.strings.bin converter

Well, I wrote a small Python script that unpacks some of the .strings.bin files
The problem with these things is that there are two types of these files:

The first type is unfortunately untagged, and contains no useful info for conversion into a .txt file, so I ignored it (an example of this is strat.txt, all tags are lost when it's converted to a .strings.bin file).
The second type has tags though, and this is what I can convert.

A list of the files it can't convert:
battle.txt, battle_ed.txt, shared.txt, strat.txt, tooltips.txt

You'll need to install python before you can use the script, see the read-me for more specific info.

Well, I uploaded it to the TWC download section because I currently don't have a server at my disposal:

[12-28-06]
Version 0.72

I have used your converter alpaca. I converted a bin file to a text file, edited it and placed it mymod. I ran the game and a new bin is created but in the game all text is missing - it says MISSING PLACEMENT TEXT. In this caes it was the export_units.txt that I edited and all the unit descriptions were missing.

I had a look at the text files after they are converted using your Python program.

I found I could get battle_descriptions.txt to generate a working bin file (it showed my changes in game!) but I had to edit the txt file as follows:
Here is the first lines..


¬
{(1V1)_100YRS_WAR_MP_DESCR}A battle for 2 players. Somewhere in Northern France the Hundred Years War between the English and the French rages on. Outside a small town these two Medieval super powers are about to come head to head.



I added the ¬ symbol (though I dont know for sure this is necessary) and removed the tab between {(1V1)_100YRS_WAR_MP_DESCR} and the description that follows. The tab is present in all converted text files when using your program. Maybe this is importnat maybe not.

The only other change I made was replacing [][] symbols (two boxes) that appear where spaces should be. For some reason they seem to occur towards the end of the file. I replaced them all with a single "space" using find - replace and then when I tried the file it worked!!!!

So these 3 changes could be included in your converter so it gives out text files that can be edited and used in game. I do not know if all 3 are absolutely necessary, I saw these 3 differences from comparing texts generated by your converter with those that came from CA before the patch..

Hope this helps and makes sense...

It sorta makes sense... but you're not a scientist- change one variable a t a time! :)

So I did... it's the little magic symbol at the start that is important: ¬

Thanks for your earlier work on fixing this!

So game generates bin form standard txt files?
Good news.

Damn, I forgot that :P
Sorry guys, I didn't test this properly...
Here's the updated version.

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...do=file&id=948

Damn this is getting out of hand...
That all just happens if you don't have private beta-tester-slaves :P

Version 0.7 is linked in the first post
Jace, this should fix your problem (the square characters), too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dearmad

It sorta makes sense... but you're not a scientist- change one variable a t a time! :)

So I did... it's the little magic symbol at the start that is important: ¬

Thanks for your earlier work on fixing this!

---

?????????NOT A SCIENTIST??????????

that's exactly what I am - just a lazy one:laugh4:

the most important thing was to get it to work - once that is done, I can wonder why it it works later...

Thnks for fix alpaca - modders will be grateful for this little tool.,.

Okay...

converted exportVnVs into a regular .txt, made a test change, ran the game, the change doesn't appear. Oh, and the original .strings.bin is in another directory alltogether, in fact it's not even on the same drive so it's not an issue of reading it before the converted version

Do the .txt files have to be converted back into strings.bin to be taken into account by the game ? And if so, would you please code us a reconverter :sweatdrop: ?

EDIT : oh, I didn't unpack this particular installation of the game (so that I can drop modded files right into \data, or \data\text in this case, without using modswitch and losing videos/splashscreens in the process. I do run it with --io.file_first of course), so that may also be it

What did you do exactly?
I don't think it has something to do with the file location.

I have the same problem as Kobal2fr.

I can even convert a file to .txt, make NO changes whatsoever, delete the original .bin, and run the game. No new .bin will be generated.

I'm running the modded game in the same way as Kobal (using the io.file_first .bat), and the .txt file I want to recompile is the only one in the /text directory.

Oddly enough, the game makes a new FactionIntroSubTitles.txt.strings.bin every time I run it, but it doesn't compile my export_ancillaries.txt.

I added a very visible, all caps swearword (what can I say ? It just came up :sweatdrop:) in all rank names and descriptions for the BasicDiplomatSkill (that is, the displayed name, not the rankname used in the actual code, obviously). Saved, fired the game, new campaign, create diplomat, end turn.

Diplo had the unmodded skill.

The game did not create a new .strings.bin either (but as I said, it's packed)

I thought about something else during the night : I have the French version of the game. Could it be that the cultural versions are hardcoded to only use the packed .strings.bin ? Wouldn't make sense, but it could explain it I guess.

Try using a mod folder and see what happens, I only work in mod folders atm because I don't do any texture modding.

And I don't think the other language versions are handled differently than the English one.

Well, released another update that converts without adding tabs ;)

Well, I've tried the new version of your converter, and also tried using a mod directory. Didn't work. I simply don't get new .bin files.

I also have a couple of mods that I've downloaded that include .txt files that are obviously supposed to compile, and they don't work, either. I assume they SHOULD work, since I don't see anyone complaining about them on forums, so it must not be your extractor, alpaca.

I wonder if you have to install the game in the default directory, or something for it to auto-compile the new files.

Kobal, are you still having the same trouble? Do you have your game installed to the default location? (I don't.)

Well, Kobal problem should be solved without tabs. I've tested an unpacked file (export_vnvs) before the release : works perfectly. I use a mod folder & a french edition (with tabs, I couldn't get the text ingame).
Doesn't need any special installation nope. You just have to put the unpacker in the directory where the packed files are, not the same directory for me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rhedd

Well, I've tried the new version of your converter, and also tried using a mod directory. Didn't work. I simply don't get new .bin files.

I also have a couple of mods that I've downloaded that include .txt files that are obviously supposed to compile, and they don't work, either. I assume they SHOULD work, since I don't see anyone complaining about them on forums, so it must not be your extractor, alpaca.

I wonder if you have to install the game in the default directory, or something for it to auto-compile the new files.

Kobal, are you still having the same trouble? Do you have your game installed to the default location? (I don't.)

---

Then chances are you probably made some mistake with your config file or something else ;) Try following the steps for creating a mod folder exactly.

A new entry has been added to Links and Downloads Manager

Description: This small tool converts most of the .strings.bin files in data/text that were unpacked from the archives by CA's unpacker tool

To check it out, visit Tool: .strings.bin converter

Version 7.1 ain't working for me, I just get a quick dos box that appears and disappears, so I openen the .bat file I noticed it refers to verion 7_0 ..?

So I renamed the .py file, and it works, somehow... I get the files with a little square between all the letters, and I can't even edit the text file, If I copy/paste something, it's just blank...

I have python installed since I use your texture converter...

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks and keep those great tools coming :2thumbsup:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rik_Vargard

Version 7.1 ain't working for me, I just get a quick dos box that appears and disappears, so I openen the .bat file I noticed it refers to verion 7_0 ..?

So I renamed the .py file, and it works, somehow... I get the files with a little square between all the letters, and I can't even edit the text file, If I copy/paste something, it's just blank...

I have python installed since I use your texture converter...

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks and keep those great tools coming :2thumbsup:

---

Oops. Yep, the batch file doesn't specify the right script.
Anyways, the little squares are probably a result of the encoding, but they shouldn't appear on screen. Which text editor do you use?

Heh yeah lol, shows up fine with norepad :laugh4:

Great great it's working, just added my whole new province, thanks for this, mate! :2thumbsup:

Is the link down? :skull:

R

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rorarii

Is the link down? :skull:

R

---

Seems to work for me.
You may have to be signed up on the TWC though, not sure.

I'm having trouble extracting the files from 0.72. It tells me "Unknown Comment Format" when I try to extract or double click any of the files and/or drag them. Is it possible my unzip program doesn't like the files?

:help:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ramladu

I'm having trouble extracting the files from 0.72. It tells me "Unknown Comment Format" when I try to extract or double click any of the files and/or drag them. Is it possible my unzip program doesn't like the files?

:help:

---

Could be, you need a program that can extract .rar archives (such as WinRAR)

I believe 7zip also does and it is free:2thumbsup: (atleast mine does)

Thank you mate for this.

Hi,

I used your .strings.bin converter to convert imperial_campaign_regions_and_settlement_names into a text file and add a new province in. However when I delete the original .strings.bin file no new one is created when I run the game. I'm using mod folders and until I tried this everything was fine. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jerek Kruger

Hi,

I used your .strings.bin converter to convert imperial_campaign_regions_and_settlement_names into a text file and add a new province in. However when I delete the original .strings.bin file no new one is created when I run the game. I'm using mod folders and until I tried this everything was fine. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

---

Check the error log please and see if you find anything there.

Well I just re did everything as I did before but more carefully and it worked this time. I have a new province in England and the .strings.bin file rewrote. My guess is I made a mistake in the modding such that the game crashed before the point where it generated the new bin so it was never generated. Anyway thanks.

Now what would be useful is a bin maker tool so we won't have to use a fake moddir in case we're messing with the original files using the --io.file_first.
As you probably know the game doesn't recreate bin files from new text files sitting in the original data\text folder.

Still having problem with newly added names - no new BIN file is generated and there is nothing in log.Campaign loads OK but characters appear with blank spaces instead of names

EDITED:

problem solved, it turns out names BIN file was not an original one