Need Mod Help?

Hi everyone,
I would love some info.

The information I'm after is:

1. Can someone Explain what it means by mesh splitting?, I have the tools working in my 3ds program but all the meshes I am trying to get going refuse to export. It comes up with a eroor saying it needs to be split or something.

2. Does anyone know of any information About how the texturing is done for any new ships I make?, I can use DDS textures, I am aware that Sins uses DDS textures so that ain't a problem.

3. Is there any information on how the weapons are displayed, in my 3ds they show as green boxes with the stock ships. When making my new ships do I just reconfigure them to the new positions?

I'm hoping to build a mod once I learn the process, oh last question how many races can Sins handle?

Thanks to anyone who can answer any of these questions.

FMJ_Shadow

This is not my dept at all, but you may want to check out the mod pack documentation folder including the file Modding_XSItoSins_ModdingSupplement. might not be exactly what you are looking for but if i remember right i thought i read something about weapon postions and such from a model design standpoint.

Also note that in certain situations a model must be made up of shapes with requirements. ie: a program may require all meshes to have 4 or less sides (triangles or quads). this may be way off, but is that the cause of the "need to split" error?

The mod pack is Downloadable from the main website.

-SiN

Im trying to mod but everytime i change a file and try to save it i get access to the file name was denied with wordpad and with note pad it says that the path or file name is incorrect.

You need to right-click the file, go to properties, and near the bottom un-select the "read-only" box. Then you can save it.

Ok i figured it out thank you Spardason.

I recently checked out the modding guide "Modding_XSItoSins_ModdingSupplement" and I read through the whole thing, then this happens: When ever I open up a .entity folder it just has scrambled wingdings and words. Is there way to make it legible, I am opening it up in notepad and I am using windows vista. Please reply,
Andriod314


Heres a sample of whats in the CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP.entity folder.

BIN
 C a p i t a l S h i p  A b i l i t y G a u s s B l a s t  A b i l i t y F l a k B u r s t  A b i l i t y A d a p t i v e S h i e l d  A b i l i t y L a s t S t a n d  G r a v i t y W e l l



,Bš™Ù? A €;E @A pA
P r o j e c t i l e
& W e a p o n _ T e c h C a p i t a l P l a n e t B o m b i n g _ M u z z l e ÍÌÌ=
 W E A P O N _ T E C H _ P L A N E T B O M B _ M U Z Z L E # W e a p o n _ T e c h C a p i t a l P l a n e t B o m b i n g _ H i t   E X P L O S I O N _ S U B 4  E X P L O S I O N _ S U B 4 _ A L T 1  E X P L O S I O N _ S U B 4 _ A L T 2   E X P L O S I O N _ S U B 4  E X P L O S I O N _ S U B 4 _ A L T 1  E X P L O S I O N _ S U B 4 _ A L T 2 & W e a p o n _ T e c h C a p i t a l P l a n e t B o m b i n g _ T r a v e l ' M A I N V I E W I C O N _ C A P I T A L S H I P _ T E C H B A T T L E S H I P €;E ÈC zC HB –B €;E ðB @œD C À?ÍÌÌ= @@ÍÌL>  @ffæ> aC  A @?

Quote myself from the thread about this:

What is the file type for SoSE mods? I have a mod in the right folded but it wont show up in the game.

In Vista:
C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\Mods\mod name\mod folders such as GameInfo, etc.

In XP:
C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\Mods\mod name\mod folders such as GameInfo, etc.

Make sure you unzip the mod if it comes as .zip or .rar.

Erhemm...Umm while this is a thread with good intentions, I don't think its neccessary. Anyone that needs help can just make their own thread, or PM me (so long as its NOT texturing) for help. In forums I have been involved in in the past, these threads also exist, but due to stricter rulings, are deleted on sight. I have nothing wrong with this threads intention, but we have an entire forum, so I don't think this adds anything...so yah, I suggest that we stop using this thread and use the forum. If the staff wanted us to just have a thread to ask questions, we would not have a forum...All I have to say.

There's no harm in having a thread like this, and several benefits:

1) New modders don't have to look all over the forum and post the 100th "Where do mods go" thread.
2) All basic knowledge will be contained in one thread.
3) Easier for those of us active in the modding community to answer questions, since it's easier to check one thread for updates rather than dig through numerous threads in the forum section.

Don't use it if you don't want to, but don't tell people not to use it.

Well I`ll use it :

Can I change the scaling of a model, without using programs like 3ds max?

Unfortunately, I don't think so. The game translates from models directly and I'm almost certain it doesn't have a scale value you can change, so the only way to make something bigger/smaller is to scale the actual model.

Yes you can...there is a scaling option in the mesh file...check out Soviet911's tutorial for the complete explaination...(near the bottom)



Hmm...Also, I guess its just me, but I'm not one to hunt through 80 replies, just to see what ones aren't answered yet. In my mind, if I haven't read it, and the last person to reply wasn't Aractain or Kitkun, its probably not answered yet...(with the exception of you Annatar) Also, I believe that if one wanted to have all the common things in one spot, then somebody should just make a FAQ thread. It would have stuff like: minidump, modding places, txt vs binary, etc; rather than a thread where everyone comes to ask questions in one spot...I don't know, just seems kinda chaotic to me, but hey what do I know, I'm severely colorblind and obsessive compulsive...

i am wondering how i would start of with a capatil ship in balance of power
i know how to change it to some extent
i only have the demo

I think that's your first problem. I wouldn't be surprised if it's not possible with the demo.

Get the game. You get access to patches and all of the research and stuff.

Open the map file in Notepad, and at the top of the file there should be a line "isFirstCapitalShipisFlagship" or something. If the map has it at FALSE, set it to TRUE. If it's already TRUE, I don't know what you're asking

I have a couple of problems and I hope you can help me out or give me some advice.

I have downloaded the Sins Mod package and I am having a few problems with it.I would appreciate any help.....

(I have downloaded the sins game update)





The appliction "Sins_DEVELOPER" says that it has failed to start because fmod.dll was not found.(however I ran a search and I have this document)


The appliction ConvertXSI.exe failed to run because XSIFtk.dll was not found.(In the folder in which the ConvertXSI.exe is the folder XSIFtk.dll is there.)


The Convert Data program opens then closes immediately.


Thankyou for any help you can provide.

You need to run it from the same directory where Sins of a Solar Empire.exe is.



Don't know about this one, sorry



This is normal, and ConvertXSI will do the same. These are command line programs that need to be run in the DOS prompt. Their usage and parameters are explained in one of the included tutorial pdfs

I've been modding a bit, and have been doing all right. The main thing I have been doing is editing the player parameters in the .galaxy files. I set the starting human character (Player 0) at 999999 credits, metal, and crystal. With v.1.00, it worked just fine. With v.1.05 though, it hasn't been working correctly. It seems that the player parameters have been randomized. What I mean is that "Player 0" is no longer the human player. It is completely random. The human could be player 0, or player 1, or player 6, etc... Any idea why this may be happening?

What I would like to know is the following:

1. How do I start the Advent player with a ready made fleet?
2. How do I start the Vasari player with tech already researched (for example access to Long Range Jumps)?
3. How do I start any player with buildings already built?
4. How do I create phase-lanes between stars (not wormholes, phase lanes and not planets but stars)?

I believe I can do all of this within the galaxy file via notepad, no need to actually mod anything beyond this file. Looking at the forge tools it looks like it can be done from templates but I cant seem to modify new templates.

Thanks all.

Most of this is answered in your other thread

1) Edit the galaxyScenarioDef.galaxyScenarioDef file, specifically the Advent's homeworld template. This will be a mod, not a map, so you will need to activate it.
2) You can't start with researched techs, so this is impossible.
3) Same way as 1)
4) Don't need to, stars are all automatically connected.

Thanks Annatar11, a few question/answer responses:

1. Actually I figured this out by using templates within the galaxy file. Seems to work fine with one minor bug (non gameplay).
2. Bummer 
3. See 1, but I’ll check the entity file out. Maybe more versatile.
4. But is this possible? The reason is that I have a map with 40 stars, 20 of which start owned by TEC. But without phase lanes the TEC player cant even get to them until he has the right research done, and without jump starting them in point 2 the player will be stuck for a while not able to move fleets between star systems. However if I have phaselanes between planets TEC will be able to move about from the get go.

It is possible, I think. There's an official map (I don't remember what it's called, sorry) that has 3 stars in a chain linked by phase lanes if my memory serves. It should be a small or a medium - probably a small, I think it's a 3 player one. If you find it you can take a look at its file and see maybe something's in there.

Again, thanks Annatar. You have been immensely helpful to this noob modder.

I opened each map in Galaxy Forge and didn't see any connected stars. Unless you are thinking about a custom map from Stardock downloads?

I'll experiment in Galaxy-forge and see if I can get it working. But let me know if you come across something. I cant be the first person to ask about this (I guess). Really dislike the one star/50 planet setup.