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CSF editing ( whatever the hell a CSF is)


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#1 UNSC THE CHILL OF WAR

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Posted 31 August 2017 - 11:40 AM

In some thread lovalmidas advised us get a CSF editor for making text strings for Final alert maps. And i was wondering if someone could help me understand any of this. (I have the generals csf editor)

What is a csf?

What is a text string? (Is it the writing at the top of the screen, e.g "??? You shall never take my home")

How do i use it?

How do i put it in game?

#2 Handepsilon

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Posted 31 August 2017 - 02:06 PM

XCC Mixer has the tool to edit it. You can look over via google

for implementation : http://ares-develope...hancements.html

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#3 Derxwna Kapsyla

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Posted 31 August 2017 - 07:01 PM

Personally, I recommend Turbo String Table Editor. To my knowledge, the xcc one doesn't allow you to make string tables on the fly, only edit the existing ones. I'd swear by this tool; it's helped making csf files a breeze.

 

https://mega.nz/#!5x...z30010KBJhf41EI



#4 lovalmidas

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Posted 01 September 2017 - 02:32 AM

CSF (used in Westwood context) is a mechanism of storing strings for use in the game, and began use in Red Alert 2.

The functionality of the CSF is similar to that of tutorial.ini found in earlier games

 

Technical Info: http://modenc.renega...CSF_File_Format

 

 

Use:

Contains a table of strings for use by the game.

The game will load the contents of the csf into memory on initialization.

Certain values take a csf stringlabel (example: Technotypes -> UIName=, unit labels, Map Action 11, the strings you see in top left, the strings you see in the bottom right (timers))

The game refers to the value you have provided, and looks for it in its stringtable.

If found, prints the string that the label refers to.

 

tl;dr

CSF file has a set of strings

Each string has a 'name/label' to identify it

Game takes set of strings

When game encounters a logic asking for a csf label, looks at the set of strings.

Game finds the labelled string, and uses it for output.

 

 

Benefits over using an INI file:

You can use characters that have special meaning when used an ini file:

 - '[' Section Header in INI

 - '=' Key-Value separator in INI

 - ';' Start of comment in INI

 - ',' Multiple value separator in INI (in several circumstances)

 - '\n' New-line character, usually used as end of a Key-Value pair in INI

 

A somewhat easy switch to use for multiple language support.

 

A less messy approach when the number of strings grows into obscene levels.

 

 

Costs over using an INI file:

 - The requirement of an editor to properly parse and edit string entries.


Edited by lovalmidas, 01 September 2017 - 02:34 AM.

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#5 UNSC THE CHILL OF WAR

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Posted 01 September 2017 - 08:08 PM

Personally, I recommend Turbo String Table Editor. To my knowledge, the xcc one doesn't allow you to make string tables on the fly, only edit the existing ones. I'd swear by this tool; it's helped making csf files a breeze.
 
https://mega.nz/#!5x...z30010KBJhf41EI[/size]


I downloaded this but i have some questions.
Is it supposed to be a .rar file or a .zip file?
And if it is a .rar file, is it supposed to be opened in red alert 2? Cos it asked for the disk when i tried it (i found out ages ago that MO works without the YR disk)

#6 Derxwna Kapsyla

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Posted 01 September 2017 - 10:37 PM

It's a .rar file, meant to be opened with Winrar. Inside is the program itself, which is opened like any normal program.






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