Wed Apr 18, 2007 3:24 am
Tutorial - How to - start modifying Freelancer
<span style="text-decoration: underline">Tutorial - How to - start modifying Freelancer</span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline">Page 1</span>
Modifying Freelancer requires a lot of reading.
You can't just start changing files and adding to files without knowing what does what. So read all the information you can find on the subject that you're interested in working on.
Use the Google search on the front page.
You can also use the Search Forums and the New Search Engines.
By using the Google search you will find information that has been stored in the database for the past 5 years.
The show topics
The Google search engine is on the bottom of the current news post on the front page.
Just type in what you're looking for: say for example that you're interested in making new ships, do search's for milkshape, textures, ships, engines, thrusters, constants ini, hardpoints, market ship ini, weapons, equipment, etc..
<center>
This is a general start of what to do to modify Freelancer.
Anyone can add to this tutorial and it will be edited with new information as it is added by community members.
Please add links to "how to tutorials" or "editing posts" that you think might be of help.
If you don't know how to link a post in the forums take a look at the Forum Codes for an example: http://www.lancersreactor.com/t/forum/legend.asp
Or click on
and take a look at the text in this post.
Before you start to edit the files and during your project, always backup your files.
Always test what you changed or added, start Freelancer and make sure it works, if everything works OK backup your files and then continue editing.
I can't stress this enough. Even small errors can cause Freelancer to crash and if you can't find the error you will loose all your work and have to start over.
So if you have backup files you can always use those so you don't have to start over and some people even abandon the project because they can't find the bugs.
Note: If you can not "open" a file or "open with" - right click on the file and select properties - down in the Attributes: un-check the Read-only box and select apply.
Now you should be able to open the file in your text editor.
ini files can be edited with a text editor.
ini files (information files) are the files that you will be working with for the most part but they are not the only type of the files that you may want to be edit depending on what your mod project involves.
There are more types of files such as thn, dll, txt, wav. utf, exe, 3db, mat, cmp, anm, dfm, txm, bmp, tga, wmv, dds, et cetera (and so on) that you may need a special tool, utility or program to open depending on what you are trying to modify or add too.
The first thing you should do is start out with a new clean install of Freelancer or a second install of Freelancer for your Mod project.
Don't just un-install Freelancer and then re-install, delete your Freelancer folder and then install Freelancer again.
If you just un-install Freelancer and then re-install there could be some files left in the Freelancer folder that will cause Freelancer to crash or not even start up.
So delete the Freelancer folder and then install Freelancer...
If you don't know where your Freelancer folder is... it's in:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Freelancer
To get a second copy of Freelancer all you have to do is re-name your current Freelancer folder to something like - back up copy of Freelancer - and then you can install Freelancer again. To start Freelancer from the backup copy, create a shortcut to the backup copy of Freelancer which is now loacated at "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\backup copy of Freelancer\EXE\Freelancer.exe"
Edited by - bakedpotato on 4/20/2007 6:56:18 AM
<span style="text-decoration: underline">Page 1</span>
Modifying Freelancer requires a lot of reading.
You can't just start changing files and adding to files without knowing what does what. So read all the information you can find on the subject that you're interested in working on.
Use the Google search on the front page.
You can also use the Search Forums and the New Search Engines.
By using the Google search you will find information that has been stored in the database for the past 5 years.
The show topics
The Google search engine is on the bottom of the current news post on the front page.
Just type in what you're looking for: say for example that you're interested in making new ships, do search's for milkshape, textures, ships, engines, thrusters, constants ini, hardpoints, market ship ini, weapons, equipment, etc..
<center>
This is a general start of what to do to modify Freelancer.
Anyone can add to this tutorial and it will be edited with new information as it is added by community members.
Please add links to "how to tutorials" or "editing posts" that you think might be of help.
If you don't know how to link a post in the forums take a look at the Forum Codes for an example: http://www.lancersreactor.com/t/forum/legend.asp
Or click on
and take a look at the text in this post.
Before you start to edit the files and during your project, always backup your files.
Always test what you changed or added, start Freelancer and make sure it works, if everything works OK backup your files and then continue editing.
I can't stress this enough. Even small errors can cause Freelancer to crash and if you can't find the error you will loose all your work and have to start over.
So if you have backup files you can always use those so you don't have to start over and some people even abandon the project because they can't find the bugs.
Note: If you can not "open" a file or "open with" - right click on the file and select properties - down in the Attributes: un-check the Read-only box and select apply.
Now you should be able to open the file in your text editor.
ini files can be edited with a text editor.
ini files (information files) are the files that you will be working with for the most part but they are not the only type of the files that you may want to be edit depending on what your mod project involves.
There are more types of files such as thn, dll, txt, wav. utf, exe, 3db, mat, cmp, anm, dfm, txm, bmp, tga, wmv, dds, et cetera (and so on) that you may need a special tool, utility or program to open depending on what you are trying to modify or add too.
The first thing you should do is start out with a new clean install of Freelancer or a second install of Freelancer for your Mod project.
Don't just un-install Freelancer and then re-install, delete your Freelancer folder and then install Freelancer again.
If you just un-install Freelancer and then re-install there could be some files left in the Freelancer folder that will cause Freelancer to crash or not even start up.
So delete the Freelancer folder and then install Freelancer...
If you don't know where your Freelancer folder is... it's in:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Freelancer
To get a second copy of Freelancer all you have to do is re-name your current Freelancer folder to something like - back up copy of Freelancer - and then you can install Freelancer again. To start Freelancer from the backup copy, create a shortcut to the backup copy of Freelancer which is now loacated at "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\backup copy of Freelancer\EXE\Freelancer.exe"
Edited by - bakedpotato on 4/20/2007 6:56:18 AM