INI.Files?

[adamstrange 0]

There are ini.files in the mod sdk but how do I use these since the game doesn't work like Generals ?

[Lauren 78]

What exactly do you want to do? Also what are you using to compile?

[adamstrange 0]

What exactly do you want to do?

[1]

I want to stop units from being seen behind objects just like in Generals /ZH menu that allows you to turn of the Occlusion feature.

 

[2]

Change the starting money in the RULES.

 

[3]

Enable building walls.

 

I did want to remove the fog of war permanently like I did in Generals but I figured away around this by giving the Command Center a 50,000 vision range.

 

 

Also what are you using to compile?

I'm using TibEd 2.1b since I can't figure out how to make the EALAModStudio work properly.

 

I don't know why the Devs choose to use XML instead of just INI since INI is so much easier & simple to work with.

Edited January 26, 2013 by adamstrange

[Lauren 78]

I have no idea how TibEd works, I also don't know about 1, but 2 and 3 are done in xml. Though I guess for 1 you have to change "UseBehindBuildingMarker = Yes" to "UseBehindBuildingMarker = No" in GameData.ini?

For 2 you have to create a xml called something like MapMetaData_Global.xml (where the Global can be replaced by anything)
with its contents to be something like

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<AssetDeclaration xmlns="uri:ea.com:eala:asset">

    <MpGameRules
        id="TheMpGameRules">
        <SkirmishStartCash
            LoCash="5000"
            HiCash="10000"
            ChoiceStepAmount="1000"
            DefaultChoiceIndex="1" />
    </MpGameRules>

</AssetDeclaration>

 

place and compile that in AdditionalMaps, which I have no idea if TibEd even supports.

For 3 just add the required command buttons to your CYs and Cranes.

To give free vision I suggest spawning an inert shroud clearer as starting unit. Your method works only until you don't have any CYs.


Also for the xml vs ini thing: this is actually quite untrue, especially complex objects and lists are easier in xml. Also just look at the amount of data TW has compared to Generals. TWs files are compiled AND compressed and still are bigger then Gens

Edited January 31, 2013 by Sonic

[adamstrange 0]

Though I guess for 1 you have to change "UseBehindBuildingMarker = Yes" to "UseBehindBuildingMarker = No" in GameData.ini?

Yes I tried this but the game seems not to read the INI files in the Mod SDK so where do I put this for the game to read ?

 

I created a folder [Data] inside the TW install folder and inside of that I placed the INI folder with some changes and the game doesn't read them.

Edited January 28, 2013 by adamstrange

[Lauren 78]

Just have them in your mod big in data/ini/

Or if you don't want it for a mod but in general place it into TW/RetailExe/1.9/data/ini/

Edited January 28, 2013 by Lauren

[adamstrange 0]

if you don't want it for a mod but in general place it into TW/RetailExe/1.9/data/ini/

I did that and it doesn't work.

 

You can still see the units behind the buildings.

[Lauren 78]

Could be that it got ignored when the engine went from DX8 to DX9 and moved to the shaders. Never tried it myself though.

[adamstrange 0]

But the RedSys mod is setup so that units don't appear behind buildings but there is no way to decompile the mod.

Edited January 28, 2013 by adamstrange

[Lauren 78]

I just checked, they use exactly that (gamedata.ini with that change in the big), so you're doing something wrong.

Edited January 29, 2013 by Lauren

[adamstrange 0]

Well I'm going to try again to see how I can get that EAstudio tool to work because it makes the BIG file but with a totally different name,I have to rename it BIG but the game doesn't read the changes.

 

This why I feel Lauren that INI is better than xml because you don't need anything else to do basic modding just Notepad.

 

Anyway Lauren do you know what file or line of code control how many & what types of infantry come out when a building is destroyed ?

[Lauren 78]

I still can't see your problem, also I don't know why you use this thing for TW. Also I can't see where you have to rename anything.

As with the Mod SDK you still have to have things in the right place in Generals. You can't expect to load the GameData.ini for example if you put it in a folder the game doesn't know like "lol\stuff\troll\gamedata.ini"

THERE IS ZERO DIFFERENCE.

The difference for you just seems to be that you obviously misplace your ini or use the tool wrong, though I can't see where you can fail as it's just "select the mod and click compile".

 

Each structure has it's own thing that controls what objects come out. For example GDI structures usually use

 

            <xi:include
                href="DATA:Includes/GenericGDIBuildingSuicide.xml" />

which points to

 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="us-ascii"?>

    <CreateObjectDie xmlns="uri:ea.com:eala:asset"
        id="ModuleTag_CreateOccupiedDie"
        CreationList="OCL_GenericGDIBuildingDestruction" >        
        <DieMuxData
            DeathTypes="ALL"
            DeathTypesForbidden="DETONATED SUICIDED"
        />
        <UpgradeForbidden>Upgrade_NoSpawnUponDestruction</UpgradeForbidden>
    </CreateObjectDie>

So to replace that you have to replace the include with the appropriate code.

Edited January 30, 2013 by Lauren

[adamstrange 0]

Ok I tried this again by making a very simple mod called NewTestMod,so that the path reads

C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\Command & Conquer 3\MOD SDK\Mods\NewTestMod\data

 

Inside the data folder I placed the Mod.xml,the MultiplayerColors.xml and the INI folder and inside of that I placed the GameData.ini.

 

I also unchecked the "READ ONLY" box for all the files.

 

The GameData.ini.is set to remove the units from being seen behind the buildings and the MultiplayerColors.xml has extra colors.

 

The Mod.xml looks like this...

 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<AssetDeclaration xmlns="uri:ea.com:eala:asset" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<Tags></Tags>
<Includes>


<Include type="reference" source="DATA:static.xml" />
<Include type="reference" source="DATA:global.xml" /> 


<Include type="all" source="DATA:NewTestMod/data/MultiplayerColors.xml" />


</Includes>


</AssetDeclaration>

Now when I launch the EALAModStudio tool and select NewTestMod,I choose CREATE BIG FILES & CREATE SKUDEF FILE and what it does is that it creates a file called NewTestMod_1.00.skudef inside of the MODSDK folder and a file called mod.babproj inside of the NewTestMod folder.

 

Edited January 31, 2013 by adamstrange

[Lauren 78]

If it doesn't create the big file the build failed and the log should give you information about your mistake.

[adamstrange 0]

Ok Lauren I think I got it to work because it's reading the MultiplayerColors.xml that I edited but it's not reading the INI folder and its not reading the MapMetaData_Global.xml that I created.

 

Tell me where I went wrong please.

 

MapMetaData_Global.xml for the GameRules

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<AssetDeclaration xmlns="uri:ea.com:eala:asset">


    <MpGameRules
        id="TheMpGameRules">
        <SkirmishStartCash
            LoCash="5000"
            HiCash="150000"
            ChoiceStepAmount="5000"
            DefaultChoiceIndex="1" />
    </MpGameRules>


</AssetDeclaration>

Mod.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<AssetDeclaration xmlns="uri:ea.com:eala:asset" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<Tags></Tags>
<Includes>


<Include type="reference" source="DATA:static.xml" />
<Include type="reference" source="DATA:global.xml" /> 


<Include type="all" source="DATA:Military/data/MultiplayerColors.xml" />
<Include type="all" source="DATA:Military/data/MapMetaData_Global.xml" />


</Includes>


</AssetDeclaration>

Now I read something about a Mod String file that's supposed to be in there but I don't know anything about this file or what's suppose to go into the file.

Edited January 31, 2013 by adamstrange

[adamstrange 0]

I downloaded your SDK Expansion but there was no documentation.

 

I did check the copy additional files box but the game still is not reading the INI file.

 

I even put the GameData.ini with the XML files and deleted the INI folder and that still didn't work.

 

 

Building Mod Military
Step 3: Building global data
Step time taken: 00:00:00.0312000
Step 4: Building static data
 & Conquer 3\MOD SDK\builtmods /iod:C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\Command & Conquer 3\MOD SDK\builtmods /ls:true /pc:true /ss:true /audio:.\mods\Military\audio;.\audio /art:.\mods\Military\art;.\art /data:.;.\mods;.\mods\Military\data;.\cnc3xml 
Cached session data not available.
Loading 'file://c:\program files (x86)\electronic arts\command & conquer 3\mod sdk\mods\military\data\mod.xml'.
Loading 'file://c:\program files (x86)\electronic arts\command & conquer 3\mod sdk\mods\military\data\mapmetadata_global.xml'.
Loading 'file://c:\program files (x86)\electronic arts\command & conquer 3\mod sdk\art\gb\gbcompost.w3x'.
Loading 'file://c:\program files (x86)\electronic arts\command & conquer 3\mod sdk\art\gb\gbcompostd2_an.w3x'.
Loading 'file://c:\program files (x86)\electronic arts\command & conquer 3\mod sdk\art\gb\gbcompostd3_an.w3x'.
Loading 'file://c:\program files (x86)\electronic arts\command & conquer 3\mod sdk\art\gb\gbcompost_rdrd.w3x'.
Loading 'file://c:\program files (x86)\electronic arts\command & conquer 3\mod sdk\art\gb\gbcompost_askn.w3x'.
Loading 'file://c:\program files (x86)\electronic arts\command & conquer 3\mod sdk\art\nb\nbempty_abld.w3x'.
Error: GameObject GDICommandPost has an unnamed module StructureUnpackUpdate in file c:\program files (x86)\electronic arts\command & conquer 3\mod sdk\mods\military\data\gdicommandpost.xml
Command Line: C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\Command & Conquer 3\MOD SDK\mods\Military\data\mod.xml /od:C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\Command & Conquer 3\MOD SDK\builtmods /iod:C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\Command & Conquer 3\MOD SDK\builtmods /ls:true /pc:true /ss:true /audio:.\mods\Military\audio;.\audio /art:.\mods\Military\art;.\art /data:.;.\mods;.\mods\Military\data;.\cnc3xml 
 SDK\builtmods /ls:true /pc:true /ss:true /audio:.\mods\Military\audio;.\audio /art:.\mods\Military\art;.\art /data:.;.\mods;.\mods\Military\data;.\cnc3xml 
BinaryAssetBuilder started
Session cache age is 0 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes.
Loading 'file://c:\program files (x86)\electronic arts\command & conquer 3\mod sdk\mods\military\data\multiplayercolors.xml'.
Loading 'file://c:\program files (x86)\electronic arts\command & conquer 3\mod sdk\mods\military\data\gdicommandpost.xml'.
Loading 'file://c:\program files (x86)\electronic arts\command & conquer 3\mod sdk\art\gb\gbcompostd2_sn.w3x'.
Loading 'file://c:\program files (x86)\electronic arts\command & conquer 3\mod sdk\art\gb\gbcompostd3_sn.w3x'.
Loading 'file://c:\program files (x86)\electronic arts\command & conquer 3\mod sdk\art\gb\gbcompost_rdr.w3x'.
Loading 'file://c:\program files (x86)\electronic arts\command & conquer 3\mod sdk\art\gb\gbcompost_rdra.w3x'.
Loading 'file://c:\program files (x86)\electronic arts\command & conquer 3\mod sdk\art\gb\gbcompost_aan.w3x'.
Loading 'file://c:\program files (x86)\electronic arts\command & conquer 3\mod sdk\cnc3xml\baseobjects\basestructure.xml'.
Resolving references: mods\military\data\mod
Stable sorting assets
Generating stream: mods\military\data\mod
mods\military\data\mod Linking binary data
mods\military\data\mod Linking import data
mods\military\data\mod Linking relocation data
mods\military\data\mod Stream complete
Session cache age is 0 days, 0 hoursLoading 'file://c:\program files (x86)\electronic arts\command & conquer 3\mod sdk\builtmods\stringhashes.xml'.
uiltmods\stringhashes
Old manifest is up to date.
Slow asset clean-up (expected: 1, actual: 1, old: 0, current: 1)
builtmods\stringhashes Linked import data up to date
builtmods\stringhashes Stream complete


LoD Stream Builder
Streams built: 1
Session cache age is 0 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes.
Stable sorting assets
Stable sorting assets
Generating stream: builtmods\stringhashes
builtmods\stringhashes Linked binary data up to date
builtmods\stringhashes Linked relocation data up to date
BinaryAssetBuilder complete
Step time taken: 00:00:02.9640000
Step 7: Copying additional files
Step time taken: 00:00:00.0156000
Step 8: Creating big and skudef file
Step time taken: 00:00:00.0936000
Build Completed
Build time taken: 00:00:03.1824000

I then added the INI folder to the Mod.xml file...

<Include type="all" source="DATA:Military/data/ini/gamedata.ini" />

 

All I got was this error.

 

Critical: XmlFormattingError:
   XML formatting error encountered in file:///c:/program files (x86)/electronic arts/command & conquer 3/mod sdk/mods/military/data/ini/gamedata.ini (line 1, position 1):
      Data at the root level is invalid. Line 1, position 1.


LoD Stream Builder
Critical: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\Command & Conquer 3\MOD SDK\builtmods\mods\Military\data\mod.manifest" not found
Build failed on step 4

I'm all out of options because I can't figure out how to get the game to read the ini files.

 

Why the hell didn't the dev's put this in the options just like in Generals/ZH ?...ITS SO STUPID!

Edited February 4, 2013 by adamstrange