DaFDu wrote 1. How do you create new names and info for for example stations and planets, and link that info to the ids_name and ids_info codes? Is there a specific ini file were this should be done, or is this type of info stored in a script or dll?

DISCLAIMER: All of this is based on my experience. I can be wrong, there might be a faster way etc/ Take it at your own risk

The ids_name's and ids_info's are included in the set-up of the items. For example, planet New London (in Br01.ini):

[Object}
nickname = Br01_01
ids_name = 196658 <--- name of the planet
pos = -24156, 0, 60555
rotate = 0, 0, 70
archetype = planet_earthgrncld_4000
ids_info = 65719 <--- info on this planet
spin = 0, 0.001000, 0
atmosphere_range = 4200
burn_color = 255, 222, 160
base = Br01_01_Base
reputation = br_p_grp


These ids_name's and ids_info's are in a dll-file.


Making your own ids_name's, the names for planets, ships, factions etc., is relatively simple:

1. Copy nameresource.dll ; rename it to addresources.dll

2. Open freelancer.ini; go to the section [Resources and add, at the bottom of this section, the line

DLL = crossroads_resources.dll ;contains new IDs names and IDs info.

3. Open this dd-file with ResourceHacker (freeware, you'll find it with Google), now you see a folder structure.

4. Open "String Table". In each of it's subfolders ("1", "2", "3" etc), yoú see a file named 1033. This contains about 16 names (sometimes less as some entries are missing), which make up the ids_name's. Replace them with your own, press "compile" and save the file if you're done. The first of your own ids_name's will be 458753, the second 458754, the third 458755 etc.



Making your own ids_info's, the descriptions of ships, planets etc.. is somewhat more complex:

1. Create a unicode textfile (done best with Wordpad, as Notepad seems to mess up the unicode format) and the text of your desire in xml-format. This will look something like:


face=Courier>
{?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16"?}
{RDL}
{PUSH/}
{TEXT}
Here you can enter the text you like.
{/TEXT}
{PARA/}
{POP/}
{/RDL}



NB To get it on this web board, I had to replace the < and > with { and }. Make sure you replace the { and } with < and > in your textfile!!!


2. Now, open your own resource file addresources.dll with ResourceHacker, go to the Action menu and chose "Add a new Resource". A dialogue will pop up. Press the "open file" button and select the xml-textfile you just made.

Now, the dialogue window will show some input boxes:

Resource Type: in the case of ids_info's. this will ALWAYS be 23

Resource Name: name your first "1", your second "2" etc. 23

Resource Language: this will ALWAYS be 1033

Now press the "Add Resource" button, and save the file again as addresources.dll


Now, the first of your ids_info's will be 458753, the second 458754, the third 458755 etc. These are the same numbers as your ids_name's, but the game uses these in another context, so they won't mess up.


Some tips:

* Only edit one type of resources, either "String Table" or "23", in one session of ResourceHacker. If you want to edit both ids_name's and Ids_info's, save after you've done one group, close, and start it up again to edit the other group.

* If you want to replace an existing ids_info (a "23" resource), delete it first, then import a new one.

* If you open infocards.dll , you can select any of the "1033" entries, and chose, from the actio menu, Save Resource as a binary file (any filename you like, but make sure to include the extension .txt ). You can check several existing infocards to see how some of the editing is done (for instance, the red text of the Jump Hole infocard, which is entry 601)




DaFDu wrote 2. How about when you like to create a new group (grp) ... Same here, how and where can you, if that's possible store info etc...etc..

No idea what you mean... the _grp suffix is included in some factions' names. Actually, I have not yet made new factions. so I can't explain how to do that. But the ids_name's and ids_info's work the same way as for other things in the game.




DaFDu wrote 3. When placing new systems and bases in the universe.ini file, something like "strid" or "strid_name" (or so, I'm not behind my own pc at the moment, so I can't check if it was written like that) ...

This works the same way as ids_name:

strid_name = 196766 lets the game know that the specified system is called "New York"

I hope this was clear. It takes a little practice to learn it, but it's very easy once you are used to it (which is a silly remark because the same thing can probably be said of quantum mechanics, or colloquial Samoyede).

Btw, you do create your mod in a FLMM subfolder, do you? That way, you can activate or deactivate your mod (any mod actually) with just a few mouseclicks.



"We are a way of the Cosmos to know itself"

-- Carl Sagan



Edited by - hans olo on 06-06-2003 21:19:49

Thanks! this helps me a lot... now I can continue with my attempt to make my new system ... I didn't like the idea to have a fort Bush or so in my system ... I meen, if I do something, I like it to do it good... I never like to do something half or so hehe... so yet again, big thanks!

Grtnx...

Roel (aka DaFDu)

or you could just use FLEd-ids...SO SIMPLE!!!!!!!!!

parabolix wrote "or you could just use FLEd-ids...SO SIMPLE!!!!!!!!!"

That doesn't work on my comp. At least, not as an editor. It is very useful to search /check out existing ids_name's and Ids_info's, but doesn't update the changes.

"We are a way of the Cosmos to know itself"

-- Carl Sagan