A question to the fans

[Bucefalo]

I don´t know if i understand you very well. I guess you already know about the ug models, which are models that are used to represent a graphical change when you upgrade armour, you can easily see it in vanilla. Anyway just in case i will make a short summary.

The entry to modify is in the EDU at the end of the unit, a good example is the pike militia unit.

type Pike Militia
dictionary Pike_Militia ; Pike Militia
category infantry
class spearmen
voice_type Light
banner faction main_spear
banner holy crusade
soldier Pike_Militia, 48, 0, 4
attributes sea_faring, hide_forest, can_withdraw, free_upkeep_unit, pike
formation 1.2, 1.2, 2.4, 2.4, 4, square, phalanx
stat_health 1, 0
stat_pri 6, 4, no, 0, 0, melee, melee_blade, piercing, spear, 25, 1
;stat_pri_ex 0, 0, 0
stat_pri_attr spear, long_pike, spear_bonus_8
stat_sec 3, 1, no, 0, 0, melee, melee_blade, piercing, sword, 25, 1
;stat_sec_ex 0, 0, 0
stat_sec_attr no
stat_pri_armour 0, 4, 0, flesh
;stat_armour_ex 0, 2, 3, 5, 4, 0, 0, flesh
stat_sec_armour 0, 0, flesh
stat_heat 4
stat_ground 1, -2, 0, 4
stat_mental 3, normal, highly_trained
stat_charge_dist 40
stat_fire_delay 0
stat_food 60, 300
stat_cost 1, 200, 100, 45, 105, 200, 4, 60
armour_ug_levels 0, 1, 2, 3
armour_ug_models Pike_Militia, Pike_Militia_ug1, Pike_Militia_ug2, Pike_Militia_ug3
ownership france, hre, spain, portugal, milan, venice, papal_states, sicily
era 1 spain
era 2 spain
;unit_info 6, 0, 4
recruit_priority_offset 5

This unit uses several models, depending whenever their armour is upgraded, and how much:
-No upgrade (no icon): use Pike_Militia model to represent the soldier
-First upgrade (copper shield icon): use Pike_Militia_ug1 model to represent the soldier
-Second upgrade (silver shield icon): use Pike_Militia_ug2 model to represent the soldier
-Third upgrade (golden shield icon): use Pike_Militia_ug3 model to represent the soldier

About scripting unfortunately i don´t know enough to help you. You could ask the Dominion of the sword mod as i think they plan to use something similar, iirc it was that in a certain year it becomes active. I don´t know if it means that all units automatically gets the improved armour (that would be a script command) or that the building that does the upgrade (in vanilla the smithy) becomes available, and the player can build it and upgrade his troops. Those are two different things and would probably require different solutions. I hope i may have been of some help. Cheers