Advice adding US Packs from CMBN (if possible)

[jamxo]

Hi all - apologies if this isn't the correct forum to ask.

I was wondering if it possible to copy the US infantry combat pack that shows up on my troops in CM:BN and get it across to CM:FI? And if this is possible I would really appreciate some advice on how to do it (assuming it isn't massively more complex than your general CM modding/Z folder shenanigans.) Or is it hard coded to not appear and not editable?

I searched and found this old thread where someone asked similar but it sort of fizzled out without a resolution. I understand there is some debate about the amount of gear a solider would have in combat in the hot climate, but with all the other forces in the game having a degree of gear I find it a little noticeable whenever I take control of the US and they are just wearing shirts with the odd pouch. 

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Erwin]

Hope I understand what you need...

Firstly one needs to check that any mod for one game is compatible with another game.  Assuming it is, one can easily COPY that mod to the other game.  Do you know how to create a "Z" or "Mod" folder?  

If it is not a mod but part of the original graphics, you will need to locate the MOD TOOLS folder in the main game folder.  Open it.  Then COPY the .brz file (found in the "Data" folder of your main CMBN game folder) to the "RezExplode - Input" folder and click on RezExplode.exe.  This will explode the .brz file and you can fid all the individual graphics files in the "Exploded" folder.  

So long as you always work with copies of your .brz folders and mods, you can always delete what you have done and go back to the originals.

 

 

Edited March 3, 2021 by Erwin

[jamxo]

Thanks for offering to help Erwin, apologies for not clearly explaining what I was asking. 

To hopefully help clarify, I'm familiar with mod folders and both my games are modded with custom skins. But I think CM:FI differs from BM:BN in that the US infantry in game 3D model doesn't have a backpack on the actual model. So unmodded or even with modded textures my soldiers don't have a backpack on like they do in CM:BN (and like the British/Italian/German troops have in CM:FI.) This seems to be the case in that thread above so I assume it is the same for everyones' CM:FI game. 

So what I'm asking is is it possible to copy either the base infantry model (or the backpack model if it is a separate thing) from CM:BN into CM:FI? 

 

[mjkerner]

jamxo, Erwin’s advice is a good start. But it depends on whether we can swap out US infantry models from BN or FB with those from FI/GL. I don’t recall if that is possible, but it should be (pretty certain I swapped Fallschirmjager from BN into FI a few years back, way before the R2V module introduced them into FI/GL). I can check, but it basically involves renaming the skeleton files. That’s because we can’t alter the models BFC has put in the game (not counting some guys who are making new 3D models using a program called Blender), so unless we get a model from a CMx2 game that has pack already on it that we can swap, we’re generally out of luck.

[jamxo]

7 minutes ago, mjkerner said:

jamxo, Erwin’s advice is a good start. But it depends on whether we can swap out US infantry models from BN or FB with those from FI/GL. I don’t recall if that is possible, but it should be (pretty certain I swapped Fallschirmjager from BN into FI a few years back, way before the R2V module introduced them into FI/GL). I can check, but it basically involves renaming the skeleton files. That’s because we can’t alter the models BFC has put in the game (not counting some guys who are making new 3D models using a program called Blender), so unless we get a model from a CMx2 game that has pack already on it that we can swap, we’re generally out of luck.

Thanks both - this seems along the lines of what I was hoping to do. Not create any new 3D Models from scratch like a different type of backpack, but merely locate and copy the US Infantry model from CM:BN and place it within CM:FI. So is the skeleton file what determines the actual character model that the skins/textures go on? If so then potentially copying that from CM:BN to CM:FI might work? 

[mjkerner]

I have to run atm, but quick answer is "sort of". You have to find the correct skeleton, then copy those (6) file names over to the US counterpart skeletons you want to replace in FI. You also need to rename the actual bmp textures files for the uniforms according to what they are named in FI. Good luck, but if you wait a few hours, I can check it all out and make the changes (assuming it works as I remember).

[jamxo]

Thank you so much, I certainly can wait and would be greatly appreciative of your help/expertise, lest I accidentally copy the wrong skeleton file and do all manner of damage. So thank you very much for the kind offer of help and no rush at all.

Edited March 3, 2021 by jamxo

[mjkerner]

Hi jamxo,

I wanted to let you know I tried to do a swap of models and uniforms from BN to FI-GL, but had no luck. It turns out going through some old folders from 2015(!) that I had tried this before (and I didn't find them until AFTER I tried to do it this time).  I'm not sure exactly why, because I did swap Fallschirmjaeger from BN with Wehrmacht from FI before the latter was updated to include them. Could be several reasons, and I will keep trying off and on as I think of possibilities, but no backpacks for now.

[jamxo]

26 minutes ago, mjkerner said:

Hi jamxo,

I wanted to let you know I tried to do a swap of models and uniforms from BN to FI-GL, but had no luck...

Thank you for the update and for trying regardless! Appreciate the effort. I attempted something along the lines you mentioned with some renaming of the skeleton files after copying across from CMBN but likewise in game nothing changed. Assumed I had probably done the process wrong but if you had the same outcome then I guess it’s not possible.

Thanks again though, to be fair it’s probably not that immersion breaking that infantry would attack without combat packs in the hot Italian sun..

Edited March 7, 2021 by jamxo

[waffelmann]

I don't think, that you can bring backpacks with the sekeleton from another game.

 

I think more, that the equipment will be associated in the programm (similar to the different ammo-pouches). The skeletons of the US-soldiers of both games are probably the same.

[mjkerner]

Yeah, I am pretty certain it has to do with the mds/mdr files. I messed with the skeletons, replacing some files with mds/mdr files added in later iterations of the game--probably to fix some bug(?)--but nothing worked.  Renamed gear skeletons, and managed to get backpacks on the GI's hips, apparently replacing an ammo pouch or haversack! Looked rather strange. Could be on to something, because the backpacks were a 3D bulge, so the model was altered in some way.

The thing is, model swapping between games is possible between BN and FI.  I worked with Kohlenklau on a Crete-type mod quite a ways back, and we imported FJs from BN. And he worked wonders with other stuff too, as is usual with him, lol! He came up with some creative ways to simulate parachute drops. Pretty funny to watch!  AFAIK, the mod died aborning, I think after GL came out.  But I digress,  I guess not all models can be swapped between the games. But I'll probably keep putzing away at it anyway.

[kohlenklau]

 

Hey guys. Model swapping is definitely possible between CMX2 titles and all kinds of mischief and mayhem can be achieved! I think we took CMFI greatcoats and made CMBN have the Bulge. Then we took CMFI snow and had CMRT have snow and greatcoats (axis and allies). And the FJ for both CMFI and CMRT. 

BUT MY GUESS is that there must be game engine settings in the encrypted part of the program that sets if back packs appear at all for the US or at what random variation...just a guess. 

Plain vanilla CMBN you see the backpacks on a certain portion of the US troops. Plain vanilla CMFI, you do not see any. It was originally blamed on the Sicilian heat, wine and women. But now that R2V has the grunts huddled around a candle freezing their butts off, you'd think they should have made a comeback. 

[jamxo]

Thanks all for the definitive testing and answers that it is a hardcoded omission and not something that can be user added. A shame! and yes I agree with you @kohlenklau it would be nice now we have R2V to have them return, as well as just making the infantry look consistent across the various WWII titles (as well as within CMFI where the other nations troops have lots of gear). Maybe if we are lucky in a patch one day?