Thanks for the warm welcome and help!
, my apologise not listing the files that I have changed.
The Race Editor generated the following files: (ok /spoiler tags dont work...my bad)
race_animations.xml
race_clothes.xml
race_eyes.xml
race_hair.xml
race_heads.xml
race_mounts.xml
race_otherartitems.xml
race_raceType.xml
race_skins.xml
race_coreabilities.xml (tweaked with abilities, just a couple of simple resistances and weakness to certain magic)
race_coreunits.xml
race_artgameitem.xml
separately I renamed the faction xml generated by the in-game tools to raceconfig_race.xml which has only had the faction logo tweaked.
everything else has just been left untouched (artgameitem.xml included), looking at the artgameitem.xml everything seems to be listed as well as <supportedunittypes> for the racemodel. example:
<GameItemTypeArtDef InternalName="Art_LeatherBreastpiece">
<GameItemTypeModelPack InternalName="Art_LeatherBreastpiece_1">
</GameItemTypeModelPack>
<GameItemTypeModelPack InternalName="Art_LeatherBreastpiece_2">
<SupportedUnitModelType>raceMale</SupportedUnitModelType>
</GameItemTypeModelPack>
<GameItemTypeModelPack InternalName="Art_LeatherBreastpiece_3">
</GameItemTypeModelPack>
<GameItemTypeModelPack InternalName="Art_LeatherBreastpiece_4">
<SupportedUnitModelType>raceFemale</SupportedUnitModelType>
</GameItemTypeModelPack>
<GameItemTypeModelPack InternalName="Art_LeatherBreastpiece_5">
</GameItemTypeModelPack>
</GameItemTypeArtDef>
despite all that being in there the armour wont show up, after research which isn't making alot of sense. I based the race of the Amarian and the tech tree points to the Amarians tech tree so I'm still confused to why its happening, I still have a feeling I'm missing something obvious lol!
oh and i've hidden my race names in this post... some secrets i would like to keep for now
If I do share this race, its not going to be anything groundbreaking lol, for now I would still like to keep it to myself however! 