v1.09, Data.zip, Modding, and You!

A friendly PSA!

from Elemental Forums

Hey everyone,

So v1.09 went live, and one of the big modding-side improvements is in the official addition of a 'my games/elemental/Mods' folder!  The game will now properly read data from 'Mods/Data' and graphics and models from 'Mods/GFX'.

For anyone using Mods that have required data or graphics to be placed in the core game directories, I highly suggest moving these out into this new folder, otherwise Elemental may attempt to rebuild the Data.zip file, resulting in a nice, long pause when you first load it up....an nobody really likes 'nice, long pauses' when they're loading a game  :)

Speaking of mods, let me take this opportunity to point out the spectacular work being done in the https://forums.elementalgame.com/forum/756 community. The Elf Race and Undead mods are both looking amazing, several weapon and spell packs really add some sparkle to the game, theres even a Dr.Who mod that adds gunplay to the fold.  You guys are nuts :D

While bugs and core game improvements take top priority, we'll be dedicating as much time as possible to improving the Modding experience and getting the Tools/XML access you need to see your modding projects through. And, of course, thanks for your effort and support!

So, to recap... mods in main game folders = you may get a data.zip creation hang = sadness/anger/confusion = shouldn't have to do this anymore! :)

Boogie out! Cya 'round the forums!

68,711 views 24 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

Does that mean that core data values that are changed with a mod no longer have to be "countereffected" to achieve the intended new value?

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

Good to know. Thanks!

Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

did 1.09 reset any mod data that you had put in prior.  I added a sov graphics mod beforehand.

 

Guessing no cause my custom sovereign wasn't any different.

 

Edit: patched up, no problem either way, so disregard.

 

 

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

patches rewrite core files, so if you don't mod them then you should be fine.

unfortunately, i do :(

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

modding core files is fine as long as you save a backup before you update. Please tell me you know this. :blush:

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

Does this mean that we can make sub-folders inside the Mods directory and they will get read? Like say make folders like this:

 Mods>MyMod>MyProps?

Sorry if this is a dumb question but iirc we currently can't do this.

Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

of course, i have to keep them to compare to the new, unchanged files, to see if they changed a line, or a character, or something to break the file :)

Reply #8 from Elemental Forums Top

Yes, they've added subfolder functionality now.

But how in god's name are we supposed to reference files inside the new Mods/GFX folder?

For example, translate these lines to read from the mod folder instead of the install dir

        <Model>gfx\\CPELF\\SwampTree2_Green.hkx</Model>

      <Texture_Hair>GFX/CPELF/CPELF_hair1.png</Texture_Hair>

Reply #9 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Heavenfall, reply 8
Yes, they've added subfolder functionality now.

But how in god's name are we supposed to reference files inside the new Mods/GFX folder?

For example, translate these lines to read from the mod folder instead of the install dir

        <Model>gfx\\CPELF\\SwampTree2_Green.hkx</Model>

      <Texture_Hair>GFX/CPELF/CPELF_hair1.png</Texture_Hair>

Leave off the "gfx" from the file path.

Reply #10 from Elemental Forums Top

Nope, that wasn't it.

It correctly read the

<Texture_Hair>GFX/CPELF/CPELF_hair1.png</Texture_Hair>

but I had to change the .hkx to a .hkb file instead (guess it's set to look for .hkb files)

 

So, if I do

<Texture_Hair>GFX/CPELF/CPELF_hair1.png</Texture_Hair>

it references both the install dir and the mod dir? Sounds pretty dodgy to me.

Reply #11 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Heavenfall, reply 10

So, if I do

<Texture_Hair>GFX/CPELF/CPELF_hair1.png</Texture_Hair>

it references both the install dir and the mod dir? Sounds pretty dodgy to me.

I just tested, and you can put "Mods\" before gfx and it will still find it, and will avoid confucsion with the core files.

Reply #12 from Elemental Forums Top

wiat so we can't use the mods folder in the elemental directory?  we are forced to use the my games folder....

I do not like this at all.  My my games folder is on a different drive that i do not wish to  store large files IE graphics on.  This is a bad bad idea.  Please alllow the path to be set by the modder and default it to the my gaems folder and let us change it if we choose.

Reply #13 from Elemental Forums Top

A quick question: when do you plan to solve the CTD problem has been experienced since release while entering map editor trying to make a tactical map?

Reply #14 from Elemental Forums Top

@3dgrunge, i have your weapons in the core mods not mygames mods and everything works fine, that said, i do recreate the xml, sooooo......

Reply #15 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting trigorin, reply 13
A quick question: when do you plan to solve the CTD problem has been experienced since release while entering map editor trying to make a tactical map?

Have you reported it in the support forum and provided the error files they need to investigate? If a particular crash has only been experienced by a few people, it's possible they don't know about it or that others have mentioned it but not provided the information needed to investigate. It's very easy to assume a crash your always getting is very common and so somone will have put in a proper bug report, but it may not be.

Also I would guess editor bugs get a lower priority than bugs in the main game, after tha I guess they prioritise a crash bug by the number of users that they believe are effected.

Reply #16 from Elemental Forums Top

Hey everyone,

So v1.09 went live, and one of the big modding-side improvements is in the official addition of a 'my games/elemental/Mods' folder!  The game will now properly read data from 'Mods/Data' and graphics and models from 'Mods/GFX'.

For anyone using Mods that have required data or graphics to be placed in the core game directories, I highly suggest moving these out into this new folder, otherwise Elemental may attempt to rebuild the Data.zip file, resulting in a nice, long pause when you first load it up....an nobody really likes 'nice, long pauses' when they're loading a game 

Speaking of mods, let me take this opportunity to point out the spectacular work being done in the https://forums.elementalgame.com/forum/756 community. The Elf Race and Undead mods are both looking amazing, several weapon and spell packs really add some sparkle to the game, theres even a Dr.Who mod that adds gunplay to the fold.  You guys are nuts

While bugs and core game improvements take top priority, we'll be dedicating as much time as possible to improving the Modding experience and getting the Tools/XML access you need to see your modding projects through. And, of course, thanks for your effort and support!

So, to recap... mods in main game folders = you may get a data.zip creation hang = sadness/anger/confusion = shouldn't have to do this anymore!

Boogie out! Cya 'round the forums!

MOAR TOOLS PLEASE! :beer:  <3

Reply #17 from Elemental Forums Top

For example, translate these lines to read from the mod folder instead of the install dir

....

GFX/CPELF/CPELF_hair1.png

THe way the graphics resource manager works, those should work in a number of ways (but I'll verify when I get in the office)...

<Texture_Hair>MODS/GFX/CPELF/CPELF_hair1.png</Texture_Hair>
<Texture_Hair>GFX/CPELF/CPELF_hair1.png</Texture_Hair>
<Texture_Hair>CPELF_hair1.png</Texture_Hair>

Internally, that file is stored by the name reference name "CPELF_Hair1"...the game registers the file path, no matter where it is (the entire MODS folder is scanned and parsed for both data and gfx), so that when anything asks for a filename 'CPELF_Hair1', it'll grab it from the right spot.  Its a neat system...requires some tagging discipline, but I see you guys have your system in place :)

wiat so we can't use the mods folder in the elemental directory?

Either/or...GFW requires certain things, and one is that we use Microsoft's documents folder systemfor non-core game stuff (saves, etc). We suggest users put their mods in the my games folder, but it's up to the player I suppose. With the above 'graphics management' system, you could put the data in the my games directory (to keep out of data.zip's way) then the graphics portion in the main game.  Up to you :)   (btw, the team is digging your weapon models!  awesome stuff!)

Reply #18 from Elemental Forums Top

BoogieBac,

1.09 is still not letting me mod the core name files (world and unit) via mod folder overwrite. I'm going to have to do the corefiles folder and data.zip thing to get them back in and functioning. I posted this question elsewhere without an answer. What xml files from the core data folders are not capable of being overridden by a modded file? The two name generators are at least two that I know of.

Thanks.

Reply #19 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting BoogieBac, reply 17

Either/or...GFW requires certain things, and one is that we use Microsoft's documents folder systemfor non-core game stuff (saves, etc). We suggest users put their mods in the my games folder, but it's up to the player I suppose. With the above 'graphics management' system, you could put the data in the my games directory (to keep out of data.zip's way) then the graphics portion in the main game.  Up to you    (btw, the team is digging your weapon models!  awesome stuff!)

But whichever you use you have to use the new folder structure or the game won't see your mods.  So the .../Elemental/Mods directory needs a /data folder now.  Before I could just dump my files in the Mods folder.  Not a big deal, just pointing that out...

Reply #20 from Elemental Forums Top

I'm going to be in the #elemental IRC chat room all day...feel free to drop by to ask any questions...between CariElf an myself, I'd like to get everything mods-related sorted out to make sure the game properly supports what you guys are doing.

Reply #21 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting BoogieBac, reply 17
wait so we can't use the mods folder in the elemental directory?

Either/or...GFW requires certain things, and one is that we use Microsoft's documents folder systemfor non-core game stuff (saves, etc). We suggest users put their mods in the my games folder, but it's up to the player I suppose.

Alas, this does not work.

G:\Game\Elemental\Mods\Gfx\Terrain\Grid0001.png     -  does not work.
G:\Game\Elemental\Mods\Gfx\Grid0001.png     -  does not work.
G:\Game\Elemental\Mods\Grid0001.png     -  does not work.

D:\Data\My Games\Elemental\Mods\Gfx\Terrain\Grid0001.png    - works.

The whole gamedir/Mods folder seems completely inoperable.

Reply #22 from Elemental Forums Top

Speaking of modding, it seems it is not using new resource types (at least the ones that do not have a tile like gildar and food). It was possible in 1.08, but not anymore. Was this change intentional?

Reply #23 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting econundrum1, reply 15



Quoting trigorin,
reply 13
A quick question: when do you plan to solve the CTD problem has been experienced since release while entering map editor trying to make a tactical map?



Have you reported it in the support forum and provided the error files they need to investigate?  [...]

 

Yes, I did. On 25 August 2010. See here: https://forums.elementalgame.com/392235

Reply #24 from Elemental Forums Top

i can confirm that i had to place 3dgrunge's GFX into the core GFX folder and the xml in the mygames mod folder, wouldn't work the other way