[VC/SA] Carcols.dat Modification Guide

[bj070893]

Welcome to bj's carcols.dat guide!

To stand out, many stunters use a different skin for their player, and some others who have knowledge of it, change the color of their vehicles to one of their own custom colors. This guide will explain how to go about changing the colors, without any serious modification to the game. This guide covers GTA: Vice City & San Andreas. I haven't ever gotten into modding III, but I'm guessing the color system works the same way.

Let's start with the basics.

WARNING! YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BACK UP YOUR FILES BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO MODIFY THEM!

Changing a vehicle's colour to a default colour

Vice City has 94 different colors to use, and San Andreas has 126. You can have any one of those on your vehicle. Read through this, whether you are using SA or VC, VC was used as an example.

I'll be changing the PCJ 600's color to a green. To do this we need to open carcols.dat. If you installed VC to the default directory, it will be located in:

C:\Program Files\Rockstar Games\Grand Theft Auto Vice City\data\

If not, you will need to find your Grand Theft Auto Vice City folder, then go to it's data folder. When you are in the data folder, double click carcols.dat. Windows will tell you that it doesn't recognise the file type and needs to know what program created it. Click "Select the program from a list" and then choose Notepad.

You should now see this text:

Code: [Select]

# Generated By MultiEdit V1.3 On 14/09/2002 22:46:02 [http://icey.gouranga.com]
#
# This file contains all the info about the car colours. There are two
# sections, col which contains the colour table and car which contains
# the possible indices into the colour table for each car.
#
# The end column of the col section is the radio chat version of the car colour.
#
# Press START on controller to reload this file while the game is running.
#
#
#
#
#
#    1-10    service colours
#    11-20    reds
#    21-30    oranges
#    31-40    yellows
#    41-50    greens
#    51-60    blues
#    61-70    purples
#    71-80    greys
#
#    1-10    dark-light
#
#
#street, 9,73
Blah, blah, blah. There's lots more.

To find where the greens are, we need to have a look at this table:

Code: [Select]

#    1-10    service colours
#    11-20    reds
#    21-30    oranges
#    31-40    yellows
#    41-50    greens
#    51-60    blues
#    61-70    purples
#    71-80    greys
It says numbers 41 - 50 are greens.

Scroll down a bit and we see three columns.

Let's use the first ten lines as an example:

Code: [Select]

5,5,5  ÃƒÆ’‚  # 0 black  ÃƒÆ’‚  black
245,245,245   # 1 white  ÃƒÆ’‚  white
42,119,161   # 2 police car blue   blue
132,4,16   # 3 cherry red  ÃƒÆ’‚  red
38,55,57   # 4 midnight blue   dark blue
134,68,110   # 5 temple curtain purple  purple
255,182,16   # 6 taxi yellow  ÃƒÆ’‚  yellow
76,117,183   # 7 striking blue   bright blue
189,190,198   # 8 light blue grey   light blue grey
94,112,114   # 9 hoods  ÃƒÆ’‚  light
49,0,0  ÃƒÆ’‚  # 10 red1  ÃƒÆ’‚  dark
It will be more spaced out in the real thing, it won't let me post something with big spaces.

For the moment, we aren't interested in the first column. We are looking at the second and third column.

I'll use the first line as an example, remember at the moment we aren't looking at the first column.

Code: [Select]

5,5,5  ÃƒÆ’‚  # 0 black  ÃƒÆ’‚  black
Looking at the second column, this color is black, and it's number is 0. The third column could be thought of as a second description.

Now, let's find green! We need to scroll down until we find 41.

Code: [Select]

[b]26,51,46   # 40 green1  ÃƒÆ’‚  dark[/b]
36,47,43   # 41 green2  ÃƒÆ’‚  dark
29,55,63   # 42 green3  ÃƒÆ’‚  dark
60,74,59   # 43 green4  ÃƒÆ’‚  green
45,80,55   # 44 green5  ÃƒÆ’‚  green
82,105,82   # 45 green6  ÃƒÆ’‚  green
45,104,62   # 46 green7  ÃƒÆ’‚  green
124,162,130   # 47 green8  ÃƒÆ’‚  green
76,82,78   # 48 green9  ÃƒÆ’‚  green
86,119,91   # 49 green10  ÃƒÆ’‚  light
[color=red][b]16,20,80   # 50 blue1  ÃƒÆ’‚  dark[/b][/color]
The table at the top has a mistake. It says 41 - 50 are green. In actual fact, 40 - 49 are green  This is the same with all the other colors too.

So, we found our greens! But now we need to select our favourite. Now we need to look at the first column. These numbers are RGB values. RGB values, put simply, are the amounts of red, green or blue in a color.

Red
Green
Blue

But how do these values allow us to see which one is best?

We need to open up MS Paint.

At the top of the screen should be "Colors", next to "Help". Click it, and the click "Edit Colors", and a screen with all of Paint's colours will appear. Ignore them and click "Define Custom Colors >>" A window next to the current one appears with a bunch of colours. Underneath them should be six boxes, we're interested in the ones on the right.

Red
Green
Blue

They're back again

OK, I'm after a dark green. Minimize Paint and look at carcols.dat again. The third column says that 40, 41 and 43 are dark. Let's have a look at 40 first. Look at the first column and memorize the numbers. The ","s act as dividers.

In the first column it says that 40 has this RBG value:

Code: [Select]

26,51,46
Now, reading left to right, we put them into the boxes in Paint, from the top to the bottom. They will now say:

Code: [Select]

Red: 26
Green: 51
Blue: 46
Now look at the box above "Color|Solid", this is the green!

After going the three dark greens, I've decided that I like 42:

Code: [Select]

29,55,63   # 42 green3  ÃƒÆ’‚  dark
the best. So, now we need to apply it to the PCJ!

Remember the number, and scroll down until you find pcj600 in the first column.

Code: [Select]

pcj600, 13,13, 22,22, 35,35, 38,38, 2,2, 3,3, 48,48, 51,51
Let's have a look at the first pair of numbers after "pcj600, ". They are both 13. Scroll up again until you find 13.

Code: [Select]

99,50,46   # 13 red4  ÃƒÆ’‚  red
This is one of the reds the PCJ will appear in whilst in game. If I was changing the colour of a vehicle that had two colors on it, the second value would be the second colour. If there is only one color, both of the values should be the same number. So, lets add my green to the list of colors used, add "," at the end of the last number and " 42,42" to the end of the line, remember to put in the space. We should now have this:

Code: [Select]

pcj600, 13,13, 22,22, 35,35, 38,38, 2,2, 3,3, 48,48, 51,51, 42,42
Now the PCJ will spawn in that green too. But what if I want the PCJ to make the PCJ spawn in that color only? Simple, get rid of the everything after "pcj600, " and then add 42,42. So you then have:

Code: [Select]

pcj600, 42,42
Go to file, then click save. Find, or spawn, a PCJ and check her out! If you did it correctly, you should have a green PCJ, or, if you decided to add it to the list of colors, you should see a few PCJs that you spawn, see or jack are green. Now go back and read through this guide, in your head, replacing everything that I used as an example (the greens) with what YOU want, and try it.

I've used Vice City here, however, the process for San Andreas is just the same as Vice City's! So read through it, though these things change in San Andreas:

-The directory changes to C:\Program Files\Rockstar Games\GTA San Andreas\data\

-There isn't a table telling you the numbers of the colours.

-The color table isn't in order, so greens aren't next to greens, etc.

-After the vehicle list, there is another one with three vehicles in it, this works just the same as the first one.

Here's a color chart made by JVT:

[a href=\"http://img51.imageshack.us/my.php?image=carcols4ol.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"]

Custom colours

That's all very well, but it'd be great if we could have custom colors. We can! Again, this guide is very similar for San Andreas and Vice City. This time, I'll be using San Andreas as an example, it's just the same for Vice City.

I've decided I want my own dark green. It's RGB code is 0,150,0. So I need to open up carcols.dat and find the last line.

Code: [Select]

236,106,174      # 126 pink   ÃƒÆ’‚ light
It's a pink. To add my green, there are two ways I can do it. The first, is to find an exsisting color that isn't being used by any vehicle. This pink isn't used.

So, I'm gonna change the RGB! Replace it's RGB with 0,150,0. Now you should have:

Code: [Select]

0,150,0      # 126 pink   ÃƒÆ’‚ light
Next, I'm gonna change the second and third column. It's a dark green. So, let's change it to:

Code: [Select]

0,150,0      # 126 green   ÃƒÆ’‚ dark
Now before we apply it to a vehicle, I'll explain the second way to do it.

The second way to add your color, is to add your own new line. Personally, I think it's better to keep the original colors intact. So, hit return after "light" on color 126 to start a new line.

First, we need to type in the RGB code.

Code: [Select]

0,150,0
Now hit tab on the keyboard until your cursor is aligned with everything above it. Now, we need to type in the number, and the color.

Code: [Select]

0,150,0 Â     #127 green
And now, we need to add "dark". Hit tab until your cursor is aligned with the last column. Then type it in. We should end up with:

Code: [Select]

0,150,0      #127 green   ÃƒÆ’‚ dark
So, we've created our own line! Let's apply the color, whichever way you did it. Let's put it on the NRG.

Scroll down until you find the NRG's line. Now, I want to spawn the NRG in my green only. Let's get rid of all the colors. You should be left with:

Code: [Select]

nrg500,
Now, let's add our color. If you changed the pink, your number will be 126. If you created a new line, it's 127. BUT the NRG has two colors! Let's make it white and green. White's number is 1. So, my line should read this:

Code: [Select]

Replaced pink
nrg500, 126,1

New line

nrg500, 127,1
Go to File>Save and then have a look in game

Again, go through it in your head and change ever example to your liking.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eventually, you'll be able to do all of this without the help of this guide. I hope it has helped, if you have questions, ask 'em here, I'll answer them and add them to an FAQ section I'll be making soon

[Juan]

You might need this, its a color chart for SA.  

[bj070893]

Great! Thanks for that

[Xtramus]

Jesus talking about huge, good job dude I'm sure this will help people out.

EDIT: Someone move this to GTA modding tutorials as well

[bj070893]

Added San Andreas section.

[bj070893]

Removed San Andreas section, it wasn't needed, now I've finished the custom colors section, and changed the quotes to codes (thanks X). It's just about done, just gotta add an FAQ section

[marklund]

Awesome job mate, moved to the tutorial section!

[bj070893]

Awesome job mate, moved to the tutorial section!

Thanks marky

[ZeroX]

Hmm yea its a good tutorial but I feel its far too long considering editing carcols.dat is quite a simple task.

I was actually just doing my own tutorial because m3rrix asked me how to change the colours for a bike in an existing replay file (which I don't think you covered) and I figured I'd just post it for everyone.

But yea good tutorial, its just TOO idiot proof. It took me longer to read the tutorial than it took me to figure out how the carcols work by myself.

[Kenny]

Hmm yea its a good tutorial but I feel its far too long considering editing carcols.dat is quite a simple task.

I was actually just doing my own tutorial because m3rrix asked me how to change the colours for a bike in an existing replay file (which I don't think you covered) and I figured I'd just post it for everyone.

But yea good tutorial, its just TOO idiot proof. It took me longer to read the tutorial than it took me to figure out how the carcols work by myself.

Changing car colors in replay files are easy

[Kabanchik]

oh my god! That's cool!I'm gonna try it soon!
Thanks bj!  

[bj070893]

No problemo, and yeah Zx, that was what I was aiming for.

[ZeroX]

Hmm yea its a good tutorial but I feel its far too long considering editing carcols.dat is quite a simple task.

I was actually just doing my own tutorial because m3rrix asked me how to change the colours for a bike in an existing replay file (which I don't think you covered) and I figured I'd just post it for everyone.

But yea good tutorial, its just TOO idiot proof. It took me longer to read the tutorial than it took me to figure out how the carcols work by myself.

Changing car colors in replay files are easy

No shit I've been doing it since I first made my green bike.

[bj070893]

ZX, you could send me the replay tutorial you made and I'll add it with a "written by ZeroX" at the end if you like, instead of a new topic. It's up to you, just thought it'd be better to combine them instead of making new topics.

[NightFear]

Nice tutorial