Variant Editor - Beginners Guide to the Assembly Kit

**Celticus** · July 16, 2014, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by Mackles

What are your graphics settings? Lower unit detail will limit the number of armour pieces that were used, unless something changed in the recent patches that I forgot about! In any case there is a limit of five slots per armour type, although that can be circumvented by using variant mesh definitions in each slot which contain more than one entry!

I'm currently having the same problem, the latest updates to the game or tool may have broken it. I'll try to reinstall, and if that doesn't work I'll put in a support ticket on the official forums.

I seem to be having the same issue and no matter how high my settings my custom made helmet will not appear on the unit I created in game. I have followed your saving procedure but it does not seem to be working.

**Mackles** · July 16, 2014, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by Celticus

I seem to be having the same issue and no matter how high my settings my custom made helmet will not appear on the unit I created in game. I have followed your saving procedure but it does not seem to be working.

There is an in-built limit of 5 slots for any one unit slot (e.g. You can have 5 different skins in the skin slot, or 5 different variantmeshes in the skin slot). Are you exceeding this limit? As I mentioned in the example, you can possibly get around this limit by constructing your unit cleverly, so using variantmeshes to help add diversification instead of just directly adding the file.

**Celticus** · July 16, 2014, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by Mackles

There is an in-built limit of 5 slots for any one unit slot (e.g. You can have 5 different skins in the skin slot, or 5 different variantmeshes in the skin slot). Are you exceeding this limit? As I mentioned in the example, you can possibly get around this limit by constructing your unit cleverly, so using variantmeshes to help add diversification instead of just directly adding the file.

Yes I checked this as a reason. Even if I remove every other helmet and only have my mesh, my men will just appear bald or without a helmet on. I go into the Variant Editor and it says and shows them with the helmet equipped.

**Mackles** · July 16, 2014, 07:38 PM

Hmmm I'm not the most experienced modeller there ever was, so forgive me if I sound like I'm trying to teach you to suck eggs

Have you included all the necessary and relevant files, and in the right locations referenced by correct pathways? For example, the rigid_model_v2 and tex files in the helmet and related tex folders?

**Pitifulknight** · August 14, 2014, 04:24 PM

Hello, I have been researching the Assembly Kit just to edit the appearances of existing units. I have looked at all the tutorials and i get to the point of saving the variantmeshes. But what am I suppose to do with Bob exactly to make the changes work in game? A lot of guides just brush over that and go on about the single clicking.

How do I take a Eagle Cohort unit that I added greaves to, and make him appear in game?

**Don_Diego** · September 20, 2014, 10:12 AM

Anyone else get the crash in Variant editor? Whenever I click on "Load Definition" the program crashes to desktop....?

Seems broken atm, cannot save either.

**The Corinthian** · October 01, 2014, 03:02 AM

I'm trying to make some new looks for African General, but seems I missed something:

No problem with editing existing units:

**The Corinthian** · October 02, 2014, 03:18 AM

I managed to get my generals to appear properly on the start map, but I need some help cause in battle they still look like the old vanilla generals, so how do I edit them so it's my generals who appear in battles?

Also I want to add more generals, currently there are 10 afr_generals, 5 black and 5 Numidian, how do I make sure they go to the right faction, I assume I must use more than just the variant editior?

**The Corinthian** · October 02, 2014, 03:40 AM

I think I figured out why they didn't appear in battle.

**richardpbeavis** · October 24, 2014, 10:22 AM

Hello I have successfully created a new crest model in Max and it looks right when I load it into TWEAK but the crest won't appear in game for anyone else who uses my mod. The new model only appears in my game if the model is present in my Working data folder. If I clear it from the Working Data folder (to emulate the situation on another user's computer) then the model won't appear in my game either.

I am pretty sure I am following the right steps in BOB So I can't find the problem. Anyone have any idea what I could be doing wrong? Thanks! Pictures below:

**richardpbeavis** · October 26, 2014, 07:56 PM

Solved thanks to warman222

Originally Posted by warman222

I think what you're doing wrong is the fact that the crest model is being linked to that working data directory. Open up your variant definition that has the crest in it and delete anything from the file path before "Variantmeshes" and try again.

**PADT26** · May 19, 2015, 10:50 AM

Hi, I'm trying to make a reskin Rome but I have a problem. I miss everything that makes me but do not leave me with reskin units.

Get him to keep the unity reskin in VariantMeshDefinitions, after opening in the BOB me and I lose. Please help me, explicademe step by step I have to do once you have saved the unit.

**Cody38** · March 10, 2016, 01:15 AM

Kind of hopeless to post here as it's been dead for a year, but if anyone can tell me how to fix reskinned generals standing and moving in T-pose on the campaign map, that would be great. I have the same issue The Corinthian has on post #107 , but unfortunately he didn't say how to fix it.

**Drion** · May 11, 2016, 12:09 PM

Originally Posted by General George S. Patton

problem solved, i had the editor installed on a different hard drive than rome 2

Thank you SOOOO much..i you saved me! its working!

**HM Murdock** · May 21, 2016, 07:41 AM

Cool! Very useful tool

**NathanNTF** · July 11, 2016, 09:07 PM

Originally Posted by person needing help

Ya, turns out I had to go in and copy the VariantMeshes file and paste it were it was suppose to be. I guess it didn't put it in the right spot...

Dude I have the same exact problem as you, I've been trying to tackle it for days now, hours down the drain, where did you put it?

**cghopk** · July 13, 2016, 09:42 AM

how do i go about loading an existing modpack into tweak assembly editor?
say if i want to edit sebidees units (for personal usage)

**LestaT** · July 22, 2016, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by cghopk

how do i go about loading an existing modpack into tweak assembly editor?
say if i want to edit sebidees units (for personal usage)

You'll need the assembly kit raw data created from the mod creator him/herself.

You can practice them if you want using the resource I have provided here : http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...5#post15063465

**Paceinator** · January 15, 2018, 03:51 PM

How do I get the Variant Editor?

**DracoDasyurus** · March 03, 2019, 03:40 PM

Hello, I am attempting to make a re-skin for the slavs to make them more historically accurate: lamellar, more slavic helms etc. i manage to create the models fine in Tweak. It is saving them that is giving me the issue. i go to save them as the unit but once i click save new definition as to do so there is no "assembly_kit -> working_data -> VariantMeshes -> VariantMeshDefinitions" folder only one for templates (i am also unsure how to find the units name). any help would be greatly appreciated.