Custom Marvel vs Capcom 2
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Texture Modifications

While the characters we play as are stored as simple 2D sprites, the game's three dimensional menus and stages are generally done as textures and polygons. If we want to get really wild, we can modify those too! Our options are currently more limited when modifying the Collection than with Dreamcast, but you still can update the textures. For most sane people, you are going to skip this step and repack your data now.

OK, this is awesome technology. But we are now playing with fire. Errors here will mean your game won't boot/will crash. So back up any previous mods before changing things. Again:
Back up any previous mods before making texture changes.


In order to modify the game's textures, we need to have a fully unpacked version of the game files. Everything else we've done can work with the game's AFS/IBIS file. For this step we actually need to unpack the AFS.
Starting with the AFS version of Marvel vs Capcom 2

After we extracted the ARC file earlier, we got the file "mvsc2.21D3D8A7". That is an AFS file.

Start You have the game AFS, "mvsc2.21D3D8A7", at ...\MARVEL vs. CAPCOM Fighting Collection\nativeDX11x64\arc\pc\ArcTool\MVC\game_50\bin (or similar path).
Download We want to use Paxtez's AFS extraction tool, mvccArchiveTool.exe . Download that now.
Unzip Put the files from that ZIP in to the same folder as your "mvsc2.21D3D8A7" file.
Extract Drag and drop "mvsc2.21D3D8A7" onto the mvccArchiveTool.exe file. That will pop up the mvccArchiveTool's command-line interface as it extracts the file. Once it is done, the extracted files will be in the folder "mvsc2.21D3D8A7.dir".


Modifying textures

Sweet: now go into your mvsc2.21D3D8A7.dir folder. In there are all the files used in the game. Paxtez has given them friendly filenames: if you're familiar with the Dreamcast files, the names will be familiar. (If not don't worry.) (If you have an old version of Paxtez's tool, one big difference will be the first four letters, which will read like "F020". That means that file is File 0020 within the set. If the file has a further filename, that indicates what Dreamcast file it is similar to and/or other useful data.) We are going to be looking at and working with files 801 through 834 (F801 through F834), the Stage Texture and Polygon files.

There are two sweet resources we will be working with here:
  • rob2d's ModNaO. This is a tool for working with Naomi/Dreamcast texture files.
  • Paxtez's MvC2 Modification Site.
  • Don't change anything in the mods tab
  • Don't change anything in the Text tab
  • Some custom stages should work as Training mode only
  • The TexMod Stages should work
  • The Texture mod things in the Download/Extras tab should work.
Stage IDWhat stage
STG00 Airship (Foggy/Sky)
STG01 Desert (Sunset)
STG02 Ship Cove/Factory
STG03 Carnival (Active)
STG04 Swamp (Grey)
STG05 Cave (Blue)
STG06 Clocktower (Summer)
STG07 Raft (Frozen)
STG08 Abyss Stage 1
STG09 Airship (Night)
STG0a Desert Day
STG0b Training Stage
STG0c Carnival (Closed/Dark)
STG0d Swamp (Pink)
STG0e Cave (Lava/Red)
STG0f Clocktower (Snowy)
STG10 Raft (Wooden)

OK, so first figure out which stage you want to change based upon the ID in that table. Now:

  1. Go to ModNaO.
  2. Use the Import Model/Texture button
  3. Navigate to the folder containing your stage files.
  4. Select the two files for that stage (for example STG05POL.BIN and STG05TEX.BIN)
  5. Use the ellipses / "three dots" menu near the texture you want to change to download it
  6. Edit Texture however you like
  7. Use the "three dots" : Replace : Select New File option to update/replace the old texture
  8. Repeat until you've made the changes you want
  9. Export the texture file back out in full
  10. Replace the old stage files with the new ones you just created.
Once you're done making changes for all the stages you care about, move to the next step.

Repacking the AFS

OK, we've made our changes. Now we need to repack to AFS before we rebuild the ARC so that the game can see it.

Start You have the game's files in the folder, "mvsc2.21D3D8A7.dir".
Repack Drag and drop the folder "mvsc2.21D3D8A7.dir" onto the mvccArchiveTool.exe file. That will pop up the mvccArchiveTool's command-line interface as it repacks the file. Once it is done, your repacked AFS file will be named "mvsc2.21D3D8A7.new".


Sweet. Now we want to repack that so we see our changes in the game.

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