AKA Crystal Cuts - 227 New Hairstyles and Hat-Compatible Hair Models for Project Zomboid

AKA Crystal Cuts is a large character customization mod for Project Zomboid Build 42 that introduces 227 additional hairstyles, giving survivors a much wider variety of looks during character creation.

The collection features 84 male and 143 female hairstyles, ranging from simple everyday haircuts to elaborate long hairstyles, buns, ponytails, punk-inspired designs, and distinctive character-inspired looks.

The hairstyles have been adapted from assets originally created for a popular life simulation game series and reworked to fit Project Zomboid's visual style and rendering system.

227 New Hairstyles for Character Customization

The main feature of AKA Crystal Cuts is its extensive collection of hairstyles designed to make survivors look more individual.

Instead of relying exclusively on the standard hairstyle selection, players can customize their characters with a much wider variety of appearances.

The collection includes:

• 84 male hairstyles: Short haircuts, medium-length styles, long hair, buns, slicked-back hairstyles, undercuts, and messy looks.
• 143 female hairstyles: Long hairstyles, short cuts, ponytails, double buns, layered hair, punk styles, and other distinctive designs.
• Character-inspired hairstyles: Recognizable looks influenced by fictional characters and popular culture.
• Multiple visual styles: Options ranging from neat and professional to messy, dramatic, and unconventional.

With so many variations available, players can create characters with more recognizable appearances and experiment with different looks for their survivors.

Male Hairstyles

AKA Crystal Cuts introduces 84 male hairstyles covering a wide range of lengths and styles.

Some available options include:

• Astarion: A distinctive character-inspired hairstyle.
• Bedhead: A deliberately messy hair option.
• BroccoliTop: A recognizable voluminous hairstyle.
• Centerpart: A center-parted hairstyle.
• Curlytiedbun: A tied hairstyle with curls.
• Dante: A character-inspired hairstyle.
• Griffith: A distinctive long-hair option.
• Hanzo and HanzoNoFade: Two variations of a character-inspired style.
• Mohawk: A punk-inspired haircut.
• PeakyBlinders: A hairstyle inspired by classic undercut looks.
• Slickback: A swept-back hairstyle.
• SurferLongBun: A longer tied hairstyle.
• Sephiroth: A recognizable character-inspired look.
• Keanu: A hairstyle with a familiar cinematic influence.
• Punky: A more alternative haircut.

Additional options include Anderson, Billy, Bridgerton, CandyKing, Clark, Harry, JohnnyTest, Marcus, Pomp, Skatercut, TheBrandon, TheGeoff, Vladimir, and many others.

The collection offers enough variety for survivors with casual, military-inspired, modern, or unconventional appearances.

Female Hairstyles

The female hairstyle collection is even larger, featuring 143 different options.

It includes hairstyles of different lengths, shapes, and visual themes.

Examples include:

• Wolfcut: A layered, alternative-style haircut.
• DoubleBun: A hairstyle featuring two buns.
• FluffyShort: A short, fuller-looking hair option.
• PulledbackHairclips: A pulled-back hairstyle.
• Shieldmaiden: A distinctive character-inspired option.
• Edgerunner: A style with a futuristic influence.
• Jinx: A recognizable character-inspired hairstyle.
• Vi: Another distinctive character-inspired option.
• Wednesday: A hairstyle inspired by a recognizable fictional character.
• Ponyland: A ponytail-themed option.
• Curtains: A parted hairstyle.
• Fluffyloo: A more voluminous hair design.
• Vanessa, Veronica, Violet and Valentina: Additional named hairstyle options.

Other available styles include Aurora, Bella, Blossom, Camilla, Caroline, Chloe, Daisy, Diana, Emilia, Freya, Isabella, Lara, Luna, Morgan, Nora, Stella, Teresa, and many more.

These additions provide considerably more freedom when designing female survivors.

Optimized Hair Models for Project Zomboid

The original hairstyle assets were not designed specifically for Project Zomboid.

To adapt them to the game, the models underwent several technical changes.

Optimization and conversion work includes:

• Reducing the number of model vertices.
• Resizing hairstyles to fit Project Zomboid characters.
• Flattening certain parts of the models where necessary.
• Baking original materials into flat textures.
• Adjusting the models for Project Zomboid's rendering system.

The resulting models generally range from approximately 2,000 to 6,000 vertices, depending on the hairstyle.

For comparison, some popular weapon models use around 4,000 vertices, while certain other hairstyle modifications can reach approximately 10,000 vertices.

The optimization aims to make these hairstyles suitable for the game's rendering environment while preserving their recognizable appearance.

Important: The hairstyles are intended for player character customization and do not appear randomly on zombies.

Alternative Hair Models for Hats and Helmets

A major feature of AKA Crystal Cuts is its additional support for headwear.

Many hairstyle mods can experience problems when characters equip hats or helmets, causing hair to disappear, become flattened, or clip through clothing.

To reduce these issues, AKA Crystal Cuts includes a second group of manually adjusted hair models designed for use with headwear.

Headwear compatibility features include:

• Alternative hairstyle models for hats.
• Adjustments to help hair fit around different headwear.
• Efforts to support popular clothing and equipment mods.
• Improved visual consistency when switching between uncovered hair and headwear.

The collection includes compatibility work for popular modifications such as Brita's and Frockin Splendor.

However, not every hairstyle and hat combination is guaranteed to display perfectly.

Some clipping or minor visual imperfections may still occur.

Future Hairstyle Improvements

The mod's planned improvements include a possible third group of hairstyle models designed specifically for hoodies and other clothing that partially covers the head.

This would further expand the variety of outfits that can be combined with the custom hairstyles.

The additional hoodie-specific models are a future plan rather than a confirmed feature of the current release.

Compatibility and Requirements

AKA Crystal Cuts is compatible with Project Zomboid Build 42.

Important compatibility details:

• Build 42: Supported.
• Male hairstyles: 84 available options.
• Female hairstyles: 143 available options.
• Headwear: Includes alternative models for many hats and helmets.
• Popular clothing mods: Compatibility adjustments have been made for Brita's and Frockin Splendor.
• Zombie appearances: New hairstyles do not spawn on zombies.
• Visual limitations: Some hairstyles may clip through particular hats or clothing.
• Hoodies: Additional dedicated hairstyle variants are planned but not yet confirmed.

AKA Crystal Cuts is an excellent choice for players who want more variety in character creation, distinctive hairstyles, and better compatibility between custom hair and headwear in Project Zomboid.