Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 2:06 am Post subject:
Trying To Get Units Into Game ?
The folder is called Redeemer and it also includes the Nod DemoTruck.
Inside of this folder are 4 subfolders called additional,art,audio & data.
I took the files out of the art folder and placed them into my mod's art folder.
Then I added this into the Mod.xml
Include type="all" source="NODDemoTruck.xml" />
Include type="all" source="NODRedeemer.xml" />
Include type="all" source="Images.xml" />
Include type="all" source="Soundmod.xml" />
Include type="all" source="LogicCommandData.xml" />
Include type="all" source="FXParticleSystem.xml" />
Include type="all" source="NewUnitAbilityButtonTemplates.xml" />
Include type="all" source="SpecialPowerTemplates.xml" />
Once I compile it and start the game,I don't see the units in the Nod Factory. QUICK_EDIT
Are these files in the same folder as your mod.xml?
Also did you add the command to build these units to the factories logic command set? _________________ QUICK_EDIT
did you add the command to build these units to the factories logic command set?
Inside of the Redeemer folder is a data folder and inside of that is a file called LogicCommandData which has the commandsets for the units [well the DemoTruck commandset is missing from this.
But I still added them to the factory's build list.
UNIT BUILD & SPEICAL POWER was added to the Logic Command and CommandSet & Factory Builds added to Logic Command Set.
The units still won't show up when I start the game.
I then took out all the files from the Redeemer's data folder and just placed them into my mod's data folder.
While compiling the mod I got this error
images.xml: Compiling Texture:PackedImages_Redeemer [21e727da:d0e8e3d4]
Critical: The texture file referenced from the XML does not exist on disk!
Build failed on step 4
I then went back to the download's zip file and placed back the ART folder back into the Redeemer's folder but it doesn't make a difference, I still get the same error.
I then removed the files and put them back into the Redeemer's data folder and edited the mod.xml so that the includes for these units read like this...
Include type="all" source="DATA:Military/data/Redeemer/Data/NODRedeemer.xml" />
Include type="all" source="DATA:Military/data/Redeemer/Data/NODDemoTruck.xml" />
Include type="all" source="DATA:Military/data/Redeemer/Data/Images.xml" />
Include type="all" source="DATA:Military/data/Redeemer/Data/Soundmod.xml" />
Include type="all" source="DATA:Military/data/Redeemer/Data/LogicCommandData.xml" />
Include type="all" source="DATA:Military/data/Redeemer/Data/FXParticleSystem.xml" />
Include type="all" source="DATA:Military/data/Redeemer/Data/NewUnitAbilityButtonTemplates.xml" />
Include type="all" source="DATA:Military/data/Redeemer/Data/SpecialPowerTemplates.xml" />
Still get the same error.
Am I supposed to put these files some place else or are there more files that should have come with this download and are missing or are the units coded wrong ? QUICK_EDIT
Well what can I say, the Mod SDK documentation tells you everything you should know about including files. If you just follow tutorials which say but it in x and add y to your mod.xml you don't learn anything which shows here as you are not able to replicate it.
I can only link you to these two articles again and ask you to read and understand them. If you don't do this you will ask questions like this over and over again.
http://www.thundermods.net/index.php?page=content&id=89 http://www.thundermods.net/index.php?page=content&id=90
If you have questions and problems in understanding them then ask specific questions for us to be able to help. If you just say "but user x explained it so easily" and are unwilling to learn anything further that is your problem. But you can see that the "help" you've got earlier didn't help you to understand one bit what you are doing. _________________ QUICK_EDIT
I understand what are ObjectCreationList, LogicCommand, LogicCommandSet, FXParticleSystemTemplate, ObjectCreationList, GameObject, FXParticleSystemTemplates.
These are also found in Generals/ZH which I was able to mod.
What I don't understand is everything else.
In other words, I don't understand what the tutorials are saying.
These tutorials are written as if they are giving a lecture in Physics for scientists and not for third grade students.
Elements, Child Elements, Defines, Attributes, XSD asset type definition...these are words that I can't figure out how to use them even when I read them from a dictionary.
I did manage to get the Wolverine in game though but I don't know why it's invisible and doesn't make a sound.
I had to take the the files from the folder and treat it like its a standard unit in the game becuase trying to don it any other way would make the game crash everythime I selected the factory. QUICK_EDIT
Yes English is my first language and spanish is my second but all my life for some reason my understanding of things was very very hard for me.
I understand simple things or in other words,if people tell me this goes there and put this here.
After that I kind of start understanding things.
I had the same trouble when I started modding Homeworld 2 but at that forum,they gave me the help that I needed,telling me what goes where and how to go about it.
Once they did that ,I started to understand how to mod it and just started creating my own ships,fx and coding.
But for this game and on these forums,most of the modders have this "figure it out for yourself" attiude. and thats why there arent a lot of players learning to mod this game comepared with Homeworld2 and Generals/ZH.
Thats just my view jin jin so if I just get tired of trying to figure out where things are supposed to go and no own tells me exactly what to do and how to do it rather than "Hey go read this becuase WE understand it" then I will just release the mod as is and release it with the source code.
Which this is what every modder should have done since they know it's very hard to decompile the mods once they are compiled.
One person told me it could be done with WrathED but they didn't tell me how to extract the textures.
You were the only person who said "send me your files" so that you can check them out.
Now that what I call really helping someone because there was no way I could have gotten that button to work and its not like I just said "Ok he did it for me " and just moved along.
I went into the files of the modsdk's CnC3Xml folder and looked for that file to see how it was created and I could not find anything like it.
That way I could learn how to create new button for other powers.
Yeah I do need people to tell me exactly how to do it and where things are suppoed to go for me to start to understand how things work.
Sorry but thats the only way I was able to learn and understand things...that's just how my mind works. QUICK_EDIT
The "could not find anything like it" was a pointer to the thing I put in the code thingy?
You can find it here:
MOD SDK\CnC3Xml\System\PlayerSpellBook.xml
The problem is the text I linked earlier is easy to understand and I'm sorry to say that but: we are unable to go down on your level and make it "easier". We just can't relate to how you think as it seems. For Golan (who wrote it), Bibber, and me it's written like for a child. The main problem you don't really understand is:
it doesn't matter in which folder or file stuff is, as long as it's included the correct way.
Also it was just me doing your work as you were unable to see what I was exactly doing there. You just learned nothing from it.
Another problem is: 99% of the tutorials out there teach you stuff that is completely unneeded, and some stuff that is just plain wrong. So I can see why that is confusing too. That problem is caused because the things in these tutorials are easy to do and requite zero thought and effort. The things Golan, Bibber, and me tell you require people to think, and they don't like that. _________________ QUICK_EDIT
Ok I managed to get a new mammoth tank that I downloaded into the game and its in the factory but its invisible when it comes out and there is no portrait that shows.
I have a folder called GDIOriginalMammoth inside of my mod's folder and inside of that are these xml files.
I read the XML_assets.htm and I change the includes in the mammoth's file so it read like this...
<Include>
Include type="all" source="ART:GU/GUMammoth_FP.W3X" />
Include type="all" source="ART:GU/GUMammothR.W3X" />
Include type="all" source="ART:GU/GUMamm_SKL.w3x" />
Include type="instance" source="ART:EXTnkTrack.xml" />
Include type="all" source="ART:GU/GUMammothD_SPM.xml" />
Include type="all" source="ART:GU/GUMammoth_NRM.xml" />
Include type="all" source="ART:GU/GUMammothD_NRM.xml" />
Include type="all" source="ART:GU/GUMammothD.xml" />
Include type="all" source="ART:Images/Portrait_Mammoth.xml" />
Include type="all" source="ART:Images/Button_Mammoth.xml" />
Include type="all" source="DATA:GDIOriginalMammoth/MammothOCL.xml" />
Include type="all" source="DATA:GDIOriginalMammoth/MammothDebris_01.xml" />
Include type="all" source="DATA:GDIOriginalMammoth/MammothDebris_02.xml" />
Include type="all" source="DATA:GDIOriginalMammoth/MammothDebris_03.xml" />
Include type="all" source="DATA:GDIOriginalMammoth/MammothParticleFX.xml" />
Include type="all" source="DATA:GDIOriginalMammoth/MammothWeapon.xml" />
Include type="all" source="DATA:GDIOriginalMammoth/RAMammothRocketPodMissileProjectile.xml" />
Well the unit's portrait still doesn't show and the unit still comes out invisible but this time it has left treadmarks and it creates the large amount of dust that I created for it.
The portrait & button tga files are in the Images folder. QUICK_EDIT
The first part assigns an id to a texture (in my case, its in MyCNC4Mod/Art/Images). The second part defines which part of the texture is used for the icon. I allways use the same names for this stuff to keep it simple. _________________ QUICK_EDIT
Loading 'file://c:\program files (x86)\electronic arts\command & conquer 3\mod sdk\mods\military\data\gdioriginalmammoth\ramammothrocketpodmissileprojectile.xml'.
gdioriginalmammoth.xml: Compiling Texture:Portrait_Mammoth [21e727da:1c8f997c]
Critical: The texture file referenced from the XML does not exist on disk!
Build failed on step 4
To be honest, I have no idea about the predator - I havent touched it since I replaced the model in my own mod.
However, Rebelmoon made a simple mod with his own version, mybe you can take the models from there:
http://www.ppmsite.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16082
About your mod: The main mistake was puttins the "Art" and "audio" folders inside "data" - thats a no go!
Audio is suppossted to be subfolder of your main mod, just like Data (ie Military/Audio).
Art on the other hand refers to the Art folder inside the MOD SDK folder, so everything thats inside MOD SDK/Mods/Military/Art should go inside MOD SDK/art.
That should take care of the main problems and get the mod to compile.
Also: Keep in mind that you only need to compile things that get changed - if you include something in you mod thats allready in the game, its pretty much a waste of space.
For units like the Redeemer, you need to spilt the files - the Reedemer folder inside Redeemer/Art musst go to MOD SDK/Art, the stuff inside Redeemer/data should be inside the main data folder an so on.
You can also delete the codes for the Portrain_Mammoth I postet above - the same stuff is allready part of Portrait_Mammoth.xml - once you move your art folder, the compiler should find it without problems.
Regarding Titan & Rhino art assets:
This is ab bit more complicated - if you use source="ART:GUMammoth.w3x" in an inlude, it doenst look inside the Military/Art folder, but inside MOD SDK/Art/GU.
=> Art assets should allways be inside a subfolder that is named after the first 2 letters of the file name. That was propably done be EA to get a bit of order inside the Art folder, otherwise there would be hundreds of loose files.
So stuff starting with GU (like GUMammoth.w3x, GUTitan.xml and so on) should be inside MOD SDK/Art/GU while everything starting with GB goes into MOD SDK/Art/GB, everything starting with NU goes into the NU folder and so on.
After that, just get the log from the compiler - the error list seems quite long, but most of it seems to be missing art assets or wrong file names.
(I would also suggest using Notepad++ as editor, makes reading xmls a bit easier and is usefull for searching stuff inside you mod).
EDIT: Ju-Jin is right, my mistake. _________________ Last edited by Stygs on Sun Apr 21, 2013 10:39 pm; edited 2 times in total QUICK_EDIT
Well he would have known all of that if he would have read Art_Organization.htm and Data_Structure.htm
Also ART:GUMammoth.w3x points to Mod SDK/Art/GU/GUMammoth.w3x and not into the mod folder. At least in the default SDK. _________________ QUICK_EDIT
I did read the Art_Organization.htm and Data_Structure.htm but remember when I said that I understand things like, "put this here and that there",well right after reading Stygs last post...
Quote:
Audio is supposed to be a subfolder of your main mod, just like Data (ie Military/Audio).
Art on the other hand refers to the Art folder inside the MOD SDK folder, so everything thats inside MOD SDK/Mods/Military/Art should go inside MOD SDK/art.
I went and grabbed the Nod Specter files from the Kane's Wrath Reloaded Source Codes and put it into the game,in one shot with no problem.
I could have read those tutorials over at Thundermods over & over but still would not be able to get a unit into the game but by just saying "Audio folder should not be there but should be here and this should go there and not in this place" it was very simple and direct.
So what I'm saying is that what Stygs did is what you would normally find in a README file that most modders include with their creations as to how to install what they have modified into the game.
Rather than putting in a README file that says "It is assumed that you have a level of knowledge necessary to add this to your mod" just put "to install this unit or this mod just do this...".
Remember what actor Tony Randall said about what happens when you Assume ?
I never place my stuff in these folders, so no, if you would ever download a unit made by me your attempts will fail. Lucky for you I don't release any. _________________ QUICK_EDIT
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Trying To Get Units Into Game ?
