[FF8PC-Steam] High-poly character models replacement

[Aavock]

Hello everyone, while digging into the 2013 steam release I've found a way to replace the low poly models by the higher ones.

How does it work?
The original PlayStation version uses two different versions for main character models. The lowers ones were displayed to save memory but now by switching files you can play Final Fantasy VIII using the higher characters models (battle-like) permanently. After playing small portions of the game it seems that all animations are correct and haven't encountered any crash so far.

Keep in mind that only main characters have a high poly version and some of them does not have at all like Selphie in garden uniform, Laguna, Kiros and Ward.


How to?
First download Deling and open the "field.fs" file then go to the "Import/Export" tab (top right) and navigate until you find "main_chr.fi", "main_chr.fl" and "main_chr.fs". Extract them all and open "main_chr.fs" (with Deling again). Navigate until the list of models (76 *.mch files). From here you can safely extract/overwrite the desired model files, once done just replace all "main_chr.fi", "main_chr.fl" and "main_chr.fs" inside the "field.fs" file.


Models list (I'm uploading it as a *.png files instead of *.pdf for a permanent availability.)

Spoiler: show

Recommended set-up

Spoiler: show

replace d000 with d001 for default Squall
replace d002 with d003 for Garden uniform Squall
replace d007 with d006 for default Squall with gunblade
replace d009 with d010 for default Zell
replace d011 with d012 for Garden uniform  Zell
replace d015 with d017 for default Irvine
replace d016 with d017 for default Irvine
replace d018 with d019 for default Quistis
replace d020 with d021 for SeeD uniform Quistis
replace d024 with d025 for default Rinoa
replace d027 with d028 for default Selphie
replace d032 with d033 for default Seifer
replace d034 with d035 for default Seifer with gunblade
replace d036 with d037 for trashy Seifer with gunblade
replace d041 with d042 for default Edea
replace d051 with d025 for default Rinoa
replace d052 with d001 for default Squall

Which versions?
This maneuver only works for both 2000 PC and 2013 Steam version. I've tried with the 2019 "Remaster" in order to get rid of the weird new models but the game is not reading the files properly. Maybe someone will find out how to make it work.

Happy modding!

[Mcindus]

Wow. You did it!

We've had issues for years with textures not showing up properly. So cool that you've made it work!

HUGE KUDOS to you my old friend!

[Aavock]

Glad you like it Mcindus! No more blocky main characters, cheers!

[LeonhartGR]

This is some really exciting news! Haha! I'm sticking to the old release then! I'm joking obviously, but honestly wondering if it will be possible to replace the old models with the ones in the remastered version, or if there will be any old release support for any progress made for the remastered version so far after this upgrade...

[Aavock]

I tried inserting Quistis's vanilla model back into the 2019 "remaster" but all coordinates are messed up (I've posted a screenshot in the main post) but at least the game is not crashing so there must some way to display them correctly.

I must admit that Maki's incredible tool is making modding way faster and easier for the 2019 version so it is comprehensibly hard to choose which version to stick with.

[LeonhartGR]

As long as we have Squall's beloved hair back or at least a proper fmv mod I'm up for any release

[Percival]

That is such a clever fix. Way to go, Aavock!

[shikulja]

Terrific, always dreamed about it.
It would be nice to have a hext patch for this, I would not have to touch the original resources, and it would be easier for many)

[Shunsq]

Hello Aavock and everyone.
I think you will have texture problems if you replace more than 2 characters by their highpoly models.
I found the same trick years ago but did not find any solution for the texture problem.
I hope you'll find a way around.

http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=15668.50
See reply#72 by myself.

[Mcindus]

Hello Aavock and everyone.
I think you will have texture problems if you replace more than 2 characters by their highpoly models.
I found the same trick years ago but did not find any solution for the texture problem.
I hope you'll find a way around.

http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=15668.50
See reply#72 by myself.

Could you use Tonberry to 'force' a new texture page to load so that there's no inconsistencies?

Basically, the game loads texture data into a square rendering space that renders the characters in 128x128 blocks on a 256x256 'master' page. The high poly textures use two blocks of texture space, whereas the low poly only use one. This clutters the rendering space and what ends up getting rendered to screen is the wrong texture block (overflow of data).  Tonberry could probably be used to manually fix this, because it intercepts the VRAM block and you'd have to figure out where this happens and make it force the fix.
Otherwise, the way the textures get atlased to VRAM gets all wonky.

We've missed you Shunsq!!! Is there any chance we could get our hands on that obj to MCH converter? Looks like Hikashi has fixed squall's hair in the remaster, but we have no way of getting him back in.

[Aavock]

Good to see you Shunsq! Wow, you were already 4 years ahead.

I've only been switching 1 character the whole time for my list and had no idea it'll go bananas with more than 2 characters replaced. Right now I'm working on a graphical mod for FFVII so I haven't done more testing and research.

On the other hand I can't make up my mind whether I should focus on the 2019 or 2013 release. Maki's tool make it difficult to stick with the 2013 version but the "Remastered" characters are unbearable.