How to use Mod Tags

[Sgt.Squarehead]

13 minutes ago, MOS:96B2P said:

I have to physically go into the editor and use the shift key to cycle through the building skins to make the mosque collonade and shot up skins appear again.

This happened to me when I was meddling with 'Urban Hell'.....Part of the reason for my comments elsewhere. 

[benpark]

It's an easy fix, for once! Here's what you need-

- Remove the mod tags from EVERYTHING after the stock textures (building "8"). That means, 9, 10 have no [ramadi]. They are named exactly as is, but delete the Mod Tag, as these are outside the scope of the standard stock set. Mod Tags are for swapping in something that already exists. For all else, just add the numbers, and keep going.

-Add windows with the "u" suffix (copy "window 8u", rename as 9, 10)- they are missing. These are in the stock graphics, so you need them.

You now will see the 9,10 buildings in the stock game if they aren't already set by the map-maker. If that bugs you, copy over two of your full favorite stock modular texture sets. Then add the [ramadi] mod tag to your buildings 9, 10. That way these only show for this scenario.

Did that work?

[MOS:96B2P]

On 3/1/2019 at 6:08 PM, benpark said:

Did that work?

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  +2

 

On 3/1/2019 at 6:08 PM, benpark said:

Mod Tags are for swapping in something that already exists. For all else, just add the numbers, and keep going.

Good information.  I was trying to swap the mod with something that did not exist in the stock game.  Everyday is a learning day.   

 

On 3/1/2019 at 6:08 PM, benpark said:

You now will see the 9,10 buildings in the stock game if they aren't already set by the map-maker. If that bugs you, copy over two of your full favorite stock modular texture sets. Then add the [ramadi] mod tag to your buildings 9, 10. That way these only show for this scenario.

Ah, clever.  So I think this could also be done with stock building skin #8 to make the original stock #8 appear in the game again.  So then the game (scenario) could have 11 total building skins three of which could be tagged.................. cool stuff.

Thank you very much for your time and assistance.    

[benpark]

Indeed! Happy to help, as I had once suffered as you.

[MOS:96B2P]

Okay, something else with tags I'm not understanding.  First, I guess the question is, can the force specific background screens for CMSF2 be mod tagged?  These are the loading screens for scenarios.  In CMSF2 for the US side they will show one of three images, A Stryker, A Bradley or an Abrams while the load bar fills up. 

If I put three mods for these three stock screens in the mod folder they display with no problem.  The file names are displayed below:

force-specific background blue 1  force-specific background blue 2  and force-specific background blue 3   

The problem is If they are just in the mod folder and not tagged they show up in every scenario in the game not just the scenario they are appropriate for.  As a result I gave them the below tags:

force-specific background blue 1 [coup]     force-specific background blue 2 [coup]      and force-specific background blue 3 [coup]

However after being tagged the mods no longer show on the scenario load screen but do still show up as background for the briefing / designer note screens.  I used RezExplode and looked at the original stock file names and have attempted different tags removing other mods etc.  Below are some screenshots:

This is the stock scenario load screen (force-specific background blue).   

Here is one of the three mods that replace the stock scenario loading screens.  

Below is the briefing screen.  The mod will show on the briefing screen when tagged (as it should) but will not show up on the load screen where the stock Stryker, Bradley & Abrams show.

 Any ideas?   

Edited March 6, 2019 by MOS:96B2P

[benpark]

The loading screens I believe are swapped in randomly. They can't be tagged by scenario. The briefing graphics are part of the scenario, so they are able to be. I haven't attempted to change any of these in the past, so this is conjecture based upon how the game "sees" the files.

[RockinHarry]

19 minutes ago, benpark said:

The loading screens I believe are swapped in randomly. They can't be tagged by scenario. The briefing graphics are part of the scenario, so they are able to be. I haven't attempted to change any of these in the past, so this is conjecture based upon how the game "sees" the files.

would be interesting to have custom layouts for briefing screens, so one can decide for different pic sizes in the template, particularly ones higher than width.

[MOS:96B2P]

30 minutes ago, benpark said:

The loading screens I believe are swapped in randomly. They can't be tagged by scenario. 

Okay.  I'll have to add this to my growing list of notes.   

Thanks again. 

[Sgt.Squarehead]

5 minutes ago, MOS:96B2P said:

I'll have to add this to my growing list of notes.   

Hoping you might compile that one day and release it as a .pdf.....It would be invaluable IMHO. 

[JohnO]

Quick question, can you have more then one tag on the text file? Foe example, 4ID, easterneurope, muddy on a text file labeled TF1-66. Or does all the bmp files have to have the same labeled TF1-66.. 

[MOS:96B2P]

46 minutes ago, JohnO said:

Quick question, can you have more then one tag on the text file? Foe example, 4ID, easterneurope, muddy on a text file labeled TF1-66. Or does all the bmp files have to have the same labeled TF1-66.. 

 I just replied to our PM. Yes you can have multiple tags.  However I'm not sure if you can have numbers in the tag.  @rocketman tried to use tags with numbers, for the 28th Infantry Division, if I remember correctly and had problems. 

Edited March 9, 2019 by MOS:96B2P

[MikeyD]

To save multiple tag names in the txt file I just do a return after each word. Couldn't be simpler.

rubble
trash
snow
mainland

[Zveroboy1]

How does it work for a campaign? Do you have to add tags to each individual battle?

[benpark]

Yes. But then you can have different ones if needed through the campaign (pretty important, actually...). You can just load up your original text file that has the mod tag text, however. I have a folder for 'em.

[Zveroboy1]

I see, thanks.

[RockinHarry]

58 minutes ago, benpark said:

Yes. But then you can have different ones if needed through the campaign (pretty important, actually...). You can just load up your original text file that has the mod tag text, however. I have a folder for 'em.

+1

good to know, thanks!  Quite useful if the seperate missions just need to load the stuff most useful for the map or units. An urban map would require different things than i.e a hvy forest map and such.

[Darknight (DC)]

Looking for some advice...

I thought I had this straight in my head....but I can't get the ModTag textures to show.

So, to test I created a bare bones scenario in CMBN with a couple of troops of Staghounds.

I have created several mod variations:

• staghound-hull [UK_VIIICorps_2HC]
• staghound-hull [UK_VIIICorps_2HC_A]
• staghound-hull [UK_VIIICorps_2HC_C]
• staghound-turret [UK_VIIICorps_2HC_A]
• staghound-turret [UK_VIIICorps_2HC_C]

I created a txt file with the tags:

• UK_VIIICorps_2HC
• UK_VIIICorps_2HC_A
• UK_VIIICorps_2HC_C

which I imported into the Scenario and saved.

When I ran the scenario, I don't see any of the textures and it is unmodded.

I also tried with a base Staghound mod in my Z folder and it shows up but the ModTag textures never do.

I have to be missing something simple here, right?

(Initially I wanted to see which modtag call would take precedence...the first in the txt file or the last...but none worked....so I tried only a single tag in the txt file and that didn't work either).

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks

[MOS:96B2P]

10 hours ago, Darknight (DC) said:

Looking for some advice...

I thought I had this straight in my head....but I can't get the ModTag textures to show.

My first guess is that the mods are not showing because the txt file has upper case letters.  Try lower case.  Below are my mod tag notes. 

 

Place the tagged mod in the mod folder. Example: stream a [squalor]

Create a txt file with the word squalor typed on it.

The text file needs a single word, lower case for each tag.

For multiple tags type all the tags on the same txt document separated by a space, comma, or line feed.

(Once the txt is imported the tag names will display in the editor the same way no matter if they were entered on the txt with a space or comma or line feed between them.)

Example: squalor, separatist, ramadi, coup           

Place the txt file in the briefings folder.

Open the scenario in the editor.

Go to Mission – Mod Tags – Import – briefing folder – mod tags – txt document with the tags

Click on the txt document and it will automatically import into the scenario.

Save

May need to exit game and restart. 

 

[Darknight (DC)]

Wow...I didn't think upper/lower case would make such an issue but it does...sometimes the simplest things, eh.

So, I found out it only needs to be lower case in the imported txt file...the tag on each bmp can have upper case letters (thankfully, because I'm 80% though modding Normandy and that would be a HUGE PITA to correct).

Also discovered that the 1st tag called seems to have precedence over subsequent tags in the same txt file.

In my above example, the game displayed the UK_VIIICorps_2HC file for the hull and the UK_VIIICorps_2HC_A file for the turret (which means that with some creative ordering in the txt file, I can basically layer the mods to my liking).

 

Thanks...this was extremely helpful.

[usgubgub]

I am having a problem with the 12th SS mod by Jaquinot.

In this mod some .bmp files are tagged [camo-peas].

When I load the mod into the Z folder, the tagged .bmps are used whether the scenario has the tag camo-peas or not. Should they not appear only when the scenario is showing the tag?

[MOS:96B2P]

17 minutes ago, usgubgub said:

Should they not appear only when the scenario is showing the tag?

Yes.  The tagged mod should only appear in scenarios that have the tag.  Which CM game is this for?   Try taking the mod out of the Z folder and placing it in the normal mod folder (I have a Z folder inside my Mod folder).  However if I remember correctly CMBN mods are organized a little differently.    

Edited December 11, 2019 by MOS:96B2P

[usgubgub]

It is for CMBN. CMBN still uses the Z folder. 

[MOS:96B2P]

1 hour ago, usgubgub said:

It is for CMBN. CMBN still uses the Z folder. 

I think @MikeyD has a point .  Read what he said below.  A tag will work from inside the Z folder.  So I deleted my original post after reading the below post. 

Edited December 12, 2019 by MOS:96B2P

[MikeyD]

I believe [camou-peas] is an official CM uniform variant. When I search rez-exploded BRZs in CMFI I get lots of [camou peas] tagged uniforms.

[Frenchy56]

To be exact, it's [camo-peas].

It's represented as "late camo" in-game, which you can select as an appearance for SS troops in the editor.

Edited December 12, 2019 by Frenchy56