Tools: Unit and Building Editors: Caligula & Hadrian

[GodsPetMonkey]

hmm, I am a bit confused as to how to add buildings/units, can you explain this please? Or if you have and I overlooked it a link?

Nope I havent given much info on it, partially due to me spending more time making it then playing with it!

First up, DL the latest version that I just posted, seems like I screwed up the UI somewhat, which would be the start of the problem.

Ok, but first, you need to know what you want to add, I make the distinction between complex and building (sometimes called level, the name given to them in the actual file).

A complex is more the function template, and a level is the actual building built in the game, so a "Large Temple of Mars" is a level, whilst the complex would be Temple of Violence.

If you want to add a new complex, press the respective button, and in the Complex dropdown menu, there the one titled "NewComplex" is the noe you just added, select it and edit away.

To add a new level isn't as obvious, first select a complex from the dropdown menu, then add a new level to the levels listbox (type it in the editbox right below, and hit the "A" button next to it) then press "Save Changes". Now you can select it from the "Building" dropdown box, do so, it will have the same name as the level so its easy to find, and now you can edit it by using the fields on the building and capability tabs.

Remember to save your changes when your done with them, they are lost of you change to a different complex or building! You dont need to save to file untill your all done though, as long as you hit the save changes button beforehand, it'll be saved to the file.

[Soulflame]

Ah so you did go to the mod forum, but luckily I found it again.
Nice additions, but the two readme files are still called the same, and since I always downlaod them together and unpack them, I keep on renaming the first readme I extract so that I can extract the other one without overwriting the first. Just a readme_caligula.txt and a readme_hadrian.txt would be better.

Other then that, just keep on going!

[GodsPetMonkey]

The latest version of Hadrian fxes up some issues it had with the files from the RTR 3.0 mod, and hopefully, it'll prevent issues from happening with other mods where the makers didn't follow the CA format absolutely (its a matter of tabs instead of spaces, and one space instead of 2, pedantic stuff). Thanks to IrishRon for alerting me to the problem!

It also renames the readme as per Soulflame's suggestion. When I release the next version of Caligula, it's readme shall also be renamed.

[eadingas]

Well, I have a question about adding buildings.
This editor of yours... does it _really_ add new buildings, or does it only help in adding? Because it seems to me that it takes more than just editing export_descr_buildings... for example, where should I put the graphics for the building, or where do I point to a graphics if I want to use existing ones? A small tutorial for this would be v. helpful.

[GodsPetMonkey]

Well, I have a question about adding buildings.
This editor of yours... does it _really_ add new buildings, or does it only help in adding? Because it seems to me that it takes more than just editing export_descr_buildings... for example, where should I put the graphics for the building, or where do I point to a graphics if I want to use existing ones? A small tutorial for this would be v. helpful.

By your definition, it only helps. To tell the truth, adding was put in there because it was a simple expansion of what already existed (from a data handling point of view, Hadrian is MUCH more flexible then Caligula, partially due to the fact that the file format doesnt have many set restrictions, atleast, that I know of), its main purpose is the editing of whats there, particularly to be more newbie friendly for changing things like faction requirements, and building 'capabilities'.

As for adding a new building entirely, well, its no where near as easy as with units, where all the linking is done in the one file, so its very easy to cheat and assign a new unit an existing battle model and dictionary entry and away you go! Buildings are far more tedious, and if I had the time I would write a tutorial, or better still, expand Hadrian to support the other steps (similar to the battle_model editing in Caligula). Sadly, real life caught up with me, and I need something to pay the bills with, and as much as I would love for that to be RTW, its not really possible. So sadly, you can't expect much beyond emergency fixes for atleast a week. You should be able to use existing guides for such things though.
Adding buildings is very much a feature "to be expanded on soon!" The export_buildings file it generates is very much correct (simply tested by hand removing one building, then using Hadrian to put it back in!). Progress hasn't been helped by most of the focus being on creating new units rather then anything else (check these forums, or the twcenter ones).

[GodsPetMonkey]

Actually, I tell a lie! Only a little one, and it’s the good kind!

I have spent a short amount of time researching what the minimum modifications needed to other files in order to add a brand new building are, and, its all down to 3 files; export_descr_buildings.txt, export_descr_buildings_enums.txt, export_buildings.txt. And out of those, export_descr_buildings_enums.txt isn’t really needed anyway, but it seems to form a link between the entries in export_descr_buildings_enums.txt and those in other files (which take into account such things as builder culture, which is important else where).

By modifying those 3 files, I can add, and then build, a new building on the campaign map! (see http://www.users.on.net/~roehr/newbuilding.jpg and most of its just a copy, paste, simple modification of the existing trade-route chain of buildings, but it is an entirely new entry!). It is INCREDIBLY unlikely that these simple modifications will cause the new building to be drawn on the city view (battle map) as there is a file that specifies the datum for that (like the model, positioning, extras, etc.). But I am also under the impression that it should be fine without these modifications anyway, the building simply wont be rendered on the battle field, like with the trade-route buildings.

As an added bonus, the layout of these files happens to be VERY simple (but rather long), and should be quite easy to include editing capabilities into Hadrian for them, that WILL have to wait until at least this coming weekend, but it’s a start!

[Paul Peru]

I'd love to be able to make a Trade aoeu!
Something else I'd like to be able to do:
"Batch editing", like adding 1 to defence for all infantry units.
Is there an easy way to do this?