Note that I do not know if this is the best way of doing it and this is something I kinda just made from trail and error.
If you have any pointers on how to do this better let me know!

20 steps to replace any model with another.


Step 1:
Create a new project and select Add-on, also load data from Story and target Story. Set a name for you project and click Create.

Step 2:
When the editor is done loading it will ask you to load a level, this is not needed for this mod so simple press the 'x' or cancel.

Step 3:
I will close down all panels during the tutorial, this is optional.

Step 4:
Open the resource manager by clicking on its icon.

Step 5:
Make sure your mod-folder is selected and press the indicated icon to add an empty package, name it and press ok.

Step 6:
Now to find models open "Shared/Characters/Elves/Elves_Female_Armor"
You should see several items in the list.

Step 7:
You can filter out item-types on this row, for example hiding textures and material resources. This is also optional.

Step 8:
Select what items/models you want to replace. You can use the search bar to find all parts for a particular slot.

Step 9:
When they are selected press "Checkout Current Item".
Press yes on two prompts. Prompt 1 Prompt 2
They should now be present in your package that you made at the start.

Step 10:
Now to find the model you want to replace it with. I will be using the sebille arms.

Step 11:
From this model Copy its Source File location simply by right-clicking and copying to clipboard.

Step 12:
Now go to the model you imported in your package, select it and replace its Source File location.
The item will now look like shit. This is because it got the old textures that does not fit your new model.
Mod item
NOTE: If the Source path is not white and can not be edited then you probably imported it wrong, you must use the Checkout button as mentioned in step 9.

Step 13:
Double-click your item to open the Edit Visual window, here it shows how many and what textures the item uses. Keep this window open.
Now do the same for the item that you wanted to change it into, for me it was the Sebill arms.
Here we can see what the correct texture is named.
correct texture

Step 14:
The correct texture is located in the same place as you found your model, make sure that you can see it and then make sure it is selected.
Now press this button to change what texture to use on the model. button

Step 15:
Repeat this process for all instances that you want to alter then save your project and close the editor.

You are done! Try the mod in-game!

Getting prompt "no packages available" when trying to checkout current item.

Make sure you did step 5 and created a package for your mod.

Thank you for your answer, this was the issue.
My issue now is at the final step, the changes made to the "edit visual" pannel are not working.

I can paste the new material no problem, but as soon as i close the panel and reopen it it auto reverts back to the original .PBR.

Any idea?

I can confirm this is absolutely the correct way to do this
Good step-by-step approach.

I will say, checkout in step 9 is also be possible by 'right-click' > "Open For Edit..."

Also, you can make sure the override worked by looking if the original resource now has a grey background and a right-click option "Go to Active Resource..." which when clicked opens your package where you placed the modded resource.

Yeah thanks for your input but no luck so far, still stuck at the final step. I've tried with many armors(currently trying to replace variants of Platemail armor for elves with the Scalemail ones). The material just won't stick to it.

https://imgur.com/a/A6d8i

Left visual panel is the original lower scalemail for reference, right one is the plate armor I'm editing. They're exactly the same, yet it doesn't take my edits into account and if i close and reopen the visual panel it's back to it's original plate materials...

EDIT : windows was messing with the engine UI on my 4k TV so I just didn't have the "apply" button on the visual editor... really my bad :)

It all works perfectly fine, thank you very much for the tutorial !!

Great guide!

If I wanted to change the colour of an armour, as is possible with the visual editor, how would I go about doing that?

I am not sure, since it seems colours are bound to the items when you find them in-game and not the models that they use.

I tried to replace male scale armor with platemail and blackrin armor. Replaced boots, arms, legs and helemet with blackring ones just fine. All works in game.

However I have replaced everything for all Scale chest pieces with platemail and nothing in game. It still stays as scale armor on my character.

https://imgur.com/a/jqYk8

On left is original Plate armor with Cape, on right is edited scale upperbody. Everything is maching. Yet model does not work in game...

Hmm, have you replace every "upperbody" for scale armour?
As I understand the game uses 1 type of arms, legs and lowerbody for the most part while the upperbody have around 4-6 different variants. Type A,B,C,D,E etc.

Have you only replaced Human_male_armor_scalemail_a_upperbody_b? You probably need to do the same thing for every other possible entry in the resource manager.

Why can't you change the RootTemplate in the stats editor to the one you want?

Oh is it cause the thing crashes whenever you try to do that

thanks for the guide. I was wondering if you also knew how to keep the original? that way not everone is wearing the same thing as me.

Sorry, this is something I personally do not know.

Hello i want to create new armor instead of editing previous one. I couldnt edit that source path.

How can i create new armor instead of overwriting previous armors?

Edit: Just closed engine and opened again. That section is editable now.

Uh, this seems to be borked now.

Yepp, and I am quite unsure why.
Will update if I learn anything.

It appears to be broken by the new patch/hotfix. I noticed some debug messages when loading up that mentions file versions being too new. Perhaps that's the issue.

After a bit of digging, it appears there have been some changes, perhaps? The notes are a bit vague, so I can't quite tell what it's saying.

http://larian.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=633839#Post633845

Anyone know a workaround as of yet?

I have described a workaround on my workshop mod.
It is like this:
Create so you have the following path of folders:
...\Divinity Original Sin 2\Data\Public\Shared\Content\Assets\Character\[PAK]_armour\

NOTE The folder names are case-sensative so make sure it is exactly as above.

Go to ...\<<Your Username>>\Documents\Larian Studios\Divinity Original Sin 2\Mods
Extract the "sebille_armour_041....pak" file and place all files from the "Content\[PAK]_armours\" folder to the path you created first.
(...\Divinity Original Sin 2\Data\Public\Shared\Content\Assets\Character\[PAK]_armour\)

This should enable the mod passivly and not even disable achivments.

Note that instead of [PAK]_armour you have the name of your package in the mod tools. Also if you made the mod yourself you will not have the .pak file (unless you publish your project.) instead you have a folder located ...\Divinity Original Sin 2\Data\Public\sebille_armour_04...\Content\[PAK]_armours\
that is filled with .lsf files that you instead place in the location mentioned.

Hey guys,

sorry for the late response, only just back in action after a short leave. That being said I don't have an immediate answer as to why this changed but I wanted to let you know we're aware and I'll come back to this asap when I have more information

Sincerely,
Kevin

Hey

Work like a charm, many thanks WTHX

screenshot of my plate armor soon
(human/male)

[spolier] [/spolier]
[spolier][/spolier]

and in game...i'm on the special textures (mask removed, no colors, always leather for this armor)...

edit: you can find the mod on nexus "realistic plate armor"

Edit: another possibility...i don't know.

Im confused by Step 5.

I have too much versions of the plate armor lol, maybe 5 ^^
http://tw.greywool.com/i/nwUt2.jpg

step 5 :
1 select your mod-folder
2 just clic on this icon


and name the package


and you have added a "package"


continue steps 6,7,8...

Ho, and please ^^

How to do the same thing but for a weapon please ???!!!

http://tw.greywool.com/i/Hw3Gd.jpg

I've tried a looooooooot of thing without succes :-(

how to replace a weapon ?

or with an existing model...WPN_human sword2H A is really better than sword2HB for ex...

@FantasyWarrior
As to the weapons, this should work (i created a few NEW weapons but the replacement process is very simillar)

1) Add your new weapon mesh to Resourse manager
*nothing special here, as ussual, create folder / package and "add resourse" - model

2) Find a weapon you want to replace in RootTemplate
*will be in "weapons" folder.
*optional - to be sure it is a right one, better to follow it the whole way from TreasureTable> stats/weapon > ItemProgressionVisual > RootTemplate
3) Copy it's GUID numbers (can be done with RMB -> copy), save it somewhere

4) RMB "create new from existent"
5) Change the VisualResourse (the model you created and added to ResourseManager) and file name (won't let you save with same name) and press "create"

6) Now find your created weapon in RootTemplate ("all" folder + search tab, will be blue colored)
7) Copy the GUID number of your new weapon and save it somewhere

8) Copy a file ItemProgressionVisuals.txt from (Data\Public\Shared\Stats\Generated\Data) to
(\Data\Public<YourMode>\Stats\Generated\Data)
*optional. Same can be done with editor "ItemProgression" tab (just copy all and paste in your mod), but it is ussually so buggy that i prefere using notepad directly.

9) Open it, find and replace the GUID values of the weapon you are replacing to the numbers of your created weapon. (the numbers you "saved somewhere")
*there should be a few of them, not just 1, use search

This file is responceble for generating items, can tweak lvl it will drop for, can replace a few other meshes if you want etc.

Hope it helped.

thanks for the nice tutorial. for me it didn't worked out. all steps seem to work perfectly (besides when importing the new model to an existing one, the preview doesn't show any change but the paths are showing correctly) but in game nothing has changed. also weird is when i reopen the editor my folder with the package is still there but it's always empty (although i've saved it always).

i've wanted to replace a shield with a weapon model.
but as for testing i was trying to replace a one-handed-wand with another model from a one-handed-wand. but nothing worked.

any help would be really appreciated.