Hard Light Productions Forums
Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: PeterDön on February 22, 2008, 05:43:28 pm
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Hi! I'm brand new to the fs2 modding univers, altough I've played both games seins release.... Now for the question. I'v searched this forum (and many others) and not found and absolute answer, I've checkt FAQs on this board but its unclear. I tried modding some ships in the root_fs2 folder, just increasing the hull of some crusiers and such, and now it wont start. I have freespace open installed, can it have something to do whit that?
Thankfull for any answer...
Peter
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What you want to do is open the root .VP and extract it. Just right click on it and extract to DATA and there should be a little folder back in the main area titled "data". Go in there and look for the "tables" folder and then just edit it in notepad or something.
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Just right click on it and extract to DATA and there should be a little folder back in the main area titled "data". Go in there and look for the "tables" folder and then just edit it in notepad or something.
And then extract it back? Please bare whit me. I need step by step instructions...
Thanks for the help tough!
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1) Open up Root.vp
2) Extract ships.tbl and weapons.tbl to somewhere or other (you can edit any of them you want, but those are the two biggies)
3) Open the TBL you're trying to edit in Notepad or Wordpad
4) When you're done and want to test it, stick the edited TBLs into (Freespace folder)/data/tables.
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And if the folder isn't there, just make it and FreeSpace SCP will have no problem finding it.
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Nope, you don't have to put it back. As long as it is in it's proper data directory the game should look for it first.
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Did you figure it out, or should I repost my photobucket tutorial on basic modding for newbs.
:D
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Did you figure it out, or should I repost my photobucket tutorial on basic modding for newbs.
:D
Please do. Can't hurt.
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I know you know what'd I'd post, no sense in beating a dead horse (with dead horse pictures also) lol...
I just want to smack my head against a wall when new people speak of altering vp's just for minor tweaks. Reminds me of the old days when I was like (why doesn't this work???) :lol:
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Thanks for all the replys... One thing though.... Root.VP is that the root.fs2? Cuse there are no file named root.VP in the freespace2 directory.
(http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w229/pansarskott/fs2.jpg)
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YIKES! i never had that much stuff in there. maybe its cuz i use thumbnails though. anyway, don't you have to put the new stuff in TBMs and like maybe tweak the ship's fred name (tpirrahnacruise>tpirrahnacruise2) for this to work? as much for him as for me lol.
P.S. is that vista? looks shiny :koolsunglasses:
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Ok here we go (God that killed my eyes I cant see it)...
Basic and backwards modding or: "By a noob for Newbs (BEGIN!)"
This is your Fs2 Directory, notice Root.vp is between Patch and smarty.vp
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b321/Star-Dragon/modding%20FS2/maindir.jpg)
Any sets of modifications deserve their own folder as you can see I juggle many projects.
You want to open your Root.vp (or simlply copy the data folder of a standard mod, that's a LOT faster/easier I IZ SLUG) :lol:
you will get a folder called data with these inside:
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b321/Star-Dragon/modding%20FS2/moddata.jpg)
What you want is the table files:
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b321/Star-Dragon/modding%20FS2/tableediting.jpg)
The ships table is your target for notepad and then it's a simple thing to go to every ship you want altered at the entry: Hit Points: xxxxxx whatever
Hit SAVE [NOT SAVE AS!!!} I can't stress that enough.
Now you should for integrity sake copy and add these to the folder you've called your mod "Ironsides" or whatever. The mod you now created needs to be in it's own folder and the files hang out with your data folder.
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b321/Star-Dragon/modding%20FS2/moddir.jpg)
To run the game you will have to tell FS2 where/ho to find it and use the launcher to select/deselect options :Glowmaps/shine etc... the emaps and e effects are not used.. I don;t have tutorials for these files anyway, you'll figure it out pretty quick.
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b321/Star-Dragon/modding%20FS2/modlauncher.jpg)
Point the luancher to teh name of your mod(folder0, you can make any pic you want that is teh dimensions of a listed mod's picture 112x200 something I forget.. You can replace the descrpition text in a second and SAVE (not save as).
That should cover almost all you need to know about BASIC FS2 SCP modding (YAY!) now go forth and amaze us with your 7eet skillz....
Nothing with the initials F, S, and the number Three please!
:P
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Wow! Thanks... That was very helpfull. One problem though. When I try to open the Root.vp, it says "The archive is either unknown or damaged" (I used winrar) But I can open the file in Nootpad.
What am I doing wrong?
P.S. is that vista? looks shiny :koolsunglasses:
Yes it is... and yes, it looks shiny but is a pain in the a##!!
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Wow! Thanks... That was very helpfull. One problem though. When I try to open the Root.vp, it says "The archive is either unknown or damaged" (I used winrar) But I can open the file in Nootpad.
winrar knows nothing about the .vp format, and you shouldn't be opening it in notepad
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I think I forgot to mention that he should get VPView to open up the VP file. Oops.
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My bad, for some reason I thought you mentioned you had open vp's and extracted data ALREADY and got stuck with why your changes weren't sticking...
Plus I didn't amke a tut album for that yet.
;)
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Vpview uh... I'll download and give it a shot... Even I should be abel to figur it out! (crosses fingers)
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Vpview uh... I'll download and give it a shot... Even I should be abel to figur it out! (crosses fingers)
If VPView gives you trouble ( which it has been known to do), download Maja.
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Ok... VP.Viewer dident work...so I downloaded Maja, but I'm not sure how to use it... I can import the root.vp file, but not extract it or edit it and the majas help file dosent tell me anything..
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Ok... VP.Viewer dident work...so I downloaded Maja, but I'm not sure how to use it... I can import the root.vp file, but not extract it or edit it and the majas help file dosent tell me anything..
Click the folder you want to extract from it -> right click -> extract. And trust me. You really don't want to modify this VP.
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I'm gonna cry.... Opend the "maja" and then there is three fields: Entries Tree, Output, Editor. I can import and export files but not extract them. :confused:
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Don't cry. Or I'll kick you. Here's what you'll do:
1. Open Maja.
2. Look at the Entries Tree.
3. Right-click on Untitled.
4. Select New folder.
5. Name the new folder (preferrably data) and click OK.
6. Right-click the data folder and once again select New folder. Name it as you wish (maps, effects etc).
D. Repeat part 6 as needed.
71/2. Drag and drop files to the folders you just created.
9. Once you're done, select Project->Export Package. And remember to add the .vp extention to the file name when saving/exporting.
Ta-dah.
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But to extract things, you want to use a different process.
1. Open Maja
2. Import the package you want to extract (you said you can do this)
3. In Entities Tree, select data
4. Right click "data" and from the menu that pops up, select export
5. Select where you want the contents of the VP to be extracted to.
The Contents of the VP should be laid out before you (wherever you told Maja to put them). You said you wanted to change the stats for some ships. Ships.tbl should be in data/tables. When you're done modifying what you want, put it in YourFreespaceGameFolder/data/tables. You don't need to put it back into a VP.
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NEVER alter any of the VPs unless you know exactly what you're doing. You can always get around editing the VP by simply sticking the altered files in the right folder.
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What he said.
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I got it to work... Thanks! So, when I have changed what I want to change I'll put it in the right folder as you said... then what, just start the game or must I make a shortcut or something?
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I got it to work... Thanks! So, when I have changed what I want to change I'll put it in the right folder as you said... then what, just start the game or must I make a shortcut or something?
If its in the right folder, you can just start the game and it should work. If its not in the right folder, no amount of shortcuts will make it work.
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That's why for your first experiments you should just tinker with one of the mods you get with SCP. All the work is already done for what you need.
Then you go back and use the same processes they used. Baby steps.
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If its in the right folder, you can just start the game and it should work. If its not in the right folder, no amount of shortcuts will make it work.
I cant thank you enuff guys, and thanks for your patience. You have made me a very happy boy... man... ;)
Peter
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Sorry to bother u guys again.. but I thought it better to post here than opening another thred.
As I stupidly enough tried to alther the vp before I asked you, the game wont start. So I reinstalled it and added the frespace open as I did last time (about 6 months ago)
However, when I try to start the game whit the luncher (yes its updated) I get this message: "Faild to create the command recognition context" and goes to desktop... I havet even althered anything in the vp yet..