Replacing Hair Textures ~ Easy Tutorial!

UPDATED: I've been told that things with S3PE may not work, so I've adapted this tutorial to Postal, wich seems to work without any issues.

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Hi! This is a simple tutorial to replace the textures on hairs and make your own retextures.

What you need:

- The latest version of S3PE OR the latest version of Postal

- The latest version of Compressorizer

- The latest version of Delphy's Sims 3 Pack Multi-Extracter
- Wills to learn!

What this won't teach you:

- How to use a graphic editor.

- How to change the textures.

- How to make your own textures.

- How to make all the textures a hair uses.

First Step "Finding the Diffuse":

First of all, use Delphy's Sims3Pack Multi-Extracter to convert your sims3pack files into package files.

Using S3PE

- Open S3PE

- Go to "File/Open..." and select the file of the hair you're willing to retexture. It HAS to be a .package file!

- Make sure the boxes "Names" and "Tags" at the bottom are checked.

- Find the "_IMG" tagged files.

- All you have to do is find the Diffuse. It's gray and has an alpha channel. Is the texture itself. 

- Select one "_IMG" file and press "View DDS" button at the bottom. A window will pop-up. Uncheck "Alpha" to see the texture. Now close the "ViewDDS" window.

- Once you found it, right-Click on the "_IMG" tag, go to "Export/To File..." and write a descriptive name (like OriginalDiffuse or ODiffuse) with the .dds extension at the end.

- Now open the saved Diffuse with your graphic editor and change everything you want. Also create the Control and Specular textures. (Control making tutorial here)

Using Postal
- Open Postal
- Go to "File/Open..." and select the file of the hair you're willing to retexture. It HAS to be a .package file!
- Select "Workspace/Show NMap References"
- Find the "dds Image" files. All you have to do is find the Diffuse. It's gray and has an alpha channel. Is the texture itself.
- Go to "Hex View" tab, click "Export" and save with a descriptive name (like OriginalDiffuse or ODiffuse) with the .dds extension at the end.

- Now open the saved Diffuse with your graphic editor and change everything you want. Also create the Control and Specular textures. (Control making tutorial here)

Second Step "Replacing the textures":

Using S3PE

- Go to the S3PE window (if closed, open it up again) and find the "_IMG" files

- Identify the Diffuse, Control and Specular textures (and Halo and Bump Map, if you want to change them at all)

- Right-Click on the file you want to replace. Go to "Replace" and select your new texture.

- Do the same with all the other textures you are willing to replace.

- Save with a different name with "Save As..."

- Check it in CAS and in-game.

Using Postal  

- Go to the Postal window (if closed, open it up again) and find the "ddsImages" files

- Identify the Diffuse, Control and Specular textures (and Halo and Bump Map, if you want to change them at all)

-  Go to "Hex View" tab, click "Import" and select the corresponding file.
- Do the same with all the other textures you are willing to replace.
- "File/Save As..." with a different name.
- Check it in CAS and in-game.

Third Step "Compressorizing":

- Once you have finished the retexture (with all the ages/genders you want) open the CompressorizerRedux.

- Click on "Add Files to List" and select the folder where your files are.

- Select and remove the original files if they're still in that folder, so the Compressorizer won't compress those.

- Check that "Mode" is on "Normal", now press "GO!"

- Once the Compressorizer has finished it work, close it.

- Check your files in-game again, make sure everything's alright.

- It's done! =D

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Did the creator exclude the mesh from their retexture? Follow these steps.

This steps should be done instead of the first one listed before!

Extra Step "Replacing with others retextures":

Using S3PE
- Open S3PE

- Go to "File/Open..." and select the file of the hair already retextured. It HAS to be a .package file!

- Make sure the boxes "Names" and "Tags" at the bottom are checked.

- Find the "_IMG" tagged files.

- Select one and press "View DDS" button at the bottom. A window will pop-up. Uncheck "Alpha" to see the texture. Now close the "ViewDDS" window.

- Do right-click on the "_IMG" tag of the file you have just viewed, go to "Export/To File..." and write a descriptive name (Diffuse for the gray texture with an alpha channel, Control for the highlights/shine, and Specular for the texture that is darker than the Diffuse, it probably doesn't have an alpha channel) with the .dds extension at the end. Repeat this with the rest of the textures ("_IMG" tags)

 - Now, go to "File/Open..." and select the file of the hair you're willing to replace. It HAS to be a .package file!

- All you have to do now are the Second and Third steps listed before.

Using Postal 
- Open Postal
- Go to "File/Open..." and select the file of the hair you're willing to retexture. It HAS to be a .package file!

- Select "Workspace/Show NMap References"

- Find the "dds Image" files. Click one and you'll see the texture.
- Go to "Hex View" tab, click "Export" and write a descriptive name (Diffuse for the gray texture with an alpha channel, Control for the highlights/shine, and Specular for the texture that is darker than the Diffuse, it probably doesn't have an alpha channel) with the .dds extension at the end. Repeat this with the rest of the textures ("dds Image")
  - Now, go to "File/Open..." and select the file of the hair you're willing to replace. It HAS to be a .package file!
- All you have to do now are the Second and Third steps listed before.

I hope this helps! Please tell me if you have any doubt about this tutorial! ^-^

NOTE: With this tutorial, you are including the mesh with your retextures. Mesh-Not-Included retexturing method would be explained later if asked.