Re: Modding Tools--Component Creator
 

"I downloaded from those links you provided, but the title bar on the program still read 0.75, not 0.9"

Heh heh. Oops, you're right. I forgot to change the title bar. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/blush.gif

"PS: I did browse through the readme, but I didn't see how to enable/use matrix (dimensional) components."

They're not available yet. I need to tweak my classes a bit before they'll be workable. Since my graduate recital is tonight, don't expect an update today. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Modding Tools--Component Creator
 

Newest Version of my component editor/creator

Program now displays a listing of all components from the components.txt file found in the same directory as the program and allows the user to browse and edit the component data at will.

All component data fields are loaded for easy visual modification.

This makes it useful for inexperienced modders to browse the types of data associated with existing components, and saves time for modding when adding new Versions of existing components http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif


As before, this program can be used with ANY existing modded Versions (or differing Versions such as Gold vs 1.49) of the components.txt, abilities.txt and techareas.txt files by placing the program in the same directory as those 3 files.

[EDIT] NOTE - Have yet to implement saving of data for edited components (as in if u modify PPB 1 it saves changes to PPB1 in file) currently if u save the edited component it just adds it to the file. Will fix this once i have time tomorrow. Browsing capabilities are fully functional though http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Component Editor v0.48

Program Version 0.48
File size 26.5 Kb (Zipped), 88 Kb (Unzipped)
See Release notes for further information

Gimboid

[ 09 March 2002: Message edited by: Gimboid ]</p>

Re: Modding Tools--Component Creator
 

It looks like it'll be quite useful. It also reminds of the original data editor for Space Empires III...

Re: Modding Tools--Component Creator
 

Another MODDING tool that would be of great help would be one that allowed use to modify ships. Right now in order to mod a ship you have to do it manually by opening VehicText. A program that works like the component modder but only for ships would be a great addition to the modding tools already availible.

Re: Modding Tools--Component Creator
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Atrocities:
Another MODDING tool that would be of great help would be one that allowed use to modify ships. Right now in order to mod a ship you have to do it manually by opening VehicText. A program that works like the component modder but only for ships would be a great addition to the modding tools already availible.<hr></blockquote>

Once ive gotten the component modder working fully then i'll give your idea a go

Since the vehicles.txt file is likely to be quite similar in layout to the other data files i think it should be quite easy to add that extension to the program http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

Re: Modding Tools--Component Creator
 

This looks like a damn good and useful tool. Just some questions: If I edit organic armor or cryst. armor, I see a

Value1 = Amount of minerals generated

Instead of something like Amount of damage repaired. I guess this is just a cosmetic problem ?

And if I edit a component, you always add the change to the end of the list as far as I have seen for now, so I have to edit/add something and afterwards delete the old comp., I guess this is a kind of insurance.

@Atrocities: You are talking about other already available modding tools, would mind to list them for us modding newbies ? I know there is a special tools forum for it, but maybe some of them are not posted there, or hidden in Posts of this forum?

Thanx a lot, guys.

Re: Modding Tools--Component Creator
 

Heres the virtually completed component modding program.

Features added since Last update (0.48)

- Program now updates listing of components after a new component is added (or edited), so that program does not need to be restarted to continue the modding process. All data fields of newly added component are saved properly. (Continuos modding now enabled in other words http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif )

- If you edit a components details the data is saved with the edited component, and not added to end of list as before.

- All new components are added to the end of the list.

- Ability to copy and paste component details for easy extension of existing component series. I like this feature personally, quite useful to have

- Components can now be deleted from the list of components.


Besides adding a preview of the image selected and make the component list sort when adding a new extension of an existing component set, i cant think of anything else to add to this.

And once i get Gold Version in the mail next week ill check over data file compatability and compile a gold Version if need be


If anyone has any suggestions or comments about the program then post them here, i'd like to hear them

Program Version 0.61
Filesize: Zipped - 29 Kb, Unzipped - 92 Kb

Component Modder Version 0.61

Gimboid

Re: Modding Tools--Component Creator
 

Great http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif , I am impressed. If you plan to create such tools for the AI txt files... research ... design_creation... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

I guess these could be some Goodies for the SEIV Platinum Version.

Re: Modding Tools--Component Creator
 

If you could make it so a person could copy and paste whole entries between different instances of the Component Creator program that would greatly speed up mod compiling.

Say person A does the first 1/2 of components.txt
and person B does the second, I could just open up two instances of Component Creator and copy and paste entries into one of those or even a third instance from the component list. Tadaa, super fast compilation.

Also the ability to move components up and down would be helpful.

P.S. the component list automatically scrolls back up to the top again after the edit component details window is closed. This could be a pain for modders who have to continually open and close windows.

[ 10 March 2002: Message edited by: Urendi Maleldil ]</p>

Re: Modding Tools--Component Creator
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Urendi Maleldil:
If you could make it so a person could copy and paste whole entries between different instances of the Component Creator program that would greatly speed up mod compiling.

Say person A does the first 1/2 of components.txt
and person B does the second, I could just open up two instances of Component Creator and copy and paste entries into one of those or even a third instance from the component list. Tadaa, super fast compilation.<hr></blockquote>

Alas no, this is not a feature the program would be able to support without doing a massive overhaul and changing the design process to make use of threads for data transference. I will probably not be doing anything like this to the program

But, there is a way todo exactly what you want it to do. If person A and B have completed their designing for their respective halves of the components.txt file (what they have done would be saved to the COMP.txt files they both would have created upon using the program), then a simple copy+paste job in notepad would suffice provided it kept a one line gap between the first component in the 2nd list, and the Last component from the first (this is the same gap that all components must have in the components.txt file).

Once pasted into the components.txt file, reloading the component modder would display all the entries present.

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Urendi Maleldil:
Also the ability to move components up and down would be helpful.

P.S. the component list automatically scrolls back up to the top again after the edit component details window is closed. This could be a pain for modders who have to continually open and close windows.

[ 10 March 2002: Message edited by: Urendi Maleldil ]<hr></blockquote>

Its not a hassle to set the current selection back to the one that you just finished editing. This will be included in the next revision for sure http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

As for moving entries up and down, this would be useful as well, thats definately going on the todo list