Okay - Its been submitted and posted by bakedpotato - and with a little team work ( ) we should have it posted here in a sec too!

So -


IDS TUTORIAL 6/1/2003

So it turns out no-one has done one of these really well. Sure there is one by Hmack - but its long winded and complicated!
Okay - so why is mine simple and easy??

Because its just that - simple, easy, and uncomplicated.

What you need is: A dll - Giskard has provided here!! Any ini editor (or sdk files and notepad) FLED-IDS About one minute per item, and an immagination on what to write.



Basically - i do it this way, and am sure most other modders do....just that we never bothered pointing it out to others!!

First - do you know FLED-IDS? Its a mod makers information creation buddy.
thats right - its used to make infocards - you know - ANY text you see in game is in ONE of the dll files

But if we use a new dll file - how is it going to know about it?? Same way that the game knows about the others.

The freelancer.ini file (exe folder).
Open that bad boy right up there, and scroll down a little.


[Resources
DLL = InfoCards.dll ; Contains all infocard text resources
DLL = MiscText.dll ; Contains other bulk text resource: rumor, offer, and mission text
DLL = NameResources.dll ; Contains names of things, primarily.
DLL = EquipResources.dll ;Contains names of equipment (in string table) and infocards for equipment (in HTML resources)
DLL = OfferBribeResources.dll ; Contains random mission offers and bribes
DLL = MiscTextInfo2.dll ;Contains MP UI elements as well as other misc. text

Notice this section?? Good stuff. Now - each of those dll files contains info! The numbers on them range from erm - like 0 to 400000+ Most of the inforcards for information are in the first one (most) and hence why they have low numbers (around 65000) Most of the weapons info is in equipresources.dll - as is most equipment Nameresources has the names of stations and other stuff (systems too) in them, and - well - you get the idea don't you? The comments ; as we call them are included for one reason. The game won't read what is behind it. SO the game won't read what is behind :

DLL = MiscText.dll

Why?

Cause of the comment. It means what is behind that just aint read! Simple - like in HTML and stuff - you know - java with the //<-- blah rubbish stuff --> or whatever the true stuff is anyways (am crap at web building - just look at my site! Now then. You need to add yours in there! Simple. Just (AT THE BOTTOM NUMBSKULL!!) add DLL = blahblah.dll Yep - Blahblah.dll is WHATEVER YOU NAMED IT!! So if its called bobs.dll then add the line

DLL = bobs.dll

[Resources
DLL = InfoCards.dll ; Contains all infocard text resources
DLL = MiscText.dll ; Contains other bulk text resource: rumor, offer, and mission text
DLL = NameResources.dll ; Contains names of things, primarily.
DLL = EquipResources.dll ;Contains names of equipment (in string table) and infocards for equipment (in HTML resources)
DLL = OfferBribeResources.dll ; Contains random mission offers and bribes
DLL = MiscTextInfo2.dll ;Contains MP UI elements as well as other misc. text
DLL = bobs.dll

Now then Moving on to the interesting bit.... Finding FLED IDS - open it up!



See the screenshot? Good - gamepath - navigate the way to your game files here (just get to highlighting the freelancer directory!)





Click on okay NOw its going to work from this directory. Any changes you make will be in this directory. SO - put your dll file in with the others! (ie into the exe file). now then - once you have done this - you can check it if you wish



OH well - now we can start for earnest. First - WHAT are you wishing to do? Make a name? infocard for a ship? Anything you do needs a template. now most who have read a tutorial have found one for ships. Well mine is simpler. I use EXISTING files to make new ones! Why? Cause you can click GET IDS INFO etc and then put in a NEW NUMBER (your own) and SAVE IT. But we are jumping the gun a little bit now! So - onwards Firstly. Once you have found what your after - here i will use two examples - a guns name, and guns info. Find the example in a weapon_equip.ini file - for yourself - NOT mine (you would be searching all day ) Now - here is mine

[Gun
nickname = fc_ou_turret02_mark02
ids_name = 263204
ids_info = 264204
DA_archetype = equipment\models\weapons\li_smlturret.cmp
material_library = equipment\models\li_equip.mat
HP_child = HPConnect
hit_pts = 1923
explosion_resistance = 1.000


Notice the TWO numbers? Good stuff. ONe is the name, one is the info - lets see Input the name in the ids_name field and press 'GET IDS NAME'



See - nice and simple. Now put the ids info number into the box below for info - and press the get ids info!! And you got a ream of rubbish didn't you? Good - that is the infocard. Now - try putting the info number into the name field and pressing getids name? NOTHING! That is cause it saves it as HTML if its a name, or xml if its a infocard!!!! The ids_name button WON'T display XML text okay! So don't get confused - and always check your numbers. okay - so now you know how to get info. When you have info - you can save what you see by pressing the save_ids_name button (you can see it can't you) or the save ids info button. Good. But - how do we know our mods numbers? Well - we can use FLEDids to work it out!! Simple. First - click on that lovely little drop down menu to find your dll again




Next - once you have that - you want to find the first number available. You can use 0 - but i always leave that for emergencies (just me - you can put 0 in here, i put in 1!) Now - press the CONVERT - and look below - a number appears




Good stuff - now that is the new dll file (YOUR ONES) first dll slot. Punch that into the name field, and press get_ids_name now mine has a name there - cause i am silly like that. But please note - at the bottom it shows your in the correct dll file



Good stuff - now then you can enter your name and then press the save ids name button. BINGO!! DONE!! You have a name. It can be a system, ship, stations, weapons - ANY BLOODY NAME YOU LIKE!!! ALL names are in the same file - yours is in a new one -who cares! lol Next - names sorted - that is how you do names.

Onto infocards - for information.

Personally - the easiest and simple way - is GET AN EXISTING ONE FOR THE SAME THING

So - for me, if i am making ships - i go to the shiparch.ini file - and pull up a nice little bit of it:

ids_name = 237034
ids_info = 66570
ids_info1 = 66571
ids_info2 = 66608
ids_info3 = 66572
ship_class = 0

I take note of them on a sheet (or my ini file even) and then get to work. First - i find four empty numbers - so punch in 2 first then convert - write that number down. Next - 3, convert - write number down. Next 4, convert - write number down Next 5, convert - write number down. Okay - you should have something like (this works for ANYTHING THOUGH!!) 458754 458755 458756 458757 (notice that these also go up numerically!) Got them?. Of course - as you go along - you will have to remember what you did last and add a number to the end of it. I put in 66570 - then hit the get ids info button,You get a speil


Now i edit the parts i want for my ship, which are the values.

Now - type your NEW number where the old one is at the moment - so it now reads YOUR number. Then save it! Done - got one infocard for a ship.

Do the same for the other 4. Now - if you encounter a problem - in that you don't know what to edit.....well - simple. Numbers and understandable words are the bits to edit.

Don't TOUCH ANYTHING which has these brackets around it < > So As this will cock up the files.



Text you can edit will lie between two of those though. Between <TEXT> and </TEXT> Basically <TEXT> Means start of text, and </TEXT> means end of displayable text. There are multiple fields in there for it. Also <PARA/>- means paragraph. It leaves a spare line - or space! There we go - infocards done now - just apply the same for ANYTHING.



Weapons infocards?

then get a weapons ids_info number and do the above!



Systems info?
do the same, get a systems info number from the universe.ini and then put your info in!

If you want stations?

once more -get a stations info - but change text, plug your number in and save it!
Commodities???

get the number form a commo.....you get the idea right?

Good - it is THAT easy. Of course you will still take time to do it at first, but within twenty mins you will be churning out up to 80 infocards an hour!! I did 800 in just two days

have fun

Chips




Edited by - bakedpotato on 1/7/2004 5:17:12 PM

Edited by - Chips on 1/7/2004 5:49:40 PM

Edited by - Chips on 1/7/2004 5:52:06 PM

Edited by - Chips on 1/7/2004 5:52:39 PM

Edited by - Chips on 1/7/2004 5:55:07 PM

Hey Hmacks tut was great.
I understood it and I am a complete n00b with just under 5 days modding experience. I just wasn't layed out quite as well.

but nice tut anyway! keep it up.

Smile for today you live, tomarrow the clowns will eat you.

I never said it wasn't - i just said his tutorial was long winded and confusing in parts (or it used to be when i saw it back in july last year)

Thanks Baked

Oh speaking of n00b I know there's a way to do the id_name and id_info with flmm that keeps it from clashing with other mods but can't remember where I saw that posting I've been using the search engine and stuff but have yet to find it again if you know what I am talking about can you give me a link? Thanx.

oh or if you know how maybe you could ptu it in this tutorial?

Smile for today you live, tomarrow the clowns will eat you.

There is a download - and it might still be on the main page - or in the downloads area (its new - so it will be near the top) and its basically some xml scripts to generate ids numbers with FLMM. ALternatively use the 'how do i convert ' in the FLMM itself - as this tells you how as well!

mh i use the old dll files from freelancer ... so

for example the equipresources.dll

1) MAKE A BACKUP <-- very important!

2) open it with reshack and look on the last entry (String or html(in reshack "23")

2) add 1 to it for my new entry

so for the string table it is ...
3612
and the html table
4612
again use flde-ids

3) resid to ids_name/ids_info
put there your "EquipResources.dll"
then put in the numbers you created
3612 => 265756 <-- this is the new ids_name number
4612 => 266756 <-- this is the new ids_info number

4) fill in the numbers above ... fill in some text and then save.

i don't know if you can use all numbers, but you can use some ...

this example works!

5) then copy the dll file to your mod and restore it in the directory u used (if it's the fl) with you backup

This does work, and its how I used to make mine...in the newbie questions thread i highlighted the numbers that you can use in the existing dll files safely - (without overwriting stuff). IN the infocards - there are thousands that can be used, weapons has alot as well. Names was the limiting one, as you could only add about 300 new names to your mod.

However, i found out the hard way that those with Win98 and ME cannot see the text in edited dll files (some of them - infocards appears to be okay), and so they lose all ids info for some dll files - which ruins there game. SO, if you plan to release your mod to public, there are ALOT of poeple that use Win98 still - and i spent about 3 days converting my old numbers to new ones. Man it was hardwork

i have win98 ... and it works fine!

my testers (win2k and winxp) say it work too ...

perhaps i publish the mod later on ... but for now it is used only one my LAN server.

i know there's a limit ... but i don't think i will reach it ... and if i reach it i have to make a new file ... wonderfully bad world
i'm not handicapped i'm just lazy!

i really prefer the PE Explorer ... it's 30 days trail.
if u use it once u will hate this damn reshack lol

but this trail really su***

btw: you can add over 50000 new names and infos to the equipresources.dll
the equipresource.dll reaches from 262144-327679 and it is filled till ... eh
ids_name:265755
ids_info:266755

so there'S many space to fill ... ... simply its microsoft lol

Edited by - Der-Matthi on 1/24/2004 3:10:52 AM

Edited by - Der-Matthi on 1/24/2004 3:16:42 AM

Yes, equipresources does - i was talking about nameresources though......

Anyway - if its testing fine, then go for it

Good job. Very detailed and informative post.

yes there you R right ... nameresources(300-400 freespaces) and resources(400-500 freespaces) is filled up ...

so there i create my ownfiles ... mh done that wihtout noticing ... cause 16 new systems require many names ...

mh ... so your tutorial is great ... hope my the ones in my modding community understand this ... some are really ...ehm ...yes

K i'm a noob so please keep that in mind if/when the flames start.

I followed the directions to the letter....
but when I took the "458753" number it gave me and put it into the top box for getting id's name or info all I get is
ERROR load()library failed.

any idea as to what my prob is? other then being a noob...
Stupid question... but at the begining of the tutorial was I supposed to actuall go into the freelancer directory and make a file called bobs.dll after I had added bobs.dll to the ini?

Have you got the freelancer.ini file in the mod folder, along with the dll you needed? (the new one), and correctly added the line to the freelancer.ini file for you new dll?.

I ask because that will give you the error - make sure you navigate correclty to your mod, as it looks for the EXE folder automatically, so don't select it. If in doubt, put the other dll files in there too (the ones in Freelancer.ini file)