Current information on modding + FAQ (Updated: 10-08-2007) (Read this!)

[Finaldeath]

This is a list of what we know how to do, including a quick bit of information about each part of modding.

Remember to not post requests for mods in these forums! They will be locked immediantly if you have no intention on working on them yourselves.

IRC

You can get insightful help from the people on our IRC (internet relay chat - i.e. text based chatrooms) channel. Connection information is:

• IRC server: irc.hwcommunity.com:6667
• Channel: #dowmods
• Link: irc://irc.hwcommunity.com/dowmods (thanks M.D. Contra)

There is also the general DOW channel at #dow_community. There are plenty of IRC clients to use as well as web-based ones.

Official Mod Tools

Dark Crusade Mod tools

Version 1.2: These include all the above items plus some minor additional tools. Will work with the 1.2 patch and the download is an installer. These are only supported under Windows XP (although likely to work under Windows 2000). The .NET framework 2.0 is suggested for one of the tools, but is not needed for the main tools. (Filesize: 12.9 MB, MD5 Hash: 6673A1D05BEC940077794DBD69AA345A)

• Buggo's Mirror
• Finaldeath's Mirror

These however contain no art samples. Art samples are the DataSrc folder in the ModTools folder. I created an archive of the 1.41 art sources for this. Extract it into the DOW: DC ModTools folder. This is good for modellers, animators and FX creators!

• Finaldeath's Mirror (7zip self-extractable .exe) (Filesize: 26.4MB, MD5 Hash: 6673A1D05BEC940077794DBD69AA345A)

Dawn of War / Winter Assault only
Latest Version: 1.41. You also need patch 1.3 or greater installed. The tools work with versions 1.3, 1.4, 1.41, 1.5 and 1.51 of the game. (although the 1.41 tools only have the 1.41 source LUA attribute files!)

These come in two flavours: With or without art samples. If you are not modeling, choose the smaller download file, exe's only.

Some recommended download locations:

• HWCommunity Bitorrent (Full Art samples)
• Fileplanet (Free, Full art samples)
• Fileplanet (Free, Exes Only)
• Filefront (Free, Full art samples)
• Filefront (Free, Exes Only)

Includes: Attribute Editor, Audio Editor, Chunky Viewer, FX Tool, Mission Editor, Mod Packager, and Object editor.

Adeptus Modificatus Boards

This thread is in the General Discussion board for Dawn of War modding. If anything doesn't fit into any of the sub forums:

• DoW Maproom - Here you can find user created maps to use in DoW online play
• DoW Modding Tutorials and How-Tos - Some tutorials. Also remember the wiki.
• DoW Advanced Modding - Discussion for advanced modding, coding, and especially modelling
• DoW Mods in progress - Forum for discussion of mods that are not completed. Post any mods which are below 1.0 here.
• DoW Completed Mods discussion - Discussion of existing mods, tweaks, play-testing. Post completed mods which are version 1.0 or higher here.

...Then post it here.

Note on where to post mod discussion threads:

• Any incomplete mods need to go in Mods in Progress. They'll be moved no matter how much work has been completed. Alpha (unreleased test versions of mods) and Beta (public test versions of mods) versions need to be put in the Mods in Progress forum.
• If you have a completed (version 1.0 or higher) mod, post a single thread in the Completed Mods discussion forum.

Remember to post anything about the Mod Tools and advanced issues in the Advanced Modding forums - a good idea if you already know how to do modifications to the game, but need information on a specific point or problem.

Offical Wiki's
RDN Wiki : This should be your first point of call for tutorials and help! You need to be logged into RDN to view the wiki. You can then view all the wiki pages, but you have to register on the wiki (again) to edit any of them (rather silly).

NOTE: The above link is down, a old backup can be found here.

The Relic Community Wiki is a more recent addition but doesn't have all the content of the RDN wiki, although requires no registration to see content.

DoW Advanced Modding Forum
DoW Advanced Modding : forum for questions about the Mod Tools and advanced modding (modeling, coding etc.). Some helpful stickies to get you started on some aspects too.

SGA archives
The SGA files are like ZIP files. They contain a bunch of little files, the files that make the game work. [Documentation]

To extract and open them, there are 3 options. One is to use the Mod Packager that comes with the mod tools [Documentation], or use SpookyRAT or Corsix's SGA Reader to extract the files, then edit them with other programs. Don't use the "Decompile LUA" option in Corsix's or SpookyRAT's extractors. The LUA files are not compiled.

Directory: W40K, WXP, DXP2, Engine
Extension: SGA
Mod Tools Mod Packager. [Documentation]
Spooky's SpookyRAT.[Download] [Thread]
Corsix's SGA Reader. [Download] [Thread]
IBBoard's SGA Read. [Download] [Thread]

You can also use command line extractors for easy installation extraction of files you need for mods.
[IBBoards Command line extractor]
[Exedrins's SGA command-line tool]

Unit statistics (RGD files, LUA files)

There are a variety of RGD files in SGA archives. However, these are compiled versions of the LUA source available in the mod tools download above, and cannot be edited by hand. Install the mod tools, and use the Attribute Editor to change unit's values and create new ones.

[Attribute Editor]
[RGD file decompalation discussion]
[Excedrins RGD decompiler]

Use these for RGD editing, (yes, editing the raw RGD files is possible, but not highly advised for advanced modding):

[Cucc's RGDedit]
[Corsix's Mod Studio] (Recommended)

Making badges and Banners
[A tutorial thread], [IBBoard FAQ]
Quick info: They are TGA files, 32 bit, with an alpha transparency layer. Pixel size for Badges: 64x64 pixels, Banners: 64x96. They go in repectivly named sub folders.

Unit hardpoints (MEX files, kinda)
Directory: Mod_Name\Data\art\ebps\races\racename\troops\
Extension: WHM
Unit models and animations
Directory: Mod_Name\Data\art\ebps\races\racename\troops\
Extension: WHE

Tool: Beroc was working on it, however it was stopped. He never released the tool and has no intention of doing, so, sorry!

Recent (as of Nov 2005) WHM/WHE extractor, see:
[WHM Import Script]

Unit textures
Directory: Mod_Name\Data\art\ebps\racename\texture_share\
Extension: WTP, RSH, RTX
Tool: Spooky's SpookyRSH. (Non-team-colored textures) [download] [thread]
Beroc's WTP Extractor. (Team-colored textures)[download] [thread]
IBBoards Texture tool (does all 3): [Download] [Thread]
Excedrins RSH -> TGA command line tool: [Download]

Formations
Directory: Mod_Name\Data\attrib\formations
Extension: LUA
Tool: Any text editor, or
v3sS0n's formation editor. [download] (broken link) [thread] or
Corsix's formation editor. [download] [thread]

Ingame text
Documentation: [Documentation]
files:
W40K\Locale\English\W40k.ucs
Engine\Locale\English\Engine.ucs
warning:Changing these files can cause problems. Create a new one for changes - [See here!] You can add text in a single language directly to LUA files by editing them:

GameData["ui_ext"]["ui_info"]["help_text_list"]["text_01"] = "$94282"

You can replace it with the text you want, like this:

GameData["ui_ext"]["ui_info"]["help_text_list"]["text_01"] = "This is custom text"

But it means it only will display in one language.

A good way to keep your UCS file content easily sortable and searchable is to use a spreadsheet (Excel, OO Calc (free) or even google spreadsheets (free)).

Somewhat important threads:

These items are usually recorded on the RDN Wiki, however are linked here so not lost, and include developers comments and useful threads. Any more, PM a moderator to add them! (info threads only please):

• Making Mods playable Online/Version Compatibility.

Chronica Modificatus

An attempt at a modding newsletter edited by me, Finaldeath, is available to read here. This is currently in hiatus due to the amount of work needed for an issue and lack of content provided.

Note: Broken links will attempt to get fixes for sometime, need to trawl threads. Got a new link? Any info to add tool wise? PM Me, thanks!

[Finaldeath]

FAQ

If you don't find an answer to your specific issue, before going further, I suggest, no I demand the following.

1) Read the ‘readme.txt’ file provided by relic with the mod tools and do what it says by following the instructions given to set up your own mod folder and files.

2) Read the Wiki provided by Relic located here.

a. Yes, you will possibly need to register on the RDN site to gain access
b. No, you do not need to register to read the wiki any further.

3) Use Google to search the forums or do so by hand.

These Questions have been paraphrased and reworded in order to get to the heart of the matter. The answers are to be concise and may give links to other documentation for reference. These questions shall not be tutorial in nature.

Q1) I'm completely overwhelmed, where do I start?
A1) How about right here with this FAQ? To sort out your own mod's folders check the ModSetup.rtf file in your /ModTools directory, also located here

Q2) How do I save a map? "The selected file is outside of all known scenario folders."
A2) Maps are to be saved in this fashion:
Multi player maps go: Dawn of War\My_Mod\Data\Scenarios\MP
Single player maps go: Dawn of War\My_Mod\Data\Scenarios\SP

For Dawn of War or Winter Assault, replace My_Mod by W40k and WXP respectivly.

Q3) Is it possible to pull models out of the game?
A3) Yes, you can extract a model and its animations from the game to 3dsMax using Brother Santos' tools. This isn't necessary to learn, sample models are provided in the mod tools.

Q4) Why are the minimaps and map icons for the maps I create nothing like the ones for Relics maps?
A4) These images have been modified after the fact. See these threads for more info:

Mini-map texture
Mini Maps Resolved!!(TUTORIAL HERE!!!)
Wanted: A right Minimap

Q5) How do I edit maps?
A5) You must download the latest mod tools and once insalled, the Mission Editor, which if you don't have a shortcut, is located in the root Dawn of War folder. Check the wiki for how to use it.

Q6) Why are objects not showing up in the map I created? Not the purple box issue
A6) The objects have probably been assigned to a player which isn’t in the game. For example: You’ve added a wall assigned to player 3 but it is only a 2 player map. Terrain objects should be assigned to the world, else they will disappear once the player dies.

Q7) Why are objects and troops showing up as purple boxes in the maps I create?
A7) The editor and game are not finding the files needed to display the object and so are using the purple box placeholder. Here’s more info: Troops apear as little purple boxes?

Q8) How can I save with the FX tool?
A8) The FX Tool needs to be saved directly under Dawn of War\<mod_name>\Data\Art\FX\... and not under DataGeneric\.

Q9) Can I make my own models and get them in-game?
A9) Yes. Go here to find out more: Finished Tutorial with Graphics: Exporting a model using the Warhammer Max Script and on the wiki.

Q10) Why am I unable to place Texture Stamps on my Detail Textures?
A10) The Detail Texture needs to have an alpha channel which would allow some of the stamping to show through. Go here for more info: Texture stamping won't work on an original detail map.

Q11) How do I make a Detail map?
A11) Monorail's done up a nice little tutorial here:
Creating new detail maps (mini tutorial)

Q12) Where do I place my Detail Maps, and Decals?
A12) Detail Maps go here: Dawn of War\My_Mod\Art\Scenarios\Textures\Details
Decals go here: Dawn of War\My_Mod\Art\Decals

Q13) When I play my map, Detail Textures and Decals I made show up as purple question marks?
A13) Just like with the Purple box situation in Q#8 above, the engine is not finding your textures or decals. Make sure the Textures are in the right folders for where you are running your map from.

Q14) Does this mean I have to include copies of my textures, decals, and meshes when I distribute my maps?
A14) Yes! Here is a nice solution to prevent files being overwritten by multiple maps: Why Modules are important, or use your own folder for decals and textures under your name.

Q15) When I modify things in the AE and save them I get a P4 Error, why?
A15) Really, don't worry about it. It is something used by Relic in-house which doesn't affect us. However, do check to see the changes were made by opening the lua files you changed. Also make sure they are not 'read only'. Here's the explanation: Attrib editor problem

Q16) Why are units able to shoot through and walk through walls.
A16) You can make troops stop moving through objects by placing impassable areas on the object. For the shooting issue, read the following: Intangible objects?Devs?Why?

Q17) Why isn't Win95, 98, and Me supported for the Mod tools?
A17) Simply put, they just are not. If you wanna read some ranting about it: Tools and Windows version compatibility

Q18) Why do areas of my map go black or not display while in the ME?
A18) Turn off the sky and fog rendering to see the whole map.

Ctrl K, turns off the sky.
Ctrl F, turns off the fog.

Q19) How do I get rid of these annoying misshappen shadows in my Map?
A19) Adjust the angle of the sun in the terrain properties. Stay away from early moring, noonish, and late night at the far ends.

Q20) Umm, the Object Editor (OE), it's scary what am I suppose to do with it? or Umm, the OE, HOLY SHEET!
A20) Yeah, welcome to modding DoW. The Relic Wiki has a good tutorial for the OE, though it's brief it will give you the basics. Here's a thread that may also help: Obect Edtior... How to's

Q21) Can you tell me what SCAR function XYZ does?
A21) First, check out the SCARDoc and Wiki SCAR section. If that doesn't answer your question, look through the forums and try to find out if the function has already been documented. Failing this, post a question in the forums about it.

Q22) I have a cool idea, but don't know how to implement it in SCAR, can you help?
A22) Feel free to ask on the forums, somone is bound to have an idea. Please note that Relic probably won't be answering these types of questions.

Q23) What files should I distribute to people when I release my MOD?
A23) Releasing any files that you have modified is sufficient. You do not need to release unmodified files. For instance, if your mod modifies only a single file, then you only need to "release" that single file to the public, not all the files you have extracted. Map Distribution Wiki Help

Q23) Help! I can't get the mission editor to open, and the warnings log has Device Init -- Failed load for step: '' in it!
A23) This is usually to do with graphics-card related problems, including those that even run the game fine. Check this post for more detailed information.

Q24) Where can I host my completed modifications?
A24) You can try a variety of places, some which others use are (in no particular order):
[list][*][Filefront.com] (Upload large files, free downloads, no commants and nothing DOW specific)[*][Dawn of War files] (Hosted by Filefront, but allows specific comments, categories, and some extra different download servers for some reason)[*][HWCommunity Bittorrent] (Ask ceejayoz to add larger modifications there if possible)


Got another hosting site for mods? Tell a moderator to add it here!


NB: Thanks to everyone in this thread, especially Rymafyr, from which many of these questions originated from - epecially the starting comment

No questions here should be outdated as of the 1.41 mod tools and the beginning of June 2006.

FAQ will be updated more in the future, if a question pops up a lot. Got an FAQ to add? PM a moderator!

[Finaldeath]

Information about promoting your mod

On the forums, the modding section (this forum and its subsections) are dedicated to modding - but usually doesn't get a grand amount of people looking for mods to play, since most are incomplete apart from the Completed Modifications section.

Therefore, you may want to let others know about your mod news, such as the final release of your mod or a large public beta release.

You can do your own thread in the Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War general discussion forum, for major releases - such as the mods final release, or large patches on it. It is a good idea to list the thread in the completed mod section for this too.

It is up to the digression of the DOW GD mods to see if it is suitable. You can PM me if you want my opinion of course.

The other aspect is frontpage news. This is handled slightly differently - if you want your mod to be promoted here, you can Private Message me, or I might find it myself of course!

I will attempt to do mod news roundups - similar to the start of the previous newsletters - which can contain a lot of more minor news. PM me with content if you want

Finally, yes, I can still do the modification newsletter - PM me if you want an article (interview, playtest, review, screenshots, whatever) in it.