How do you make an IC Mod? Here's a general overview of making a simple Multiplayer map using some new units:
First, you need some 3D models. You'll want to create them in GMax as this is what IC uses. 3DS Max can be used but you will discover a number of eccentricities when importing a Max file into
GMax and exporting from GMax back to 3DS isn't possible.
Some eccentricities noticed are that GMax tends to unweld certain vertices as you import a model. This isnt really a problem because rewelding is a snap but most of the model's vertex ordering (not topology) becomes completely different from the max version you had. This can cause a lot of work to be redone from scratch if you did it in 3DS first such as UV or rigging the model.
Save yourself some headaches and use GMax from the start.
In order for the exporters to work, you MUST use the GMax Game Pack Icon. If a lobstrosity and the IC logo pops up rather than just a GMax logo, you know you've done it right. The proper exporters won't load with the normal Gmax launch icon.
Once your model is complete, choose Export and save it as something like "GutterBum.sgb". Remember that unless you're using the combiner (and thus using the proprietary Boner tool), you can just use ordinary Max Bones.
Next, you'll create a folder for your models in the IC Tools directory. This would be something like C:\Where ICTools is\Data\Art\EBPs\MyModels.
Drop your exported model in there and open up the Object Editor and choose New EBP. Select your GutterBum.sgb and it should appear in the view window. Here you can play various animations you created for the model, view its properties (it won't have any yet) and assign various events.
Now you have to give the model some attributes and set its controller type so it can be used in-game. Currently, the Object Editor doesn't allow you edit the attributes or save the controller type because of a bug. This should be fixed fairly soon. So what we'll do for now is exit the Object Editor without saving the EBP and then copy the 4 Henchmen files (Henchmen.ebp, Henchman.lua, Henchmen.tga and Henchman.sgm) into our MyMod folder.
Let's rename all these Henchmen files to match our GutterBum (GutterBum.ebp, GutterBum.lua, GutterBum.tga and GutterBum.sgm). Now we'll replace all of these files with our REAL GutterBum files EXCEPT for the Gutterbum.ebp. We'll leave that one alone so that the controller type stays a "3" (Henchmen). For the Lua file, you just need to change 1 thing.
You can read lua files with any text editor such as Notepad and thus manually edit them.
Here's the Henchman.lua example:
-- Henchmen
-- inherit from henchman data
dofilepath("data:art/ebps/defstats3.lua")
ext = gameattributes;
-- baseline optimization
ext.min_triangle_count=750
All we need to do here is change the title name to the name of your model.
So now you have:
-- GutterBum
-- inherit from henchman data
dofilepath("data:art/ebps/defstats3.lua")
ext = gameattributes;
-- baseline optimization
ext.min_triangle_count=750
You can change the triangle count to whatever you wish as long as its less than the total triangle count of your model.
Creating a level is fairly straightforward with the Mission Editor and the documentation is fairly thorough on this subject. Grab your model from the list on the right and drop them onto the map. For a simple MP map, the very least you should have is triggers for Win/lose scenarios for each of the players and make sure that the models and labs belong to the correct players.
Save this map.
Now what you'd do, if you had it, is use the Archive Tool to package your new model and its dependencies into one modfile. We'll go into the Archive Tool another time because its a whole other adventure and is still in beta and not yet public. The Archive Tool will be available for you sometime in the future but for now, let's just say you used it to create "MYMod.sga". You'd place that in: C:\Microsoft Games\Impossible Creatures\IC\DataMods.
Next, you'd copy the 4 or so Map files generated by MEditor (located in: C:\Where ICTools is\Data\Scenarios\Mp\) and place them in "C:\Microsoft Games\Impossible Creatures\Data\Scenarios\Mp\".
Now at last you should be able to boot up IC, select Player vs CPU or Multiplayer, Select MyMap for the map and MyMod for the mod and run it. Depending on what animations you did for your model, your new GutterBum should be able to do everything the Henchmen does.
This is a very simplistic run through and highly limited but you should gain a much better understanding of how to mod with IC than you would if you started out with zero knowledge.
If you just want to create a new MP map, just follow the instructions regarding the map files above. Much simpler.
Good luck to you and see you again next time.
Zeus Legion
Subliminal Games
Thanks to Enrique Caballero, Drew Dunlop and Ron Moravek.
