9 replies to this topic

[Tom]

How to get more structures into your mod using an Advanced Dozer
By: The_kid (CNC Central)
Date: June 27, 2004

This tutorial was designed to teach you a way to have more buildings in your mod than the dozer has space for. The Dozer has enough space to construct 11 structures, and one slot for removing mines. You may wish to remove the last one to create 1 extra slot, however in this tutorial it will stay. In this tutorial the new dozer will be an advanced dozer, and will create only more advanced structures.

First you will need these INI files:
CommandSet.ini
CommandButton.ini
Object/FactionUnit.ini
And the Generals.csf

You can find the INI files in the ini.big and the CSF file in english.big. (use a big editor like Finalbig or XCC Mixer to open .big files)

First we are going to have to create the unit in FactionUnit.ini, so open the file in notepade or wordpad and do a Find (Edit>Find) for 'Object AmericaVehicleDozer'. It should take you directly to the entry for the American Dozer, select the whole thing copy and paste the copy directly below it. Its a large entry so don't stop unitl you see all the '---'s going across the file.

Now we are going to change this entry so that it resembles a different unit rather than having an exact clone of the Dozer. Before you start, you may want to add a comment containing your name or alias so that finding your edits would be easy, because you would just have to do a find for your alias or name. After that we will have to change the name of the file, so it reads as the Advanced Dozer rather than the original Dozer.

Find:
Object AmericaVehicleDozer ;which should be on the first line
And Replace with:
Object AmericaVehicleAdvDozer

Notice how we added the 'Adv' to change the file to be identified as its own unit. Now we are going to want to skip down to ';*** Design Parameters ***'.

We are going to want to change:
DisplayName = OBJECT:Dozer
To:
DisplayName = OBJECT:AdvDozer

And:
BuildCost = 1000
To:
BuildCost = 1200

What we have just done is change the Display name to read from a different CSF entry (in which we will change later in this tutorial) and we've changed the price to be more expensive. You don't have to change the price if you don't want to, I did because its a advanced dozer and can build more advanced structures. Next we are going to want to skip down below 'ShroudClearingRange = 200'.

Here add:
Prerequisites
Object = AmericaStrategyCenter
End

What this does is makes sure that you can't build the Advanced Dozer until you have constructed a Strategy Center.

The last thing we are going to have to do to the FactionUnit.ini is make sure it reads the correct CommandSet. (in which we will create later in this tutorial)

To do this find:
CommandSet = AmericaDozerCommandSet
And Replace with:
CommandSet = AmericaAdvDozerCommandSet

That is all we have to do in FactionUnit.ini so you may save and close it now. Next we are going to open CommandButton.ini. In CommandButton.ini find 'CommandButton Command_ConstructAmericaDozer', copy the whole entry, and paste it right below it. (again you may wish to make a comment with your name) Now we are going to modify the entry to this:

CommandButton Command_ConstructAmericaAdvDozer ;add an 'Adv'
Command = UNIT_BUILD
Object = AmericaVehicleAdvDozer ;add an 'Adv'
TextLabel = CONTROLBAR:ConstructAmericaAdvDozer ;add an 'Adv'
ButtonImage = SACDozer
ButtonBorderType = BUILD ; Identifier for the User as to what kind of button this is
DescriptLabel = CONTROLBAR:ToolTipUSABuildAdvDozer ;add an 'Adv'
End

What we have done is modified the CommandButton of the Dozer to fit the neeeds of the Advanced Dozer. I'll break down what every module means, even the ones we didn't edit. The 'Command = UNIT_BUILD' means that every time the button is clicked to build the object. 'Object = AmericVehicleAdvDozer' is the object that is build every time the button is click. 'TextLabel = CONTROLBAR:ConstructAmericaAdvDozer' is the CSF entry for the label when you hover the cursor over the button. 'ButtonImage = SACDozer' is the cameo used for the button. 'ButtonBorderType = BUILD' is the Identifier for the User as to what kind of button this is. 'DescriptLabel = CONTROLBAR:ToolTipUSABuildAdvDozer' is the CSF entry for the description when you hvoer the cursor over the button. We are now done with CommandButton.ini, so you may save and close it now.

Next we will open up CommandSet.ini. This file controls what buttons are were in different construction stuctures and dozers. We will be editing 2 entries, and creating 1 new one. First off we will create the new entry, it will be much like the Dozer, only with less structures. You will enter this code below the Dozer:

CommandSet AmericaAdvDozerCommandSet
1 = Command_ConstructAmericaSupplyDropZone
2 = Command_ConstructAmericaDetentionCamp
3 = Command_ConstructAmericaParticleCannonUplink
12 = Command_DisarmMinesAtPosition
End

We just created a new CommandSet for our Advanced Dozer. This CommandSet tells the game that in the first 3 build slots of our Advanced Dozer, will be buttons for constructing the Supply Drop, Detention Camp, and Particle Uplink Cannon. And of course the Advanced Dozer can clear mines much like the original Dozer. You can add other advanced structures in your mod, you have 8 empty slots to fill up with advanced structures! Now we have to edit the original Dozer so that it can't build the advanced structures anymore. (or else our Advanced Dozer would be useless)

Get to the Dozer entry and remove the Commandsets for the Suply Drop, Detention Camp, and Particle Cannon. Be sure that all the numbers line up properly though, you don't want to have gaps in your buttons. Feel free to rearange the buttons as you please. This is what I had when I was finished modifying it:

CommandSet AmericaDozerCommandSet
1 = Command_ConstructAmericaPowerPlant
2 = Command_ConstructAmericaStrategyCenter
3 = Command_ConstructAmericaBarracks
4 = Command_ConstructAmericaSupplyCenter
5 = Command_ConstructAmericaAirfield
6 = Command_ConstructAmericaPatriotBattery
7 = Command_ConstructAmericaWarFactory
8 = Command_ConstructAmericaCommandCenter
12 = Command_DisarmMinesAtPosition
End

Now there are 3 empty spaces for your to place new buildings from your mod, and 8 empty spaces in the Advanced Dozer's CommandSet. You now have a total of 11 empty spaces for any new structures you wish to add to your mod!

Now we are going to have to edit the Command Center's CommandSet so that we can build our Advanced Dozer. Do a Find for 'CommandSet AmericaCommandCenterCommandSet' it will take you directly to the CommandSet for the Command Center. As I'm sure you've figured out by now we must add something to this module in order to make the Advanced Dozer Buildable.

Below: 1 = Command_ConstructAmericaDozer
add: 2 = Command_ConstructAmericaAdvDozer

The finished product should look something like this:
CommandSet AmericaCommandCenterCommandSet
1 = Command_ConstructAmericaDozer
2 = Command_ConstructAmericaAdvDozer
5 = Command_A10ThunderboltMissileStrike
6 = Command_Paradrop
7 = Command_SpyDrone
8 = Command_EmergencyRepair
9 = Command_DaisyCutter
10 = Command_SpySatelliteScan
11 = Command_SetRallyPoint
12 = Command_Sell
End

And thats it, Save CommandSet.ini and close it. We're almost done, we have to edit the CSF now, and then we are done with the editing part. So your going to have to use a CSF editor. (You can download one here) Open up Generals.csf with the CSF editor you just download (or alread had). You should see a whole list of hundreds of strings. We are going to add 3 new strings to this list, all of which we edited into FactionUnit.ini or CommandButton.ini earlier in this tutorial. To add a string right click anywhere on the list and click insert string.

For the first string insert:
OBJECT:AdvDozer
as the name and:
Advanced Construction Dozer
as the value.

For the second string insert:
ControlBar: ConstructAmericaAdvDozer
as the name and:
&Advanced Construction Dozer
as the value.

For the last string insert:
Controlbar:ToolTipUSABuildAdvDozer
as the name and:
Builds all Advanced USA structures and repairs buildings
as the value.

If you remember right we put Object:AdvDozer into FactionUnit.ini as the DisplayName of the AdvancedDozer, so ingame the Dozer will show up as the 'Advanced Construction Dozer'. The second string is the name of the Advanced Dozer that shows up when you hover your cursor over the button on the CommandBar. And the last string is the description shown below the name when you hover your cursor over the button.

Thats it, your done with the editing. Now all you have to do is place these edited files in the correct directory and test it out. Now for those of you who don't know where to put the files, don't try and guess just keep reading. Below is each name, and the folder in which they are suppose to go. %generals% is your generals directory where the game was installed, not the folder in My Documents.

CommandButton.ini:
%generals%\Data\INI\
CommandSet.ini:
%generals%\Data\INI\
FactionUnit.ini:
%generals%\Data\INI\
Generals.csf:
%generals%\Data\English\

Note: If you are running the german or korean version of Generals replace English with either 'German' or 'Korean'.

Your Done!Congrats, You've successfully (I hope) created an Advanced Dozer and enabled 11 empty slots for new structures in your mod. Now just run the game and play around with your new Dozer, then go mod the game some more and make a mod you can be proud of.

Here are some screenshots of what it should look like in-game:
Original Dozer
Advanced Dozer

If it doesn't work, and the game crashes (you get a 'serious error') then you have misspelled something. Check the 'ReleaseCrashInfo.txt' file in your '%My Documents\Command & Conquer Generals Data\' folder. It will tell you which INI (and where in the INI)the problem was created. Then go to that INI file and check through the entry it says and check your spelling on everything you've changed, and if you find nothing wrong keep looking. If nothing you do manages to fix it, I have a file filled with all the INI entries required to make this work, and will gladly give it to you if you ask.

Good Luck and Happy Modding!

[Tzmodder]

ok the advdozer is on my command bar where the normal dozer is, when i build the stratedgy center the Advdozer doesnt become available to build the image just stays gray.

and ive been tryin the same with an overload and the same problem happens.

[Nighthawk]

I think he means there is a command button, but it stays greyed out and unclickable

[nucl34r14]

This can be solved by adding correct directorys in the INI
Data -> INI -> Create a new one called: Object and dump FactionUnit.ini in it

This worked for me..

[Shoxkwave]

This can be solved by adding correct directorys in the INI
Data -> INI -> Create a new one called: Object and dump FactionUnit.ini in it

This worked for me..

same here

[WaSt3DRaGe]

I cant connect to game

!!!! why