How to add alt attires using X-Packer 9

Thank you to KidSampson for writing this tutorial

Necessary components to complete the steps outlined in this tutorial:

• X-packer 9  (Download and donate to Tekken) - Make sure you are using the latest version so that the arcs update correctly.
• misc01_Start.pac  (2K14 Game Folder)
• plist360.arc  (2K14 Game Folder)
• xbdecompress  (Link in tutorial)
• modified ch pac with additional attires or edited textures  (Download from forum)

 

NOTE: Prior to making changes to any game files, I suggest creating a backup from which you can restore in case something goes wrong.

 

PART I: Updating the arc files
 

So you’ve downloaded a great mod from the forum and want to add it to your game, but you’re wondering where to start. Thankfully, X-Packer 9 simplifies the process and does much of the heavy lifting for us. Adding a wrestler mod to your game requires two steps: updating the arc file entries for the new attires and activating the attires within the misc pac. This tutorial will walk you through each step below, using a mod from the forums to demonstrate the basic procedure for completing these tasks. After you add a few mods, these procedures will become routine.

 

The first step is to download a mod you wish to add to your game. You may also create your own mod and add additional textures or attires to a ch pac, but that is a more complex process for another tutorial. 

 

For this tutorial, I am using Red Rooster’s mod of the Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase, as an example. If you want to follow along, you can download this mod at http://smacktalks.or...tire-released/.

 

Each wrestler is assigned a model number. Pac files contain this model reference number. For example, Ted DiBiase’s is 136. By default, DiBiase has two attires in game. Red has edited these attires and added a third texture from Legends of Wrestlemania, a previous WWE game. In order to work in game, this third attire needs to be referenced within the game’s arc files.

 

1. Within X-Packer, press Ctrl + X. Then select the pac file you downloaded: ch136.pac. All pac files you add to your game should follow this naming convention. (chXXX.pac – where XXX represents the character model number)
2. The window that appears shows the contents of the pac file, which is made up of individual attires. These containers are called pach files and there are two types: in-ring attires and entrance attires. Each follows a naming convention.
3. In-Ring Attires are designated with a 2 at the end of their file name. Entrance attires end with a 4.
4. To determine the total number of attires contained within a pac file, count the number of attires that end in 2. For example, this mod has three: 00013602, 00013612, 00013622. (You can see that the naming convention follows a pattern: 000 + Model Number + Attire. The first attire always begins with 02. Each additional attire adds +1 to the second to last number: 12, 22, 32, 42, 52, etc.)
5. Although we are not concerned with the entrance attires at this point, for the sake of thoroughness, notice that this pac has two: 00013604 and 00013624. These attires are for the first and third attires, respectively. 
6. To update our arc entries, simply click on the button that reads: Add additional attire data to arc file. In the window that opens, browse to your plist360.arc and click OK. (If you play on a standard definition TV without widescreen support, you will need to repeat this process and select the second 4x3 arc file. For most users, this step is not necessary.)
7. X-Packer will show which entries were updated successfully. This box should account for all of the attires within the pac, otherwise something went wrong.

 

After updating the arc files, the next step is to add references for new attires to the misc pac file.

 

 

PART II: How to add alternate attires using the misc pac editor

 

Step 1: Decompress the misc pac

 

By default, the misc01_Start.pac is a compressed file. You must first decompress the file before you can open it with X-Packer to make edits.

 

There may be other tools to accomplish this task, but I use XBCompression by XDK. (HotavioH posted a pack of tools here on the forum in January 2013 that contains the file: https://anonfiles.co...1165ff53b68b5b5.)

 

After you download and extract the file above, follow these steps:

 

Go to Windows / Start menu, select Run, and type cmd

Click OK to open a window with a black background (command prompt window)

Drag the xbdecompress.exe that is inside the xbcompression folder into the black window.

Then, press spacebar and drag your “misc01_Start.pac” into the same box.

Press the spacebar again and drag the "misc01_Start.pac" into the window one more time.

Without adding any spaces, type .uncompress and press Enter.

 

This will create a decompressed version of your misc.pac file.

 

Step 2: Edit the misc pac with X-Packer 9

 

1. To load your misc pac file select File > Open > WWE 2K14 > Misc.pac (alternate attires) within X-Packer 9.
2. Browse to and select the uncompressed misc pac you created earlier.
3. Once the misc pac loads, you will see a table that displays the package contents.
4. The first column is the wrestler ID. Column 2 shows the number of active attires. Columns A1 : A10 represent attire slots. 2K14 allows for up to 10 attires for each wrestler.
5. Notice that two menus appear along the top of the misc pac editor window: WWE 13 Attire Values and WWE 2K14 Attire Values. These serve as reference lists for available attire strings. (2K14 attire values may also be referenced at: http://smacktalks.or...ease-sticky-me/)
6. Recall that Ted Dibiase’s model number is 136. If we scroll to 136 in the misc pac editor window we see that this wrestler has 2 attires by default. Remember that the mod that Red Rooster provided has 3 attires: the two in-game attires with edits and a third attire taken from Legends of Wrestlemania.
7. To make this mod work in game, we must adjust the number of attires using the misc pac editor.
8. Begin by clicking on the row of wrestler 136. In column 2, use the pull-down menu to set the number of active attires to 3.  (NOTE: The misc pac editor also allows you to set values for all attires simultaneously. For individual edits, make changes within the row. Be aware that the larger box at the bottom changes the values of ALL wrestlers.)
9. The next step is to select a name for each attire. Column A1 corresponds to attire 1; A2 corresponds to attire 2; and A3 corresponds to attire 3.
10. The attires Red Rooster provided in his pack are for Wrestlemania 4, Wrestlemania 11, and Legends of Wrestlemania. So we may select the following strings as attire names from the pull-down lists: WM 4 = 000E,  WM 11 = 0136,  Legends = 0016.
11. For each attire, choose the corresponding hex values from the pull-down list. Once all three attire names have been set, click the purple button labeled SAVE CHANGES at the bottom of the window.
    
    At this point you have edited the misc pac to load an additional attire for ch136.pac (aka The Million Dollar Man).

 

Step 3: Rename and Copy Files to Game Folder

 

The last step is essentially cleanup. Rename your edited uncompressed misc pac to the original file name: misc01_start.pac. This file does not need to be recompressed; the uncompressed file will load just fine.

 

Then copy both your edited wrestler pac (ch136.pac) and your new misc01_Start.pac over to their default locations within your game folder.

 

The misc pac should be placed in the root of the pac folder. When prompted, confirm that you wish to replace the file.

 

Within the pac folder is a ch subfolder. Wrestler ch pacs are stored here. Copy ch136.pac and confirm that you wish to replace the file.

 

If everything was done successfully, your game should load properly. Within the game you will notice that DiBiase now has three selectable attires, the third of which will be named Legends. Repeat this process for adding additional mods.