.strings.bin converter

[alpaca]

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

[Jace11]

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...

[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!

[LorDBulA]

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

[alpaca]

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

[alpaca]

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.

[Jace11]

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

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.,.

[Kobal2fr]

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 ?

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

[alpaca]

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

[alpaca]

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

[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

[alpaca]

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

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?

[Rik_Vargard]

Heh yeah lol, shows up fine with norepad

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

[rorarii]

Is the link down?

R

[Mighty Oggy]

Hello,

I downloaded and installed Python 2.5 and the strings.bin converter. Yesterday everything went fine, but today I changed the location of python and it doesn't work anymore. I already tried reinstalling python several times. When I run convert_all.bat windows asks me what program to use to open the .py file. Then I select python.exe, and the .bat file closes. The imperial_campaign_regions_and_settlement_names.txt.strings.bin is still there, but no .txt file.

Suggestions? Thanks in advance.

[Suraknar]

Hello,

I downloaded and installed Python 2.5 and the strings.bin converter. Yesterday everything went fine, but today I changed the location of python and it doesn't work anymore. I already tried reinstalling python several times. When I run convert_all.bat windows asks me what program to use to open the .py file. Then I select python.exe, and the .bat file closes. The imperial_campaign_regions_and_settlement_names.txt.strings.bin is still there, but no .txt file.

Suggestions? Thanks in advance.

How did you change the location of python?

1- Did you uninstall it and then reinstalled it in another location...

or

2 - you cut/pasted or moved its folder in another location?

If you did #2 that is where your problem is..needs to be done with way #1, unless your savy with windows registry files ;)

[alpaca]

Suraknar: The English files were released quite a while ago (before we had the unpacker), and I'd rather use them because they are more eye-candy.
For other languages, there's no way except for converting or directly editing the strings bin files.

[Suraknar]

Oops!

I forgot to look the downloads section and only sticked to the forums :)

Thank you for reminding me Alpaca

[TotalWarVet]

I tried to download using the following link you alluded to

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

All I get is an invalid file id and I can't seem to find your converter on twcenter.

Did it get moved?

Also how do i get python scripting tool for pc? I know it exists under unix but i've never used it. Just used to shell.

[alpaca]

Try the link in the first post.

[FactionHeir]

Is there any chance you will provide a txt to string.bin converter?
As the others posting here, I'm also using the io switch instead of a mod folder (I have very limited hard disk space), so now after I converted the original file into a text file using your program and spent a few hours rewriting most of it, I'm kind of left in the cold without a means to implement it into the game - the game won't recognize it if I simply put the text file in a newly created data/text folder.

Alternatively, can someone who uses mod folders implement my 2 texts and send them back to me as per game converted?
PM me in that case please

[alpaca]

Well all files you really need are the maps/world/base/map.rwm file, the maps/world/base/imperial_campaign folder and text/imperial_campaign_region_and_settlement_names.txt, all in all not more than a few mb of size, so it doesn't take too much hd space... You can delete some videos to compensate, who needs videos anyways :P

Anyways, I probably won't bother to write a .txt to .strings.bin converter, because the mod folder is supposed to work properly in 1.2, so using file_first should become obsolete (and I won't do anything to stop that )

[FactionHeir]

Thing is I tried using MedManager after posting the above and created a "mod" with all contents of the data folder except videos and sounds and historic battles and when running it, it did not even take into account my normal changed character traits file (i.e. characters still had same trait effects as vanilla instead of my modded one)

Figure you would mind giving me an address where I can send the 2 text files to so you can run your game and convert them to bin for me?

Edit:
I uploaded it here as a rar file if you would be so kind:
http://download.yousendit.com/062D46C0488F6661

[H Con]

Well, I have no problems getting the program to work, but I have another problem. I know that to replace the original file, I have to delete it from the data/text folder, so that wanted to change the faction leader's title in Sicily from King to Don, but because most of the data files are in the packs only (included the one I want to replace), there is no expanded.txt.string.bin to delete, and therefore no expanded.txt.strings.bin to replace. Is there any programs that can convert the .txt file back to strings.bin?

I have also tried to copy the original expanded...bin to the data/text folder, then started the game, exiting, deleting it, and started again. No effect.

[FactionHeir]

You have to put the txt file into the data\text folder of a mod folder - not of a switch mod of M2TW.
Use the stripped down or basic mod folder installation and it should work for you.

[Calminion]

Hey guys I have the latest python downloaded and the .strings.bin converter tool, and I still cannot get the export_units file to convert. I even tried editing the .bat file as you explained in your read me to convert only that file but it wont do it.

How exactly can I get this file.
or can I download the .txt version somewhere

thanks
Cal

[Iñnsomñni]

I installed the strings_bin_converter, and then i went to where i had saved it, and ran the convert_all.bat, and it flashed a command promp script, i was wondering what you have to do to get it to work??? I have done everything you asked so far, and i have only had problems with this part...

[irishron2004]

I installed the strings_bin_converter, and then i went to where i had saved it, and ran the convert_all.bat, and it flashed a command promp script, i was wondering what you have to do to get it to work??? I have done everything you asked so far, and i have only had problems with this part...

I don't think you did or it would work. Did you read the readme? Did you install the Python program mentioned in the readme? Did you put the convert_all.bat in the data/text folder? You have to answer yes to all three to get it to work.

[alpaca]

If you're using vista there might be some additional settings to do, I don't quite know. I don't officially support vista because I simply have no idea how it works.

[Julius_Nepos]

I think I'm missing something here, I've found the resource entry on this website, but I see no means to download the converter at all, has it been removed? What is it I'm not seeing here? Maybe I'm just having a temporary seizure or something, help will be appreciated.