HOW TO MAKE A BIG MOD (TEST DUMMY LOG)

[kohlenklau]

I am on my last legs of CM modding!  I have just a wee bit of juice left and will tackle a big mod and leave these posts and comments for anybody that might benefit from them.

I think the CMCW guys could really go places in a similar way as I have for the WW2 titles. CMCW Yom Kippur Mod, CMCW Falklands Mod for example.

Somebody who is smarter than me will probably see ways to do it better or easier or smarter. Of course! Pipe in and tell me as it is. I am not perfect.

I am not making any fancy pdf's or any videos. Just a bunch of text posts and probably some images.

 

 

Edited February 16, 2023 by kohlenklau

[kohlenklau]

Before I get nasty and lewd in how I view CM IN MY OWN OPINIONS FROM MY MIND, let me just thank Steve and Charles for creating the game and having it be "modable" with RezExplode and RezPack and the z folder and [modtags]. Imagine how crappy we would all feel if we didn't have those things. If I win Powerball lottery, they would also work to give us a lot more editor controls to change things. Oh well.

CMBB is, in my usual dirty-minded description, where the wedding bride gave all her holes away on honeymoon night. Steve and Charles then attended a business seminar and learned to never ever do that again. They learned well! Their new business policy was to always leave the customer with a bit more appetite at the end of the meal. Leave them wanting more. CMCW shipped under that policy. No snow yet. Just USA and USSR. Next module is just BAOR and still no snow. Maybe next module you get Bundeswehr? Maybe snow too? Dutch Marine Korps? Penciled in for 2033? 

So, we can only try as forumites to mod things to look like we want. Luckily that deep down inside the CM titles are all really the same. It reminds me of a restaurant. Give them a few hours and the whole place can go from Mexican food/furniture/menus/decor/waiters/waitresses/music to Chinese. Did you ever double-click the wrong icon? You sometimes don't even notice until you're in the game. Oh crap, this is RT and not FB. the icon, the opening screen, music, UI, it all is modable. Names of soldiers, the voices, the ranks, the portraits, the floating icons can all be changed. It just takes time. ugggh. A freeware Bulk Renamer Utility really helps!

Some things cannot be changed under the hood. When you mod these things you try and go as close to an apple and an apple as you can. There are tricks you can pull off to try and fudge things. It is all we can do. I have enjoyed the results. The purists out there are not going to be happy and that is ok. Don't download it. Don't play it. No problem. 

IF YOU CAN GATHER A FEW BUDDIES THEN THESE MODS ALWAYS SEEM TO GO QUICKER. BUT YOU MIGHT BUMP HEADS OR PISS SOMEBODY OFF. SOMEBODY HAS TO BE THE OBERMODDENFUHRER.

 

[kohlenklau]

OK big mouth, what are you going to mod?

I am going to try and finally make France 1940 in CMX2. I see where I know I can enjoy some certain battles. It just takes a ton of time to rename things and get them tested. Some stuff needs created or re-textured of course. I have buddies that I can ask or try by myself. 

I have a vision of what it will look like!

I gotta have the German army in tall boots, the 2 tone uniforms and helmet decals. No MG42's! No panzerfausts! Grey vehicles. Waffen-SS can have smocks and helmet covers. 

French Army: well, we now have the Adrian helmet. and the kepi. We have French voices/names. We have some French AFV's. We have French buildings. I need French uniforms.

British Army: I guess we have a lot to work with. maybe less so for 1940 British AFV's. 

I predict I can get us an 83% success.

Edited February 16, 2023 by kohlenklau

[kohlenklau]

The last thing I will say before I actually go off for a while and do some modding is that you must fight the natural urge to dial things up to grandiose aspirations.

Keep the focus real tight and try and deliver at least one scenario with some cool stuff. I have a few small scenarios in my mind and what I will need to create.

See you later!

[Vacillator]

1 hour ago, kohlenklau said:

I am going to try and finally make France 1940 in CMX2

As I said recently Phil, I am your biggest fan.  And it's because of stuff like this.  Whatever meagre help I can offer, just ask.  That's from someone who currently doesn't quite understand AI programming in the editor LOL.

[WimO]

2 hours ago, kohlenklau said:

OK big mouth, what are you going to mod?

I am going to try and finally make France 1940 in CMX2. I see where I know I can enjoy some certain battles. It just takes a ton of time to rename things and get them tested. Some stuff needs created or re-textured of course. I have buddies that I can ask or try by myself. 

I have a vision of what it will look like!

I gotta have the German army in tall boots, the 2 tone uniforms and helmet decals. No MG42's! No panzerfausts! Grey vehicles. Waffen-SS can have smocks and helmet covers. 

French Army: well, we now have the Adrian helmet. and the kepi. We have French voices/names. We have some French AFV's. We have French buildings. I need French uniforms.

British Army: I guess we have a lot to work with. maybe less so for 1940 British AFV's. 

I predict I can get us an 83% success.

Wow K! That would be amazing.

[kohlenklau]

1 hour ago, Vacillator said:

Whatever meagre help I can offer, just ask

Send ale...or maybe champagne?

[kohlenklau]

The modtag will be [france1940]

In these big mods there must be 2 parts that go in the z folder to see the mod in action.

Part 1. modtagged files [france1940] that USUALLY CAN sit in there in the z and 99.9% of the time cause no unintended harm during playing the game but not wanting to see the mod

Part 2. the non-modtagged files. These files CANNOT be modtagged. They load as the game loads BEFORE scenario selection. The scenario has the modtag to summon the modtagged files from part 1. So these non-modtagged files MUST be pulled from z and stored safely elsewhere during playing the game but NOT wanting to see the mod. Things like the big splash screen, force selection graphics, music intro, soldier names, string file if it was edited. If you screw up then you just notice funny things in the game but no harm to the pc.

 

Edited February 16, 2023 by kohlenklau

[kohlenklau]

MDR SWAPPING 101

I write this from the perspective of a WW2 CM game fan...

If I CANNOT get a new influx of game-coded vehicles for the early war periods, I have to look at swapping a vehicle in for a specific mod. I will refer to this as mdr swapping other wise known as "mdr shenanigans".

We're all really just staring at a screen of spreadsheets fighting each other, right? Something like that? The armor ratings, the turret turn rate, rate of fire, etc.

I have taken the mdr file of one vehicle and renamed it to the mdr filename of another vehicle to get the on screen result I wanted. But the game engine knows what it really is and all the physics stays the same. The player is not happy to see a Romanian R-35 fire off a multi-round burst of main gun fire because underneath it is still a Lynx. So, sometimes these vehicle swaps are best limited to roles of battlefield debris, damaged tanks, etc. maybe set the ammo to severe, maybe use a conscript crew, send them down a mined road as part of an AI plan. AS AN EXAMPLE FROM CMRT ROMANIAN MOD, if CMRT had an actual R-35 on the axis side, then no "mdr shenanigans" would be required. CMFI has one on the axis side. 

We have apples, oranges and pears. If we can get a fuji apple to take the place of a macintosh apple, then maybe the overall results are not so awful. The R-35 layed over the Lynx wasn't so bad, I thought. I also did a T-34 from CMRT layed over the Panzer IV to be captured T-34 training for the invasion of Malta. Also, I did the Australian R-35 in CMFI Afrika Mod layed over the Stuart. 

My terms are "shell" vehicle mdr, the one you want to see in the game. It is on the outside like the shell of an egg. "host" vehicle mdr is on the inside, it is what the gamecode and associated physics see. 

1. Go get the folder for the shell vehicle (mdr files, bmp files, UI file), bring it to the new Z folder in a subfolder.

2. Then you must find the host mdr's folder and get the host mdr's mdr files, usually 3 or so?

3. Bring them into that same subfolder with the shell's stuff. Select the first host mdr file, then I hit F2 for rename then control c to copy the filename to the clitboard.

THEN DELETE THAT FILE.

4. Select the first file of the shell and hit F2 and hit ctrl v and also add in your [france1940] modtag at the end. hit enter

5. Do the same steps 3 and 4 for the other host files until all the original host mdr files are deleted and the shell files are all renamed with modtags.

The gamecode sees the hosts name but displays the shell on the screen in modtagged scenarios.

The last bit of icing on the cake is to modify the UI in game portrait or silhouette.

I like to try and use Juju's nice UI images for the shell vehicle or make your own and rename as host filename with modtag.

The bmps do not have to be renamed for vehicle mdr swaps

For uniform mds swapping, they do have to be renamed...more on that later.

I WILL GIVE DETAILED EXAMPLES OF MDR SHENANIGANS AS THIS PROGRESSES

Edited February 17, 2023 by kohlenklau

[kohlenklau]

ok, I did my first mdr shenanigan for this [france1940] mod. I am using CMFI by the way. I brought over the shell mdr of the German captured French flametank from CMBN MG module. I used the Churchill I as the host. I am trying for the best apples to apples there! a big heavy slow tank with BOTH a turret and a hull gun. It needs new textures to look French of course.

THIS IS MY CURRENT FRENCH ARMOR FAMILY FOR THE MOD. THEY ALL NEED NEW FRENCH ARMY COSTUMES! From left to right, the Renault R35, the Char B1, the Italian AB41 which will stand in "as is" for a Panhard AC, and French half-track (also from CMBN MG module).

I will round it out with a small staff car and an old looking truck. (using the Opel Kadett and that old Soviet truck).

Edited February 17, 2023 by kohlenklau

[kohlenklau]

For the krau...I mean the axis, I will set the date in CMFI to July 9, 1943 and quality to poor. I buy a German Army panzer grenadier battalion. It looks like it gets me no panzerfausts and maybe 1 MG42 sneaks through in a battalion. But we CAN mod that to look like an MG34 in the UI and in 3D.

[Erwin]

Looks brilliant, Phil!

[kohlenklau]

uniform mds file swapping:

We are looking at the current CMFI French troops, free French troops with a mix of French and US equipment. [france1940] mod will have most of the French Army soldiers in their greatcoats. It looks very similar to the ones they currently wear. To make sure we know which mds file these greatcoats come from, we do a little quick test trick as described below...

The British shorts are very easy to see.

So only as a test, I took the British shorts mds and changed its name to american greatcoat mds and put in my z folder. 

Then I started CMFI and purchased French troops and made them to be in greatcoats in the normal editor setting. 

Then I viewed the French troops.

I could see they had very odd greatcoats trying to be British shorts.

This now confirms what mds the French greatcoats use. It is the american greatcoat mds.

Just a temporary test method to identify the mds file. Delete that renamed mds out of z afterwards of course.

The [france1940] mod French Army officers or HQ unit soldiers will NOT be in greatcoats I AM THINKING. We want to try and have them look a little different. The regular soldiers will have Adrian helmets/greatcoats/puttees but the officers should have Kepi/field uniform/boots. I hope.

Edited February 19, 2023 by kohlenklau

[kohlenklau]

I try to be a multitasker.

I am excited to try and mod this French R35. I am a crappy modder so I picked one of the easier R35 camo schemes that the French Army had! 

This is so good that CMFI actually has the freaking R35 (Italians). I can have my very first [france1940] scenario really be accurate down in the game code physics. The Italian crew will be modded to look French. Make Sophia Loren strip down and wear a blonde wig to be Brigitte Bardot?

First try...

Edited February 19, 2023 by kohlenklau

[Artkin]

Did the Chars ever see combat action? IIRC most were destroyed before even getting to the fight. I think something like half of all of them were destroyed on a train.

[kohlenklau]

1 hour ago, Artkin said:

Did the Chars ever see combat action?

The Char B1 bis? Honestly, I don't really remember/know many intense details about France 1940. I thought I read where a French tank attack was only stopped when the 88 Flak guns got involved. I better blow the dust off some of my old books...

[kohlenklau]

self-explanatory

 

Thanks to @JM Stuff for his work on the mod.

[kohlenklau]

If you try to make a mod, be prepared for the mud and rocks to be thrown at you in various ways. Some people are purists and will not accept anything but some official BFC interpretation of a WW2 timeframe. I COULD go along with them except I will not live to be 147 years old.

Some folks will look for the chinks in your armor. Chinks? Is that the right word? No offense meant.

They look for issues with the mod and will pre-criticize it. Whatever. Give up if you don't have the cajones!

I say to hang in there and shoot for the best you can deliver.

I am thinking I can deliver an 83% mod. That means I damn well know it has issues but I just got to try and I look forward to trying a few small scenarios.

ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE!

I spent some time in the CMFI scenario editor and I think my saving grace just might be the Poles! They have a butt ton of bolt-action rifles and not so many SMG's. It seems insane but I might have to mod the Poles to speak French! Cest la Vie-ski!

[JM Stuff]

Phill I have some problems with internet  I was downloading things and this was very slow untill they cut, hopefully they dont steal the cable this time !!

I will take good note about your advices and do like everytimes my best on it !

But in fact I dont care about what some can thinking about my job, if they dont like they dont have to download, but I take all critics to performing what I am doing.

I have a lot to do, also the little job that you were asking me about the icons in the UI,  I will check tomorrow so I will say see you  !

 

PS i would like to see the "jacket" or coverall for the crew that you did !

Cheers

 

Edited February 22, 2023 by JM Stuff

[WimO]

Amazing stuff!

[RockinHarry]

Good luck, Phil! Looking good so far and I´m convinced that anything following will do to!

[kohlenklau]

Alrighty, I have started a CMFI France 1940 Panzer II Ausf C.

Initial tests look promising!

But remember to always squint when playing my mods!

[kohlenklau]

Good morning. Today's objective for this mod is to assemble the French infantry. I will use the Poles. I have to rename and modtag a bunch of files using my bulk renamer freeware utility. I have coffee and will get cracking!

[JM Stuff]

12 minutes ago, kohlenklau said:

Good morning. Today's objective for this mod is to assemble the French infantry. I will use the Poles. I have to rename and modtag a bunch of files using my bulk renamer freeware utility. I have coffee and will get cracking!

Good morning good luck with your coffee, try to drink it when is hot...

[kohlenklau]

Here is the French tank crew. Mods to the Italian Renault R5, ranks, branch, portrait, tank crew uniforms, soldier names are French, side arms...

Helmet is the existing BFC French tank helmet by Louis Vuitton. It needs a little love. The stock one is uninspired.

I still have to mod the Italian voice files to French.

Edited February 24, 2023 by kohlenklau