31 replies to this topic

[Hostile]

I'm gonna start this thread in particular to augment the User Submitted section. This is set up specifically to share little tricks and such that one may have figured out along the way.

You can certainly post a link to a thread where you may have figured something out and we can keep a reference of it here. That way in time as threads become old, we can easily acces this thread to locate those ideas.

[pabtyf]

Using an LOTR.STR file to add strings to the game.

I found this method alot easier than editing the csf file all the time.

download this:

http://members.lycos...pabtyf/lotr.str
it's about 500k


it's an english lotr.str file (patch 1.01 version)

open it in notepad.
REMOVE THE LAST BIT OF CODE E.G.

"
END


to add your entries to this, follow this format, (doesn't matter where in the file they go.)

CONTROLBAR:AngmarBlade
"Blade of Angmar"
END

CONTROLBAR:ToolTipAngmarBlade
"+100 Damage, +100 Armor"
END


then put the file in your

C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Battle for Middle-earth ™\data

directory. It'll read that instead of the csf file

if you need version 1 let me know I have that too.

Edited by pabtyf, 01 April 2005 - 06:00 PM.

[Hostile]

nice addition, I may use that myself.

[pabtyf]

How to make an STR file (for other languages).

Open your csf file with CSFEditor.
Select 'File' / 'Export' / 'to ini'

save it somewhere as LOTR.INI (NOT in the lang folder of bfme, stick it on your desktop or something.)

next, open that new ini file with a hex editor (theres one here: http://the3rdage.net/tools.php).

you can delete this bit:

[Header]
Language=0

[Table]

then find the replace function. (in the one mentioned above it in 'search'/replace')


you need to replace the following HEX strings in THIS ORDER!!

0D 0A

with

22 0D 0A 45 4E 44 0D 0A 0D 0A.


3D

with

0D 0A 22

And finally:

7C

with

5C 6E


Then save the file into your :
C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Battle for Middle-earth ™\data
as LOTR.STR.

once saved, open it in notepad go to the end of the file and remove the extra:

"
END

statement.

then you're finished..

you can then edit it as mentioned above.

Edited by pabtyf, 01 April 2005 - 05:58 PM.

[pabtyf]

Here's a quick guide to using WDump for figuring out texture setting for renx.:

http://bb.1asphost.c...ptute/wdumptute

You'll have to be quick, my bandwidth runs out loads on that site, and my other host is down, will ammend the link when I can.

[Hostile]

I've found a useful little tidbit. If you want to add new entries for gamedata, weapons and armor. You can just take your entries on thier own ini file and place them in the data/ini/objects folder and will work overriding the existing entries.

This is the perfect method for using the -mod command for custom BIG files.

[ched]

could that work for command points (population i mean) or do you have to create maps.ini ?

[The Witch-King of Angmar]

if u want to edit command points, all you have to do is edit gamedata.ini. it takes no ini editing skill whatsoever

[ched]

gamedata.ini is the main problem Hostile mentionned
it isnt read with the -mod command

[Hostile]

Works with ANY gamedata info. You can even have your gamedata chunk in it's own BIG folder and as long as it's in original INI file was in data/ini/object folder and the custom BIG is in the games root directory, you're good to go.

[nickthemenace]

Most people probably know this already, but to turn off the team colours (on units etc) just go into gamedata.ini and change:

EnableHouseColor = Yes

To No.. Works for me anyway!

[ched]

Most people probably know this already, but to turn off the team colours (on units etc) just go into gamedata.ini and change:

  EnableHouseColor = Yes

To No.. Works for me anyway!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i edited all the objects file

[nickthemenace]

hehe my friend did this aswell, twice!

[Kelso]

I don't know if anyone else has run into this problem, but I have. If you are using EA's AssetCacheBuilder program and after running it you get an error in the error log that says something like:

Internal Hierarchy is named WhatEverYourMeshNameIs, could not get info for WhateverYourMeshNameIs

The problem is that the name of your model is too long. Shortening it will solve the issue.

[Celeglin]

Yeah, it's 18 or 19 characters (excluding the file type tag) that's the limit.

[halbarad]

this is the same for sy's asset editor that i still use, it has to be 15 or less characters in total _SKN is included

otherwise it will not add it at all

this is actually the major problem with adding models to the asset file that people have

[Celeglin]

Open your csf file with CSFEditor.
Select 'File' / 'Export' / 'to ini'

save it somewhere as LOTR.INI (NOT in the lang folder of bfme, stick it on your desktop or something.)

next, open that new ini file with a hex editor (theres one here: http://the3rdage.net/tools.php).

you can delete this bit:

[Header]
Language=0

[Table]

then find the replace function. (in the one mentioned above it in 'search'/replace')


you need to replace the following HEX strings in THIS ORDER!!

0D 0A

with

22 0D 0A 45 4E 44 0D 0A 0D 0A.


3D

with

0D 0A 22

And finally:

7C

with

5C 6E


Then save the file into your :
C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Battle for Middle-earth ™\data
as LOTR.STR.

once saved, open it in notepad go to the end of the file and remove the extra:

"
END

statement.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm having some trouble with this. As I've been using a csf file for the longest time (no one told me str works better until too late), I have over a hundred entries that I don't want to have to rewrite. So I tried the above method of making an str file from a csf. The end product, however, didn't turn out quite right, so I have a couple questions regarding the hex editting.

When replacing the Hex strings, do we use "replace all?". Also, when replacing with this:

22 0D 0A 45 4E 44 0D 0A 0D 0A.

is the period included?

Thanks.

[Lord Of Gifts]

Yes, you use 'replace all' and no, the period is not included.

[Celeglin]

Thank ya kindly.

[Lord Dragonclaw]

I did that and my game wont run when i start the mod. I get no error only the game wont start it gets to the 2nd box thing and stays frozen forever &*^@%