New Unit Guide - Editor anywhere

[kataphraktoi]

Does anyone have a comprehensive guide on making new units?
I'm not talking about animating new units, i'm talking about a checklist of things you need to do to make sure the MTW system registers this new unit as a valid unit.

And for mercy's sake is there a bif editor out there that can open these damn files?

[Lord Of Storms]

You might want to look on the Org. download/upload section,their is a very good unit build/editor under the title Gnomeunitbuilproj_editorv.2.0 it is well formatted and simplifies the process Use the read me before attempting to change anything . Also look to thread "List of unit editing guides" by Barocca, here in the Dungeon it has a compilation of valuable editing info. Hope this helps http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Lord Krazy]

root directory
One entry in prod11.txt


Loc\eng:
one entry in names and description .txt

textures\men:
one entry in

\Actionpages folder: newunit.txt

\Unit folder e.g.FullPlAr:
newunit_W.txt newunit_S.txt
these contain a number which
coinside with a weapon or shield folder
in items.

So if it said 2 in the _W.txt
then the weapons coords for that unit will be found
in items\Weapon2 folder

deadpage coords.txt must have an entry for every unit also.


Then campmap\review_panel\units:add newunit.bif icon
and campmap\info_pics\units:add newunit.bif info_pic

and finaly Battle\uniticons:add newunit.lbm icon

make sure you use the same name in all the files
even if this is your intention when you begin it
may not turn out that way and this
is often the reason they don't work.

You see it's not that bad http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

read wellingtons guide to animation it should have
info on making units also.




LK http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif

[Lord Krazy]

I'll pin this until I do a proper one, seen as people
keep asking.
LK http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif

[shand994]

LK, Wellington anybody

I nedd help with one point, I ve managed to export a bif into paintshop, and copy on my new pic. ive then imported it back into bifreader as a bif file, the problem is when i go to save it nothing happens, theres no file where i save it to, if i overwrite an existing one when i go back n reopen it its still the same as the old one, am i doing somethin wrong im sure uits gonna be somethin small n stupid. any help would be appreciated

[cugel]

"root directory
One entry in prod11.txt


Loc\eng:
one entry in names and description .txt

textures\men:
one entry in

\Actionpages folder: newunit.txt

\Unit folder e.g.FullPlAr:
newunit_W.txt newunit_S.txt
these contain a number which
coinside with a weapon or shield folder
in items.

So if it said 2 in the _W.txt
then the weapons coords for that unit will be found
in items\Weapon2 folder

deadpage coords.txt must have an entry for every unit also.


Then campmap\review_panel\units:add newunit.bif icon
and campmap\info_pics\units:add newunit.bif info_pic

and finaly Battle\uniticons:add newunit.lbm icon

make sure you use the same name in all the files
even if this is your intention when you begin it
may not turn out that way and this
is often the reason they don't work.

You see it's not that bad

read wellingtons guide to animation it should have
info on making units also.




LK
"

LK, I wish you would translate this last post into english
http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

I can't really follow this explanation. What the hell, for instance, is deadpage coordinates.txt? what does it do?

I've found some of these entries by trial and error (mostly the latter). I mean the error messages you get when you don't include an entry.
http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

But now, although the new units I created seem to work o.k. in combat, there are still screwy error messages when I hold the cursor over them in the battle screen and the game freezes if I click on the unit portrait in a stack (on the campaign map) when the new unit has been built by the AI. I presume I must be missing some entries.

How do you know what unit folder to use?, Etc. explaining this all in somewhat greater detail would be appreciated. You don't have to produce a manual. Just don't use such abreviated sentences.

[Lord Krazy]

Quote[/b] ]LK, I wish you would translate this last post into english

That's why I pinned to remind me to do it.


Quote[/b] ]What the hell, for instance, is deadpage coordinates.txt?

should read "deadpage coords" sorry.


Quote[/b] ]what does it do?


I'm wondering would you understand if I told you http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif


Quote[/b] ]explaining this all in somewhat greater detail would be appreciated. You don't have to produce a manual.

So what exactly would you call a document that
describes things in detail but is not a manual? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif


Quote[/b] ]Just don't use such abreviated sentences

Then it would be a manual.

If I tought for one second that my post
at 2:00 AM in a brief effort to try help
one indivdual was good enough then I would not have
wrote this

Quote[/b] ]Posted on Feb. 10 2003,03:17
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'll pin this until I do a proper one, seen as people
keep asking.
LK

I'm busy at the moment and untill the wages improve
around your not going to get a better service from me
ok http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

The best thing to do is to get a unit mod that works.
See what the person did. See what files they made
See what file structure they used and if you don't
understand that, then I won't be able to put
anything on paper no matter how hard I try,
that will explain it any better. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

for example

Quote[/b] ]How do you know what unit folder to use?,


Quote[/b] ] campmap\review_panel\units:add newunit.bif icon
and campmap\info_pics\units:add newunit.bif info_pic

how do I explain "campmap\review_panel\units"
this is the file structure of the game.
If you don't know how to follow the structure
of the directories well I am sorry as I did
not take that into account neither.

I will do so in future.

I'll produce the non manual descriptive thingie
as soon as I get a spare moment.
Which then will become a non spare moment.
thank you http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

regards

LK http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif

[cugel]

"The best thing to do is to get a unit mod that works.
See what the person did. See what files they made
See what file structure they used and if you don't
understand that, then I won't be able to put
anything on paper no matter how hard I try,
that will explain it any better. "

I already did that of course. Did you see the part of my post about "the units work, I just get squirelly error messages" that I'm trying to figure out? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

"campmap\review_panel\units:add newunit.bif icon
and campmap\info_pics\units:add newunit.bif info_pic

how do I explain "campmap\review_panel\units"
this is the file structure of the game.
If you don't know how to follow the structure
of the directories well I am sorry as I did
not take that into account neither."

It's not the structure of the directories per se that's confusing. It's trying to figure out which bifs appear where in the program. For example, which bifs appear in the list on the campaign map when you click on an army? I suspect that's where I screwed up, that I forgot to copy all the bifs to the proper places (I duplicated some units so that there would be both a crusade version (with a low cost so that there would be more such units appearing in AI crusades) and a regular version of the same unit (buildable for the standard price)). Sounds simple right? I didn't think I could get into much trouble doing that, but I did. Thus, the questions. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

Some error messages are easy to figure out. I forgot to include an entry in deadpage coords - BAM Nice clear error message. Basically: "You screwed up I didn't find the entry in deadpage coords - Now go back and put it in if you expect me to run right" http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

But other errors are much more obscure.

If you don't want to respond at greater length that's o.k. Someday, when you get around to it a manual would be appreciated.

[Wellington]

Quote[/b] (cugel @ Mar. 07 2003,19:40)]
Cugel,

Can you explain exactly what your problem is.

I've read your post's and I can't puzzle out what your talking about either http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif


Quote[/b] ]It's not the structure of the directories per se that's confusing. It's trying to figure out which bifs appear where in the program. For example, which bifs appear in the list on the campaign map when you click on an army?

What does all this mean? What BIFs? What list? What program? What army?

Are your talking about BIF Icons or BIF new units?


Quote[/b] ]I suspect that's where I screwed up, that I forgot to copy all the bifs to the proper places

What BIF's? If your just talking Icons/Images there are only 2 folders for these.

If your talking "New Units" you should'nt have to copy any BIF's from what you've said you've done.


Quote[/b] ]If you don't want to respond at greater length that's o.k. Someday, when you get around to it a manual would be appreciated.

There is a manual. It's stickied in this forum. Have you tried reading it?

Welly

[Lord Krazy]

The review_panel BIF is the small 50x50 pixel
icon you see in the panel for picking the unit
you want to buy or use in Campaign or Battle.

When you right click on a unit review_panel icon
in campaign for information you see the info_pic BIF.
Boy it's confusing trying to be clear
http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

LK

[Lord Krazy]

Quote[/b] (shand994 @ Mar. 06 2003,16:38)]LK, Wellington anybody

I nedd help with one point, I ve managed to export a bif into paintshop, and copy on my new pic. ive then imported it back into bifreader as a bif file, the problem is when i go to save it nothing happens, theres no file where i save it to, if i overwrite an existing one when i go back n reopen it its still the same as the old one, am i doing somethin wrong im sure uits gonna be somethin small n stupid. any help would be appreciated
Are you doing something wrong?

Well I can answere that with some confidence.
Yes you are. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Now what is another story. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Which bif is it?

When you import the frame do you see it
change to the new image?

When you save it do you save it as a bif ?

Are you still interested? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

LK http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif

[shand994]

OK I figured i was doing something wrong, so far ive been trying to do it with the Info_pics bif,

Yes the image does change when i import it from the bmp into bifreader, when i try to save the new bif image nothing happens. If i save i try to overwrite and existing bif it asks if im sure i want to i say yes, then i try to open it again and nothing happens. If i try to save it to the same file name as the bmp i extracted it to, it saves it as a bmp even though when i saved it i specified it to be saved as a bif, if i try to save it to a whole new location and name it say could not create file. I really dont know where im going wrong, ive checked all the guides on this board, followed both yours and wellingtons instructions but something keeps going wrong.

I will keep trying ive come along way with it since i started just need this last step to be ficxed and itll be all good.

[Lord Krazy]

If given a choice between following wellington's or my
instructions ,follow wellingtons http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Which bifreader do you use?

If you are using 2.2 get 2.1 and try that.

Open a info_pic.bif
extract the frame as .bmp
open the bmp.
select the green background colour.
fill the image with this colour
untill it's all green.
save the bmp.
open original info_pic.bif again
import the green bmp using "import frame" option.
save bif and call it "green".

Tell me exactly what happens.

LK http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif