Galactic Ambassador

Join Date 03/2006

Modding: Small Tutorial, Questions, Answers, my Modd

Let's Modd!

Hello!

I watch the "Modding Forum " SInce a couple of. Time have to say that there are more Questions then answers.
More Problems then Solutions. So I try to bring some help and points into the Modding-Forum.
And I suggest that all the "I Request a Modd"-Topics get a "Subforum" because they don't really help. Sorry guys, but the best way you get your modd is start it yourself!

So I start with my "Small Tutorial" here.

So what you need to modify this game is:
1. An Editor to edit the *.XML-files (The Editor of you Windows is good enough!)
2. A Porgramm to convert, design and resize Pictures, like Adobe Photoshop, Paint Shop,...
3. A 3d Programm to create *.x-file 3d-Models

Some useful tools:
1. Conv3ds
Description : Ths littl tool is very small (only a *.exe of 100KB. Use it if you have 3modles with the Extension *.3ds that you like
to convert to *.x-files
How to use?: Save the Exe in the root of you c:\-Drive (or another one if you like). Also put the 3ds model in the root of you drive. The Klick the "Start-Button" of you windows, then in "run" and type in:
C:\Conv3ds.exe -m <3dmodelname>.3ds
<3dmodelname> is the PLACEHOLDER of course, you have to type in the right name of your 3dmodel!
Where to get? Use google! There are enough sources The Tool is free!

For Converting an watching *.bik-files
2. RAD Video Tools form "Bink and Smacker"
Description: It's a tool to watch and modify *.bik-moviefiles. You can also convert *.avi-files into *.bik-files.
Where to get? Again: Use google! Also this tool is free!

Important: BEFORE you modify ANY file. Create a "Backup-directory" and save them there.

NOTE: In my experiences I don't use the MOD-folder because I have no clue how to make my changes work there.
and YES I have activated the "Use Mod"-Option ind the Option-Menue!

So I make the chnages right at the "original-folders". Maybe my way is a bit difficult, but it works!

Some basic knowledge:
Every File that belongs to a certain species has a certain "shortcut", like S0 or S1.
So if you like to find out which number belongs to which species there is an easy way:
Go in the directory: GalCiv2\Gfx\Race
Then Open the RaceImage-Pictures with you PhotoShop or any Programm you want to use for it.
Example: You open the file RacImage00.png You see the face of the human leader, that you know from the "Race selecting Menue". So you know 0 or 00 is for the Species Terran.
If you open RaceImage01.png you will see the face of the Drengin leader, so you know if you see a fiule that starts with S01 or S1 it belongs to the Drengins. I hope it's clear now.

NOTE: I tried modding with the english-version of the game (Version 1.0x) so I can't if there are differences to other language-versions.

Now let's start with some modding:
Important before you start: Don't forget: save the original files in your "backup-directory" before you start! should always ne the first step nefor you touch them!
Let' have the Terran Alliance removes with some other species.
So what we need is to replace the following files
Trade_Race0_Neutral.png (found in directory Gfx)
RaceImage00.png (found in directory Gfx\Race)
RaceLogo00.png (found in directory Gfx\Race)

The files which you want to use as replacements must havbe the same names! And maybe you must resize them.
If you like to know what size you need open the original file and chek it's size. With Adobe Photoshop you can do it
klicking the pictuire with the right mousebutton. With other programms,... I don't know, so check the help file or read the manual!

So now it's time remove some bik-files.
Why? Because if you don't do it you will still see the face of that Terran-leader!
But if you have some own files that you like zo use, rename them and replace them and repalce them, just as you did with the pictures.
And don't forget to save the original files before you do that! It's always the same step! I don't say it again!

So which files did I mean?
Replace or remove:
every bik-file that starts with 0_ (found in GalCiv2\Movies)
There must be 4 files of them.

So now our Leader has a new face, our Race a new Logo, what else do we need?
I think you are not happy with the description of the rae, the technologies and other stuff.
So in the directory: GalCiv2\Data\English
You find a file called: RaceConfig.xml
You find the Lines:

Terran Alliance
50
The humans recently joined the interstellar club with the invention of Hyperdrive. They are the diplomats and traders of the galaxy. Though a bit impulsive, they are tougher than they look.
Earth
Sol
Alan Bradley
Terran
Gfx\Race\RaceImage00.png
Gfx\Race\RaceLogo00.png
Gfx\Race\Small\RaceLogo0.png
Gfx\Race\Trade_Race0_Neutral.png
12,12,255
0,5,41
64,64,192
128,128,255
12,12,255
241,251,220
0,64,128
0,255,255
0,200,255
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
10
0
25
10
25
10
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
6
0
10
Xeno Communications
HyperDrive
Xeno Engineering

I think the lines are pretty self-explaining. You cann change Name of Race and leader, Name of the Homeworl, the description, the color, the abbiloties and start technologies.
If you don't know the numbers to the colors you like, start the game and try it with a race at the option "apperence".
If you found the colors you like write the down and then you change them in the lines you see above
By the way: HULLColor(Ingame) Is BASEColor in the file!!!

In the fileMapRaceInfo.xml (found in GalCiv2\Data\English)
There some other lines you shpuld edit:

Terran Alliance
Gfx\Race\RaceLogo00.png
12,12,255
12,12,255
241,251,220
0,64,128
0,255,255
0,200,255
0
0

Also self-explaining.

So the Race is fully changed, happy? NO?!?! Oh,... you want to change the stile of the Homeworld?
O.k. here we go:

In the Directory: GalCiv2\Data\English

You find the file: CustomPlanets.XML

Open it with the editor and you find some lines like:

Sol
gfx/planets/sol.png

Earth
10
gfx/planets/earth.png
earth.raw
Testing123
gfx/planets/m00.png
0.50

Mars
4
gfx/planets/mars.png
RedPlanet
0.40

Mercury
0
gfx/planets/M10.png
JustRockPlanet
0.15

Jupiter
0
gfx/planets/jupiter.png
DesertPlanets1
0.80

Saturn
0
gfx/planets/saturn.png
0.60
gfx/planets/r00.png
1.25
0.2
15

So here you can give your sun and planets every name and size you want.The "Class" defines how many "Buildspots"
You will find on the planet if you have "0" you can't build a colony on this planet.
Doing this with a Homeplanet like the "Earth" is tricky, bcause it's always 10, well with trick you can habe more but not less then 10.
If you like to change the textures of the planets, but you don't know wht they look like:
In the Directory GalCiv2\Gfx\Planets you have all the textures. If you have found one insert it's file name to lines orf the planet you like to change.
And if you don't like to have a Moon arround you planet, simply remove the line:
gfx/planets/m00.png

Well, know we have everything done to replace a race with a race of you own stile.

The last thing you could is replacing the music.
Music files can be found in:
GalCiv2\music (for the general game music)
GalCiv2\Event Music (for events like the United Planets-meeting or the music for the all the different races)

In case you stat the game and the changes didn' work, but you are sure you have done everything right, then you can do this:
In Windows there is a directory called "My Games". In this directory there is another directory wit the name "GalCiv2", just like the very gamedirectory. So her you my find some files like "CurrentCustomRace.raceconfig (can be 0 or 1 and you maybe have more then one file like this). Delete that files!
You also find a file: Prefs.ini
Delete it!
Start the game and everything should work! If not, then the mistake is really on your side.
If you don't trust my wit the deleting of those files, you can save them in a backupdirectory and try it the "safe way".

So now I can show you what I have done so far. If you know the Wing Commander CIC-Forum you maybe know my "modd project". So here we go:

As you can see the Video of the Mainmenue is replaces with this one. It's the Intro of Wing Commander 1, "redesigned" by a man called "Howard Day". He is real great at creating 3dmodels. At the moment he is working on a "fanproject-game" called
"Wing Commander Pioneer".
If you also like to replace the Vidoe of the Main Menue the is:
TitleAnim.bik (found in GalCiv2\Movies)

I replaced the Drengins with the Kilrathi,....

...and later the Terran Confederation for the Terran Alliance.

And the Kilrathi got their own Homeworld.

Terran Confederation has first contact with the Kilrathi Empire. The text is still from the Drengins, but it's o.k.
because it's funny and somehow it also fit's for the Kilrathi.

And as you see I also treid myself in Modding the Ships. This fighters is called "Hornet" (yes, like the F-18) and it's used for pattroulles and scouting missions.
@ EvilleJedi: So you see the Texture-Problem that you have with your Star Destroyer is not new to me, but I also need help here, because I don't have a solution for the "texture-problem".

The Authors of this Model are Howard Day (the guy who made the new Wing Commander 1-Intro Movie)
And "Tolwyn" (It's his nickname of course!

) "Tolwyn" works with his team on a Wing Commander Modd for the hame "FreeSpace2" called "Wing Comamnder Saga".
So Creditd to them for this 3DModel.
And just to let you know: They make much greater things san just this "poor" 3DModel of that Hornet.

And if you still don't know what Modd I made:
It's a modd of the Game "Wing Commander" one of the maybe greatest computer games ever on this planet!

Now after my "small Tutorial" and the presentation of my Modd I like to ask you (the rest of the modders in the GalCiv2 community) some questions:
1. Where do I found the sentence:
"Smetz Keala et kula drinena ast tu estharwa![Wee need to research the Universal Translator techology.]"
I searched in every xml-file but I couldn't find it
2. How can I add the "Hard Points" to a 3dModel to attach weapons and other stuff to it? (like on my hornet)
3. Is there a way to decrease the number of buildpoints on the homeplanet? Yes you reads right DEcrease!

And of course I would be pleasef if there are some people who like to help me with my modd.
So I need:
1. People who can create 3DModelf for Ships, Weapons a.s.o. in the Stile of Wing Commander 1 and 2
2. People who are able to create (working) textures for the 3DModels and maybe to create some new textueres for planets
3. People who are able to create movie files (avi or bik format). The movoes should fit for Wing Commander 1 and 2 or course. Movies like fo a planetary Invasion, for a Planetary Colonization,...

So I hope you like my thread and you can help me and I cpukd help you!

modding

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Finally I had a succsess bringing the "Hornet" in the game with WORKING Textures!

Thanks to the user "Vorlone" I reached this "goal". But there was lot of missunderstand till it worked.

So for everyone of you who is using 3ds max 7 or 8 with the pandaplugin(for exporting models and converting textures)
A more detailed Instruction:

1.Make sure that you have a 3d model (Like Max file or 3ds file) with textures
2. To open it klick File, then Import.
Select the Model you like to load

3. Now a Window pops up with the "import options" asking you, what you kike to do.
4. Simply Klick "OK"

5. The "viewing-Window" Perspective should me marked. You see it if it has yellow edged. If not klick it

6. Now klickl File, Export
7. Type your prefered Name for the File and make sure you choose "panda Directx" as Format!

8. A "Pandasofs Directx Exporter"-Window Pops up

9. In the Optionfolder "texture & .fx files" simply select "PNG" at the Option "Fornat"

10. Klick Ok

You get not 2 Files:
1. a 3dx model-file with the name you entered
2. a png-texture file that has the sam name as the original file (the "Source")
Like if the original was "Texture.bmp" the new one should be like "texture.png"
It makes no difference is the letters are capitals or not, just the name itself must match.

11. Copy the Files in Models-Directory of the game. But make sure you safed the orinal x-file for a backup.
In my case it was the Terran scout,. which has the file name: "S0_Tiny_1.x"

Start the Game and see if it worked!

NOTE if you see that your Model is somehow "reversed" in the game, it meand the the axis form them 3d programm are different form the axis in the game.
Then can be fixed if you klick "Left handed Axis" at the "Pandasoft DirectX Exporter"-Window under the optionfolder
"X File Settings" (It's all at the step you are converting your model and textures)

NOTE: If you have a model that was aleady without any textures the program will not spit you at nay texture files by "magic". But fi you have a model and textures and you didn't get a texture file anyway, then you must do the following steps:

....It's a bit difficult for beginners but I try to describe it as good as I can.:

1. Import your model as I described you above
2. Make sure "Perspective" Window is marked (Yellow/colored edges of the "perspective"window)
3. Klick "Rendering" then "Material Editor..."
4. A Window called "Media Editor" Pops up.
5. In this Window you see some "Black&grey Bubbles"
6. The first upper left one shoukd be maked. You see it by white edges arround the Square with that "bubble". If there are no white edged, klick the bubble ones.
7. You see an Icon that looks like an "eyedropper" klick on it to select it
8. Now klick with on your Model in "Perspective"-Window
9. Now you see some "Options" under the the "eyedropper-icon". One of the is called "Map"
10. Open it's details by klicking on "Map"
11. Under "Amount" the Options "Diffuse Color" and "Self Illumination", both of them should be activated (hocked)
If not, then do so.
12. One the right of "Diffuse Color" and "Self Illimunation" there must the Options/Lines like MAP#1 and Map#2
NOT: If it's not so I can't help you, because I don't have that much knowledge of the programm myself, sorry.

13. Selec the "Map#1(.....)"
14. You will see a line "Bitmap:" on theright of it a "bar". If you klick it yiu cen select the file with the texture.
15. Use the "Eyedropper again on the 3emodel and do the same with "Map#2"
16. Now klick in the Icon "Show map in viewpoint". It's small cube with white and blue squares
17. If you have done simply close the "Material Editor"-Window
18. Now Convert the file! (Steps are described above!)

Good luck!

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some good information here.

I have the following questions:

#1 how can I change the orientation of dummies? I can add them and they work in the ship designer, however they always point in the same direction

#2 how can I change the ingame-size of a ship? changing the size of the model before exporting doesnt seem to work really.

here are 2 examples of what I have been playing arround with:

http://www.new-avalon.de/GCmods/ShadowExample.JPG

http://www.new-avalon.de/GCmods/OmegaExample.JPG

p.s. the omega's hull section is rotating

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ome good information here.

I have the following questions:

#1 how can I change the orientation of dummies? I can add them and they work in the ship designer, however they always point in the same direction

#2 how can I change the ingame-size of a ship? changing the size of the model before exporting doesnt seem to work really.

here are 2 examples of what I have been playing arround with:

Well, to be honest I can't t answer your questions. But I ask if you like to join my "Moddteam".
Together we can find the solutions much faster.

As you see the modd is about Wing Commander 1 and 2 ("Combinet")
and not abbout Star Wars, Star Trek, Battle Star Galactica, Babylon 5 or Star Gate,
"Just" Wing Commander.

Well, it was one ofe the most succsessfull PC-game-series in the '90. But as it seems it went out of most gamers minds. Or they are just too young to remember, I don't know.

As it seems you are creating a Babylon 5-Modd. We could try to do both modds together. Or just do the Wing Commander modd.

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Wow just wow. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors. I'm not skilled at graphics at all but seeing so many mods starting makes me want to try

That will be so awesome.

Do you plan on taking more art/graphics from later wing commander games? or "movies" /cutscenes ?
You could not only do a mod to change 'sandbox mode' but also your own campaign.

I'll keep this on my watchlist

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gonna try some hints posted here: https://www.galciv2.com/Journals.aspx?AID=106751 tomorow, or today. well after I got some sleep (0.30 am here) ^^

Iam not going to even think about creating a total conversion or help working on one before the mod folder is working.

my primary target right now is to create as many GC2 compatible X Files of B5 Ships as possible with enough dummies and stuff. I still have many Babylon 5 ships from work on other mods for I-War 1 and 2, X²/X³ and GalCiv1. then I will try to make jewelry and hull parts from those ships in order to allow players to create Babylon 5 style ships of their own with the GC2 ship creator ingame. if that all worked out I may work on weapons (with new effects/animations for the B5 style beam and pulse weapons). if that worked out too I may create a map/scenario with the major B5 races (Human, Minbari, Narn, Centauri, Non-Aligned and probably Shadows/Vorlons too) as total conversion.

however all that is in the distant future. Have an exam in computer science in 2-3 weeks, the next semester starts 1 week later and Iam about to begin to work on a requirement for my diploma thesis (on/about analysis and statistic evaluation of microarray experiments. which in that case involves statistics, computer science and genetics). so iam kinda overextended anyway already.

wish you good luck with your wing commander mod tho.

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Thanks to "Marc" (user of the Wing Commander CIC Forum), the Modd makes huge steps forward.
And thanks to me

"Marc" has bought himself GalCiv2.
So Stardock, my Modd attrackts new customers, time for some credits!

He send me a nice Screenshoz of the Ships he integrated to the game.
And just to say it: There are MUCH more Ships Types he has!

Only flaw: There are NO HARDPOINTS on the Ships. Marc uses AC3D for modeling and so he doesn't know about that "Dummys" that you have in 3ds max. So if you know how to place Hardpoints in AC3D PLEASE let me know!

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I remember Wing Commander . . . . I had a Mac at the time, and the only game related to it I ever really played was Privateer (I think...)

I think I did have WC II or WC III, it was all back in the days where the enemy ships were a bunch of sprites which had different pictures depending on your angle. These ones are much cooler

Good luck . .

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Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes... This is just what I was hopeing someone would do!!!

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I remember Wing Commander . . . . I had a Mac at the time, and the only game related to it I ever really played was Privateer (I think...)

Privateer was a great game too! I totally forgot about that game. Man, I spent a lot of time playing that game too.

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I have a question:
When I change the Terran race description, it doesn't update on the list. It still talks about the hyperdrive and all that. However, when I alter the Drengins, it works. Does anyone know why that might be?

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have a question:
When I change the Terran race description, it doesn't update on the list. It still talks about the hyperdrive and all that. However, when I alter the Drengins, it works. Does anyone know why that might be?

I think I had the same problem

In the Folder "My Games" there is also a Galciv2 Directoy. There you find some file:
Prefs.ini and
one ore more files with the extension .raceconfig.

I would dteel both of the and restart the game.

Could alos be that only one of the is enough to delete. The files will be recreatetd with the next game you start.
If you don't feel sure, make a backup before you delete them.

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Stupid-monkey type question: How do you get this Panda export thing to work?
I've tried extracting Panda exporter v4.8.63.0 to the /plugins directory, but when I start 3ds max, it doesn't seem to show up in plugin manager or file export file types.

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dern double post. PS: yes, i'm using max v.8 on XP

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