This is from the long long long thread. I made it as a helper in conjuction with the tutorial posted (link is in the following).
Sniperkiller made this site with a quick guide. it is basically the same, except where he says it make take 20 minutes towards the end for one part, it only takes me a minute.
http://sniperkilla.home.comcast.net/GTATut/My reccomended sites and software:TXD Workshop 3.1 or later (older versions either can't convert files for Xbox, or are just buggy) - Used to convert textures to the Xbox format
IMG Workshop 1.3 or later (I think older versions are slow) - Used to add and remove textures from the game
Collision File Editor 1.1 beta or later - Used to make the new vehicles seem more natural by changing imapct points.
http://www.gtanetwork.ithttp://www.planetgrandtheftauto.com/Before I say more, to get this working well, run the game from your harddrive unless you have tons of time and DVDs to waste. This is trial and error. Also, at least go back a week and start reading so you can learn from our mistakes, and see what sites we have used for skins.
Basically you get the same skins and stuff as for the PC version. In TXD workshop you convert them to be on Xbox (search google and make sure you get the latest version). You usually need to edit a few text files, just copy and paste. Some things work better if you edit a collisiion file, with COL editor, its simple.
There are some lag and freezing issues. Not all skins work. The Master 3 says most things get like that if over 2MB in size. I personally try to get the smallest files I can to limit lag.
I suggest that before you start the editing, but after you download the skins, decide what cars you want to replace. Then go get them and put them in garages if they don't have one set location where they always are (like the infernus is always in font of the Mansion on starfish island). This way, if a skin for a car is big, there will be less lag because we will stop them from spawning. You make them stop by editing the default.ide file in the VC data directory. You find the car you replaced (you usally have to edit this anyway) and set it to "ignore". It is self explanatory really once you see it.
Another thing you may want to do is download what is called a "wheelmod". This lets new cars have custom wheels. When you download it, it should have both an auto and a manual install. Do it manually, it is easy. Just a few text edits and putting one file. If you don't want this, then any new skin you install that uses it, you will have to edit its setting in the default.ide.
Between this thread, Sniper's guide, and the readme files of the skins, you should be OK with the basics. I am in a rush or I'd explain in more detail.
BTW, not just cars we can do. Any of the textures really. Cars, planes, boats, people, weapons. At first it seems like a lot, then once you do it, it is pretty quick. The longest part for me is the testing. Be sure to back up your files to another directory on your computer to make it easy to fix. Also, what I do is, after I get skins that are working how I want them. I then back upo the set of working files. I move them away, then use the other altered copies as a base to start adding more. This way, you won't need to put in like 10 new cars each time.
PS. If a skin tells you to edit the default.ide (like most), and say it has it set for you to replace the infernus. Pretend you don't want to use that, you want to replace the banshee instead. You will need to rename the skin's txd and dff files to banshee.txd and .dff. then you have to alter the entry into the default.ide. What i do is just copy down the last coulumns of numbers, then paste them alone over the original car's entry. If you just paste it how it is, you could end up screwing things up due to the game's system of numbering the cars. if you had 2 cars numbered 110, the game will freak out and freeze or not load a save at all.
Again, once you see it all, you'll understand better. Especially if you did it on the PC.
I can work on this more later if it is helpful to anyone, and maybe add about doing other things. I have trouble explaining things because I either have tons of things going on in my head at once, or I can't concentrate enough to remember what i am doing.
This post has been edited by Splinter: Jun 18 2004, 08:03 PM