Replace a shipped character body

Give one existing character a different body while keeping that character’s shipped definition and story identity. This whole-body route is experimental: the repository does not yet contain a completed in-game roster, tactical, save and reload verification.

You need

• ContentTool installed and enabled.
• A complete, skinned humanoid GLB with the full playable clip set. Follow the humanoid conversion for your own source.
• An installed character def to replace. The example target, S_SY_Eileen_CharacterTemplateDef, needs the Festering Skies DLC.
• A disposable test campaign. The current body swap clears the target’s body-part and equipment arrays, so inspect equipment and re-equip as needed.

Folder layout

ReplaceCharacterBody\
  meta.json
  ppcontent.json
  Content\
    Models\
      body.glb                  <- full rig and playable clip set
  Dist\
    ReplaceCharacterBody.bundle <- created by the bake

Steps

1. Put the completed GLB directly in Content\Models as body.glb. Keep its full clip set. Check the target def in the game console:

ct_list defs Eileen TacCharacterDef

Continue only if the result contains S_SY_Eileen_CharacterTemplateDef.

1. Create meta.json:

{
  "ID": "example.replacecharacterbody",
  "AssemblyName": "",
  "Version": "1.0.0",
  "Name": [{ "Key": "English", "Value": "Replace character body" }],
  "Dependencies": ["com.morgott.ContentTool"]
}

1. Create ppcontent.json. The clip names and times below match the worked demo’s model; replace them with measured values for your GLB:

{
  "id": "example.replacecharacterbody",
  "bundle": "ReplaceCharacterBody.bundle",
  "scale": 1.0,
  "play": "HL_IdleAlert_NoGun",
  "loop": "*Loop*, *Idle*",
  "creature": {
    "clips": {
      "HL_IdleAlert_NoGun": "idle",
      "MV_RunFwd_Loop_NoGunA": "walk",
      "FF_Punch_ShotLoop": "attack",
      "HL_Death_AR": "death",
      "HL_HurtFront_AR": "reaction"
    },
    "events": {
      "attack": "ActionDo 0.3, ShootShot 0.5, ActionEnd 0.9",
      "death": "Ragdoll 0.9"
    },
    "model": "body",
    "replaceBody": "S_SY_Eileen_CharacterTemplateDef",
    "up": "0,1,0",
    "lift": 0.0,
    "volume": 1
  }
}

replaceBody selects one shipped def by name. It does not create a second character.

1. Bake, check the final result, then package:

ct_project ReplaceCharacterBody
ct_package ReplaceCharacterBody

1. Enable the mod, restart and use a disposable campaign containing the target character. Check the roster model, tactical animations, equipment, saving and reloading. Record the runtime messages from Player.log.

Check it worked

The verified offline condition is:

creature-roles PASS "clips" maps <mapped> of <discovered> discovered animation(s); every required role (walk, idle, attack, death) is mapped
ct_project: ALL PASS - <path>

The runtime path is written to print:

ct_creature PASS replacing the body of 'S_SY_Eileen_CharacterTemplateDef' (by def name)

That line alone does not prove the character works through tactical play and save/reload. Treat the in-game checks above as required for your own mod.

Common errors

What you see	Why	Fix
ct_creature FAIL ppcontent.json "creature": "replaceBody" is	The target is absent, misspelled or lacks the required component set.	Check the DLC and copy an exact TacCharacterDef name from ct_list defs.
ct_creature FAIL '<target>' already wears the body of mod	Another enabled mod replaces the same body.	Disable one replacement or choose another target, then restart.
ct_creature FAIL ppcontent.json "creature": "model" names	body.glb is missing or misnamed.	Match the file stem to model.
ct_creature VOID '<path>' does not exist	The mod-owned bundle was not baked before runtime.	Run ct_project ReplaceCharacterBody, require ALL PASS, then restart.
creature-roles FAIL	Required mapped clips are absent.	Restore the complete converted GLB and correct its clip map.

See messages for more diagnostics.

Example

ReplaceCharacterBody supplies a worked model and manifest for the DLC target. Its whole-body result remains unverified in game.