serialization Error" and something about either Corrupt or Invalid files and to verify my game.

Not sure if it's due to enlarging the texture file or what.

Any help or suggestion would be great, thank you.

Edit:
Okay for anyone also getting my issue.  My error was caused by me accidentally not going into the "Cooked" folder. 
I instead went into the content folder copying the wrong files.

So I go the mod actually working but now I have an issue where If I leave my house it sticks on a black screen and crashes after about 20 seconds.

Edited November 17, 2021 by GTAMythsSearcher11
Fixed and issue I mentioned in the post.

[Terry13143]

Excuse me, how to export SA's Weapons to psk or fbx?

 

 

I export have a ERROR:

Package "/Game/SanAndreas/Weapons/MI_ak47.uasset": wrong name index -254
UnPackage::SerializeFName: pos=000009BC <- FPropertyTag<< <- CTypeInfo::SerializeUnrealProps <- CTypeInfo::ReadUnrealProperty: (UMaterialInstanceConstant.ScalarParameterValues, Type=9, Size=185, TagPos=956) <- CTypeInfo::SerializeUnrealProps <- UObject::Serialize <- LoadObject: MaterialInstanceConstant'MI_ak47.MI_ak47', pos=9BC, ver=522/0 (unversioned), game=ue4.26 <- UObject::EndLoad <- LoadWholePackage: /Game/SanAndreas/Weapons/MI_ak47.uasset <- CUmodelApp::ShowPackageUI <- Main: umodel_build=1576

Edited November 17, 2021 by Terry13143

[Uzzi47]

2 hours ago, Terry13143 said:

Excuse me, how to export SA's Weapons to psk or fbx?

 

 

I export have a ERROR:

Package "/Game/SanAndreas/Weapons/MI_ak47.uasset": wrong name index -254
UnPackage::SerializeFName: pos=000009BC <- FPropertyTag<< <- CTypeInfo::SerializeUnrealProps <- CTypeInfo::ReadUnrealProperty: (UMaterialInstanceConstant.ScalarParameterValues, Type=9, Size=185, TagPos=956) <- CTypeInfo::SerializeUnrealProps <- UObject::Serialize <- LoadObject: MaterialInstanceConstant'MI_ak47.MI_ak47', pos=9BC, ver=522/0 (unversioned), game=ue4.26 <- UObject::EndLoad <- LoadWholePackage: /Game/SanAndreas/Weapons/MI_ak47.uasset <- CUmodelApp::ShowPackageUI <- Main: umodel_build=1576

It's because UEViewer has problems reading the materials from what I heard.
Get this version: https://www.mediafire.com/file/4cfj83j889xhmdu/UEViewer_GTA_Trilogy_DE_fix.rar/file
Run it from "umodel_gta_trilogy" instead and it will work to view and export every model.
Cheers

[Thund3Rx]

9 minutes ago, Uzzi47 said:

It's because UEViewer has problems reading the materials from what I heard.
Get this version: https://www.mediafire.com/file/4cfj83j889xhmdu/UEViewer_GTA_Trilogy_DE_fix.rar/file
Run it from "umodel_gta_trilogy" instead and it will work to view and export every model.
Cheers

No, some files can't. the cmd write: Objects 0/0 exported i mean...

[Uzzi47]

9 minutes ago, Thund3Rx said:

No, some files can't. the cmd write: Objects 0/0 exported i mean...

Seems to export anything just fine for me:
 

Spoiler

 

[Thund3Rx]

28 minutes ago, Uzzi47 said:

Seems to export anything just fine for me:
 

  Hide contents

 

But for me some assets can't, anyway, i exported 3D Model of Kuruma GTAIII DE, as gltf now the problem is.. how to reimport as uasset  i can't i think.. like the weapons, you know?

[Thund3Rx]

  Reveal hidden contents

34 minutes ago, Uzzi47 said:

Seems to export anything just fine for me:
 

 

Imgur: The magic of the Internet

LOOK HERE /\

[Uzzi47]

11 minutes ago, Thund3Rx said:

  Reveal hidden contents

Imgur: The magic of the Internet

LOOK HERE /\

It seems to be a problem on your end? Same texture and it exported just fine:

[Thund3Rx]

7 minutes ago, Uzzi47 said:

It seems to be a problem on your end? Same texture and it exported just fine:

When export i have the png file ok, but in preview i can't see nothing!

[Pinguu]

Is it possible to load the San Andras Map in Unreal Engine?

[sixpence]

Can you do a tutorial on main.scm editing for GTA 3?

[Havi]

Replacing Audio section has been added. I wish this forum had Table of Contents so you could easily jump to it

[Havi]

2 hours ago, sixpence said:

Can you do a tutorial on main.scm editing for GTA 3?

I'll check it out and hopefully get it done by the end of the work week or during the weekends. Busy week regarding work so I'm trying to fit some through

Edited November 17, 2021 by Havi

[ChubbyB0b]

Can I use same guide for III and VC? Sorry if it's dumb question.

[Havi]

21 minutes ago, ChubbyB0b said:

Can I use same guide for III and VC? Sorry if it's dumb question.

 

Yes! The behavior is the same but the paths are a tiny bit different. Also, there are no dumb questions
 

Edited November 17, 2021 by Havi

[Terry13143]

17 hours ago, Uzzi47 said:

It's because UEViewer has problems reading the materials from what I heard.
Get this version: https://www.mediafire.com/file/4cfj83j889xhmdu/UEViewer_GTA_Trilogy_DE_fix.rar/file
Run it from "umodel_gta_trilogy" instead and it will work to view and export every model.
Cheers

 

Thank you very much!

[jrigle]

I dont know why I always get empty object when export this material, work for other material/sounds,I want to change the enemy outline color but when I export the material its says exported 0/0 ,ignoring material3 'M_TargetHalo' due to empty parameters

 

[Havi]

I forgot to update the UModel link. It's now fully compatible with Definitive Edition. So make sure you download that one so you don't get errors