Hard Light Productions Forums
Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The FRED Workshop => Topic started by: Tantalus53 on March 24, 2007, 03:11:29 pm
-
OK, I'm using FRED2, making a mission. i finish up, do the error checker, then i get a message saying:
"The system cannot find the file specified"
:confused: what do i do?
-
Save the mission to your Freespace2\data\missions folder (or Freespace2\ModName\Data\Missions if you are using a mod) and see if it still does it.
-
Just tried it, and still no difference.
-
The mission saved? Is it actually in the folder?
To be honest I rarely use the error checker anyway. FRED does a much more powerful error check on mission save anyway and since I can repair most mission corruption by simply checking the difference between missionname.fs2 and missionname.bak I find it far easier to do that.
Other FREDders may disagree of course and I would like to see why you're getting this.
-
Yea, i opened the freespace 2 file on my computer, go to data, then missions, and the file is there. i saved it in the missions folder, but i still cant run it on freesace2. i had the same problem with the great war when i tried makeing a mission.
-
ok, i just tinkered around with it & i got it to work. Thanks for your help. if i have anny other problems with my new campain, ill post it here.
-
Ok, heres another problem. maybe its another noob mistake, but either or way, i cant get a few things to work.
For one, i cant get my wingmen to send messages. when i get the sexp thing (or whatever its called) and cue them to say a message, the person repeats the message like... twenty thousand times, then everything goes into errors, like a ship fireing twelve beams from one cannon & sutch.
Also, in another mission im working on, i can get everyone to use their beam cannons except the capital ships, witch sit there & fire longrange Flak at each other. i used the Beam-free-all thing for them, but still no beams. what do i do?
-
Well only thing I can think of on the wingman messages is you have the event set to repeat.
As for the cap beams you need to make sure the ships are in range and are in the cone of fire of each others beams. I think it's show model paths in Fred2.
-
You're not abusing the every-time function are you? You should be using when 90-95% of the time.
-
No, im not overuseing the every-time function... didnt know there was an every-time function...
Ok, lets say i have Alpha 2 set to send a meassage on the cue Has-arrived-delay Delta wing, and i leave the priority at its pre set number. then when i do the mission he keeps saying it over & over again for like 3 seconds flat.
-
Can we have the mission?
-
on a more unrealated note...
:welcome:
i saw these were your first posts and whatnot...
i'm quite new to HLPBB myself so i'm not sure if i have the right to use the welcome beam... :nervous:
-
You've got 160 posts. You're fine in my book, anyways...
-
:pimp:
-
So far, in my newer missions, i try every once in a while to bring in messages. in my last one, i got a few of them to work. but i tried it again on the first one & still no dice. ill keep trying though...
See the thing is, so i could play the mission withough setting off a waterfall of glitches i took out the sexp's with the transmissions in them. I can still give you the mission if you want to try to fix anny errors i made.
-
Ok, where can i upload the mission. Sorry bout the noobishness.... Ill whenever it gets there, feel free to post constructive critisism for the mission.
Some missions are just for the fun, some are actual missions for a campain im working on...
Another question.
how do i put up a jumpnode? The place where its suposed to be (between waypoint & Shivan comm node) is blank. if i click it, i get a shivan comm node annyways...
-
That's actually a bug caused by having FS2 without patching it to v1.20.
Try the update in the retail launcher (Freespace2.exe)
-
Ok, now im even more confused...
I clicked the update window, and it tells me my version of freespace is up to date. it says i have version 1.20. But fred ceirtianly isnt affected.
-
Try using Turey's Installer to update the "Retail Core files"? That might work.
-
The place where its suposed to be (between waypoint & Shivan comm node) is blank.
That's not where it is for me. It's at the bottom of the list.
Go to the downloads page of my FAQ and download the HotU crack pack. Extract the Root_fs2.vp from that on top of yours. That should cure the problem.
-
Thanks. Im downloading it now. but with dialup, sure is takeing a while.
-
Ok, do i save the HotU crack pack to the actual FS2 folder, or put it somewhere else to extract the file i need from it?
-
...download the HotU crack pack. Extract the Root_fs2.vp from that on top of yours. That should cure the problem.
Root_fs2.vp (actually, it's root_fs2.vp :p ) is located in your FS2 main directory.
-
Ok, got the Fred bug fixed...
I can now put in jumpnodes :D
now, im modifying them for spelling errors, better attack patters, defencive positions & putting in Damadge control teams for inevitable disableings of cap-ships...
-
Another two question that may be noob oriented, but i dont get.
how do you access the Command breifing animations used in FS2? i checked the CbAnim file, but dont see anny thing
also, how do i put up the directives in the mission? is it under the mission objectives & ive overlooked it for the dozens of times ive searched, or is their a sexp or something i dont know about?
-
Command briefing anis: To be able to browse them from within FRED, you first have to extract them from the .vp files them come in. But if you remember the name of the animation you need, or can simply run VPView or a similar program alongside FRED to do the browsing, you can just type in the name of the file manually instead of hitting the "Browse" button.
Directives: These are added in the events editor, by selecting the event you want to attach a directive to and typing the text into the "Directive text" box below the event tree display. The directive will appear when the event can be triggered (such as, when the ship it applies to has arrived in the mission), succeed when the event becomes true, and fail if the event becomes untriggerable. Well, mostly - there are a few ifs and buts regarding directives, but that's the general idea.
-
or you can just use VPVIEW to see the animations themselves :doubt:
-
... when combined with ANIVIEW, yes. Try using Turey's installer and deselecting everything except for the "Tools" pack.
-
So let me get this straight.
To veiw the .ani files, i first have to remove them from the vp files. then i have to get the VPVeiw program. there is a VP & ani veiw program in the "tools" part of Turey's online installer, correct?
my question: Where are the VP files. when i open the CBanim folder in the data section of FS2, i dont see a thing. or do i have to get the VPVeiw & Aniveiw first to see them?
-
.vp files are sort of like .zip files, except they have no compression; they are used only to group files. So, one file contains many files/folders. Now, the actual folders you see in the FS dir are the same as those in the .vp files... some vp files have files in them that are located in the /data/tables directory, for example. Those files are .tbl and .tbm You can do the same for any other type of file - CBAnims are Command Briefing Animations; they are in tango1_fs2.vp, tango2_fs2.vp, & tango3_fs2.vp
If you have AniView installed, as well as VPView, and VPView knows where to get AniView (IIRC, if you use Turey's Installer, it does...), then if you double-click an ani file in VPView, it will extract it to a temporary directory, and call AniView to look at it. From there you can save it to another location. (File - save as ani...) Of course, if you know which one you want, you can just extract it from VPView. But you don't need that to just view the file; close AniView when you're done, and then close VPView (or the temporary file might not be deleted).
An overview of how .vp files / actual directories work:
If there is a file with the same name in the actual data tree (\freespace2\data\tables\ships.tbl , for example) it will override the file with the same name in the .vp file directory tree (\freespace2\root_fs2.vp /data/tables/ships.tbl)
If you are running a mod (using -mod mod1,mod2,mediavps or using the "mod" option in the launcher - more on that later), then the running mod's actual files (freespace2\mod1\data\tables\ships.tbl) override its .vp files (freespace2\mod1\mod1tables.vp /data/tables/ships.tbl) Mod1's .vp file file or its actual file ships.tbl will override either of mod2's files, be it .vp or real. mod2 overrides mediavps (or mod3, whatever), and mediavps overrides default fs2 actual / vp file files.
So: within a mod level (mod1 or other, or default fs), actual files override .vp file files. Whichever one is active in that mod level overrides any mod level beneath it. If something is not found (eg, ships.tbl), then the next available file in the hierarchy is used (first actual file, then .vp file file, then onto next level down actual, then .vp file file, then next level... you get the picture).
Ok, now: the -mod switch allows you to specify mod levels, eg -mod dem,fsport,mediavps tell FS Launcher that you want to play the Deus Ex Machina mod, which requires the FSPort mod, which requires the mediavps mod, which of course requires FS2 dem files take precedence over fsport files, which take precedence over mediavps, which take precedence over default fs2. Of course, if you just want the mediavps extra effects and you want to play FS2, then just use -mod mediavps similarly, to use FSPort, use -mod fsport,mediavps
Now, in each mod directory, there is / should be a mod.ini file. This file simplifies things greatly:
[quote author = Deus Ex Machina ("dem") mod.ini][multimod]
primarylist = ;
secondarylist = fsport,mediavps[/quote]
This allows you to just select "dem" in the MOD tab in the Launcher: then it does the rest for you, as it looks at dem's mod.ini for the rest. (The only thing it uses is secondarylist = fsport,mediavps primarylist isn't used.)
Help any?
-
Since when does Deus Ex Machina require the Port? :wtf:
-
since the L was an appollo scaled up to tremendos sizes. (ahaha, we modders are evil.)
-
Hey, I didn't make the mod.ini file...
-
Yeah you did. I would never have made one including a secondraylist entry. :p
I've had enough of the first Ray without the need for a second or third one.
-
Yeah you did. I would never have made one including a secondraylist entry. :p
I've had enough of the first Ray without the need for a second or third one.
Ack! Your fault for the actual text being "secondry", and my trying to fix it because you told me to the last time I copied one of these things! :p ;)
-
Actually, it's RandomTiger's fault the text is "secondry". :D
-
Ok... I know where to find the VP files.
i think you lost me at "An overview of how .vp files / actual directories work:"
but like everything else, ill probably understand it when i get into actual modding & attempt to discover the mindnumming wrld of actual programing. right now im content with only a few objectives:
Mastering FRED2 retail, (eventualy) Fred2_open, figuring out how to get FS2_open on my computer. Then hopefully, i can get into serious modding like full scale campains, voicovers, new ships & sutch. though ide love to creat my own capital shp for FS2_retail, it seems like a harsh prospect.
-
Erg. (http://209.85.12.236/5024/118/emo/bangwall.gif)
(@ Goober: :bangwall: or :headwall: , please?)
The jist of it is, vp files are container files. instead of \data\effects, you have the same thing inside a vp file (name does not matter). However, if there is an actual directory, the files in the actual directory overrule the ones in the vp.
Are you with me so far?
-
Yes sir, i get the jist of it so far.
Say, annyone have a good aproach vector for an orion to maximise its beams?
-
make it fly along the starboard side (or whichever is is the right side :lol:) or the front-right side, in my opinion. not very experianced at orions :doubt:
-
Ok, im trying to make a recon mission. Heres the problem.
I have two wings of fighters on patrol through waypoints that send them chriscrossing through the field the player is most active in. When the gaurd comes within 500m of the player, they are suposed to detect them. the problem i have is that i want them to reak off their patrol & attack you & the other fighter with you. what allways happens is, they fly right by you & continue with their patrol. What should i do?
-
add-goal
Patrol Wing
ai-chase
Alpha
89
?
-
Clear their current goals?
-
add-goal
Patrol Wing
ai-chase
Alpha
89
?
put a:
when
<
distance
patrol wing
Alpha1
500
add-goal
Patrol Wing
ai-chase
Alpha
89
offhand, that should do it. Make a copy for each ship
-
Make a copy for each ship
use when-argument (if you aren't too afraid to use it) instead of creating lots of events
[should look like this:]
when-argument
- any-of
-- patrol 1
-- patrol 2
-- patrol 3
- <
-- distance
--- Alpha 1
--- <argument>
-- 500
- add-goal
-- <argument>
-- ai-chase
--- Alpha 1
--- 89
-
Thanks alot, everyone. im encorperateing it into the mission now.
also, does annyone know a good positioning for an Hecate Vs. Orion battle, to give bothe a 50/50 chance to win? so far whatever i try, the Orion sliced the hecate to bits before it can use its fo'ard beams.
-
also, the pre-set Nebula backgrounds...
Every time i try to use one, i get this MASSIVE error window, then fred runs into problem & closes out. what can i do to fix this, cause its a backbreaking task to construct a nebula from the bits & peices that the program lets me use.
-
also, the pre-set Nebula backgrounds...
you mean you want to use the "Pattern"-stuff below the "Full nebula"-fields?
oh boy, those are dead remains of FS1 no one removed
One idea to circumvent this is to got to this place:
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,32341.0.html
here you will find several BGs which you only have to insert into your mission by using the editor...
BTW is there a limit for bg-maps in one mission??
also, does annyone know a good positioning for an Hecate Vs. Orion battle,
"beam-lock"?
-
also, does annyone know a good positioning for an Hecate Vs. Orion battle, to give bothe a 50/50 chance to win? so far whatever i try, the Orion sliced the hecate to bits before it can use its fo'ard beams.
The problem is that you're trying to set up an uneven battle as if it should be even. The Orion is meant to beat the Hecate in one one one battles.
-
Put the Hecate in the Orion's 4/5 o'clock position and tweak beam firing times. That way both ships will have 2 TerSlash & 1 BGreen to play with.
-
A question about debriefings...
It sllways plays failure music. even when the "is-goal-true" is preasent.
-
If you're using retail FreeSpace, it will do that. This is a bug when missions are played in the tech room, as opposed to in a campaign.
-
Ok, here is another question.
Some of my command briefing have things i can tie in with some FS1 is there a way i can put the VP files into my FS2 directory? i tried & got an error prompt.
-
Hng, either use FSPort, or, extract the files you need, package them in a .vp, and use them as a mod. If I'm understanding the situation correctly.
-
another question, though its alittle off topic from my campain.
just downloaded the FS open from tureys installer. problem is when i try to start it by going into the FS2 Directory & pressing the launcher, i get an error that reads:"this application has failed to start because OpenAL32.dll was not found. re-installing this application might fix the problem."
tried that. no differance. when i finaly get the launcher up, i cant apply or run, because it says the same thing. i have the retail FS2 installed via the original CD's, so i can still open that. what do i do? im so close to playing & modding FS2 open, i realy need help with this.
also, are there anny programs you guys sugest to do the custom voiceovers for my missions?
-
Hmm... Did you install Open AL? If so, try looking for the old versions of Open AL, that might be causing a conflict. (Search in the threads, you will find the names of the files, something like nv_oal.dll and another one, I forget.) If you have old versions, delete their files, and reinstall Open AL.
-
i didnt see it during the instalation, & i cant find it in my fs2 directory.
Is it easyer to download everything from the intaller or intall retail with the CD's & then get the Open files from the installer. cause right now im compleetly confused.
-
Install Retail 1st, then use the Open Installer on top of it. Then install OpenAL. Err, here, just install retail, then use my walkthrough (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,47045.0.html).
-
lol problem solved.
Thank goodness for the search function on the HLP main page.
The only thing is there's massive lags in asteroid fields & during bem cannon fire, but i can probably solve it on my own.
lol my campain looks beyond incredible in FS2_open.
-
The only thing is there's massive lags in asteroid fields & during bem cannon fire, but i can probably solve it on my own.
Crappy system, maybe? What are your system specs?
-
More than likely. I was useing a laptop, but i transferred it to my desktop computer & it runs mutch better. i think i need a higher ram card, because the one i have is stock.
ps. In Direlict Mission 2 (deep patrol) what command are you suposed to give your wingmen? it says press 1, but when i do, nothing happens.
-
Hmmm.... ok, try instead of closing to within 75 clicks, close to like 5. I have never had this problem, but I've never stopped near 75 clicks, either... was going too fast on AB, and slid to a stop almost on top of the buoy. (Actually went through a couple!)
-
Well still havnt figured out why i cant deploy the navbous. i found a way to proceed none the less, though it robs me of playing the entire mission.
lol ram into asteroids until my ship explodes five times.
now back to my campain.
Is there a way i can create my own beam cannon (for capital ships) from scratch?
-
now back to my campain.
Is there a way i can create my own beam cannon (for capital ships) from scratch?
for the pure stats of the gun you will have to edit weapons.tbl for that... there you will also find the entries of other beams to check whatever lines you need...
and then you will need some graphics...
-
oh yea...
just dowloaded Lightspeeds nebula's. I read something about putting them into the effects folder. does that mean i need to put each one into it, or just the folder holding them.
-
ok, for the ships tables, how can you add your own mod to it?
-
1) are they in a .vp file?
2) ship tables .. did my PM help any?
-
Partialy.
thankts to your PM, i know how to make the mod work in FS2, but there still the problem of creating a VP tbl file for it. also i need to find a program to construct the model as well as another to make the templates.
-
Why do people insist in sticking the tbl files in VP files - or even creating VP files? It is not necessary (perhaps helps with organizing stuff but thats about it).
-
Why do people insist in sticking the tbl files in VP files - or even creating VP files? It is not necessary (perhaps helps with organizing stuff but thats about it).
VP files appear to be the only things stopping the stupid half of BtRL's players from taking a crappy, barely functional Galactica, sticking it in-game, and posting instructions on how to do it.
-
VP files are great once you are ready to ship the game. But they aren't anything you should be bothering with while you're working on the mod.
-
Use the actual \FreeSpace2\mod\data\folderxx path whilst making the mod. Use \FreeSpace2\mod\modvp.vp/data/ for the final product.
-
this mod thing is reeaaaly complicated. I tried useing blender recently to make an actual model, and im basicaly lost. Is there a simpler program i can use?
im realising that trying to do everything at once. im going to take this one at a time.
-
Ok, as i stated in my first post, This thread is the one i use to put up my questions till i get my campaign done, so please don't lock it...
Now as for the question..
I'm trying to get some new planet backgrounds into my mod, and fred them as well. After noseing about, i made an effects folder, placed the four .pcx's in there to find that they didnt work. after noseing around a bit more, i realised i neede .tga files for each planet. I made the .tga's, pulled up Fred & went to check the background list, and still no planets.
Any words of wisdom?
-
Did you edit stars.tbl?
You need to let the game know which files in effects are planets or else it would try loading effect files as planets etc. Either edit the table file or create a .tbm file with the new planets in it.
Oh and planets don't need to be TGA. They'll probably look better in TGA than 8-bit PCX though. :)
-
Thanks Karajorma. Ill go write up a .tbm file and get back to you with results. but while I'm asking questions...
Those Skybox things... They look very useful for improving frame-rate, so i think i should learn to work them...
I know that it needs to be made into a .POF file, but thats about it. I didn't understand the touturral on FS-Wiki.
-
Allright... My backgrounds are strait, and thanks to Darius, Theres a few new tracks, though Jr2 has perswaded me to work on an original track, and it seems like an appealing idea.
Anyways, Im currently looking for a Shivan destroyer (Will be refered to as 'Revenge' wich makes sense in the campain...) to use as the standard 'OH S***! The Revenge has arrived! Something horrible is going to happen!'
a table modded Demon doesnt cut it, an edited Lucifer is too strong to place where im going to play the roll im looking for. The Ravana's gun placements are perfect, but it doesnt have the Secondary capabilities to use the Torpedo i made for Shivans, but for the moment, a Buffed Ravana is what im working with.
Wherever i look, no one seems to make new Shivan destroyer mods. just Reskins of terran or vasudan ships. Any one know a good sight other than Hades-Combine (wich has a modernised Demon, but if its constructed like the normal Demon, wont pack the same ominous firepower. just firepower) where i can find a shivan destroyer thats not stock? If there are no websites, is there any one i could talk to about one? :confused:
-
Ask Aardwolf, mayhaps he could be persuaded.. I know he was considering doing some modeling for INF, maybe he can use this to prove his skills or w/e. :D Actually, I just IMmed him, and he's considering it...
-
The Ravana's gun placements are perfect, but it doesnt have the Secondary capabilities to use the Torpedo i made for Shivans
So change the secondary capabilities. That's an easy table edit.
-
Ask Aardwolf, mayhaps he could be persuaded.. I know he was considering doing some modeling for INF, maybe he can use this to prove his skills or w/e. :D Actually, I just IMmed him, and he's considering it...
Realy? Awsome. I was beginning to think nobody made as many shivan capital mods...
The Ravana's gun placements are perfect, but it doesnt have the Secondary capabilities to use the Torpedo i made for Shivans
So change the secondary capabilities. That's an easy table edit.
o0 Goober. You are a geneius (pardon my spelling) I could use the Ravana model, to make a second generation ravana, and just throw in a few gun points, change around its table... Thanks man.
Ill get to work on makeing a Revenge version of the Ravana, but shiny new shivan capitals still have its apeal... Ill put both to good use.
-
Alright.... Now that the campaign is taking shape, i realize that the new weapons I'm trowing in will require new ships tables. How do i make a new .tbl file?
-
Also, is there anyone i can get to test a mission? Just to see if it meets qualifications.