How deep can you go in modding Ace Combat 7 skins?

I've returned back to watch some of the new videos by PandoTech (the one who uploaded some videos about removing MEMZ, Petya, 000.exe, etc. and also I subscribed maybe a few years back) while figuring out how does a skin mod can be further modified to have its own instance for flyable planes, in Ace Combat 7. Like how you do with "Campaign Conversion" skin mods. Turns out, it's practically easy, but tend to get awkwardly difficult when it comes to hex editing. Yes, hex editing. This isn't a joke. A mistake (typo) can lead to loading default UE4 grey checkerboard OR the worst, CTD (game crashed to desktop - Win7 will pop up "xxxx has stopped working" window).

A guide made by superostrich helped me a ton, and the fact that I'm using HxD Hex Editor (best regards to Tormunds for sharing UNS4 tools for modding, which I can use it on Ace Combat 7 as well) made my life easier when it comes to modding. Sadly, UNS4 model modding is a real pain in the *** that you can't mod the model, which can change the consumed file size and how many textures the game can load. However, you can do anything you like when it comes to raw materials, even putting the model files and such for use with MMD (MikuMikuDance); how people can get raw materials before ssh published a BMS script that can extract and decrypt UNS4 CPK files in one go was a mystery on its own.

I never tried MMD myself, but I saw long ago some videos with Naruto characters on it performing an almost identical move/dance as Oppa Gangnam Style by PSY that was viral last 2013 or 2014. Could be MMD application that can do the trick, because it wasn't using a game as a platform. Some videos in LINE (Naruto/Boruto-themed, of course) are also depicting "The Voice" TV program, with judges are really anime characters, one of them is Luffy from One Piece. I saw them myself, but too bad that I can't download it on my phone using methods available.

Don't get me wrong, but Ace Combat 7 skin modding is between easy and hard. If you have tools, knowledge, and skin/calligraphy drawing skills, you will be able to put your own skin creation into the game. Advanced level of skinning (that's what I call for skin modding in Ace Combat 7) can help you manipulate, such as MREC and bump/normal map, easy as pie, provided you practiced via tutorials available. It's a different level than Grand Theft Auto modding, though; here you mod various skins, where 3 Trigger skins for all playable aircrafts use the same MREC as skin 1 (Osea skin). Erusea, Special, and additional DLC skins (like Pixy's F-15, Yellow 13's Su-37, etc.) have their own MREC set. Provided that people are generously shared how to skinning, modding possibility for this game are endless. Imagine how deep can you go when it comes to modding this game.

Speaking of how deep, people have started to mod UI, HUD, effects, and many more that can make the game more entertaining, fun, or even cringey; all those for the satisfaction or a material for YouTube video (finally, FTC and its COPPA rule can back off from gaming, but let's be honest, 2020 will be a different day for YouTube). So, my question is, how to mod such interface to have those fancy images like this one I've been using in my videos? Also, this one is really a next level of interface editing. How deep the modding possibility can go?

My channel has only a few of subscribers, and you know I have real-life activities. Dunno when I'll be making a local content (content in Bahasa), yet I haven't dare to upload my study tour video to YouTube due to the new policy and the issue about "hate speech" and such; some videos have been taken down because of this new vague guideline, and idk what story lies beyond that video (heard that one of the Content Cop videos was taken down from some other channels). Anyway, it's been a while since I heard PSY making new Korean musics of his.

So today, new skin sets for my first batch of Trigger-Boruto skin pack uses available game skins and made it look like a real-life USAF and other air forces. Likewise, there are tons of references I can found, because everything is internet today. Problem is, several modded skins that originated from Erusea or Special skin use the same MREC as Osea skin for Trigger; instance editing to load different MREC is required, and superostrich's guide is really helping me out a ton.

I'm not into a mood of making a new skin set and modding its MREC, but since I can't spend my time a lot into making something (back then I was an active modder - skin modding like this - in both GTA IV and GTA San Andreas), every resource, tool, and idea count. I'm not really a good designer, though, but I know how to operate CorelDRAW. I'm not a guy whose Vinesauce Joel quoted, "Graphic design is my passion." You can check my old GTA skin releases in GTAGaming.com by searching under my usual modding nickname, Naruto 607 (don't get confused with comic book with that chapter number, just reference my nick under a website name).


At least this is how deep I can go, though; I haven't yet searched about modding its interface (HUD, portrait images, etc.), but there will be time where I can permit that. Not sure when, though; I only matter about making Ace Combat 7 as real as possible while sticking to its lore-friendly counterparts (tail codes are supposed to be used on US-made planes - doesn't have to appear on other planes like Russian and European, if you know what I mean). Modding possibilities are endless, considering you know what idea you want to pour in and submit your work for everyone to enjoy.

Well... from what I learned, interface image swapping and creating a new instance for skin mods are the maximum depth of this skinning (modding Ace Combat 7 skins). This can change if people found out about a new modding possibility for this game, but, yeah, what are the odds?

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