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RE: Modding Tool - 10/27/2017 9:12:02 AM

Sabranan

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Joined: 2/24/2016
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Ok, small update today because I've been playing with my design templates and finding that if I use image scaling with the "scaled" option, values between 1 and 1.05 prevent me from creating a game with the error "Invalid image scaling factor".

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Post #: 391

RE: Modding Tool - 11/1/2017 1:57:10 PM

Sabranan

Posts: 418
Joined: 2/24/2016
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Had a bit of a play about with the resources form today, I've come up with a couple improvements which I've published as revision 7.

First, the abundance and prevalence values now display as percentages, making them much more human readable. The labels will display the "%" symbol and the tooltip has been updated so people don't get confused. The "%" symbol will appear and disappear as needed to deal with super luxury resources.

The other thing is that setting the subtype for the resource location is now a bit more intelligent, it'll prevent setting gas type resources to metal asteroids for example. Before it only compared the location type to the location subtype, now it included the resource type as well.

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Post #: 392

RE: Modding Tool - 11/23/2017 2:52:55 AM

Sabranan

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Joined: 2/24/2016
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Roger has done it again and in the new version of his Bacon Mod the mining cap can now be changed for all mining engine types. Therefore, revision 9 of my modding tool now supports editing these values (value 2 of the mining components in the components and component improvements forms) as long as you have the Bacon Mod installed.

Enjoy!

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Post #: 393

RE: Modding Tool - 12/4/2017 1:25:52 PM

Revoluti0nX

Posts: 1
Joined: 12/4/2017
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sabranan

Roger has done it again and in the new version of his Bacon Mod the mining cap can now be changed for all mining engine types. Therefore, revision 9 of my modding tool now supports editing these values (value 2 of the mining components in the components and component improvements forms) as long as you have the Bacon Mod installed.

Enjoy!

Sabranon,

I made an account on this forum just so I could personally thank you for your efforts on this tool.

I'm way too late to the DW:U modding scene, I know the game has been around for many years now, but it was and still is one of the best space 4x games available. Now that I've had my fill of the default stories and campaigns, I want to try my hand at coming up with improvements, and your tool will provide me with a means to simplify the whole process.

Hopefully players like you will keep this place alive and kicking until DW2 is made :)

Much appreciated again.

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I sings a dances of wolfs, who smells blood and slays the coward; I sings me a dances of mans, who smells gold and slays his brother.

(in reply to Sabranan)

Post #: 394

RE: Modding Tool - 6/6/2018 1:15:24 PM

Sabranan

Posts: 418
Joined: 2/24/2016
Status: offline

Just pushed revision 13 to deal with an issue Das found with certain design templates disappearing.

It also implements the changes made by bacon mod into the tool.

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Post #: 395

RE: Modding Tool - 9/7/2018 1:29:06 PM

rjord2021

Posts: 1992
Joined: 6/14/2013
From: Sydney, Australia
Status: offline

I have been battling for 3 weeks to completely replace research and components in my mods but when I do this I get errors starting the game and with my mods for distant worlds universe I have had problems trying to fix "Index was outside the bounds of the array" errors as shown below as they do not specify what the problem is.

Have checked my mods with your tool and there are no errors.

With your mod I see you have the option to clear all files and start a mod from scratch. Have tried this but still getting errors.

Does anyone have tips on how to use this tool to create a blank mod that I can build on..... I am simply looking to have new research items and new components and for some reason I cant do this without getting errors as show below.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by rjord1 -- 9/7/2018 1:31:06 PM >

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Post #: 396

RE: Modding Tool - 9/7/2018 5:54:51 PM

Sabranan

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Joined: 2/24/2016
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That feature will give you a clean fileset to work from but you won't be able to load it in game as-is. The thing is DW:U has certain minimum requirements, but nobody is sure exactly what they are.

I imagine you would need at least 2 races of both standard/pirate and at least 2 race families along with the appropriate bias files. Probably would need 1 of each type of component so ships can be designed by the AI. No idea how small the research tree can be, but putting a couple in each of the three categories certainly wouldn't hurt. You'd have to have at least 1 fuel type of resource, probably a good idea to have one of each of mineral/gas/luxury with the gas being the fuel.

That's all just off the top of my head but no doubt there are other basics the game just wont load without too.

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Post #: 397

RE: Modding Tool - 9/7/2018 8:37:20 PM

rjord2021

Posts: 1992
Joined: 6/14/2013
From: Sydney, Australia
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sabranan

That feature will give you a clean fileset to work from but you won't be able to load it in game as-is. The thing is DW:U has certain minimum requirements, but nobody is sure exactly what they are.

I imagine you would need at least 2 races of both standard/pirate and at least 2 race families along with the appropriate bias files. Probably would need 1 of each type of component so ships can be designed by the AI. No idea how small the research tree can be, but putting a couple in each of the three categories certainly wouldn't hurt. You'd have to have at least 1 fuel type of resource, probably a good idea to have one of each of mineral/gas/luxury with the gas being the fuel.

That's all just off the top of my head but no doubt there are other basics the game just wont load without too.

Thanks for the reply..... finding the minimum requirements is what I am struggling with .
When I work it out I will post the mod to the forum which will make it easier for other modders to start from scratch.

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Post #: 398

RE: Modding Tool - 10/3/2018 8:03:52 PM

Sabranan

Posts: 418
Joined: 2/24/2016
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Little update today to change the update path to a dynamic location. Won't make any difference in terms of functionality, but it will enable me to easily reset it should I ever lose my static IP address.

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Post #: 399

RE: Modding Tool - 11/7/2018 11:45:26 PM

Sabranan

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Joined: 2/24/2016
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I�ve pushed revision 19 which includes a redundant update test for the tool. I�ve noticed a lot of logs coming through for version 1.1.0.0 (back then there was a bug which tended to send logs regardless of whether you wanted to or not), which means that updates are not working properly for a fair few people. I suspect this is probably down to over-aggressive firewalls stopping the ClickOnce updates.

I�ve attached the latest revision to the OP so if this applies to you then you can update manually, which you really should, because a lot of bugs have been squished over the last 18 versions!

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RE: Modding Tool - 12/6/2018 7:03:28 PM

Leej

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Joined: 8/28/2012
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Just noticed while modifying some components for use with Bacon Mod... The editor recognizes that the 4th and 5th values on Hyperdrives are for Gravity Well range modifications but during the data validation step it will zero them out, e.g.
Invalid value 4 value "19" found in Components record 47) Movement - Gerax HyperDrive, value changed to "0"
Invalid value 5 value "20" found in Components record 47) Movement - Gerax HyperDrive, value changed to "0"

Edit: This is with version 1.1.0.19

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Post #: 401

RE: Modding Tool - 12/7/2018 4:41:35 AM

Sabranan

Posts: 418
Joined: 2/24/2016
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Oops! I have no idea how I forgot to implement that into data validation but it's there now for revision 20.

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Post #: 402

RE: Modding Tool - 2/9/2019 6:57:25 AM

EliphasTheInheritor

Posts: 40
Joined: 7/23/2016
Status: offline

I am sick and tired of Avast detecting this as a virus. Now I can't start the application no matter what I do. I re-downloaded it, turn off Avast protection, re-download again, extract the files again, and....."Cannot start the application. Contact the application vendor".

Edit: Managed to get the file out of "Quarantine",it works now...

< Message edited by EliphasTheInheritor -- 2/9/2019 6:59:01 AM >

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Post #: 403

RE: Modding Tool - 2/9/2019 1:17:37 PM

Sabranan

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Joined: 2/24/2016
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Yeah I mean obviously it's not really a virus but it's an unknown app to them, the only thing you can do is submit the executable to them as a "false positive" if they provide a means to do that.

Usually any problems with actually running the tool can be fixed ny uninstalling and reinstalling.

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Post #: 404

RE: Modding Tool [1.1.0 Released!] How to Install - 3/2/2019 2:07:57 AM

SteamSlither

Posts: 20
Joined: 2/28/2019
Status: offline

I've downloaded the attachment, but it will not install
How do you run this?

If I click on "setup.exe I get "Windows cannot access device or file" type errors.
if I run Distant Worlds Mod Editor.application located in the same folder, I get "application cannot be started" type errors, "contact the program vendor."
+ Cannot activate a deployment with earlier version than the current minimum required version of the application.

I have latest Net Framework

In a previous post someone got it going via Internet Explorer. How do I do that?

What are the instructions for installing this?
Thanks

+++++++++++++++++++++++

EDIT I FIGURED IT OUT
AVAST anti-virus shield control HAS to be shut down then it runs fine.
I tried adding an exception in AVAST but it does not work at this time.

< Message edited by SteamSlither -- 3/9/2019 1:30:05 AM >

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Post #: 405

RE: Modding Tool - 3/27/2019 10:15:59 AM

Drybreeze

Posts: 129
Joined: 4/15/2016
Status: offline

Wow Sabranan.
Just wow.

I remember when you started this project.
I'm just now looking at it loaded and ready to specify a mod folder.

It has come SUCH a long way since last time I saw it. Looks amazing! Is it fully functional yet, or are there holes in what it can mod?

It looks very impressive so far... I'm about to test it for functionality, will be very interesting to see how it goes.

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Post #: 406

RE: Modding Tool - 3/27/2019 7:15:18 PM

Sabranan

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I believe it's complete as far as functionality goes yeah, enough so that I've moved on to another project.

I'll still address any bugs you might find though!

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RE: Modding Tool - 3/28/2019 9:08:26 AM

Drybreeze

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I have made edits, output files, tested in games. It all works.

It has drastically increased ease and efficiency in editing this mod.
Your work here is amazing! Thank you so much for such an incredibly useful tool.... very impressive stuff!

One tiny bit of feedback from what I've seen so far:
In Research currently as I go through my list I need to manually click on each of the buttons on the right hand side to determine if each project enables a component, or improves a component, etc. It would be very handy if this information was displayed automatically, as you scrolled down through the projects, rather than having to click each button to figure out which each project affects.

< Message edited by Drybreeze -- 3/28/2019 9:11:34 AM >

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RE: Modding Tool - 3/31/2019 2:01:14 PM

Sabranan

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Joined: 2/24/2016
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I agree it would be better, a different tool I'm working on works in very different way that better contains the information on one form without making it so big that you need a 1080p screen to work with it.

But between that and playing the hell out of a game in early access called "Grey Hack" (seriously, this game has taken up almost a full quarter of my life since the new year) my time has become somewhat limited recently!

So for now at least it's just too big a change to remake the form like that. If I find myself with some more free time I may come back to it, but in the meantime I'll limit myself to fixing bugs.

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Post #: 409

RE: Modding Tool - 4/6/2019 11:46:20 PM

Drybreeze

Posts: 129
Joined: 4/15/2016
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Yes that is totally understandable of course!
Just giving feedback.

I've made a massive amount of changes very easily using your tool, it's extremely useful thank you so much for developing it!

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Post #: 410

RE: Modding Tool - 5/14/2019 7:51:26 AM

FFCecil

Posts: 15
Joined: 10/22/2010
Status: offline

Just wanted to say thanks for making this tool. I'm new to modding DW and it's taught me a few things.

I used it against the Star Trek Picard Era 2.0 mod and helped me fix a few things and rearrange some techs.

I'm wondering if you ever ran it against the research.txt file in that mod. I believe I found a small/big bug in your tool.

Project ;234 Compressed Fuel Storage has a COMPONENTs ;67 line spelled like that. When I ran your tool. It wiped out the components line altogether because it wasn't all caps I assume instead of changing it to all caps.

It also helped me fixed the Advanced Fleet Tactics and Countermeasures to give there 35% bonus the proper way :) I had it working before but the tool showed me the #'s were reversed. 35, 0 should of been 0, 35.

Doing a before and after compare of the two files. There were like 5 to 10 other game affecting things it wanted to change in that mod but it seemed like they were intended for the Trek Mod. Like giving more room for the different ship size techs. The mod wanted to 0 out a few things. Not sure if some of those could be fixes or not but I kept them in.

< Message edited by FFCecil -- 5/14/2019 8:01:25 AM >

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Post #: 411

RE: Modding Tool - 5/14/2019 4:49:49 PM

Hattori Hanzo

Posts: 734
Joined: 3/21/2011
From: Okinawa
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: FFCecil

Just wanted to say thanks for making this tool. I'm new to modding DW and it's taught me a few things.

I used it against the Star Trek Picard Era 2.0 mod and helped me fix a few things and rearrange some techs.

I'm wondering if you ever ran it against the research.txt file in that mod. I believe I found a small/big bug in your tool.

Project ;234 Compressed Fuel Storage has a COMPONENTs ;67 line spelled like that. When I ran your tool. It wiped out the components line altogether because it wasn't all caps I assume instead of changing it to all caps.

It also helped me fixed the Advanced Fleet Tactics and Countermeasures to give there 35% bonus the proper way :) I had it working before but the tool showed me the #'s were reversed. 35, 0 should of been 0, 35.

Doing a before and after compare of the two files. There were like 5 to 10 other game affecting things it wanted to change in that mod but it seemed like they were intended for the Trek Mod. Like giving more room for the different ship size techs. The mod wanted to 0 out a few things. Not sure if some of those could be fixes or not but I kept them in.

interesting FFCecil, do you think to make your changes to the Star Trek Picard Era 2.0 mod available on the DW forum?

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Post #: 412

RE: Modding Tool - 5/14/2019 6:12:22 PM

FFCecil

Posts: 15
Joined: 10/22/2010
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Hattori Hanzo

interesting FFCecil, do you think to make your changes to the Star Trek Picard Era 2.0 mod available on the DW forum?

I thought about it. I made a few personal changes though for me. One thing I changed that really seems to have made a difference is making the Warp Bubble a prewarp technology that's already researched when prewarp game starts. I lowered the speed to 1000 and energy to 30. I play only starting at prewarp and all my games there were some races that use to have hundreds to a thousand of military ships with nowarp before that never got upgraded stacked up in there home system.

Now no race starts with no warp ships so they actually spread out really good even starting in prewarp. Not fast enough to do much besides your own system and scout a few stars before you get the main warp drive researched plus they actually have a chance to defend there systems even if they never upgraded those ships but it seems they get upgraded better since the ships are faster. One problem I've noticed before is if the game gives a refuel command it overrides the retrofit / retire command. Still playing my first game with the change but looks promising.

I also removed a whole line of the fusion reactors and streamlined the main two, and made all races policy on invasion to overkill like the AI mod.

One thing I'm confused about is torpedo's. When I click the auto upgrade button the game will never choose torpedo's with bombard on them so it seems like the AI would only be able to use spatial torpedo's or the photon's. Even if I had quantum's researched to 67 dmg the game was still upgrading my ships with basic spatial torpedo's so I removed the bombard from quantum and they get equipped now. Wish I could actually see the designs the AI races were making to check if somehow they were equipping bombard torpedo's even if I couldn't with auto upgrade.

< Message edited by FFCecil -- 5/14/2019 6:14:24 PM >

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Post #: 413

RE: Modding Tool - 5/14/2019 6:23:54 PM

Hattori Hanzo

Posts: 734
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From: Okinawa
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exactly what I would like to try !!!
it seem to really improve the Star Trek Picard Era 2.0 mod, correcting that annoying defects.

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Post #: 414

RE: Modding Tool - 5/14/2019 6:45:39 PM

FFCecil

Posts: 15
Joined: 10/22/2010
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Here is my changes to Star Trek Mod 2.0 with fixes by others + Bacon Mod 1.77 if you want to try it out. The warp bubble change really worked out well in my first prewarp game. No 100's of nowarp ships and looked like all the races upgraded the warp bubble ships good.

I found a bug in the way I deleted the 3 fusion techs with ModTool. It rearranged all the Project ID's so all the race files with research specific project id's were all wrong. I fixed the research.txt file. Kept the project lines in there but changed them so they won't show up in game and won't affect anything else.

Here is the new attachment.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by FFCecil -- 5/16/2019 10:54:48 PM >

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Post #: 415

RE: Modding Tool - 5/17/2019 2:18:55 AM

Hattori Hanzo

Posts: 734
Joined: 3/21/2011
From: Okinawa
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thanks so much FFCecil, can you please give me some deatailled instructions to correctly install it ?

I'm a real noob in all which regards "mods"..

post-scriptum:

< Message edited by Hattori Hanzo -- 5/17/2019 2:20:32 AM >

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Post #: 416

RE: Modding Tool - 5/17/2019 8:58:41 AM

FFCecil

Posts: 15
Joined: 10/22/2010
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I provided a readme that explains how. You will still need the original Star Trek Picard Era 2.0 mod. Basically just rename the DistantWorlds.exe and backup your original Star Trek mod in case you want to go back. Look in Star Trek Fixes.Changes Readme.txt

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Post #: 417

RE: Modding Tool - 5/17/2019 2:55:38 PM

Hattori Hanzo

Posts: 734
Joined: 3/21/2011
From: Okinawa
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: FFCecil

I provided a readme that explains how. You will still need the original Star Trek Picard Era 2.0 mod. Basically just rename the DistantWorlds.exe and backup your original Star Trek mod in case you want to go back. Look in Star Trek Fixes.Changes Readme.txt

thanks FFCecil, is it possible to not use the Bacon mod ?
I would strongly prefer to just apply your corrections over the Star Trek Picard Era mod without having to change the DistantWorlds.exe.

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Post #: 418

RE: Modding Tool - 5/17/2019 3:59:55 PM

FFCecil

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Joined: 10/22/2010
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Well I had to merge some stuff from the files in bacon mod to star trek mod so I wouldn't use my mod without using the .exe. You can always turn off most the stuff in bacon mod under bacon settings. I don't use gravity wells myself. I like it because it's alot easier to designs ship with it and you can build your own freighters and stuff and send them on repeat missions to collect things you need.

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Post #: 419

RE: Modding Tool - 6/26/2019 10:59:37 AM

Sabranan

Posts: 418
Joined: 2/24/2016
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quote:

ORIGINAL: FFCecil
Project ;234 Compressed Fuel Storage has a COMPONENTs ;67 line spelled like that. When I ran your tool. It wiped out the components line altogether because it wasn't all caps I assume instead of changing it to all caps.

For some reason I thought I'd replied to this when I hadn't, sorry!

I've pushed a revision to make it pick up on these lines, it should find them regardless of how they're capitalized now! Should also work for the other capitalized line names in the research file too.

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