Some questions from a noobie

[Saradas]

Hello everybody, I'm new to the forums and I need your precious help in order to complete my mod.

I have some questions about Weidu. I will put them all here in the future, in order to keep the forum as clean as possible.

 

• I just finished to "compile" my .TP2 file and .TRA file (thanks to a very well detailed guide)... my doubt is about the item's/spell's description in DLTCEP. Should I leave the description fields to -1? Weidu will add the new strings automatically and thus replacing those -1 to the newly added strrefs number? (see attached file)

 

• Another question about strings... In some of the new spells and effects I created with DLTCEP, I added a "Text: Display String [139]", reading a string added to my .TLK so... my question is, how will weidu add that precise string to the final user's .TLK?

 

• Then, about .CRE (not supposed to join the group) file and his related store, scripts and dialogs:

 

- How do I copy the .CRE and .STO so that they have their names inserted in new strings? Is it the same procedure used to add .ITM?

- I wrote 3 script files, and compiled them with Weidu, resulting in 3 .BCS.

Can I simply tell Weidu to copy them in the final user's override folder, or they need some more attention? I read about .BAF file

being an uncompiled version of the scripts, but I don't know exactly what I'm supposed to do.

- The new NPC has 2 dialogs files .DLG. I read about .D files being an uncompiled version of the .DLG... but I don't know how to proceed from here... which one should I use?

 

I want to thank you all in advance for the time you'll spend answering me.

[Jarno Mikkola]

Weidu will add the new strings automatically and thus replacing those -1 to the newly added strrefs number?

Yes, dah.

 

In some of the new spells and effects I created with DLTCEP, I added a "Text: Display String [139]", reading a string added to my .TLK so... my question is, how will weidu add that precise string to the final user's .TLK?

Erhm it doesn't, you made a mistake by editing your dialog.tlk with DLTCEP, never do that and you'll be better off, you can do the things other ways, and better. The DLTCEP can be used to tie things to the old strings, that's it. Now you can replace string reference with another by writing to the right bite field, but calculating that field is going to take art that you have not learned.

 

.sto & .cre: Is it the same procedure used to add .ITM?

Yes.

 

- The new NPC has 2 dialogs files .DLG. I read about .D files being an uncompiled version of the .DLG... but I don't know how to proceed from here... which one should I use?

The best thing is to write all the things you do as a uncompiled versions... you make a new .txt file, you write the thing the same way you would as a .dlg and then name it some random "12345678.d" , and then you use this in the mods .tp2 -file:

COMPILE ~12345678.d~

And that's it, essencially. As when you try to install the mod, you will see in the .debug file if the .dlg file can be compiled or not and the reason why also, unlike in DLTCEP.

[Saradas]

In some of the new spells and effects I created with DLTCEP, I added a "Text: Display String [139]", reading a string added to my .TLK so... my question is, how will weidu add that precise string to the final user's .TLK?

Erhm it doesn't, you made a mistake by editing your dialog.tlk with DLTCEP, never do that and you'll be better off, you can do the things other ways, and better. The DLTCEP can be used to tie things to the old strings, that's it. Now you can replace string reference with another by writing to the right bite field, but calculating that field is going to take art that you have not learned.

 

uhmmm I guess it's not that fast to teach the procedure. would you kindly suggest me a guide or a useful link?

 

 

- The new NPC has 2 dialogs files .DLG. I read about .D files being an uncompiled version of the .DLG... but I don't know how to proceed from here... which one should I use?

The best thing is to write all the things you do as a uncompiled versions... you make a new .txt file, you write the thing the same way you would as a .dlg and then name it some random "12345678.d" , and then you use this in the mods .tp2 -file:

COMPILE ~12345678.d~

And that's it, essencially. As when you try to install the mod, you will see in the .debug file if the .dlg file can be compiled or not and the reason why also, unlike in DLTCEP.

 

ok got it, now I have the .d versions of the dialog files and look like this

 

BEGIN ~SARADAS~

IF ~TRUE()~ THEN BEGIN 0 // from:
 SAY #32232 /* ~Benvenuti avventurieri, il mio nome è Saradas, viaggiatore e potente mago.
Per tutta la mia vita ho vagato per Faerun in cerca di conoscenza e artefatti. Ho anche creato alcuni incantesimi
che potrei condividere con voi... per il giusto prezzo, naturalmente.
Date pure un'occhiata.~ */
 IF ~~ THEN REPLY #32233 /* ~Vediamo un po' cosa hai da offrire, mago.~ */ DO ~StartStore("saradas",LastTalkedToBy(Myself))~ EXIT
 IF ~~ THEN REPLY #32234 /* ~Sinceramente non ci interessa chi sei o cosa vendi, addio vecchio.~ */ EXIT
END

 

I'm sure it's a mistake to have the strings there.... should I delete them and only leave SAY and THEN REPLY?

 

 

 

Now...basically, in the .tp2, I can do like this?

 

COPY ~saradas/dialog1.d~ ~override~  
COMPILE ~dialog1.d~

COPY ~saradas/dialog2.d~ ~override~
COMPILE ~dialog2.d~

COPY ~saradas/dialog3.d~ ~override~
COMPILE ~dialog3.d~

 

The .baf version of the scripts looks exatly the same as the .bcs files. Is that ok?

should I use the same procedure used to copy/compile the .d files?

 

COPY ~saradas/script1.baf~ ~override~
COMPILE ~script1.baf~

COPY ~saradas/script2.baf~ ~override~
COMPILE ~script2.baf~

COPY ~saradas/script3.baf~ ~override~
COMPILE ~script3.baf~

 

 

 

Thank you for your patience

[Jarno Mikkola]

Now...basically, in the .tp2, I can do like this?

You are better off doing it like this:

 COMPILE ~saradas/dialog1.d~ ~saradas/dialog2.d~ ... 

Or you can do it even with this:

COMPILE ~saradas~

 

Same goes with the .baf files... yes, they are the .bcs files, just not compiled to the engine formar... so if you look them at an editor they look like same, but if you actually open the .bcs file from the games override folder with Notepad, it looks completelly different than it does with the game editor... because of it's intergrated status.

[Saradas]

ok, that way Weidu will compile every file that needs to be compiled from my mod's folder and move them in the override, I guess.

Thank you again, Jarno.

[Gwendolyne]

• Another question about strings... In some of the new spells and effects I created with DLTCEP, I added a "Text: Display String [139]", reading a string added to my .TLK so... my question is, how will weidu add that precise string to the final user's .TLK?

 

 

 

As others already said, don't change the .tlk file with DLTCEP.

 

Here are a few lines of my tp2 patching a spell :

 

COPY ~Diamant/Sorts/GWEpi31M.spl~ ~override/GWEpi31M.spl~ SAY 0x1ee @7100010

 

with :

 

0x1ee corresponding to the #139 effet string (you can check it with Near Infinity).

 

and

 

@7100010 = ~Recouvre la vue~ ("Can see again") written in my sorts.tra file (spells.tra).

[Saradas]

Here are a few lines of my tp2 patching a spell :

 

COPY ~Diamant/Sorts/GWEpi31M.spl~ ~override/GWEpi31M.spl~ SAY 0x1ee @7100010

 

with :

 

0x1ee corresponding to the #139 effet string (you can check it with Near Infinity).

 

Thank you so much, this string I have to display is very important in order to make the spell look more complete.

 

I mostly use DLTCEP for modding, so if I'm not mistaken, I just need to add to the spell effects list, "display string"

 

 

and then simply leave the string reference blank (-1 value)

 

 

because I will fill the .tra file with the text to display (ex. @1234), and "compile" the .tp2 file as you showed me.

Is that right? Or am I missing something?

[Avenger]

Yes, if you want your mod portable then all string references should be done like that.

[Gwendolyne]

Yes.

 

But you need to download and install Near Infinity (or Infinity Explorer) to ffind the correct offset of the string reference corresponding to #139 effect. You will find them in Spellhold forums.

 

My code writes the string reference for #139 effect located at the very end of the spell (I don't remember exactly, but it must be the 7° or 8th effect).

 

Considering the 4th position of your effect, I think the good code should be :

 

COPY ~Mymod/Myspell.spl~ ~override/Myspell.spl~ SAY 0x12e @1234

 

But the best way to avoid mistakes is to install Near Infinity and check for the good offset : open your spell file (located in the override folder, not in the "SPL" one), double click on the "Abilities" window, and double click on the #139 effect. You will find the correct effect of the string reference in the far right column of the "value" line : 12e h. Forget the " h" and write SAY 0x12e in your tp2. Depending on the position of the #139 effect, this offset may change.

[Saradas]

I followed all the listed step but surprisingly enough, the value is all 0....

 

I'm still trying to find out the good value. thank you all for the support, guys. Infinity Engine can be crazy stuff sometime...

[Gwendolyne]

You have to parameter Near Infinity to display the offset values : Options > Show Hex Offset.

 

Then Press F5 (= Game > Refresh Tree) to refresh the datas. In the meanwhile, it also registers the display modifications (otherwise, you must quit N.I. and launch it again).

The offsets column will be displayed now...

[Saradas]

Thank you Gwendolyne you're my hero! :D

 

it works now

 

 

I can finally continue modding and I will add this to my .tp2

 

COPY ~Saradas/spell.spl~ ~override/spell.spl~ SAY 0x12e @1234

[Gwendolyne]

You are welcome.

 

But your problem was a easy one to solve.

 

Fortunately for you (and me !), there are a lot of more skilled modders haunting G3 to help us with tougher stuff...

[Saradas]

my mod is complete but i have problems with weidu.

 

weidu executable and the .tp2 are in the game's main folder

 

I put all my .spl/.itm/.baf/.d files inside a folder called "saradas"

 

 

all .tra files under "saradas/italiano"

 

 

this is how my tp2 is written:

 

BACKUP ~saradas/backup~
AUTHOR ~me~
LANGUAGE ~italiano~ ~saradas/italiano/italiano.tra~
BEGIN saradas

COPY ~saradas/combust.spl~ ~override/combust.spl~
 SAY NAME1 @2				             //nome magia
 SAY UNIDENTIFIED_DESC @4	  //descrizione magia
...
...
...

 

 

weidu completely fails to see the files inside the mod's folder, including .tra files...

 

 

Using Language [italiano]
[italiano] has 0 top-level TRA files
Using lang\it_it/dialog.tlk and lang\it_it/dialogF.tlk
Install Component [saradas]?
[i]nstall, or [N]ot Install or [Q]uit?
Installing [saradas]
Copying and patching 1 file ...
[saradas/mod_files/combust.spl] loaded, 634 bytes
ERROR: No translation provided for @2
ERROR: [saradas/mod_files/combust.spl] -> [override/combust.spl] Patching Failed (COPY) (Not_found)
Stopping installation because of error.
ERROR Installing [saradas], rolling back to previous state
Unable to Unlink [saradas/backup/0/OTHER.0]: Unix.Unix_error(1, "unlink", "saradas/backup/0/OTHER.0")
[saradas/backup/0/UNSETSTR.0] SET_STRING uninstall info not found
Will uninstall   0 files for [sARADAS.TP2] component 0.
Uninstalled	  0 files for [sARADAS.TP2] component 0.
Unable to Unlink [saradas/backup/0/READLN.0]: Unix.Unix_error(20, "unlink", "saradas/backup/0/READLN.0")
Unable to Unlink [saradas/backup/0/READLN.0.TEXT]: Unix.Unix_error(20, "unlink", "saradas/backup/0/READLN.0.TEXT")
ERROR: Not_found

 

 

i've been trying all day without success. what am i doing wrong? please help me with the final step

[Jarno Mikkola]

 BEGIN saradas
COPY...

Should probably be:

 BEGIN ~saradas~
COPY... 

Erhm and why have you not added the "setup-" in front of the .tp2 name ? And I would put that file into the mod folder... ouh, and you are using the v232 of weidu.exe ?

 

Ouh, and you didn't actually show the content of the .tra file... and it might be easiest if there was just one .tra file per language, so just copy paste the info from one to the primary and be happy with that.