Guide to Modding for Beginners and Useful Websites

[Gman9000]

http://scifi3d.theforce.net/ maybe if u have time u could download the smallest 3DS XWing file and try it out because i am trying to mod my game to be a star wars theme and the xwing wont work and i cant find a good enough quality model of an XWing to use instead of the one on this site

[Gman9000]

and i have dial up so i cant download the imperial assult mod either

[yos_ms]

Can someone tell me how to:

1) Change units and their pictures and attributes.

2) Use Ren_x (like putting colour on the tank and decorations) and put my creations from

Ren_x into the game.

3) Change the cost of things.

4) Make new buildings.

The problem is that I don’t know what to extract, what to copy, what folder to create etc. I am so confused.

I have all the programs like g_max, Ren_x, big xtractor, final big, big pop, W3d Viewer and Renegade editor but I don’t know how to use them. I need step-by-step rules please. I am very sorry for asking its just I am so confused.

[TheMirage]

Okay, time to recap on all inportant info, again. for those who came in late and don't want to spend time searching the thread. Heres another list of all the stuff we've covered:

Manditory modding programs:

A .big file extractor (I recommend BigPOP)

A .csf file editor

Wordpad application (or any .ini file editing program)

All avilible at: cnc.filefront.com (yes, I did spell that correctly)

If you want to add new models you need:

G-max

the G-max plugin, ren-x

A skinning program

Where to get: used to know, but it changed. Helpful tutorials at www.deezire.net

Purpose of various files etc.

1. Models are the 3-d graphics that show up in gameplay. You can make new ones using the afore mentioned programs. Then add it to the game (place in correct folder) and edit some code to, say, replace the model of the crusader tank with your model

2. Bones. Bones aer thing that go on the model (Or actual parts of the model) that tell the computer where certain things happen on the model (With some help in the code)

3. .INI files. Nothing can be changed without these. These files contain all the game code. For various game aspects, there are different .INI files
To get to them, use your .big file extractor and open INI.big (or INIZH.big, if your using zero hour)

Where to put edited files

If all your changes are done, then take your files and go to

(Your generals directory)--->Data------>INI

Place your edited .ini files in here. If however, your .INI file is an object file (defining proporties of objects) put it in (Directory)------>Data----->INI------>Object

These folders don't always already exist, if they don't simply create them.

For new models; go to your Generals directory and make a folder called Art.
Inside here, make 2 folders; W3D and Textures. All .W3D files (models) go in the W3D folder. All texture files (model skins) go in Textures.

Specific questions

Q: how do I change the costs of things?

A: Go into the file of the thing you want to edit the cost of, find a section of its code named "Design Parameters" there should be a line of code called "Cost = (number here)" edit the number to what you want the cost to be.

[yos_ms]

TheMirage, your help was extremely useful.
All I need to know are two more things regarding Ren_x:
1)How do I make my models look real and how do I put colour and all the other things on it?
2)How do I then put my Ren_x creation in the game?

[TheMirage]

right, I forgot to add a section about putting models in the game.

okay here:

1) the first part depends on you. You make the shapes etc. and bone the model whe you're done, usually after skinning. The second part - its a process called skinning. somewhere in that recap bit a have a link to deezire.net, there should be good tutorials for that and modeling there.

2) Putting models in game - When you've skinned it, and boned it, use ren-x (which you should have used to create it anyway) to export it as a type of file known as .W3D Then go to your generals directory, make a folder called art, inside that make 2 more folders, Textures and W3D. Put the W3D file in the W3D folder, and if the file for your skin is sperate (Some models have seperate files dor it, some don't I don't know how this works, you'd have to ask someone more experienced in modeling) then put it in the Textures folder and code the vehicle you want using the model.

Now here we get into some more deep details of modding that haven't been
covered yet, becuase really how to do it always varies on what you're coding, and what you want it to do.
Here are the basics.

Every units code begins with its name, like so - Object (Object name here)
The name is then followed by the code for all the art of the unit, its button, its portrait, what the unit itself will look like at certain times.

So here is the name and Art perameters, as they are called, of the microwave tank
(anything in blue is something I wrote, to help you understand the purpose of something)

Object AmericaTankMicrowave
  ;***ART Parameters***
  SelectPortrait		 = SATunderBolt_L This is the name of the big picture you see in the right and window when you click the unit
  ButtonImage			 =SAThunderBolt
 
  UpgradeCameo1 = Upgrade_AmericaBattleDrone Cameos are the pics in-game for the units. These Upgrade cameos tell what pics for unpgraeds to display around the portrait
  UpgradeCameo2 = Upgrade_AmericaScoutDrone
  UpgradeCameo3 = Upgrade_AmericaHellfireDrone
  UpgradeCameo4 = Upgrade_AmericaAdvancedTraining
 
 Draw = W3DTankDraw ModuleTag_01
 
  ExtraPublicBone = WEAPON02 here for the first time you see a bone name in the code, you must remember your bone names so you ccan plug them in, I'll get into that further soon here.
   OkayToChangeModelColor = Yes this tell it if its okay to change the house colors or not
 
   ConditionState = NONE ;Also kown as DefaultConditionState okay, this is pretteymuch the most important part of the art parameters, a condition state is what conditions the model is in (the most common ones are NONE, Damaged, ReallyDamaged, Rubble, Moving, MovingOverWater, OverWater.
 the code that follows this tells what happens to the unit (as far as the model is concerned) during that condidtion
    Model = AVTHUNDRBLT  name of the model you're using
    ParticleSysBone = PROJECTORGLOW09 MicrowaveLenseFlare name of the bone for the specific thing mentioned.  The first part, all in caps, is what type of bone, most common, for weapon firing bones, is PRIMARY, SECONDARY, TERTIARY.
 To make a turret, Put Turret = (name of turret on your model here) under the model name.  The microwave tank is a bad example for these purposes, becuase it has no turret or firing bone, so tommorrow I'll get a better example for you, with other stuff.
    ParticleSysBone = NONE MicrowaveRotisseririe
 End
 ConditionState = USING_WEAPON_A USING_WEAPON_B USING_WEAPON_C
 
 okay, thats ebough for now, you get the jist.  I have to go now so tomorrow I'll continue with the other major code sections
 
  

[Gman9000]

Do n e one know n e good ranger or col. burton skin replacements

[medicdude]

There's a lot of ranger one,s but I don't know of any Burton skins.

[medicdude]

Never mind that - http://files.filefront.com/Colonel_B.../fileinfo.html

[Gman9000]

Ok cool. But is there a way for a helicopter to land when it stops and return to normal height when it goes forward like the nighthawk transport in RA2?