Mod Tags

[RockinHarry]

Since most the incomplete info is scattered across the board and nothing at all to be found in the CMBN game manual, I´d like to post the basics here, mainly for people who play and work with CMBN only.

1. The mod tag name must be lower case only. I.e "ground dirt red [yourtag].bmp"

2. The mod tag name must be ONE single word. I.e "yourtag", not "your tag". Otherwise the game looks for two (or more) different name tags (your, tag), which most likely do not exist then.

3. There needs to be a space before the brackets [....] with the tag name.

4 The text file to be imported in the editor just needs to include the single word, lower case tag name and any additionally to be used tag, seperated by a space, comma, or line feed. For the above example, the to be imported txt file just includes yourtag. If the tagged files are named [yourtag] and [othertag), the text file needs then to contain yourtag, othertag, or yourtag othertag, or

yourtag (line feed)

othertag

5. The tagged mod file goes anywhere into the data/z folder.

6. Any game file can be mod tagged, ie. *.wav, *.bmp (including UI elements), *.frag, *.mdr and maybe more.

7. If the txt file is loaded/imported into the editor, the tagged mods become active, once you load the 3D editor part (deploy units, 3D preview) and exit again. Can´t hurt to save the mission file with the newly added tag, exit editor and reload.

That´s what works for me after some trial and error and bits of info found here and there. I do neither have CMRT, CMFI or CMBS and it seems these games have info in the manuals not contained in the CMBN one, thus not available to me.

 

Additional comments, hints or error corrections welcome.

 

[kohlenklau]

Thanks!

[RockinHarry]

CMBN default tagged files obviously work with different naming conventions and it appears these are hardcoded (some pointers are in the related *.mdr files). "smod" also tells about usage, but which in particular? 

[muddy] - a number of muddy tracks/wheels and very few hulls. Applies when ground setting is "muddy" (?)
[82nd] - 82nd US AB (still in use?)
[holland] - Holland/MG
[armd-eng] - german Panzergrenadiers
[holland 82nd] - MG/82nd US AB
[holland 101st] - MG/101st US AB
[camo-peas] - german late SS pea camo
[british] - UK textures
[canadian] - canadian textures
[polish] - polish textures
[mainland] - camo scheme (17 pd only)
[olive] - color scheme

[MikeyD]

I believe [mainland] and [olive] are tags for CMFI Italian mainland module. But hey, maybe they work in CMBN through some fluke. I haven't tried, myself. 

[kohlenklau]

I found a subway wrapper in one of the data folders...

[RockinHarry]

I believe [mainland] and [olive] are tags for CMFI Italian mainland module. But hey, maybe they work in CMBN through some fluke. I haven't tried, myself. 

Think these went in there by accident (Came with one the v210 brz files). There´s no further reference to be found among files and in unit editor Appearance tab.

smod refers I think to soldier skeleton updates, probably making a good number of older files obsolete, uniforms, helmets and such. To some degree I managed to replace the peaked cap of my german Bn commander with some german helmet. 

[RockinHarry]

I found a subway wrapper in one of the data folders...

a what?  

[kohlenklau]

Subway is a popular US shop that makes sandwiches. The joke was that maybe a BFC programmer left his lunch wrapper in the folders. Because indeed they seem to have some small amount of trash and unintended contents. I think CMBN folders have this odd unfinished greatcoat bmp image and a few other such instances like you noticed.

Just a few over the thousands that are properly placed.

[Ivan Zaitzev]

I created a custom skin for a jeep, imported the tag file and now every jeep is using that skin. I thought I was going to be able to pick individual units and select if they should use the skin or not. Is this how it is supposed to work or I'm doing something wrong?

[A Canadian Cat]

That is how it works. The tags let you create a mod that can be used in a specific scenario but it overrides all uses of that texture in the scenario.

[RockinHarry]

Subway is a popular US shop that makes sandwiches. The joke was that maybe a BFC programmer left his lunch wrapper in the folders. Because indeed they seem to have some small amount of trash and unintended contents. I think CMBN folders have this odd unfinished greatcoat bmp image and a few other such instances like you noticed.

Just a few over the thousands that are properly placed.

Ok, lol  ...didn´t think of the brand, although Subway already rooted in german cities since many years.

[RockinHarry]

I created a custom skin for a jeep, imported the tag file and now every jeep is using that skin. I thought I was going to be able to pick individual units and select if they should use the skin or not. Is this how it is supposed to work or I'm doing something wrong?

As IanL said, but if you really just need one particular jeep in a mission having that skin, then you could make a texture just for one of the two basic jeep mdr versions (UK, US) and use this jeep just once in your OOB/Mission. That could mean you mod the UK version (or vice versa) and use this amongst the US ones, if you accept the driver will look like a Tommy and not GI. This off course adds a dependency to also have CW and/or MG module installed.