HW2 Big Extractor

[LeftHandBlack]

I had the same problem with MSCOMCTL.OCX. You can download it HERE. That should be the last file you need.

[mikelhall]

Woohoo! Thanks! That worked.

[Hector]

I actually had to go out and search for some zlib.dll in order to get it to work. But anyway, I got it to work and extracted the hw2 music that I wanted.

[themamboman]

I was using this on the demo and the only problem I saw was that the path directory creation failed. Looking into the log file, I saw what the path should be, made it and all worked well.

Don't get frustrated, just ask here.

[Hector]

I did fix the path and all. And after downloading the zlib.dll off the zlib site, and the SGA dll too, it woked ok. I got what I wanted.....the vadyr battle music.

[78stonewobble]

uhm i dl'ed the comprzit(or sumthing).ocx but i allready have that file in my win system library.

Is it some old version file i can just overwrite or would i need an entire vb .net package?

[trenthowell]

[slightly ot, and probably completely stupid] what do i need to get that music workin? I only get .aifr's and i dont have a clue what runs those/what i need to convert um too

[ZuiljiN]

you need the Relic AIFx Decoder for winamp trenthowell here the link
AIFx Decoder

[Saadu]

Relic codec could only work with winamp 2 not the 3 versions. Atleast that was the case with meI also had to research zlib and then it worked. :sci:

[trenthowell]

Thanks much

[AlphaTrimega]

Is anyone else having this problem: I can finally extract all the files from the Homeworld2.big file but all I get when I try to open the files is gibberish! Can anyone tell me whats going on?

[AdmVolkov]

Originally posted by AlphaTrimega
Is anyone else having this problem: I can finally extract all the files from the Homeworld2.big file but all I get when I try to open the files is gibberish! Can anyone tell me whats going on?

The LUA files, SHIP, and basically every file is encrypted. You'll have to wait like the rest of us for the RDN tools before modding can begin.....


However, Relic/Sierra didn't encode a few of the files.... so there is some very restricted, maybe teaser you could say, modding potential.

[Flakes]

how exactly do you turn a .fda file into an .affir or that ending? :/ *sighs*

[Spooky]

No AdmVolkov you are completely wrong. The Lua files are not encrypted, they are compiled - there is an enormous difference between the two...

[AdmVolkov]

Originally posted by Spooky
No AdmVolkov you are completely wrong. The Lua files are not encrypted, they are compiled - there is an enormous difference between the two...

A wrong choice of words on my part, though the difference between the two words really means little, seeing as either way you look at it you're still not going to be able to do anything with them until RDN releases the pack. Such a minor thing really isn't even worth noting... unless you're afraid RDN isn't going to release the pack and we'll have to do it ourselves....

[LeftHandBlack]

The ship files are compiled LUA 4 scripts that only seem to hold data (no actions). You can actually change some of the numeric values but they are encoded so it's mostly guess work. I changed a few ship stats but was unable to get the modified files to overlay the ones in the .big by placing them in the data folder. Apparently there is a command line option to include mods but I haven't quite figured that one out yet.

[Flakes]

Anyone? How do you convert a .fda to a aifr????? help???? please??????

[Langy]

Are you using Delphy's extractor? All the music files should be .aifr already if you are.

[RogueAssassin]

The files don't automatically extract into the correct format. They all extract into .fda files on my drive.

Also, I cannot pick which directory I want to extract into. When I try to choose it, it crashes on me.

[Delphy]

If you use 2.2 it does autorename but only when you choose extract all.

As for the directory to extract to - dont. Just extract and move later on.

[Ghent]

Flakes... more specifically, when you open up the v2.2 relicarchiveextractor from delphy's site........... open up the Music.big file from the HW2 game folder

...wait for it to load

...then make sure the TOP MOST name there is selected, i think it's just music.big or soemthing, the top, highest name in the little tree you see displayed.

...push the EXTRACT ALL button up top, the little 3-disk button
...wait...
...open the Music.big folder it made, surf through the subdirectories and VOILA, your .aifr files all nice and instantly ready to play in WinAMP.

PS - ifyou're gettingerrors make sure to have CompreZit.ocx and Zlib.dll in the same folder as relicarchiveextractor.exe, wh00t.

[bobthedog]

never seen w00t with an "h" before... :blink:

can't wait to get the tools... gonna make me some flak turret platforms ehehehehehe.....

[Overload]

Have any of you guys come accross a section that might contain the colors and logos for SP? From what I understand, changing the persistX.lua files won't switch SP colors, so the global setting has to be int he big file.

[LeftHandBlack]

It looks like it's in the scripts: <install folder>\data\leveldata\campaign\ascension\<mission folder>\teamcolour.lua
There is a script for each mission. I could be wrong, I guess we will have to wait 'till Friday.

[Quar'Jet]

Success! Thank you so much to everyone, especially Delphy.


Now I can enjoy the marvel that is Homeworld's Music... Hey, who knows, I might even convert them to MP3 if I can...

By the way, it was an interesting experiment, from a sociologist's point of view, on the behavior and adaptation on this message thread. People were frustrated, then they tried it again and again, and ultimately they succeded. Bravo to everyone who is currently enjoying the music (as I am).

[Ghent]

Overloard, you can indeed modify SP colors and badges in the persist#.lua file, it just resets itself with each new mission because ( :madashel: this is so STUPID and frustrating and annoying... but i digress) , the game pastes in a new default set of team colorschemes with the start of every new mission and shifts all the others down, incrementing up their colorscheme numbers. By mission 9-12 you have over 37 TOTALLY USELESS and redundant colorschemes, that are mostly all the exact same colorscheme.

But anyways, it does work... just look for this near the top:

  TeamColours = {
    {
      trailColour = {
        0.36500,
        0.55300,
        0.66700,
      },
      badgeTexName = "DATA:Badges/Hiigaran.tga",
      baseColour = {
        0.36500,
        0.55300,
        0.66700,
      },
      stripeColour = {
        0.80000,
        0.80000,
        0.80000,
      },
    },

...change those color # by dividing your normal RGB 0-255 color number by 255. So the equation is:

decimalColor = RGBcolor / 255

where 1.000 = white, and 0.000 = black.

To get custom badges just change it to something like this

badgeTexName = "PROFILES:badges/DPWHITE3D.TGA",

easy just annoying that you have to do it again each mission if you want the new ships you build to come out with your custom colors. All the old ones will still be preserved with your colors, tho.

[Overload]

Ghent, yes thats true, and it is very annoying! But there has to be a way to alter the default TeamColors file that it loads with each new mission. It must be somewhere in homeworld2.big. I guess we should just wait for the RDN tomorrow so we can edit the .big files.

Oh and thanks for the music extraction walkthrough, guys! The music in this game rocks!

[Delphy]

I'll upload the 2.3 version when I get on next.... basically it extracts all files correctly (there are 3 levels of compression not 2 in the files) and I've removed the extract location box so it shouldn't cause problems.

Course, my machine at home is totally screwed now (wont even boot) since I tried putting XP on.... but dont worry I am a master at partition editing

[Pesmontis]

Let me guess: you tried an XP 'upgrade' install? ;-)

[Overload]

Hey did you guys see this thread ? We may not have to recompile the .big files to mod!

[malcom2073]

just -overridebigfile And then all your modifications in the folders will be priority :-D

[Charvell]

Originally posted by Delphy
Course, my machine at home is totally screwed now (wont even boot) since I tried putting XP on.... but dont worry I am a master at partition editing

AHHH! You fool

Use Windows 2000 but never XP

[Delphy]

Pesmontis, actually the new install wouldn't work but the upgrade did... go figure.

Anyway it's running nicely now and I confirmed that everything works without crashing with 2.3 of the extractor.

[Charvell]

Delphy. I didn't mean anything by my comment. I've just heard nightmare stories about XP and have had very good luck with 2000...

[IWAssassin]

As has pretty much everyone. Im just sad that I may have to upgrade to XP64 some time if I want to get a better AMD CPU :\ I LIKE Win2k dag nabit, it runs Visual Studio well!

[malcom2073]

My XP runs VS quite well too. I did a fresh install of profressional though. No upgrades, they always cause trouble. Besides, I like my XP looking like windows 98

[TyrealMathias]

yes yes, XP HOME is what to be feared, not Pro... Pro seems to work fine for the most part...

[ArchonXVI]

Hello all. I am extremely new to HW modding, not so new to modding at large (worked a bit in unreal modding around 3-4 years back) I have decompiled the BIG file (homeworld2.big) and I have a large number of .wepn and .ship files that I would like to edit. However, they are still compiled. Where do I find the decompiler for those files?

[Drop_6]

"just -overridebigfile And then all your modifications in the folders will be priority :-D"

How do you do this?

[asda]

I also get this measeg
"it says im missing compressezit.ocx or other files are missing."

I dont know how to get this ]

"Download the full install for the SGAViewer from mods.relicnews.com....

You are missing the zlib compression libraries."

can any one tell me fram were to get it?
:allnight:

[Delphy]

asda please check http://www.a-fluffy.demon.co.uk/homeworld2/

You'll see the FullInstall.zip file there. Download, extract and run the setup program within.

[Torgo]

Grumble
With 2.3 its back to extracting music.big and getting .fdas
just got this, looked, something's wrong.

[Torgo]

Guh, ignore that.

[asda]

thank you!

[creator]

Delphy nice work, dont mean to be a dick or anything but would it be possible for you to add a tutorial on how to use the program correctly to achieve a particular tasks, ie. converting music files, editing ships and making them run in a mod like situation, etc.

[Delphy]

creator,

Thats not what the program does. It's *just* for extracting the BIG files... What you do with the files after that is your own business

[bobthedog]

Originally posted by Ghent
Overloard, you can indeed modify SP colors and badges in the persist#.lua file, it just resets itself with each new mission because ( :madashel: this is so STUPID and frustrating and annoying... but i digress) , the game pastes in a new default set of team colorschemes with the start of every new mission and shifts all the others down, incrementing up their colorscheme numbers. By mission 9-12 you have over 37 TOTALLY USELESS and redundant colorschemes, that are mostly all the exact same colorscheme.

But anyways, it does work... just look for this near the top:

  TeamColours = {
    {
      trailColour = {
        0.36500,
        0.55300,
        0.66700,
      },
      badgeTexName = "DATA:Badges/Hiigaran.tga",
      baseColour = {
        0.36500,
        0.55300,
        0.66700,
      },
      stripeColour = {
        0.80000,
        0.80000,
        0.80000,
      },
    },

...change those color # by dividing your normal RGB 0-255 color number by 255. So the equation is:

decimalColor = RGBcolor / 255

where 1.000 = white, and 0.000 = black.

To get custom badges just change it to something like this

badgeTexName = "PROFILES:badges/DPWHITE3D.TGA",

easy just annoying that you have to do it again each mission if you want the new ships you build to come out with your custom colors. All the old ones will still be preserved with your colors, tho.

to get the recolored thing to stick you need to edit the teamcolors.lua file in each level folder in Homeworld2.big\leveldata\campaign\ascension

and make the settings what you want.

you can do this like you would any mod... the -overridebigfile command, etc... but you need LefHandBlack's decompiled luas...

[Slamoid]

Delphy, is there ANY way you can make a BIG file MAKER? Pwweeeessseeee????

[Cpl_Vagabond]

i try to open the shp files up but i just get some wierd text

http://www.zerohazard.net/image1.jpg

[Spooky]

There is absolutely no point in having a BIG maker just yet as everything can be done from the command line switch -ignoreBigFile. WHEN the time comes for adding NEW ships (i.e. not rehashes of existing ones) it will be worthwhile but by that time the RDN tools should have been released...

And Cpl_Vagabond
What you are seeing is not an error, it is a compiled Lua file. See the thread on LuaC for details on how to decompile them.