[DC] Adding a new unit WITH custom model

[Ahzek Ahriman]

Alright everybody. I am a newbie in modding -in DoW at least, I've spent hours and hours modding other games such as Fallout 3 or Rome/Medieval 2 Total War; though that's not the matter here- and, I must say that my experiences with Corsix's mod studio and the Attribute Editor were pretty unsuccessful -even though I tried to follow some of the tutorials. I'm not yet accustomed with those tools at all, but what I'm looking forward to create is really not a big deal and I think it would be quite easy and really quick for someone who has a lil' bit more experience than I have.

Being a fond of the Thousand Sons Legion, and now that Rubric Marines models are available in some mods over there; I'd just like to add them to the Chaos faction as the exact equivalents of average Chaos Marines, being also recruitable in a Chaos Temple, with the very same stats, cost, upgrades and weapons (bolter, heavy bolter, plasma...) -thus the gameplay would remain unharmed- so as I could make them the base units of my chaos army when I am in the mood to sack in the name of Tzeentch. I could just download one of the mods in which they are included of course; but every such mod I know is just not at my taste. I am also aware that there is a Thousand Sons mod being developped -but firstly, I don't have the required Soulstorm add-on, and secondly, well I just don't like having to wait more months while I'm pretty sure I could just add my damn beloved TS by myself with, of course, some precious help.

Ideally, my first idea was to create a "whole new" TS faction, a faction that would actually had been pretty much the very same than the Chaos one, only replacing average marines with rubric marines and obliterators with terminators as well as the heroes with more "TSish" ones. It is however far too difficult for my pretty much inexistant skills yet. So unless there's any easily faisible way to accomplish such a thing, I'd just focus on the first part.

I do have the required model, and I have tried some things with CMS and AE. There's a tutorial which explains how to add units to a faction through CMS, and, well, I have even failed to clone Chaos Marines, without even trying to add custom models.

Therefore, it would be really kind from anybody skilled to quickly explain to me how to achieve my goal, as I've been willing to lead true Magnus' marines to battle for a while...

By the way, I apologize if such a question has already been answered to, or if another tutorial could teach me everything I have to know in a clear way. I do have looked for it without result...
Also, english is not my native language... I'm sorry for any mistake or incomprehensible sentence I have made in that post.

[Ahzek Ahriman]

Well, thanks for nothing. I managed to do this.

I still got a question though. The rubric marines have no animations for kill moves. Thus, anytime these kill moves show up, it results in a weird... thing. How can I disable the finishing moves for that one unit in Corsix's mod studio ? I suppose it is something listed under "melee_ext" in the ebps .rgd file, but I could'nt tell as I haven't found anything helpful. Anyone could help me please ?

[jONES1979]

Delete Synckill_ext of your Rubric's Marine EBPs RGD

[Ahzek Ahriman]

Thanks ! Worked like a charm. Everything is fine now.

[Ahzek Ahriman]

I'm currently working on my new race. I have some issues however.

First, my new race troops plant ork flags. It seems it is a known problem, but I have found nothing about this on the internet. Second, when Chaos is involved in any skirmish, my units and buildings will just show up with the colours, badge and banner of the nearest Chaos legion instead of using the teamcolours I set up in Corsix's MS. Quite an annoying thing. I'm pretty sure this is due to the fact I based each and every unit in my new faction on the Chaos' ones -I used copies of chaos RGD for units and structures, though I haven't found out what's the matter exactly.

Also... what files do I have to modify to get the AI working for the new race ? I created a buildbasestrategy.ai dedicated to the latter, modified the cpu_manager.ai and each buildbasestrategyinfo/buildorderstrategyinfo/attackstrategyinfo.ai files; I think the only one which is still to be modified is the unitstats.ai file, right ?

[jONES1979]

Yes, both problems are good known.

First. The flags models are coded separately, each race's names are bind to its own geometry, so you need to use the Object Editor to modify this behaviour. Also, there is a community Objective_Points mod which intended to fix this "unknown/new" races flag problem, but personally, I accept only race's mods with high level of maturity, because no one likes to do complex but worthless job

Second. This is Team-color leaking problem. Explanation: Your new race and chaos race both use the same chaos' 3d models (from \Data\Art\EBPs\races\chaos\troops\ folder). All Chaos' 3d models are referenced to RSH-textures from one folder (Data\Art\EBPs\races\chaos\texture_share\ ). For each one RHS texture there is a corresponding WTP texture with team-color pattern
So, while you start the skirmish game, 3d model's are loaded in PC memory, textures are loaded also and for each texture the corresponding team-color applied. Since it applied once and the chaos race is first race loaded - you get your problem.
The only way to fix it - change all your race 3d model's textures to your own textures (folder), search for model's hex editing tutorial for example. http://forums.relicnews.com/showthre...ator-Sergeants

[Ahzek Ahriman]

Okay, thanks again !

[Ahzek Ahriman]

Alright, that texture problem is past now. I'm still stuck with that ork flag issue though. I don't have 3dsmax and honestly, I don't really want to spend money, even less so much; only so as to get rid of a damn ork banner. However, my aim is only to get a copy of the chaos flag -so theorically, I only need a whe to ebp converter and the object editor, right ? Well. I used mudflaps converter to get the strategical points, relics etc .whe in .ebp format. Okay. I edited the pipeline.ini so as to have my mod recognised by the object editor. Fine. I was even provided a default .sgm to fit the converted .ebp files. Alright ! The matter is now that I'm seemingly unable to open the said .ebp files : I keep getting an error which tells : "Unable to burn the EBP ! Please ensure : 1) You have the latest BurnerImp.exe executable 2) No one else has a target file already checked out !". I'm not sure to get what the first point means and, to be honest, I don't even understand the second one.

Anyway, I barely found two threads about that error on the web -one in relicnews and another in gamefront I believe. It seems they fixed their problem by copying/pasting the _default.burn file in some sub-folder of the ModTools datageneric. Well, I tried several combinations -the error is still around. I'd really thank you a third time if you could help me once again -the damn banner is the last visual issue of my mod.

Also... does the ObjectEditor allow me to revert to .whe ? Else I'm pretty much screwed.

[Gorb]

Try copying and pasting your ModTools/ToolsData folder and rename it /Data. That may fix your export issues.

[Ahzek Ahriman]

Thanks a lot good sir. It does open now though I'm dealing with a pink box -I guess my .sgm files are crap after all. Well... do they provide the .ebp + .sgm files with ModTools ? Or just basic whm/whe ? I have got the no examples version...

[Gorb]

The art samples are included in the full download (i.e. not the exeonly.exe which is a mere 14MB. I mean, I only use that one myself but I barely deal with the OE these days). You could try downloading that.

If you had 3DS Max you would be able to import a WHM, export it to SGM and then create a new EBP by opening the SGM in the Object Editor.

A pink box implies the WHM/SGM itself is corrupted, I'm not sure how stable/effective Mudflap's tools are. I played with them ages ago, back when he was developing them, but they were never completed I don't think.

Also one of these days I'm going to make a sticky just for that ToolsData > Data conversion. It's not documented anywhere and it's annoying for new modders.

[Ahzek Ahriman]

Well, the said art samples are of no help, and though I seemingly can modify the .ebp files correctly, well I can't do anything about the model itself as I can't convert a .whm to .sgm without 3dsMax. Damn.


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I managed to get my .sgm files after all. However, I still do need to modify the model themselves through 3dsmax, huh ? What a pity. My whole faction is finished and perfectly works and this banner issue... well this sucks.