Variant Skins Aka Different Color Coats

[D"Lady]

Where do the variant skins go?

I downloaded several cool things yesterday, and have had no trouble with the ones that have two files.  I just pop 'em both into the "downloads" folder, and they work.

But the variant skins are made different.  Sometimes there's several files with a .dds suffix, and sometimes only one with a .ztf suffix.... I'm confused!   :crazy I thought I could just put them into downloads like the other stuff, but if they're working there, I can't tell it.  And in some cases the files all have the same name, so to use them I have to overwrite other ones....

I'm sure I'm doing something wrong!  And I'd sure appreciate any help you can give me!  :blush


Also... (off topic)... I'm DragonLady.  I forgot my password, and filled out the form over a dozen times, but never got the email to allow me to reset it?  Finally, I just reregistered, and that worked okay.

And (while I'm here), I want to say I think everyone is doing a wonderful job with the UCI's!  I'm finally beginning to enjoy ZT2 as much as I do the first one!  :cool

[gomezhannah]

Dragon Lady, try to put them directly in "downloads" directory AND in some directory in "zootycoon_com_zt2_1033" (e.g. i have it in directory called 1015_1.0) - thats for new skins like the wolf ones. But some skins work very good when putted only in "zootycoon_com_zt2_1033" and nowhere else (FennecFoxDark.z2f).
 The skins to overwrite - i am not sure, i think they are for user made animals. Just overwrite it and save copy of original file befote you do that
Hope this helps, Hannah

[j3nni]

im guessing your opening up the .zt2 files if your seeing the .dss files etc? you dont need to do that.. skin varients usually come with one .zt2 file in the zip, and you just put the z2f file into your downloads folder

[D"Lady]

Okay; I have a file called Ibex. zip from someone named dwarfguaramis.  When I open the zip, I get a folder called dwarfguaramis.  I open the folder, I have another folder named entitites, and a loose file called entities.z2f.

I put them both into downloads/zootycoon_com_zt2/_1033.

The next one is a bison varient, also by dwarfguaramis.  When I open that zip, I get a folder called drawfguaramis, but no seperate .z2f.  Instead, inside the folder there's a whole bunch of subfolders -entities/units/animals/BisonAmerican.  Is something missing?  Do I just drop the whole folder in there?  If I just put in the "entities" folder, it will overwrite the Ibex.  I want to use 'em both! I'll just keep it where it is for now, because I don't how to proceed.

The last one is a florida panther varient.  When I open the zip for it, there's only one file; fpvarient.z2f.  Again, is something missing?  I'll put it into the same place with the Ibex one, but I don't have time to test either of them right now.

 I appreciate everyone's advice, and hope I can make these work.  

[csleesburg]

You shouldn't see those 'various' folders. You should only see (e.g. lion_variant.dl and lion_variant.z2f) That's how they're supposed to be packaged inside the WinZip file called Lion Variant. Don't take them apart.

Does that help?

[j3nni]

with the florida panther one, just extract the .zt2 file straight into your downloads folder. As for the other two, extract them into your downloads folder and you get a dwarfgo.. folder. you dont need to change or move anything inside it. however if you arnt getting the varients when playing the game you might need to try takin all the files inside any folders inside the dwarfgo.. folder and put them individually into the downloads folder

[D"Lady]

Okay...but again, if I put both "dwarfguarami" folders into the downloads, one will overwrite the other & I'll only have one.  Or, can I consolidate the contents somehow?  I wouldn't know what to put where.

[j3nni]

i think maybe that person isnt putting the files up right, most dont do that. well the only way i get varients is by adding any downloaded file to its correspoding folder in one of the actual program files. i can tell you how to do it if you like, ull need to back up the file imcase you make a mistake though

[gomezhannah]

Dragon Lady, you can have how many subfolders you want in one folder of dwarfguaramis! it doesnt matter, i have all STC's animals collected in one directory called STC and they work The game is quite inteligent in that

... i know i dont write understandably, there is example:

C:\...downolads\dwarfguaramis\ibex (it is folder)
C:\...downolads\dwarfguaramis\american bison (it is folder)
.
.
.
C:\...downolads\zootycoon_com_zt2_1033

[D"Lady]

gomezhannah, thanks, but I just tried that and it doesn't work for me.  I don't understand why the contents of the zips are so different?  

OTOH, I downloaded a "golden tabby" tiger skin last night, and it installed and works just fine.  I'm not giving up!  I'm gonna make the ibex and the American bison work if at all possible.