Custom models

In Pikmin 2, the model files are .BMD and usually come with a .BTK. These files can easily be viewed using J3DModelViewer or any other Nintendo 3D model viewer.

NOTE: EXPLANATION WILL BE ADDED SOON, CURRENTLY JUST SHOWING HOW TO DO IT

Guide

Tools

First you'll need the appropriate tools in order to create your custom area models.

• ArcExtract/Pack
• SunshineImporter (yes, this works for Pikmin 2 as well) - https://egaddsworkshop.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6
• Sketchup (other modeling programs don't seem to work with textures/scaling and this is free anyway)
• TriangulateFaces (Sketchup Extension) - http://egaddsworkshop.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=12
• J3DModelViewer (make sure you did the job right) - https://github.com/LordNed/J3D-Model-Viewer/releases

And that's it!

Process

• Extract the area model from the arc.szs using ArcExtract (located in tutorial, forest, yakushima or last - ignore anything in zukan). Make sure that you keep the .BTK and delete the .BMD, remembering the name (model.bmd).
• Now, open Sketchup and CREATE YOUR MODEL!
• Once you're satisfied with your model, you want to add textures. To add textures, go to the material editor (on the right by default) and click the "add material" button. Here you have a number of options but right under the "texture" tick box, press the button next to the text box and select your texture. Make sure its dimensions are to the power of 2 (64x64 works). Underneath is scaling of these textures (set to 0.1m by default), you can make this as big as you want depending on the dimensions of your texture. I found that 800 was good for my 64x64 texture.
• Now make sure you have installed the TriangulateFaces extension, to do this you just want to go to Extension Manager in Sketchup and click Install Extension, locate the .rbz from the .zip that you downloaded before and then right away the extension is installed. Now close Extension Manager and select ALL of your model (everything), click on the Extensions tab and click the Triangulate one, you'll immediately notice that (unless you build your model with triangles) the entire model will have LINES EVERYWHERE! Without this, the BDL converter won't be able to get your textures right and the face will be invisible.
• Once you're done you can go ahead and export as a 3D model and then choose OBJ. Name it what you want.
• Wherever you exported the OBJ, there should also be a .MTL and a folder with your texture images. These are necessary and must be in the same location/have the same name as the .OBJ.
• You can now open up SunshineImporter. The first step of this is to create a BDL, choose your OBJ and then choose your output. Click convert and you should now have a .BDL in the location of your .OBJ.
• Now before you bother making the BMD, use J3DMovelViewer to check the .BDL and see if everything turned out right. Other model viewing programs may not display anything but this isn't actually a problem, just stick to J3DModelViewer (I'm using v1.1)
• If your BDL looks good, then your BMD will, too! Do the same thing but for the BDL to BMD converter part of SunshineImporter and you should get your BMD, check it again if you want to.
• Now you just need to ArcPack this with the original .BTK and then rebuild your Pikmin 2 ISO. Make sure it has the original name (model.bmd), same goes for arc.szs!