8 replies to this topic

[Banshee]

Hello everyone!


Mike.nl has released a new version of his Mega File Editor that is able to read the encrypted config.meg file from GreyGoo. That file stores the core rules of the game, such as unit stats, behavior, AI and much more. Humans are able to understand the .XML files and the .CLP files. It is unclear at the moment if the game is really moddable or not and what would be its limitations. Mike.nl has also updated his .MEG File Format document to cover the changes in GreyGoo.



(Click the picture for a high resolution screenshot)


Head to Petrolution Mod Tools Website to download the Mega File Editor and much more. If you have any successful modding experience with GreyGoo, please, report it here and show it to us. It can seriously affect the future of this site.

[Plokite_Wolf]

An unexpected response from Berek on GameReplays...

Let us know if you have any questions on the structure within the MEG file.

http://www.gamerepla...0

[Banshee]

I'm also surprised with that answer .

[Loess]

I'd like to try to help but don't know in what complicity that I'd be useful. I don't have much modding experience, and only a little coding experience.

 

Thanks for taking the time to put the tool together, its really neat to look at the contents of the config.meg. It helps me understand the behaviors of the A.I. much better.

 

I've tried to edit the config.meg with the tool, not sure if I'm using it correctly, but trying to open the config.meg and just saving it will cause the game to fail to launch. No .xml changes, just saved the original from the Meg Editor.

 

Looking at Berek's comment, I realize that there is a Megafile application in the GooAssests from the Terrain Editor 2.0 3DsMax plugin download. Maybe these things are there now for future updates to the Terrain Editor (custom mission had been mentioned). Anyway, I thought perhaps someone more knowledgeable might see something or see enough to say its not possible to use the Megafile application to build megafiles for Greygoo, the application comment states “megafile builder.” I run it and a DOS window pops up and closes.

 

Megafile application found in download:

GooAssetTools\UserAssetPipeline\Tools\Bin

 

The other application in this folder that I noticed was a click-script editor (app, not bat file). It doesn't run as-is because the folder is missing two files (VMInstructions.xml & MapLanguageSet.xml) that can be found:

GooAssetTools\UserAssetPipeline\Aoc\XML

 

The clickscript editor launches but I couldn't paste any scripts from the command tree to the code sheet. I was looking for a setting to enable the clickscript editor for use in the Terrain Editor but did not know what to look for or if it can be done.  It doesn't take CLIPS files.

 

In the addon, GooAssetTools\UserAssetPipeline, there is a RunAssestProcess.bat that puts custom assets into the Terrain Editor. I tried to play around with that and, at the risk of sounding like a nob, I feel like I'm just turning dials and plug in different stuff into different places to see what happens.  Eh, zero complaints, will keep turning dials and pushing buttons.

[Banshee]

Hey

Instead of editing the original config.meg, I think it might be better to try to create a new file and add it at the end of Megafiles.XML. I guess that the game might really have a special treatment to config.meg and it expects it to be encrypted in the way Mike.Nl has described in his Meg File Format documentation.

[Loess]

No luck with adding a <File> Data\mod.MEG</File> to the Megafile.XML, and I tried it at; end, beginning, after config.MEG, and after that code block.

I have the .XML to edit in GreyGoo\Mods\Data\XML\Units\Beta (a commando unit), and edited sight & fog of war reveal for an easy confirmation if the game launches.

I inserted this .XML into a new file in the Meg Editor by inserting a directory (Data) from the path for this .XML.

Saved with and without encryption as GreyGoo .MEG format.

 

I could be fudging something but I can edit out changes to the Megafile.XML and the game launches fine, after having edited it and the game does not launch.

I could be way off but I think the RunAssestProcess.BAT in (addon from Terrain Editor 2.0): GooAssetTools\UserAssetPipeline might be helpful to building usable .MEG files.

From GooAssetTools\UserAssetPipeline\Asset_Process_Environment.xml :

<!-- By default every list except megafiles is processed in the asset process
That default can be changed here. use <ProcessFileSet>Megafiles<ProcessFileSet> to force
megafiles (or any other list) on and <IgnoreFileSet> to turn them off.
These options are set per platform.

Platforms are EA and PC, not sure about those.
 

 

There are two Megafile references in:

GooAssetTools\UserAssetPipeline\GreyGoo_User_Asset_Process.xml

<Tool Name="MegaFile" Path="Tools\Bin\Megafile.exe" DebugPath="Tools\Bin\MegaFileD.exe">
<BatchType>Single</BatchType>
<AdditionalCommandLine Text="-cf -UPDATE -keyfile $Root$\Security\GooClientKey.txt -productname Goo $InFile$ $OutFile$" />
</Tool>





<FileSet Name="Megafiles">
<Files Action="FlushTools" />
<Files Action="FlushDependencies" />
<Files Action="DeleteUnused" />
<Files Action="Process" Input="XML\MegaFiles\UserData.meg.xml" Recurse="True">
<Output Spec="$mega_files$\UserData.meg" ProcessType="Tool" Tool="MegaFile" WorkingDirectory="$Root$" DateCheckOption="NoDateCheck"/> 
</Files> 
</FileSet>

Maybe there is a way to build the Megafiles with the GooAssests (RunAssestProcess.BAT, a few code tweaks, and files in the right places to be built into a .MEG).

 

edit: as in setup:

<Output Spec="$mega_files$\UserData.meg"
and the input to take the list of files for, and make, a config.MEG
 

Edited by Loess, 03 August 2015 - 08:15 PM.

[Banshee]

Perhaps the Mega File Editor may not produce .meg files that are accepted by the game. Afterall, it is a fan tool, so it can have problems. But I can't confirm it either.

Using MegaFile.exe from the GooAssets.zip should be a good alternative to make valid .meg files and it shouldn't be hard to use it.

MegaFile.exe -PACKDIR mymod.meg c:/directoryyouwanttopackthatincludesyoudatadir/

[Mathijs]

This is excellent news. Keep us updated!

[Loess]

Not successful but reshaped the tool a bit. 

 

RunAssestProcess.BAT is like a toolbox.  The Megafile.EXE is a tool used by the .BAT, same with; Clickscript, TextureBuilder, etc. (contents of GooAssetTools\UserAssetPipelineTools\Tools).

 

GooAssetTools\UserAssetPipeline\GreyGoo_User_Asset_Process.XML
is what controls the settings for the tools, and the toolbox.  You can copy, paste, rename and edit this file and select the new version from the top dropdown in the .BAT to configure the run (GO! button).

This is basically the UserAssetPipeline folder:


The "Mod" fodler is essentially "AoC," from GooAssetTools\UserAssetPipeline, I was trying to get this this toolbox to work from a copy that I might be able to put into the game directory so that the output .MEG file could go right into Greygoo\Data and be added to the Megafile.XML.

 

"Run" and contents are created (or replaced) with the .BAT.

Outputting the .MEG to a folder deletes the contents of the folder.  There might be a setting for the Megafile builder to avoid this.  I think all the .MEG files might need to go through the .BAT, or that they could.

I added Units\Beta to GooAssetTools\UserAssetPipeline\Aoc\XML  for the Beta_1.XML (commando) edit.  

I renamed the megafile input (in GreyGoo_User_Asset_Process.XML) to Commando.meg.XML, found in GooAssetTools\UserAssetPipeline\Aoc\XML\MegaFiles  

The Megafile builder is setup to read all .XML files and build a list to go into a .MEG, from what I understand.  I deleted all non-commando .XML files to get a .MEG with just the Beta_1.XML
 

EDIT: in the image, Mod\XML\Megafiles contents are *.meg.XML

Edited by Loess, 05 August 2015 - 10:30 PM.