A question for all 3rd party mod users.

[Clubfoot]

I'm interested in hearing how you all implement the use of your mods. i.e.

How many of you use TwoSheds Mod Manager?

How many of you prefer mods with batch files for install and uninstall?

How many of you just unzip everything into your BMP directory, simply overwriting what was there before.

The DFDR mod will be available in a couple of weeks and we're trying to get a general consensus of the most popular methods of mod installation.

TIA.

Clubfoot.

[Robert Olesen]

I have a directory with shortcuts to the zip files I have installed. The shortcuts are numbered, so I can reinstall them in the same order if necessary. I can't easily go back on an install, but I do have a backup of the original files.

I don't much like the batch file mods. I would much rather have some variant zip files with the real bmp file names in them, so that I could pick what to use and simply unzip it. But then, I don't have the need to switch between e.g. British and Canadian markings.

What's DFDR?

[Pascal DI FOLCO]

I use all methods in fact...I use ModMan only since 2-3 weeks, so for plain old mods, I often just unzip.

But for those mods which are ModMan compatible (I mean with description and JPGs) I always use it now...

I've a folder of shortcuts for all of the "batched" Bergman's Mods, it's in fact easier to use than ModMan but is a pain installing when there is 10 batches files...

[Chupacabra]

I pick and choose fairly carefully which textures I apply, so File Manager is also my mod manager

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Soy super bien soy super super bien soy bien bien super bien bien bien super super

[Doug Williams]

I manually unzip and install each mod in the bmp (or wav) directory myself. No mod manager for me. I don't like the batch file idea, so for Bergman's mods, I simply deleted all the British, Free French, and Polish bmps and only install the American bmps (after renaming them to the proper file name). Well, I installed the British markings on the vehicles that the Americans don't use. It's a compromise, but I don't have to fool with batch files.

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expert \'ek-,spert'\ n : someone who knows more and more about less and less until eventually they know everything about nothing

[Pascal DI FOLCO]

Originally posted by Doug Williams:

... I simply deleted all the British, Free French, and Polish bmps and only install the American bmps ...

Mmmppphhh, typical US behavior

What's a pain with the batch files is that there's no installer for the shortcuts, so you have to make them "by hand"...But after that believe me it's a breeze ! Just click "French vehicles" and voilà les French vehicles, click on "SdKfz 251/1 SS Bicolor" and fffflush, all your HT have been repainted and have proper markings

Much much more powerful than ModMan (or File Manager..), if they installed automatically life would be great ...

[Hawkmek]

I have folders for all the zipped mods I have downloaded - terrain/vehicles/bldgs/etc.

I just unzip and overwrite into the BMP directory. Since I save all the zipped mods, I can always revert, albeit with a little effort.

Haven't taken the time to try the Mod Manager, is it worth it?

[Guest claespiper]

I use the ModManager to keep track of what order to install the mods. And even if the mods are not ModManager supported it is easy to do that yourself, so you can preview whats inside the mod.

And I use the batch files for switching US-British-Canadian-Free French-Low viz-etc markings.

It gives a very nice touch playing the different nationalities.

So my advice for DFDR. Have the mod ModManager supported, with info and pictures, and use batch files to switch between the different states.

DFDR is a desert mod isn't it?

Regards

Claes

[Guest highlife]

My main reason for not using the Mod Manager yet is that I had so many mods installed before it came out. I do like the batch files but agree that creating the short cuts is a little tedious. Nevertheless I still prefer them because I know exactly what I am changing when I run one. I think the saving grace of them is that the guys doing them keep the latest versions updated for all the appropriate files so I have been able to overwrite them w/o fear.

It seems like to me that "theater" mods like DFDR would work pretty well with batch files. Maybe the hard part would be the "rollback" to each users originals as they vary so much. I have also created different sets of BMP folders but at nearly 250Mb now that is getting less practical!

[Juju]

I don't use the mod manager, I don't use batchfiles. At the first install I choose which option I'm going to use and simply rename some if necessary (Like Doug does). I usually delete every non-BMP file and any BMP's that I don't want from the mod zip.

I use ACDsee for copying files to the CM directory. When you attempt to copy files that already exist you are shown a screen with both BMP's displayed. That's when I make my choices. Works for me.

I then store the mods in specific directories, and if necessary rename/split/combine them.

[Guest Mikey D]

I'm a mac guy.

I extract my bmp files to work on with good old (and dangerous!) ResEdit. Then I work on them in Adobe Photoshop 5, save them as pc bmp files, then update my old art using CMHQ's old MacMod v1.0. Fancy batch file techniques & macs just don't mix.

[Old Crow]

I only play scenarios with U.S., British and German units so I just pick out which mods I like out of the ones that come with batch files, dump the rest, back-up those and all other mods on a zip disk. I've got several dirctories like Allied vehicles, German vehicles, Terrain, Buildings and Objects, Uniforms, Sounds etc.. When a new mod comes along I unzip it, compare it to what I've already got, if I like it I'll just throw it in the appropriate directory and zip it up with the rest.

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"Stupid people shouldn't breed" - Skatenigs

[Holman]

I'm always looking for the best "all-purpose" mods, usually without any sort of unit-specific insignia, so I haven't had to use any mod manager (yet).

I just overwrite the .bmp's with the new mods I want, but I pay carefult attention. I also keep a list of what mods are in use and the order in which I installed them, so that I can easily back out if I have to.

If a very dependable, easy-to-use mod manager came along, however, I would probably start using it. I haven't looked into it yet.

Martyr

[Maximus]

I love the Batch Files. Mainly since I can handle creating shortcuts, etc with no problem at all. I frequently run a batch file everytime I fire up CM for I'm one of Marco's test bunnies.

I've never even downloaded the Mod Manager and never intend to for I believe it's the batch file swapper for the less inclined. I also have no problem of going into My Computer and manually looking through the individual bmps. BTW, I unzip each mod into it's own folder permanently. So I can go back and look at them anytime I want to. Yes it takes up extra disk space, but so what? When I only have 3 games installed on my computer it doesn't really matter.

For those guys who don't use or like batch files, I feel for ya, because you're missing out on a wide variety of options.

My suggestion, Clubfoot, is to make batch files for the DFDR. For I intend to do a totally new install of CM and of course have all Desert Rat related material in that new directory.

[stodge]

I just unzip into the bmp/wav directory and overwrite without backing anything up. I'd prefer to use a Mod Manager, but I dont like the one that exists. It cant handle a large number of mods, and I dont like the interface. It doesnt seem to remember my CM exe location.

[Cos]

Just unzip and overwrite bmp and wav files. Did make a back-up folder of the originals and keep a zip copy of any mods I download.

[MarkEzra]

I have created a set of files on my desk top for the various Mods. I tend not to change terraine Mods (I'm a DD subdue man) But change equipment game to game. I LOVE the batchfile system and wish that all designers used it. I have not used the Mod manager as it just seemed too completed than my simmple desk top file system.

[Pvt. Ryan]

I unzip the mods into a temporary folder so I can see if there is a read.me file or if there are any files I need to rename or optional files I want to delete. Then I cut/paste them into the BMP folder. I keep all the installed zip files in a separate folder.

I love the batch files. I was too lazy to figure them out at first, but once I read the instructions carefully and followed them step by step they were really easy to set up. Each new mod just takes a couple of minutes to install. I love the ability to switch nationalities so easily. I wish there were more batch files, especially for the German vehicles so I could have a complete set of armor with similar camouflage.

[gunnergoz]

I'm apparently too dense to use the Mod Manager. The only time I did us it, it overwrote my directory with all my modded files in it, forcing me to reload CMBO from scratch and have to dredge up all my favorite mods from web sites again. I use altered batch files for the mods I like but wish there were an "old-fool-proof" simplified way of swapping out mods.

[Michael Dorosh]

I'm still trying to figure out what a batch file is.....

I've downloaded a lot of terrain graphics but can't be bothered swapping them - though I would love the capability of doing so painlessly. I liked the screenshots of KIA's mod manager, hope we see it soon.

I dislike zip files because I have a cable connection and can download stuff quick as a flash and don't like the extra steps involved (i use unzip Wizard which is a great program, but lots of clicking). Batch files sound like a neat idea but I don't have the know-how to tailor them for myself.

I've tried to make my own website as user-friendly as possible - when I want to switch insignia for my infantry units, I just go to the site and download the appropriate file straight into CMBO - no zip or unzip, and all the mods I want are laid out on the page for me to choose from. The only problem is that I never put up the "plain" versions on the page if I ever want to go back to non-specific mods.

It looks like KIA's mod manager will do a lot of the things I want it to. Haven't had a chance to try the other one that is "out there."

As for German armour, etc., and stuff on other websites, I have only downloaded one or two and pretty much left them alone - I would download and play with a lot more if I had the ability to swap them quickly and easily.

Guess we'd be pushing our luck if we asked for CM 2 to have this as a built in feature?

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http://wargames.freehosting.net/cmbits.htm

[This message has been edited by Michael Dorosh (edited 02-16-2001).]

[bfamily33]

I'm giving TwoSheds modmanager a second look. I've gotten to the point that there are soo many mods that it is nice to have both a preview and more automated means to install. I have begun a long tedious process to convert many old mods into TwoSheds format with a preview pic.

[GeoffP]

I use TwoSheds ModManager exclusively. I find it really easy to use.

If they don't have a folder structure in them already, I unzip the original archive to a folder, move the options and extras to their own subfolders, and strip off all identification characters from the .bmps. Then I create a new archive, with 'recurse folders' checked.

Its then very easy to go to the mod maker tab in the manager, "LOAD" that zip file, create your options and extras (they now appear in their own subfolders in the \tmp folder), then "CREATE" the new Mod in the \mods folder.

When I've tested it and taken a screenshot (if there was no preview), I delete all the old .bmps and archives, leaving only the newly created mod in \CMMM\mods\.

My Mod list, from top to bottom, has terrain first, followed by vehicles by name in alphabetical order, then uniforms, then winter mods, then sounds.

[This message has been edited by GeoffP (edited 02-16-2001).]

[TwoSheds]

It's good to hear at least a few people are using the PC Mod Manager.

/SOAPBOX ON

It's too bad that Mod Makers aren't taking on the burden of "packaging" compliant Mods, they're leaving it up to each user to sort out and wade thru everything to build compliant Mods. This leads to no one Mod looking the same as another Mod of the same content.

As far as I'm concerend batch files (didn't these die with DOS) aren't needed with the Options and Extras that Mods can have. If a Mod is too complex to fit in the Options and Extras of Mod Manager, isn't it maybe too complex for the average user to sort out as well? Remember it's just one Mod out of a 100 out there, and a user can't focus all his energy and time on setting up how 1 tank looks in the game.

/SOAPBOX OFF

[This message has been edited by TwoSheds (edited 02-16-2001).]

[Sgt Fred]

I've never used any Mod manager.

I don't use batch files. I just select the mod I like best and use that one. Because of the posts in this thread, however, I think I'll try one and check it out. I think there's a new mod coming out shortly that will have the German ACs with multiple color schemes.

I've created a directory structure for CM mods where I can keep the .zip and .bmp files. That way I can preview the .bmp files, and it makes it easy to copy and paste stuff into the CMBO\BMP directory. I do not and will not directly unzip stuff into the BMP directory.

The DFDR mod is rather large I assume? I'll have to think about that. Can you guys make a batch file that will swap all the .bmp files for DFDR play and then return it to its original condition after? Like lots of folks, I've got terrain sets with trees from this mod and grass from that mod, this building, but not that one, etc. I might just have two whole BMP directories, one for DFDR and one for CMBO, so I can copy and paste the whole BMP directory.

[Clubfoot]

Thanks for all the timely replies. Keep 'em coming!

I must admit that our first choice for the mod's packaging scheme was TwoSheds Mod Manager. It's still my first choice (although I can't speak for MikeT).

For those who have asked if the MM is worth checking out, as far as I am concerned, the answer is a resounding yes. For those who've had the "drive recognition" problem, it's fairly simple to fix. TwoSheds can elaborate if he so desires.

I can also understand batch fluent individuals having an aversion to MM. I remember my own disgust at having PC's go "all windows" after feeling like a virtual resident of the DOS neighborhood for so many years. But I think that just may be a desire on some of our parts to make things more difficult than they need to be (myself definitely included).

In all likelihood, DFDR will come Mod Manager compatible, but contain batch files for various optional installs/uninstalls as well. For those of us who are bandwidth challenged, it will also be broken into several smaller, more manageable .zip files (separated by type i.e. vehicles, terrain, sounds, scenarios, interface and so on).

And as Sgt. Fred correctly assumes, the mod will be sizeable. At this point it stands at just over 50 meg unzipped.

Keep the opinions coming though. I'd like to see some of the uninitiated be swayed toward TwoShed's Mod Manager.