LordOfWAR
17.02.2009, 20:34
Gothic3 - Mod Starter by PiranhaClub & Mighty DWARF
In this thread i want to tell you about our joint project (By PiranhaClub & Mighty DWARF) - "Gothic3 - Mod Starter" . We start develop it more than two month ago, and the last fix was only two days ago. During this time we created almost all what need ModStarter (MDS) :
Now it is possible to separate each saves on different installed mod's (saves from one mods is not shown with others mod's and e.t.c.), but if there is peoples who don't like this possibility, they can disable it in Options Menu - "SaveGame Manger". There is skin manager (you can open it via menu). Skin manager means that you can change background picture by adding it into "Skins\" folder, also you can change positions and color of inscriptions (labels), automatic instalation of few (or all) mods. MDS translated into 4 languages - Ukraininan , Russian , English and Deutch (German) and e.t.c. (many other things) :) .
Also during this time we fixed a lot of mistakes (if you will find some error, pls post it there with some screenshot).
This project is fully free and developed for all mod-makers who want to make new mods to G3. So that means that everyone mod-maker can use it in their project, add new pictures to the background, create builds, give links and e.t.c.
ModStarter have automatic checking of game version and it will deny instalation of mods to G3 if CP 1.6 was not installed.
Also MDS can be installed into any folder, because it will find path to the game via registry or will ask it on starting.
If you will want to add your mods into mds, you must create it by some structure which was shown in readme (also you can see how already working mods are maked (in the "FanMods\" folder)).
Readme :
Gothic 3 Mod Starter by PiranhaClub & Mighty DWARF.
______________________________________
License agreements :
This program was developed by LordOfWAR, with SergeyS and Mighty DWARF help. Also thanks to NicoDE for perfect pak tools.
Mod Starter was optimized to WernerTWC's Sammel Mod v2.0 structure and to some Mighty DWARF mods.
This program is fully free, and you can use it in any variations. That means that you can use it in your projects, reupload, give links and e.t.c. Also you can add some translations, of course if you know how. One think what i deny - change program codes without me .
Also, you use this program for you own risk. And I do not guarantee that all will works good. If you will find some bugs, pls notice me in PM on WOG,Jowood, or PiranhaClub forums.
______________________________________
Short instruction - how to use :
I think, that i should begin to tell you about ModStarter (MDS), from needed folders to run it. It is folders Tools (with NicoDE utilites to pack\unpack *.pak files), and FanMods folder. Last folder (FanMods), must be not empty, because mds search mods there. (All this folders was included into mds.rar archive).
You can connect your own mods to the mds by creating new folder in FanMods, and add to there some needed to g3 and to mds files :
1. You must necessarily have in mod folder at least one *.p0x file, if program will not found no any p0x files, then folder will be skipped. (p0x files, during integrating, will be copied to the Gothic3\Data\ folder with incremental number, that means - if in Gothic3\Data\ there is file templates.p02 , then templates.p0x file will have name - templates.p03 and e.t.c.).
2. You must necessarily have in mod folder only one *.jpg file (size - 330х327 or 315х312), all others image resolutions was not tested (they will be resized to this resolution).
3. You must necessarily have in mod folder *.rtf file (WordPad file), with full desription of mod, and e.t.c.
4. You must necessarily have in mod folder only one readme.txt (readme.rtf) file - short description of mod, which will be displayed in the program.
5. (It is not necessarily) You can add only one stringtableMod.ini file (with exact file name). In this file you can add strings which later, during integrating, will be added into stringtable.ini (but in stringtableMod.ini there must be stringtable.ini format too, that means that there must be sections, keys and their values, so structure same as in stringtable.ini ...). During integrating, mds work directly with NicoDE G3PakDir, that means that during integrating, program unpack archives and then pack it via his programs, so i don't recomend to you close G3PakDir or G3Pak during unpacking or packing files, because there is risk to damage you'r *.pak files.
6. (It is not necessarily) In your mod folder, you can also add some *Mod.lrtpldatasc files. That means, for example - if you decide to update in your mod, Objects_Buildings.lrtpldatasc file, you must have in mod folder, file with name - Objects_BuildingsMod.lrtpldatasc , where will be only new strings which then will be added into Objects_Buildings.lrtpldatasc. (You also can add new strings or change existing strings. For example, let's see some original file (*.lrtpldatasc) which is in templates.pak. As we see, it's structure some like this :
[sectionname]
key1=value1
key2=value2 ...
So, that means, that you can create Objects_BuildingsMod.lrtpldatasc file with same structure, add new keys, values, or new values for existing keys... and then, during integrating, MDS will repack templates.pak and write all strings (if file - Objects_BuildingsMod.lrtpldatasc will be without string - "[sectionname]", all strings will be added into Objects_Buildings.lrtpldatasc as new strings into end of file, if not, all keys will be rewritten, and new will be added to the end of file too.) You must understand, that program will find needed file to update herself (As we see, different of names is in word *Mod.lrtpldatasc and that means, that program can make search of needed file...), so it is not needed to add path to file which you want to update somewhere into program, because templates.pak will be extracted during integrating, file will be founded, updated and only changed files, then, will be packed to p0x...
7. (It is not necessarily) You can add to your mod folder ModName.ini file, with next lines :
[Name]
Caption=name of the mod
That means, that if you will add there name of your mod, program will add your mod to the list with this name, if not, program will use as name of your mod - caption of mod folder.
________________________________________
Also, after integrating of some mods, into mds folder you can find 2 new files - fdm.dat and flm.dat. You can read it via notepad. In the first file there is list of all new files which are copied into G3 folder. And in second there you can find list of mods wich are installed. This 2 files is needed to the normal working of MDS, and needed to the right uninstalling of mods.
________________________________________
Also, MDS supports working with saves. That means that after integrating new mods, old saves will not be displayed in the game. Same will be after adding new mods... and e.t.c. But saves will be not deleted, and after installing mods which support some saves, they will be visible... I think you should try it . (Working with saves can be disabled in options menu - "Savegame Manager")
________________________________________
P.S. If you want to install two mods, it is necessary to check two mods from the list (when one of them already is installed, you need to check two needed mods(and installed one too), because mds will uninstall all old mod's during integration...).
For now, mds used in Mighty DWARF's russian mod-pack - http://www.piranhaclub.eu/forum/showthread.php?p=19662 . Hope that in future it will be used in your's mod packs too :) .
_________
Also, MDS give possible to easy connect of needed fix or new mods into already installed pack (just copy new mods into new folder into "FanMods\")
So... hope that this work is usefull for you and if you will have some suggestions we ready to listen you :) .
ScreenShot's of MDS :
http://s41.radikal.ru/i093/0902/d4/6c0c10572702.jpg
http://s48.radikal.ru/i122/0902/56/fe8a54335a5b.jpg
http://s55.radikal.ru/i149/0902/6f/2c20d4a97a51.jpg
P.S. For mod installation from mds, you need just select all needed mods and press - "Integrate mod's". And for launching game it is not needed to launch mds every time, because starter is just installer and after installation (integration) you can run the game from shortcut, directly from .exe file or e.t.c.
I want to say BIG (:)) thank you to peoples who helped me in this work :
Odin68 (Mighty DWARF ModTeam) ,SergeyS,WernerTWC,NicoDE (For G3PakDir and e.t.c.),Altair,v000nix and Elind .
Download link (in this rar archive is only ModStarter without any mod's) :
http://piranhaclub.eu/downloads/mds_release_v1.rar
Mirror - http://www.worldofgothic.de/dl/index.php?go=downloads&release_id=378
HomePage - (there you can write in English too) - http://www.piranhaclub.eu/forum/showthread.php?t=1667
I hope that after some days we will try to make some mod-pack in english to show mds in work... (For now, to test it, you can replace folder "FanMods" from SammelMod2 to the same folder in mds (as you know, mds was optimized to this ModPack), or try to create your own pack).
And... Sorry about mistakes, i from Ukraine :) .
___________
Best Regards,
Igor Vitol (LordOfWAR), PiranhaClub
In this thread i want to tell you about our joint project (By PiranhaClub & Mighty DWARF) - "Gothic3 - Mod Starter" . We start develop it more than two month ago, and the last fix was only two days ago. During this time we created almost all what need ModStarter (MDS) :
Now it is possible to separate each saves on different installed mod's (saves from one mods is not shown with others mod's and e.t.c.), but if there is peoples who don't like this possibility, they can disable it in Options Menu - "SaveGame Manger". There is skin manager (you can open it via menu). Skin manager means that you can change background picture by adding it into "Skins\" folder, also you can change positions and color of inscriptions (labels), automatic instalation of few (or all) mods. MDS translated into 4 languages - Ukraininan , Russian , English and Deutch (German) and e.t.c. (many other things) :) .
Also during this time we fixed a lot of mistakes (if you will find some error, pls post it there with some screenshot).
This project is fully free and developed for all mod-makers who want to make new mods to G3. So that means that everyone mod-maker can use it in their project, add new pictures to the background, create builds, give links and e.t.c.
ModStarter have automatic checking of game version and it will deny instalation of mods to G3 if CP 1.6 was not installed.
Also MDS can be installed into any folder, because it will find path to the game via registry or will ask it on starting.
If you will want to add your mods into mds, you must create it by some structure which was shown in readme (also you can see how already working mods are maked (in the "FanMods\" folder)).
Readme :
Gothic 3 Mod Starter by PiranhaClub & Mighty DWARF.
______________________________________
License agreements :
This program was developed by LordOfWAR, with SergeyS and Mighty DWARF help. Also thanks to NicoDE for perfect pak tools.
Mod Starter was optimized to WernerTWC's Sammel Mod v2.0 structure and to some Mighty DWARF mods.
This program is fully free, and you can use it in any variations. That means that you can use it in your projects, reupload, give links and e.t.c. Also you can add some translations, of course if you know how. One think what i deny - change program codes without me .
Also, you use this program for you own risk. And I do not guarantee that all will works good. If you will find some bugs, pls notice me in PM on WOG,Jowood, or PiranhaClub forums.
______________________________________
Short instruction - how to use :
I think, that i should begin to tell you about ModStarter (MDS), from needed folders to run it. It is folders Tools (with NicoDE utilites to pack\unpack *.pak files), and FanMods folder. Last folder (FanMods), must be not empty, because mds search mods there. (All this folders was included into mds.rar archive).
You can connect your own mods to the mds by creating new folder in FanMods, and add to there some needed to g3 and to mds files :
1. You must necessarily have in mod folder at least one *.p0x file, if program will not found no any p0x files, then folder will be skipped. (p0x files, during integrating, will be copied to the Gothic3\Data\ folder with incremental number, that means - if in Gothic3\Data\ there is file templates.p02 , then templates.p0x file will have name - templates.p03 and e.t.c.).
2. You must necessarily have in mod folder only one *.jpg file (size - 330х327 or 315х312), all others image resolutions was not tested (they will be resized to this resolution).
3. You must necessarily have in mod folder *.rtf file (WordPad file), with full desription of mod, and e.t.c.
4. You must necessarily have in mod folder only one readme.txt (readme.rtf) file - short description of mod, which will be displayed in the program.
5. (It is not necessarily) You can add only one stringtableMod.ini file (with exact file name). In this file you can add strings which later, during integrating, will be added into stringtable.ini (but in stringtableMod.ini there must be stringtable.ini format too, that means that there must be sections, keys and their values, so structure same as in stringtable.ini ...). During integrating, mds work directly with NicoDE G3PakDir, that means that during integrating, program unpack archives and then pack it via his programs, so i don't recomend to you close G3PakDir or G3Pak during unpacking or packing files, because there is risk to damage you'r *.pak files.
6. (It is not necessarily) In your mod folder, you can also add some *Mod.lrtpldatasc files. That means, for example - if you decide to update in your mod, Objects_Buildings.lrtpldatasc file, you must have in mod folder, file with name - Objects_BuildingsMod.lrtpldatasc , where will be only new strings which then will be added into Objects_Buildings.lrtpldatasc. (You also can add new strings or change existing strings. For example, let's see some original file (*.lrtpldatasc) which is in templates.pak. As we see, it's structure some like this :
[sectionname]
key1=value1
key2=value2 ...
So, that means, that you can create Objects_BuildingsMod.lrtpldatasc file with same structure, add new keys, values, or new values for existing keys... and then, during integrating, MDS will repack templates.pak and write all strings (if file - Objects_BuildingsMod.lrtpldatasc will be without string - "[sectionname]", all strings will be added into Objects_Buildings.lrtpldatasc as new strings into end of file, if not, all keys will be rewritten, and new will be added to the end of file too.) You must understand, that program will find needed file to update herself (As we see, different of names is in word *Mod.lrtpldatasc and that means, that program can make search of needed file...), so it is not needed to add path to file which you want to update somewhere into program, because templates.pak will be extracted during integrating, file will be founded, updated and only changed files, then, will be packed to p0x...
7. (It is not necessarily) You can add to your mod folder ModName.ini file, with next lines :
[Name]
Caption=name of the mod
That means, that if you will add there name of your mod, program will add your mod to the list with this name, if not, program will use as name of your mod - caption of mod folder.
________________________________________
Also, after integrating of some mods, into mds folder you can find 2 new files - fdm.dat and flm.dat. You can read it via notepad. In the first file there is list of all new files which are copied into G3 folder. And in second there you can find list of mods wich are installed. This 2 files is needed to the normal working of MDS, and needed to the right uninstalling of mods.
________________________________________
Also, MDS supports working with saves. That means that after integrating new mods, old saves will not be displayed in the game. Same will be after adding new mods... and e.t.c. But saves will be not deleted, and after installing mods which support some saves, they will be visible... I think you should try it . (Working with saves can be disabled in options menu - "Savegame Manager")
________________________________________
P.S. If you want to install two mods, it is necessary to check two mods from the list (when one of them already is installed, you need to check two needed mods(and installed one too), because mds will uninstall all old mod's during integration...).
For now, mds used in Mighty DWARF's russian mod-pack - http://www.piranhaclub.eu/forum/showthread.php?p=19662 . Hope that in future it will be used in your's mod packs too :) .
_________
Also, MDS give possible to easy connect of needed fix or new mods into already installed pack (just copy new mods into new folder into "FanMods\")
So... hope that this work is usefull for you and if you will have some suggestions we ready to listen you :) .
ScreenShot's of MDS :
http://s41.radikal.ru/i093/0902/d4/6c0c10572702.jpg
http://s48.radikal.ru/i122/0902/56/fe8a54335a5b.jpg
http://s55.radikal.ru/i149/0902/6f/2c20d4a97a51.jpg
P.S. For mod installation from mds, you need just select all needed mods and press - "Integrate mod's". And for launching game it is not needed to launch mds every time, because starter is just installer and after installation (integration) you can run the game from shortcut, directly from .exe file or e.t.c.
I want to say BIG (:)) thank you to peoples who helped me in this work :
Odin68 (Mighty DWARF ModTeam) ,SergeyS,WernerTWC,NicoDE (For G3PakDir and e.t.c.),Altair,v000nix and Elind .
Download link (in this rar archive is only ModStarter without any mod's) :
http://piranhaclub.eu/downloads/mds_release_v1.rar
Mirror - http://www.worldofgothic.de/dl/index.php?go=downloads&release_id=378
HomePage - (there you can write in English too) - http://www.piranhaclub.eu/forum/showthread.php?t=1667
I hope that after some days we will try to make some mod-pack in english to show mds in work... (For now, to test it, you can replace folder "FanMods" from SammelMod2 to the same folder in mds (as you know, mds was optimized to this ModPack), or try to create your own pack).
And... Sorry about mistakes, i from Ukraine :) .
___________
Best Regards,
Igor Vitol (LordOfWAR), PiranhaClub