PDF Modding Guide and Map Edit Guide

[NTJedi]

Gandalf Parker said:
The new patch has new docs.
But I do see some things on the map doc that could use some fixing

I don't think so... I installed the patch yet the PDF docs still show file date of april_28th. If the docs were updated the file dates would have been updated.

[Edi]

The modding doc isn't up to date. It doesn't even have the Lanka, Eriu, Tir na n'Og, Fomoria or Serpect Cult nation numbers, never mind things like the site masks section being updated.

[NTJedi]

Edi said:
The modding doc isn't up to date. It doesn't even have the Lanka, Eriu, Tir na n'Og, Fomoria or Serpect Cult nation numbers, never mind things like the site masks section being updated.

Maybe the next patch will update the docs. This seems like one of those tasks Illwinter would mark as 'not fun'... perhaps Illwinter will request help from people on the forum so the docs can be officially updated.

[lch]

Gandalf Parker said:
The new patch has new docs.

Since Illwinter does not do incremental updates, but rather only requires you to install the latest pack to be up to date, those PDFs are from a previous update. Same as they don't update the NewDawn and Urrapand maps and images in every new patch, but they have to carry them over from previous patches.

Code:

---

~/dompatch310 $ find . -type f -exec cmp '{}' /opt/dominions3/'{}' \;



./army12.trs /opt/dominions3/./army12.trs differ: byte 6, line 1

./res.trs /opt/dominions3/./res.trs differ: byte 6, line 1

./army13.trs /opt/dominions3/./army13.trs differ: byte 5, line 1

./dom3_amd64 /opt/dominions3/./dom3_amd64 differ: byte 25, line 1

./dom3_x86 /opt/dominions3/./dom3_x86 differ: byte 25, line 1

./battlemaps/cave1.d3m /opt/dominions3/./battlemaps/cave1.d3m differ: byte 2629, line 15

./battlemaps/cave2.d3m /opt/dominions3/./battlemaps/cave2.d3m differ: byte 2629, line 15

./flag.trs /opt/dominions3/./flag.trs differ: byte 6, line 1

---

[Potatoman]

Does anyone know what color maps to shadows in unit sprites? I can't find that information in the modding guide.

[Morkilus]

Looks like full magenta.

[Zylithan]

sorry to be a dope, but im having trouble finding the tirna og and other new races race number.. anyone help?

tx

[Sombre]

Potatoman - it's 255 0 255.

Zylithan - look in the conceptual balance mod thread in the mods forum.

[Edi]

The nation numbers are in the v3.10 Dom3 DB.

I'm experimenting with the modding document, seeing how well just copy-pasting the thing into Open Office and playing around with the formatting works. At the rate it's going, I'll have a halfway decent port by the end of the day, but the table formatting, page numbering and headers will be lost until I recreate something for them. The tables are probably unsalvageable.

[Edi]

The results of the experiment:

A modding manual, slightly edited from the original, in both Open Office and PDF format. Corrected some errors in it (magic and undead ldr values, site locmask table, added numbers to weapons and armor tables, fixed a few minor spelling errors etc).

The manual has a table of contents, which is translated into the PDF as bookmarks that you can see on the side when you click on that tab in Adobe Reader. Tables have lost the nifty little borders, but I managed to make them look like actual tables nonetheless. The only bummer is that I can't make section specific headers to leave it off the cover page or start page numbering from page 2.

In any case, the bookmarking system just means that we can chop the advanced monster modding section into pieces that are grouped by ability types. E.g. have all movement related abilities in one section, all resistance related things in one place, all stealth related things elsewhere, with a separate heading, so it will show up in the table of contents and thus get its own bookmark. Finding things just became a lot easier.

I am going to ask Illwinter's permission to attach the experimental manual files to this thread as a zip file, so that if and when I get it, you are free to peruse them at your leisure and see what has been done and how.

However, if there is going to be an update project by the community with an aim on getting the updated manuals into the next patch, that effort is doing to be done by the numbers or not at all. It means that there are not going to be some slightly edited versions attached to every other post willy-nilly. All such posts are going to be deleted without warning.

Unless there are other volunteers (or objections from IW), I will take editorial control of the project and I'll be damned sure to consult Kristoffer and Johan on how things are going to be. I have a fair idea on who to tap to update certain things (especially in the mod manual, since I have theoretical but not practical familiarity with modding) and between myself and those people, I expect we can get both the mapediting and modding manuals fully up to date with v3.10 and with added explanations, clarifications, helpful hints and complex mapmaking and modding tricks that will be easy for even neophytes to follow.

So, some patience yet.