Dee4Three wrote:Welcome back to the modding scene!
Unfortunately, we do not have a lot of tutorials in this 2K21 tutorials sections located below:
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However, some of the other recent titles have more content in those sections that can help you get started and still apply to 2K21 (Like blender tutorials, etc)
Your questions are not easy to answer, because a lot can be involved with the creation of mods, editing of rosters, and importing of mods to work with the game. I will give you a few tips though:
Download the Mods folder, hook tool and plugins (Links below) and place them in your main NBA 2K21 directory. This will allow you to install the many mods you see in this section.
Hook tool: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.shuajota.com/2021/02/nba2k21-hook-tool-v007-by-looyh.html">https://www.shuajota.com/2021/02/nba2k2 ... looyh.html</a><!-- m -->
Mods Folder and plugins: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.shuajota.com/2020/09/nba2k21-hook-v005-2020-10-01-added.html">https://www.shuajota.com/2020/09/nba2k2 ... added.html</a><!-- m -->
Note: The mods folder and plugins link also has the hook tool, but it is an older version, so make sure just to use the hook tool items from the first link
Here is a tutorial The Goods made on how to setup your mods folder, and how to install mods.
Download the 2K21 export console at the link below: This allows you to export files in order to edit them outside of 2K21.
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Here is a tutorial Shuajota made on how to use it
Download 7-zip if you don't already have it. It is free, and the best and easiest way to open archives, pack archives, etc.
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Download Blender: I recommend 2.82 for this 2K, and 2.79 works pretty well for other recent 2Ks. But the conversion tool to convert faces back and forth from different 2Ks works best with 2.82.
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Note: Maybe other newer versions would work fine, I just really like 2.82
If you do not have Photoshop, Paint.net is a fantastic free program that I use the large majority of the time when modding.
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DDS Plugin for the program
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://forums.getpaint.net/topic/111731-dds-filetype-plus-10-08-2020/">https://forums.getpaint.net/topic/11173 ... 0-08-2020/</a><!-- m -->
Download NBA 2K21 Tools (I don't have a lot of experience with this program on NBA 2K21, but I do on NBA 2K19 now). This is a roster editor created by Looyh
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Here is a way you can get your feet wet with court modding. The Goods made a tutorial
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How to mod crowds tutorial made by The Goods
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Here is a Cyberface makng tutorial created by LosJosh. This was done using 2K20, but it still applies to 2K21
That should get you started. Most of the mods you download will go into that Mods folder, or in a folder within the Mods folder (The modder will usually release instructions with the release, or at the very least if the clothing folder within the Mods folder is utilized, they will release the mods in that clothing folder so you will know what to do)
I personally started modding way back with Live 98 using DB Commander, which was honestly pretty awesome (Ask me how to use it now, and I couldn't tell you). I just remember doing some portraits, inserting them, and messing with courts a bit.
We have a lot of great minds and artists in this community, look around and you might be able to find a lot of your questions answered. But don't be afraid to reach out to the community if you get stuck.
Hopefully this helps