How to transfer a unit from BI to RTW?? I'm stuck!!!

[Ra-az]

This is a follow up from this thread.

Makanyane very kindly pointed me to a way to start RTW with the BI executable. This way I can use the Senate in my mod.

The reason for doing this via the BI exe is that I want to use the bucelleri (i.e. fs_crossbow skeleton) in my mod also.

But that's where the trouble starts:

When you start up the game this way BI uses the files from the RTW/data folder. I changed EDU and MUB and ENUM files to include the unit and point to the original model but I get a CTD.
I used -showerr but didn't get anything back.

I think at least part of the problem is the skeleton and animations are missing, the game can't find the fs_crossbow skeleton. If this is the case I have some additional problems. Because when I duplicate the skeleton using "XIDXshell.bat", uptil now I have only been able to
A)Recreate all the animations except for shoot,aim,ready2shoot.
B)Recreate no animations except for shoot,aim,ready2shoot.
And I figure that when I try to move it I'll at least need a complete set. Or can I do it manually?
So, just copy all the animations to an new folder in RTW/animations folder and change animation_list (in RTW) accordingly, copy the skeleton and repack the animations?

Has anybody ever tried transferring a unit for BI to RTW(maybe with another unit)?

Please help I'm so stuck....

[Ra-az]

Ok I made some minimal progress. I think I got the skeleton and animations covered. I got everything in place. I start bi.exe with the -mod switch.

But then it raises following exception :

Script Error in data/export_descr_unit.txt, at line 7028, column 24
Stat_pr statistic refers to non existant projectile type 'crossbow'.

I don't know ...... hardcoded ....... did I forget something?

Oh gods of modding have mercy!! Lol, ok enough for now I'm going to bed.

[Epistolary Richard]

This isn't my area, but I imagine you just have to add the projectile. I know that's been done by several mods.

[Ciaran]

Transferring a normal unit, say the Sarmatian Auxiliar, should work fine, just follow the tutorial of how to add a new unit.

I suppose it is special with the crossbow animation, but simply copying the whole animation folder of BI to RTW should do, I think BI added some extra animation sets (skeletons, the fs_something) but didn´t get rid of older ones, though I´m not sure there. And you have to add the crossbow projectile in decr_projectile (there´s more than one, safest bet is to add it to all of them) and descr_arrow_trail_effect (the same goes here).

The BI exe, by the way, has nothing to do with your problem. This would also happen if you just added a crossbow unit and had started with the usual RTW exe. The BI exe is only something you need if you want units capable of swimming, the Schiltron formation or Hording (and probably some more stuff which I don´t recall right now).

You would not need it for religion to work, or night battles.

[Ra-az]

Thanks guys!

It's working , like you said when I changed descr_projectile.txt (the one in the right folder, lol) it worked.

I'll do the whole process again and write it down so I can make a quick tuto, could be handy!!

Thanks a lot yu guys