How to use Shape Overlays?

[RickyZ]

Hello everyone.
I usually don't like bothering others like this, but updated modding information is very hard to find for this game.

The VS model creator tutorial explains well how to create shapes with backdrop in the program,
but not how to proceed to put them in-game properly.

While google searching, I managed to find the update log for version 1.12 of the game that mentions:
"Added ability to combine shapes during runtime using shape overlays ( shape: { base: "shape1", overlays: [ { base: "shape2" } ] )".

From the description, this is exactly what I need.

I tried implementing it to my entity json file,but the overlay shapes are just not showing up despite being present in c# if I print out the entries in the overlays array. This leads me to believe I might have to do some kind of implementation of them in c# using the "entity.Properties.Client.Shape.Overlays" array, but I'm stumped on what to try.
Can someone explain or point me to an example to make use of this feature?

Thanks!

[Kriss]

As a developer in other games, with former experience as a software engineer:
I did want to create a very basic mod for Vintage Story. But after seeing the lack of documentation for the api/modsupport it really wasn't that tempting.

[Spear and Fang]

a search of the vanilla assets for "overlays" reveals that they are used almost exclusively with blocks, and just a couple of times with items.  This tells me that they have not been implemented (via json at least) for entities.

if you saw an entity.Properties.Client.Shape.Overlays then I bet that is actually shader overlays (i.e. the thing that makes entities all frosty looking in the winter)

Edited December 29, 2023 by Spear and Fang

[RickyZ]

From looking at the "CompositeShape.cs" class I can see that it contains "public CompositeShape[] Overlays", so it's an array of other shapes I would imagine. That in combination with the description from the changelog itself really led me to believe that it was a way to overlay shapes themselves, like you would for example render gloves or boots shapes on top of the base body shape of a creature.

What you are describing sounds, to me, more like the work of texture overlays, which also exist, are fully implemented and allow for painting a texture on top of a base one. But you might be right that shape overlays are not fully implemented yet, because I just can't find anything about them. Strange that they would be mentioned in a changelog as "being added" if they don't do anything though.

I have to agree with Kristoffer that the lack of documentation is indeed discouraging, especially since what little is there is outdated. A shame consindering the impressive modularity already present with the json system, but I just don't have the time to dig through the code base for too long and figure everything out for myself unfortunately. This is just a hobby I dabble in after work.

Regardless, thank you both for replying anyway

[Spear and Fang]

oh are you talking about shape overlays for the player model?  I think they are unique and only apply to the player, not other creatures
See ..\game\entities\humanoid\player.json
shape overlays are defined in attributes\skinnableParts - the type: "shape" sections.

Just spitballing - I've never mucked with these in json or c#.