Replace Textures Tool

New in Version 2.0 - If you hold CTRL (Win)+SHIFT and click, it will remove the texture from the material leaving the original material color.

Many imported models include UV (texture position) information, but do not have valid texture file references.  This could be caused by models that were saved using absolute paths, or models where the texture simply does not exist in the expected location.

With Skimp and the Replace Textures Tool, you can apply temporary textures when importing and then swap them with another more useful texture.  

In the example below, all of the model's faces are using the same material color and there are no valid texture references.

If we open the 'Settings' for Skimp, we can enable 'Apply UV Texture' to use a temporary placeholder texture when importing.

Now, the import preview will show randomly colored materials.

After importing, you will see randomly colored checker textures applied to the model.  Each color represents a different material assignment for the model.

At this point, you can launch the Replace Textures Tool (the third icon in the Skimp toolbar)

When you first launch the tool, you need to choose a texture that you want to apply to the model.  You can do this in two ways.

1. Load a new Texture by CTRL + Click
2. Sample an in-model texture using ALT + Click

For this example, we'll first use CTRL + Click to select a texture for the sofa itself.  When you are about to load a new texture, the cursor changes to show a 'plus' symbol in the top-right.

Now browse for the texture that you want to apply to the clicked face.

After selecting the texture, the texture material that you previously clicked will change to the selected texture.  But the UVs (texture position) will not be modified.

Notice how the fabric texture is now properly applied to the sofa (and two pillows that were assigned the same material).

Now, we want to apply the same texture to the base and sides of the sofa.  Here, the original model was set up so that the cushions were assigned a different material than the base and sides.

Rather than replacing the purple checker texture with the grey fabric texture, it would be better to assign the grey fabric texture to all of the faces that are currently using the purple checker material.  This helps avoid duplicate materials in the model.

To do this, we will sample the existing seat cushion material using ALT + Click and then SHIFT + Click a face apply this material to the sides and base of the sofa.  The great thing about using this tool is that the material will be replaced but the UVs will be maintained.

Next, we will load and assign other textures to the pillows, similar to how we have already done previously.

Hint: Use CTRL + Click to load a new texture and replace the texture of the clicked face.

Now, we will sample a texture from one of the pillows and assign to another pillow.  Use ALT + Click to sample a texture from a face that is already in your model.  The cursor will change to the dropper.

Now, we'll replace all of the faces on the left-most pillow with the sampled material.  Simply SHIFT + Click on the left-most pillow and all faces on that pillow will be assigned to the sampled material.

Note: If the object you are clicking includes nested groups and components, you will need to click again on each of the sub-groups and sub-components separately.  Skimp will only replace the material for the matching faces that are a part of the same Group or Component.

When you hold SHIFT, the cursor will change as shown below:

Now click the pillow to change the material of the pillow's faces.

Once you get the feel for the Replace Textures Tool, you can rapidly assign and replace textures and materials of any object in your model, not just models created by Skimp!