JackTheCrack

Hi!

I'm currently working on my own mod, inspired by Sedistix's Tactix mod (KaneG here from filefront forums). I have edited all the xml files I wanted for the game to drastically change and now I gave myself a hard work by trying to make a new faction. I know about editing playertemplates and then mod.str, what I wish to know is a quick story about how the xml files for it should be. I'm guessing I'll need to rename the xml's to (factionname)Avatar.xml and then change the includes of it to the model I'll be adding? Or can I even rename the Avatar part (it's an example anyway since it just represents a major unit, ofc it wouldn't be the only one) with combining renaming it in mod.str ??

Then even bigger question, since the faction I have in mind is Star Wars's Empire for the time being (I may be interested in adding more than 1 if I succeed in this one) I have installed Empire At War and it's expansion for that reason. With an extractor I extracted the neccessary ART files (models, textures, shaders) and even found an ALO importer/exporter as a plugin for the Studio Max (in which I have 0 experience but I'm eager to try my best to learn the simplest things at least). I have successfully imported the ALO model, for example Bobba Fett, AATurret & TieFighter but I have no idea what to do with them anyway. I have read the tutorial from here http://cncguild.net/item-148?addview and while some things are similar it is very different as the entire ALO model is already done. There's the basic model, muzzle flashes, etc., not everything has the right bones I guess as I've seen or what's it called but pretty much it's already done. I've installed the w3x export plugin from MOD SDK and exported it as the animated hiearchy or what's it called with the errors of DirectX shader 9, though I am using it. I've then put it in EU folder inside ART folder (the model was TieFighter) and according to the tutorial edited Stormriders xml code hoping it would work, since it wasn't about the tank it was even harder for me but still did it, ended up with an invisible model inside game, the mod compiled without a problem though!

I'm far from being an expert so I was wondering if anyone could help me with this to at least learn it myself, I'd appreciate if someone had the time to try installing Empire At War and then with the importer import the ALO file and check what can be done, not asking for the entire work to be done but I'd appreciate some good tips from someone who tried this so I could then do it myself, unless you would want to lol. Never had the touch for photoshop either or any other such program so manually making textures, meshes, muzzle flashes would be a pain in the ass if there is no way to make a working imported unit and structure from Empire At War.

Waiting anxiously for a reply ;]