Modders \'How To\' guide.
 

Just sitting here and wondering 'wouldn't it be nice if there was a manual for modding se4, kinda like a "Modding se4 for Dummies"' when I thought to myself: "why not just ask?". So I am asking, are any of the modders thinking of compiling a 'mod manual'?, kind of like the strategy guide that is being compiled now. This could contain 'journals' and discoveries that you have made in your working to modd AI, etc. I know there are probally certain 'trade' secrets that you don't want to give away, but generalizations would be nice. (ie, when setting up the research AI.text be sure to.......).
Just thoughts.........

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"The Empress took your name away," said Chance.
Owen smiled coldly. "It wasn't hers to take. I'm a Deathstalker until I die. And we never forget a slight or an enemy." -Owen Deathstalker.

Re: Modders \'How To\' guide.
 

bump......well anyone??

Re: Modders \'How To\' guide.
 

Just like the "Strategy Guide", it needs someone to bite the bullet and START IT!

I've collected a little stuff from threads, and if someone hasn't started in a couple of weeks (no free time until then) I'll take a stab at starting it. But I've only made one simple component mod (supply = cargo), and that was based upon someone else's instructions. However, I've often found people are willing to provide specific information once someone gets the ball rolling as it were. They just don't want/have the time to write the whole thing.

Re: Modders \'How To\' guide.
 

How about a guide for shipset creation also. I just can't figure out how to do it.

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Rules? What Rules?

[This message has been edited by Maverick (edited 21 April 2001).]

Re: Modders \'How To\' guide.
 

Ship set creation is really easy if you already have the images. If your attempting to make your own images, then it can become very difficult.

When I set out to make my first ship set, I did not have the faintest idea of what I was doing, and it showed. Heres what I did.

I took an image of a ship (TOP DOWN VIEW) and opened it in MS Paint and inlarge the image to 600%. I then used the paint all (bucket looking icon) and tried to make the dark area around the ship yellow. I then used the brush tool, on small, and bushed around the ship as close as I could get. Again in yellow. Once the entire ship is outlined in yellow and all the space around it is yellow, I went back to the dipper thing and painted the whole area BLACK. I then selected the area with a modest boarder, and copied it. I pasted it to a new document, and then saved it. I then used a program called ACDSee that I got from www.downloads.com and opened the image. I double clicked on it, and then clicked enhance. I then croped the image that I wanted and double clicked again. I then resized it using the resize tool that is also offered once you choose to enhance the object. I resized it to 36 X 36 pixels. I saved the image naming it accordingly, Race_mini_Battleship.

I used the same ACDSee to crope the 3d image of the ship and resize it to 128 x 128 pixels and saved it as Race_portrait_battleship. Voila, I had just made my first ship. Oh ya, I also had to convert the images from JPEG to a BIT MAP and this was done simply by saving as and then selecting BIT MAP below the Name position. Name was Race_mini_Battleship, and below that was another window and I saved it as a Bit Map.

I hope this basic outline helps you as you attempt to make new ships. Ship making is fun, but takes a long time to do. I can do a complete ship set in about 8 hours if I have all the images I want. This includes testing and tweaking.

Re: Modders \'How To\' guide.
 

Maverick: In addition to what Atrocities said (an excellent way to do the ship figures BTW) Malfador has a design criteria area at their website under racestyle (I think). their website is: [url=http://www.malfador.com.]
G'luck with any shipsets ya do!

now as to the AI files, I simply take one of the modded files, run it off (paper), then run off the same one from a default one and compare the values. EG. EA_anger.txt and compare it to Xi'Chung. I did that then made a copy of the EA one and set values between them to make an anger file for a custom race of mine. a nasty race that isn't quite Xenophobic.

Hope this helps.

[This message has been edited by pathfinder (edited 21 April 2001).]

[This message has been edited by pathfinder (edited 21 April 2001).]

Re: Modders \'How To\' guide.
 

I've just posted in the "Space Empires: IV - Modding and other Help Tools/Information" archive a FREE side-by-side file comparison tool called "ExamDiff". It has various display options for showing the differences, including the ability to make changes directly to the files IIRC.

Makes the job a LOT simpler!

Re: Modders \'How To\' guide.
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dubious:
I've just posted in the "Space Empires: IV - Modding and other Help Tools/Information" archive a FREE side-by-side file comparison tool called "ExamDiff". It has various display options for showing the differences, including the ability to make changes directly to the files IIRC.

Makes the job a LOT simpler!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Woh! That's really a fantastic tool! Thank you very much for posting it here.

Re: Modders \'How To\' guide.
 

Pathfinder, Atrocities, thank you for your Posts. I'm makeing a few practice ship pics and, hopefully, will begin work on a race style soon. The ACDSee program is helping alot. The only problem I have is making the minis. I'm not good at drawing with MS paint. Mabye with enough practice I'll improve.

Thanks again.



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Rules? What Rules?

Re: Modders \'How To\' guide.
 

Maverick I am not very experienced in making pictures, but I found it very easy to make minis once you have the large picture. Even the most basic drawing programms let you change the size of your picture: choose pixels as units and 36x36 as size and that should convert the large picture to the mini.

Re: Modders \'How To\' guide.
 

I use a method similar to Atrocities’ with heavy emphasis on the ACDSee. Where it differs though, is that I’ve found how to pack much more details into the minis. Instead of drawing them in the 36x36 space, I use the portrait size 128x128. I can put tons of detail into the ship that way.
Another method I use is to take a texture from the portrait to get a base hull color. I fill a 36x36 square with it with some variations so it has a random look about it. Then I take another 36x36 in black with the outline of the ship cut out, and drag and drop over the texture square, and you have an instant ship! All that is left to do is add details to it.
Finally, to take away the “hard edged” look the minis might have, I resize it through ACDSee a few times, and it softens and blends the colors to give it a better (I think) look. When you do this just remember to fill the black with a contrasting color to take out the ‘halo’ around the ship that will be visible in nebulas, and if its bad enough in the system and combat windows.
Hope this helps! http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Modders \'How To\' guide.
 

Not to toot my own horn, but I would recommend reading my article here
http://www.cdmag.com/articles/032/11...eempir-04.html

I tried to provide a preliminary roadmap for mod makers and mod Users.

Re: Modders \'How To\' guide.
 

Tampa:
Any chance you can put some variant of your article up here? (I understand you may be restricted by your contract with the magazine.) It certainly makes a solid core to a Modder's Guide.

Re: Modders \'How To\' guide.
 

Actually he is under no contract so feel free to repost if needed or just to link to the cdmag posting.

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Sarge is coming...

Richard Arnesen
Director of Covert Ops
Shrapnel Games
http://www.shrapnelgames.com

Re: Modders \'How To\' guide.
 

Dubious - I posted the link over in the "Modding and other Help Tools/Information" Category. Once CDMAG stops hosting the article as a feature, I will put the .PDF Version instead of the link. This way it will be saved for future Users http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Modders \'How To\' guide.
 

Tampa:
Ok, as long as you PROMISE to post it when CGM stops carrying it :-) (I've had SO many pages vanish on me; even using Mind-It to track them doesn't help all that much.)

I 'll see what I can pull together, but I won't even be able to get started until next week ... so don't expect anything until the 20th at the earliest.




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"All sources are dubious until their reliabilty has been repeatedly proven. Even then their information should be independently verified." - The unwritten "spooks handbook"

Re: Modders \'How To\' guide.
 

For even more modding info, check out the SE4 Modding 101 Tutorial.