So I want to put the bf1 pilot into bf2 so I got it from the assets to my custom side. In .msh viewer it looks fine but in game it has the wrong texture. why?

Did you copy over the texture from SWBF1? Because if not, if in BF2 it uses a different texture by the same name, then you'll get the wrong texture on your model.

Nope copied it straight from the bf1 stock everything

It sounds like your SWBF1 model is trying to use the SWBF2 texture of the same name which doesn't fit.
The imp_inf_atstpilot models differ slightly from the SWBF1 and SWBF2 assets.

The imp_inf_atstpilot.msh from BFBuilder uses 2 textures:
imp_inf_atstpilot.tga
Imperial_face01.tga

The imp_inf_atstpilot.msh from BF2_modtools uses 1 texture:
test_inf_atstpilot.tga

this texture is actually imp_inf_atstpilot.tga renamed because that is what the msh calls for.


Solution:
Hex edit the SWBF1 msh file to call the same texture with a different name.

• Change imp_inf_atstpilot.tga to something like abc_inf_atstpilot.tga
• Rename the SWBF1 imp_inf_atstpilot.tga to abc_inf_atstpilot.tga
• Rename the SWBF1 imp_inf_atstpilot.tga.option to abc_inf_atstpilot.tga.option

or
download these files and toss them in your side.