44 replies to this topic

[Natalie73]

Hi, I'm new to the forum, but I find that the official forums are really...lacking in helpful people.
My problem is that there are no helpful tutorials about how to take...say...the Predator Tank, modify it(inrease vision range, lower build time and cost, add new gun onto it), and get it ingame...without it becoming invisible as if its model were missing.
See, what I did is increase the gun's ranges on just about everything, so now units won't attack past their max VisionRage unless I increase it.
Unfortunately, I can't seem to get the unit into the game without its model vanishing.

Does anyone know a way around this? Is there some obvious way to modify normal game units and get them in with no real troubles?

I appreciate any help anyone is able to give.

[Natalie73]

I hate to double post, but it's been quite a while since I posted...does no one know the way around this horrible problem? There has to be some solution, I don't hear many people complaining about it.

[Slye_Fox]

Dude,
This is a forum, not a chat room.

People will post when they post.

[Natalie73]

Well, thank you Fox, that helped out quite a bit...if you're such a good modder, you could've lent me a minute of your time to help me with my problem, so that I may kindly go about my business of modding, and no longer be in anyone's hair. :chillpill1:

[Zeke]

Uh dude the SDK was released yesterday we still need to get used to it before we could help yous

[Whitey]

Seconded with the above

And for future reference: 6 hours is not at all a long time.

[Golan]

@Natalie73
Does the problem occur with all units or just a select few? It seems that some of the XML included in the SDK are either broken or incompatible with .07; try if you can modify the Mammoth´s buildcost/-time, as this xml is intact.

[Slye_Fox]

Natalie73, on 26 Aug 2007, 4:24, said:

if you're such a good modder, you could've lent me a minute of your time to help me with my problem

I'm a good GENS modder, like most people, i'm still a noob at C&C3 modding.

[Natalie73]

Golan, on 26 Aug 2007, 7:41, said:

@Natalie73
Does the problem occur with all units or just a select few? It seems that some of the XML included in the SDK are either broken or incompatible with .07; try if you can modify the Mammoth´s buildcost/-time, as this xml is intact.

I'll try the Mammoth Tank alone, but, from what I've seen, it happens with all units I edit, regardless of whether they're structures or not. I've tried many different ways of editting them and including them in Mod.xml, but none have seemed to work. Last time I tried the Mammoth it didn't show up ingame either, but third time's a charm!
And I just figured, if someone couldn't even edit the base game because their units disappear, they might be causing more of a fuss or be speaking up about it...like I am. There's no reason to stoop to doing the "you're a noob" act, I like to mod games, but this is just a horribly done SDK, and they should've at least provided support or put some effort into it. :sh:

[Jazzie Spurs]

Quote

Dude

As far is i know, Natalie is female name but anyway
wait 1 or 2 untill we have more info about CnC 3
also, Codecta have some problems with basic mods
Check here

[Natalie73]

Well, now I know this, and I'll wait. I did test out the Mammoth Tank alone, and it still disappeared ingame. This seems ridiculous, EA should've gotten their act together, they had months to get this thing ready...

[Jazzie Spurs]

Did you remove the Model name?

[Golan]

@Natalie73
Could you please attach one of the versions that did not work properly ingame so that we can check if it´s a problem related to your version of the game? Several people have reported that their modifications don´t work for them while running totally fine on other computers.

Also, do you have the French version of the game? There were reports of incompatibilities with that version, too, though it´s not clear if these are based on the above mentioned problems.

[Natalie73]

I did try removing the model names from the file and simply tried to change the base unit, but still, no dice. I'll post my mod here, though I thought I posted it already. =D
Bear in mind, my current mod is tiny compared to how I started...when I started, I included GDI.xml, but as you can imagine, all editted units disappeared, and I had an invisible army marching around...

http://files-upload....NataliesMod.rar

There's my mod, I appreciate the help, I just wish they'd have made it easier to deal with.

(Edit:) I have the english version, 1.07.
(Edit2:) What I really don't get, looking back at it, is how empty the Art folder is. The darn "vanilla" units should work, if editted with Notepad, and compiled unmodified into the mod...however, it doesn't read the correct models and skins in the game...and the mod sdk's art folder does not contain all the units. *sigh*

Edited by Natalie73, 27 August 2007 - 04:41.

[Golan]

Art-Files already included in the game will later on work correctly even if the builder claims them to be not available; this is due to the builder only having access to the files in the ModSDK-folder, while the game itself can access the original data aswell. So don´t mind any original units missing in the art folder.

Anyways, I just tried the compiled mod of yours - the three modified units Rifleman-Squad, Predator and Mammoth were all invisible ingame. However, after recompiling the mod with the xmls you provided, it worked fine.
Try if it works for you too: http://files-upload..../LongRange3.rar

In all honesty, I´ve got no clue what the difference is though. Could you please check the command window for errors while it´s compiling your mod?
Also, you might want to delete all the unnecessary files in your "MOD SDK\Mods\LongRange3"-folder. There is no need for including unmodified files in there, especially if you haven´t even included them in the Mod.xml or another included file. This might make it easier to spot errors in the modified files.

Edited by Golan, 27 August 2007 - 09:29.

[Natalie73]

Will do, I'll try it out and see if it works, but I've recompiled my mod god knows how many times and had the same effect.
Most of the other files I have in that mod's folder are things I haven't gotten to editting yet...because everything else turns invisible. I'll clean it up, however, and see what happens, thank you!

Edit: On my end, if I recompile that mod, all the units disappear once again for me, even if I recompile it several times, clear the BuildMods folder, delete the big files and restart...etc.
It must be a problem on my end, but I have all the required SDK DLLs and I didn't change the base SDK one bit.

Edited by Natalie73, 27 August 2007 - 19:05.

[Henners]

Natalie73, on 26 Aug 2007, 3:22, said:

Hi, I'm new to the forum, but I find that the official forums are really...lacking in helpful people.
My problem is that there are no helpful tutorials about how to take...say...the Predator Tank, modify it(inrease vision range, lower build time and cost, add new gun onto it), and get it ingame...without it becoming invisible as if its model were missing.
See, what I did is increase the gun's ranges on just about everything, so now units won't attack past their max VisionRage unless I increase it.
Unfortunately, I can't seem to get the unit into the game without its model vanishing.

Does anyone know a way around this? Is there some obvious way to modify normal game units and get them in with no real troubles?

I appreciate any help anyone is able to give.

I cannot change the health, cost or build rate of any unit or structure.. they go invisible too.. However, I can do whatever I want with armor & weapons an the like.. what are we missing??

[Golan]

Natalie73 was able to fix the problem by reinstalling the SDK, perhaps this might fix the problem for you too. Also, are you sure to have the xmls of the units/structures included correctly?

[Henners]

Golan, on 30 Aug 2007, 0:15, said:

Natalie73 was able to fix the problem by reinstalling the SDK, perhaps this might fix the problem for you too. Also, are you sure to have the xmls of the units/structures included correctly?

Golan, on 30 Aug 2007, 0:15, said:

Natalie73 was able to fix the problem by reinstalling the SDK, perhaps this might fix the problem for you too. Also, are you sure to have the xmls of the units/structures included correctly?

Well, i'm just doing the same thing that I did with armor.xml.. Then change the name of the .xml in mod_l.xml. I adapted the _l function as i can only run the game in low settings. Another suggested that maybe /builtmods/c&c3xml folder might be missing, but its there..

I'm also adapting to the addwalls feature which is kinda working. just need to get the rest of the cmd lines in
i attached my xmls if it will upload..

I will try re-install sdk then..

thanks

[Henners]

Golan, on 30 Aug 2007, 0:15, said:

Natalie73 was able to fix the problem by reinstalling the SDK, perhaps this might fix the problem for you too. Also, are you sure to have the xmls of the units/structures included correctly?

I tried the reinstall but still invisible..

[Slye_Fox]

I found a solution to the invisable unit problem;

http://forums.ea.com...t...3&tstart=45


Incase the link isn't working:

Quote

if you edited a stock unit and it then became invisible (with other units being visible), it may be because your builtmods\cnc3xml folder contains the wrong data and as such, the SDK cannot find the art it is looking for.
Delete everything in builtmods\cnc3xml and replace it with the 2 files in http://users.tpg.com.au/jfwfreo/CnC3Xml.rar and only those 2 files. Also, make sure you NEVER delete builtmods\cnc3xml or these 2 files otherwise things WILL break.

Edited by Slye_Fox, 02 September 2007 - 17:03.

[Henners]

Slye_Fox, on 1 Sep 2007, 3:41, said:

I found a solution to the invisable unit problem;

http://forums.ea.com...t...3&tstart=45


Incase the link isn't working:

Quote

if you edited a stock unit and it then became invisible (with other units being visible), it may be because your builtmods\cnc3xml folder contains the wrong data and as such, the SDK cannot find the art it is looking for.
Delete everything in builtmods\cnc3xml and replace it with the 2 files in http://users.tpg.com. au/jfwfreo/CnC3Xml.rar and only those 2 files. Also, make sure you NEVER delete builtmods\cnc3xml or these 2 files otherwise things WILL break.

Yeah, I've got those in there. I havent even touched that folder!

However, I managed to get a few things to appear by linking the xml to their retrospective sample art data.. unfortunately, ea has only included a few sample units to use..

But good news for me, I wont have to worry about mod sdk soon because the good folks over at Tibed are making a new Tibed for c&c 3 which looks promosing so far with screenshots supplied..

[Golan]

Henners, on 2 Sep 2007, 7:39, said:

However, I managed to get a few things to appear by linking the xml to their retrospective sample art data.. unfortunately, ea has only included a few sample units to use..

Wait a minute... seeing that you speak about including the art files again - did you delete the includes at the beginning of the units´ xmls?

Every unit should have some sort of header like this:

Quote

<AssetDeclaration>
<Tags/>
<Includes>
<Include type="all" source="ART:GUMamm_SKN.w3x"/>
<Include type="all" source="ART:GUMamm_SKL.w3x"/>
<Include type="all" source="ART:GUMamm_FX.w3x"/>
<Include type="all" source="ART:GUMamm_CRSH1.w3x"/>
<Include type="all" source="ART:GUMamm_R.w3x"/>
<Include type="all" source="ART:GUMamm_FP.w3x"/>
<Include type="all" source="ART:GUMamm_K.xml"/>
<Include type="all" source="ART:GUMammD_K.xml"/>
<Include type="all" source="ART:FXRailGunCoreMask.xml"/>
<Include type="all" source="ART:FXRailGunCoreDistortion.xml"/>
<Include type="instance" source="ART:EXTnkTrack.xml"/>
<Include type="instance" source="DATA:BaseObjects/BaseVehicle.xml"/>
</Includes>

[Note that the w3x will, due to their xml-nature, include their respective texture-xmls automatically.]

[Slye_Fox]

I removed the includes from my units, because the w3x's are allready being included by the normal GDI stuff

[Henners]

Golan, on 2 Sep 2007, 17:59, said:

Henners, on 2 Sep 2007, 7:39, said:

However, I managed to get a few things to appear by linking the xml to their retrospective sample art data.. unfortunately, ea has only included a few sample units to use..

Wait a minute... seeing that you speak about including the art files again - did you delete the includes at the beginning of the units´ xmls?

Every unit should have some sort of header like this:

Quote

<AssetDeclaration>
<Tags/>
<Includes>
<Include type="all" source="ART:GUMamm_SKN.w3x"/>
<Include type="all" source="ART:GUMamm_SKL.w3x"/>
<Include type="all" source="ART:GUMamm_FX.w3x"/>
<Include type="all" source="ART:GUMamm_CRSH1.w3x"/>
<Include type="all" source="ART:GUMamm_R.w3x"/>
<Include type="all" source="ART:GUMamm_FP.w3x"/>
<Include type="all" source="ART:GUMamm_K.xml"/>
<Include type="all" source="ART:GUMammD_K.xml"/>
<Include type="all" source="ART:FXRailGunCoreMask.xml"/>
<Include type="all" source="ART:FXRailGunCoreDistortion.xml"/>
<Include type="instance" source="ART:EXTnkTrack.xml"/>
<Include type="instance" source="DATA:BaseObjects/BaseVehicle.xml"/>
</Includes>

[Note that the w3x will, due to their xml-nature, include their respective texture-xmls automatically.]

I tried deleting the includes- but then i get critical errors about the xmls like incorrect formatting!