How to make a color map for your armor

== Facts ==
* Shirt/vest layer only take red and black, mesh parts have also green and blue available
*Color is applied over the base color the texture has. So to get pure color_data colors your texture needs to be light grey. If your texture(diffuse) has actual colors the result will be combination of the color wash and the base color. (Imagine dyeing a red shirt blue, the result would be purple).
* Red (RGB 255,0.0) is for FCS color_data file color 1, Green (RGB 0,255,0) = color 2
* Blue (RGB 0,0,255) is for metallic parts
* Black is absence of color, white is all colors
* Yellow (RGB 255,255,0) is both green and red
* Teal (RGB 0,255,255) should technically be both color 2 and metallic
* Purple (RGB 255,0,255) should be both color 1 and metallic
*Orange would be some murky mixture of both channels, favoring the color 1.
Kenshi can tolerate variable changes in the color's tone, darker, lighter etc. Having the color at full 255 means it will be washed with pure color value from the color_data channels. If the color map value is darker, Kenshi tries to adjust the values of the color_data to fit the map tone.
== Step-by ==
# Finish the making of the garment, have at least it's UV map layout done and locked. Finish the texture layout.
# Open the texture in a painting program, that allows you to paint with pure colors. All free programs do this. Gimp recommended.
# You have two colors and combinations of them in your color palette: red and green (and blue).
# Draw or otherwise paint pure red on a new layer on the map (the original texture remains as background layer) on those spots you wish to be colored with the color 1 channel from a color_data file. Do the same with green (color 2). Usually either is 'everything else', but you can have black on everywhere else (== use the color the texture has) and just have the colors 1 and 2 be special decorative bits, like edges or emblems.
#Keep the size of the color map as small as you can. A single color map can be like 50x50 pixels. Of course, if you need small details you have to keep the color map larger.
#Export as .dds, compression DTX1, mipmaps enabled (Not all paint programs have these available, but Gimp does)
#Move the .dds in your mod's textures folder and link to it in the garment's FCS file.
#Set 'don't colorize' to false on the FCS file of the garment, you need to do this with all pieces (pants, top, boots etc).
#If you want the garment to use faction colors, you are done. But if you want to make several color variations of the garment, then you'll use the pull down menu and add 'color' (color_data) file. Just add any, and then replace it with a copy.
#Set the color 1 and color 2 RGB values. You can eyeball them, or use a color picker and see its RGB value in your paint program. However you do it, you prob. have to relaunch the game several times to see how it looks in game in different lighting settings. (Do not forget to add the garment to your test start's character).
==Glossary==
 	
Color channel 	Refers to either the color 1 or color 2 channel mentioned in a color_data file
Color_data 	A file type in the FCS, has two channels: color 1 (red) and color 2 (green), input in RGB values. Usually used in faction colors.
Color map 	A RGB layout of colors. Each color (Red, green,blue) matches the layout of the actual texture (diffuse) layout of the garment. This is used to allow the garment to be colored fe. by the faction colors, or just to make several color variations of the item without the need of a new mesh or a new texture for each color variation. Works on garments only. Buildings and furniture use vertex painting.
Color wash 	A term originated in yarn dyeing, a semi-translucent color (very watery) that is either poured over or yarn is dipped in it, to generate a new color combination, a mixture of the base color of the yarn and the color wash. Tarnishing, if you will. In Kenshi all color_data colors are washes, even though they can be so dark sometimes the base color does not show much.
Shirt/vest layer	A characters outfit usually consists of mesh pieces (body, legs) and an undershirt. The undershirt is the shirt layer. It uses the character skin layout and is texture only. In FCS there is a separate place for shirt layer texture links. They do not get a material file.
Category:Modding