Adding to a custom infocard, er, I''m lost -SOLVED (thanks)

Tue Aug 02, 2005 12:31 pm by Artemas13

I am building a mod (actually, continuing developement of the Hispania Revolutions BETA with permission of its creator). There were no infocards in the BETA mod. With persmission I am using Baene's ship pack v.1, which had an infocard for the ships in that pack. Since the Hispania mod had no infocard, I (with baenes helpful explanation) simply added the ships into the mod and used his infocard. I tested this and it worked flawlessly in both SP and MP.

I have made some new weapons, shields, thrusters, and engine to be used in the new systems but have not made infocards for them nor given them individual IDS numbers yet. Right now they have an asterisk in place of IDS numbers until I can add them to the NameResources.DLL and use FLed_IDS/ResHack and generate IDS numbers for them the RIGHT way.

Here are my three questions:
1. By following the tutorial on adding new infocards, I see that in an unmodded .dll there are only 12 available slots in the last folder (4075) 1033 file. I have more items than that to add but can not figure out how to make a 4076 folder with a 1033 file to give me the space needed to add all new items to the NameResource.DLL. I think I would have to do this so I can generate IDS numbers for all of the new items using the new ResID # I would get from adding them to the .DLL with ResHack. Anyone know how to do this that can tell me in an FL Editing for Dummies fashion?

2. Because there is already an infocard.dll with the ships in baenes pack, I would like to add the infocard entries for the new items to that infocard but am uncertain how. I have the empty DLL and HTML files downloaded from Zen and I would assume I could use them to "add new resource" (the included HTML files) to the existing infocard.dll in baene's pack, but again I think I would need to first add a new resource folder and 1033 file to do this? am I correct in this assumption?

Let me explain one thing real quick. I do not wish to mod ANYTHING in the original game, only add new ships and weapons specific to the new Hispania Systems, hence making new items instead of simply editing existing ones that are used in the original game.

I understand now (much coffee and cigs involved in that) how to use FLed-IDS and ResHack to generate new IDS numbers and ResID numbers. I have a decent understanding of making new loadouts and assigning them to ships and wrecks appropriately, much thanks to everyone who has helped me with this and writing tutorials on it. I suppose it is just a matter of not knowing how to add resource folders to a .dll in or for ResHack. Once this is done I can add the new ships with new equipment in the new loadouts to the NPCs in the new system but I am completely lost on how to get past this latest bit of editing naivete.

Nemo me impune lacessit.

Edited by - artemas13 on 8/2/2005 1:47:59 PM

Edited by - artemas13 on 9/18/2005 8:38:34 AM

Tue Aug 02, 2005 3:32 pm by AluminumHaste

You don't need to create an infocard like you think you do; Download the xml toolkit by Argh and/or his H-Fuel tanker and you can create your infocards using only xml scripts.

Tue Aug 02, 2005 3:51 pm by Chips

Alternatively I submitted a downloadable tutorial on infocards which doesn't use scripting in FLMM - search for infocards tutorial on the main page (top right hand corner is a search box), or tutorial.

Tue Aug 02, 2005 4:08 pm by sn/\ke

Like my chicken

Wed Aug 03, 2005 4:26 am by JustSomeGuy

You're making this too complicated. Just use the dll Beane gave you and add your stuff to that. You do not need a seperate resources forlder or to use ureshaker at all. Just use Fled_ids and add the new numbers that way, using previous weapon files as a template etc. In other words, find a type of equipment you want to use, put in the ids_info number for that, baxkspace over it and type in your own number from the new dll, then change the description to fit what you made, save it, and you're good to go. Just don't change the html refrences but only the stuff between the <text> markers when you change your descriptions.

Buy the way... it is very helpful to use a spreadsheet or some such to keep track of the numbers you use with brief descriptions of the item involved. If you have SubZero's Freelancer Database it uses a spreadsheet format. Simply add a new page (worksheet, and then name it for the dll you are using), leave the first column for the ids_name numbers, widen the second column (about 6 to 8 regular columns worth wider) for a brief description of the weapon, ship, whatever... then leave the next 4 columns for ids_info numbers (usually there will be but one execpt when you add a ship... then you use 4). That way you always know what your next number in the dll will be and have a brief description of the stuff you have added before. Oh... one more thing. For ship ids_info numbers, you should assign some farther back in the dll a few thousand away from your regular ids_info numbers. That way you can start your ids_name numbers with say 525001 (if for instance this is the 8th dll in your series, supoosing you have Porche's star wars ships one also for instance...), and make your ids_info start at 526001, or 1000 up from the ids_name number so with weapons, planets, stations, etc. it is always easy to know what numbers are what. For ships maybe start at something like 570001 (just for the ids_info numbers... the ids_names should stay in sequence so you know where you are!) nearer the back of the file. If you do that you will have plenty of room and never step on your other numbers or forget what yuur ids_name and ids_info sequences are.

Thu Aug 04, 2005 9:02 pm by Artemas13

OK, so I admit I did a coin toss to decide which way to use... .XML won out and seems to be ok, for nothing crashed on the test run of having the files present. Next step, put the ships into play as NPCs and retest, that ought to be fun. I am halfway through creating the four new factions (two modified originals and two new ones). I thank all of you for your input. I have searched the forums near relentlessly, but I know I will miss things. (imagine all the questions I would have posted if I hadn't read first to have gotten this far!)

As far as using Baene's .dll, there is only so much room on it without creating a new Res. folder *within* that .dll. I had so many things to add they would not fit, unless the .dll automatically adds a new folder and 1033 file when FLed-IDS exceeds the space limit of the folders/1033 files already present. As much as I did want to try it that way to keep the mod format all the same, I just felt like drop kicking my computer each time I ran into a dead end doing that. Again, I am sure I am just missing something from your explanation, but hey, that's why I ask. I do sincerely appreciate the input, trust me, it has been filed somewhere handy as "plan B".

Er... chicken? Well, at least you didn't ask me if I liked your monkey, I suppose.

Nemo me impune lacessit.

Fri Aug 05, 2005 4:03 am by JustSomeGuy

Just in case you did not know this, there are 65536 (starting with 0 on up)numbers available in each and every one of the dll files. You can mod for a long time and not run out of room in a dll.

Here is a list of the numbers in case you are wondering:

DLL # 0 = 0 to 65535 (resources.dll) ...for a total of 65536 different numbers per dll (yes, 0 is a number)

DLL # 1 = 65536 to 131071 (InfoCards.dll) ...all dll's start at position 0 and go to 65535 for a total of 65536 per dll

DLL # 2 = 131072 to 196607 (MiscText.dll) ...so adding 65535 to the first # gives you the ending # for that dll

DLL # 3 = 196608 to 262143 (NameResources.dll) Looks like from 230000 on is safe could use 231000 and up
use 262001 and up there are things at 261000 and up to 262000. I am experimenting with this to see if commodities show up on places in this DLL

DLL # 4 = 262144 to 327679 (EquipResources.dll)

DLL # 5 = 327680 to 393215 (OfferBribeResources.dll)

DLL # 6 = 393216 to 458751 (MiscTextinfo2.dll)

DLL # 7 = 458752 to 524287 (swshipinfo.dll widely used... made by Porche, but mostly empty. You couild use an empty dll and start with these numbers if you don't have his already.)

DLL # 8 = 524288 to 589823 (make your own here by downloading one the empty dll's available here online)

DLL # 9 = 589824 to 655359 (the last available dll series to use)

As you can see, with three dll's available for modding use you can put over 196608 new things in the game. That's a lot of things! If you did 10 a day, you would be at it for 53.86 years. Are you that devoted?

Fri Aug 05, 2005 10:29 am by Artemas13

Just... you rock, more info for me to rely on when I screw up! woohooo!

In case you are all wondering what my penchant for self debasement is all about, I am merely borderline OCD about some things, and game modding is one of those things. I know I don't know this editing system as well as others, at least I am honest about it.

Nemo me impune lacessit.

EDIT: tWiTcH.... bloody hell... where did that lightbulb come from?!
Again, I thank everyone for their input, it has all been valuable and taught me things here and there... it just started making sense... pity I have to leave for work in 30 minutes!

Edited by - artemas13 on 8/5/2005 3:21:20 PM

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