Oudy Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 I have finished pulling together the files and writing the instructions for my first mod, the PzIVF1 with the short-barreled 75mm gun. Because there is no automated way yet to install mods, there is a bit of manual copying of files. I would love to have several people volunteer to test the mod to make sure it works and that you can follow the install instructions. If all goes smoothly, I'll release the mod to the general group. I have included all of the files and a .pdf instruction sheet. If you are interested please let me know and give me your e-mail. If this mod works, I have three more almost ready to go. Thanks Oudy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifty Cal' Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 Hi Oudy, Send me a copy and I'll see if I can follow your instructions etc. my email oudy.mods@l.fisher.clara.co.uk I look forward to my new panzer .50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HawkerT Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 Excellent Oudy! Throw it my way also and I will test. f.e.jensen@vip.cybercity.dk All the best Frans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jard Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 Great work Oudy! If you can send me the file, I'll test it later today and post feedback here. email: sidiane.tramontina@terra.com.br Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oudy Posted July 3, 2007 Author Share Posted July 3, 2007 Thanks for volunteering to be guinea pigs. Once I get feedback that the mod is working ok I'll release it on Cmmods.com. Oudy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HawkerT Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 Good evening TOW'ers, this is the result from the Danish jury! Oudy - twelve points ... Oudy - douze point! My main man Oudy! You're hot! Tagging names and kicking ass! El Principal! Numero Uno! Spitzen klasse mein Herr ... spitzen klasse! Okay I recon I made my point :cool: Usage and looks: After installing I fired up TOW and zipped straight to the encyclopedia ... and whammy! one fine piece of Krupps stahl hanging loose and full of juice! It looks very very nice Oudy! All the 4 paint jobs (vinter, grau und zwei cammo) was implemeted without any visual abnormalities (as far as I could judge anyway) zoomed and twisted to look. The Pz description was fine. The only thing missing for a full 100% was the 'watermark' image (you know with the german flag on top) which still shows the PzIVF2 75mm lang. This is also true when looking at the Pz in the 'units' window before a battle. I then included the beast in a test mission via the mission editor and I was in trouble for a split second before I found out that the new baby apears at the very buttom (not alphabetically) of the list when doing the place holder and group additions. The backpack for the beauty only had one option 'MIXED' so I went with that. I then fired up TOW again and started the test mission pitching the baby against a T34/41. It played and looked like a charm. The movement and firering (area fired both with HEAT and HE) was 100% and the actual fight was also 100% with me letting the bear kill the cat, which it did just fine and with the crew leaving completely as expected to the normal crew spawn spots next to the cat. SO ... looks and usage ... 98%, with only the watermark thingy subtracting from the full monty! Installation: Well, I guess it is relevant to state here that I am not PC or mod impaired :cool: so if you want to know how your installation instructions 'feels' for a freshman ... well I am not the right guy to ask. Anyway, here are my observations and comments. 1) It seems to me like you have extrated the complete SFS stuff into your TOW folder using Dr. Jones's tool right? I am not sure that all users will do that, in fact I always extract to a seperate folder then create a JSGME compatible mod and let the relevant files roll in/out through that little beauty. Others will not be extracting SFS stuff at all etc. So I guess you will have to take the various usage patterns into account. 2) I am not sure you are right about the AI folder not being in any SFS files ??? I am using your latest filelist.txt with Dr. Jones's tool and the AI folder is extractable just fine from there ??? Just did it again to make sure ??? Anyway, backups are good, reinstalls are bad and don't eat the yellow snow! So no real problem here! 3) Your 'first time' mod files included for users with clean install (so they will not have to append anything) are not really 'fresh' or 'clean install ready' as they include fine references to your 'not released yet' firefly and in one of the files also to a set of German SPW's. 4) Your 'append' instructions (Ch. I,B - add new mod to exsisting mods) are very concise and fine. 5) You should probably call your folder 'Oudy - PzIVF1' so the mod is still unique when some other bloke makes another PzIVF1 and to rightly visualize in the visible mod name (in JSGME) your excellent work! 6) You should probably include your PDF instructions in a subfolder to your main 'Oudy - PzIVF1' folder called 'Documentation' so that people can right click on the mod in JSGME and read the PDF from there. This in fact should be done by all modders doing mods for JSGME. Please note that the Documentation folder is not copied to the TOW directory as the other folders in the mod. He has done a fine little gem this Jason Scones ... he sure has! :cool: How I installed your mod: I wanted to do a fresh install so what I did was extract the 7 files, needed appending to, from the SFS and then append the lines from your .txt files to the correct ones. If I already had any of the 7 files in play due to another mod JSGME would have warned me and I would have appended the lines to my modded files. End result is the same ... your mod is added to the 7 append-files wheather they are fresh or already modded with other stuff. I then added the appended files to your PzIVF1 folder (I renamed to Oudy - PzIVF1) making sure to put them in the right subfolder structure and I then created the Documentation folder and slipped in your PDF. So at this point I had just one JSGME ready mod folder called 'Oudy - PzIVF1' with ALL your stuff in it, i.e. both the basic files and the 7 append-files. I then installed as per usual with JSGME and it worked like a charm. Now because I do it this way I am able to uninstall and reinstall your mod via JSGME without any problems at all and with just one click every time. Now if at some point some of the files in your mod are subject to change due to other mods wanting in, I will move them to a 'common' mod structure where I will append the needed lines from all the mods sharing the common files and then install that common 'mod' last via JSGME. That way everything I put into the TOW folder is always via JSGME and ONLY via JSGME and thus completely capable of rolling back to a clean install vith just one click in JSGME. Now in the other thread here you have said I'm using JSGME for at least part of the installation for my mods. FinnN has been very helpful in showing me how to get everything set up correctly. I use JSGME to copy the two main directories for the new mod. It does that very easily. However there are 7 other files that have to be modified. Accordingly they cannot be included in the JSGME install because if you uninstall the mod you will delete those files, which you need for other mods.I do not agree on the 'delete' part of your statement :cool: JSGME will not delete a modded file when uninstalling if the modded file replaced a file when installing the mod. Instead it will simply roll back to the version of the file it replaced. The only time JSGME will delete a file is if the file is added as a new file to the folder structure and not replacing an ealier verison of the file (which in this instance is all fine and will not break anything in the game!). I am looking very much forward to the tool from FinnN and indeed very much also to all your wonderful mods lining up to treat us all! Thank you for your time and efforts Oudy, it is very much appreciated, and the result really speaks for itself! All the best Frans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oudy Posted July 4, 2007 Author Share Posted July 4, 2007 Thank you very much for your comments Frans This my first time working with JSGME and needless to say my understanding of how it works is less than perfect. I didn't know about the documentation file (very nice feature) or that it doesn't actually delete the original files (which is also very neat). This is exactly the type of feedback I was hoping for. I also like your idea for a common mod with the files that are appended. I was trying to figure out how one would do this. I believe that FinnN is working on a way to further automate the process but for now I'll distribute this mod the way you suggested. ps. I didn't extract the SFS data into my TOW directory, but I've manually moved many files in and out of it to make the mods. It is truly amazing how many files go into creating just one unit. It gives me great respect for all of the work that 1C and Battlefront have done to make this game. Oudy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jard Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 Oudy, I sent my feedback by email. I'll post it here (with pictures) later today. One thing I can say, GREAT WORK There's a future for TOW afterall (I always knew that). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jard Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 I'll just complement the information posted by HawkerT. There's a slight texture problem I've already informed Oudy by email about that. Other than that it's a excellent job. It looks and feels like a new tank instead of something adapted (besides the issues HawkerT pointed out). Here are a few pictures to illustrate what I'm saying: Encyclopedia view (please note what HawkerT pointed out): PzIVF1 in action: T34-41 met his fate with 2 HEAT shells (side turret and hull), who said these things were invincible?: Overall a very professional job... congratulations Oudy, very well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oudy Posted July 4, 2007 Author Share Posted July 4, 2007 Thanks Jard. As for the camo scheme on the barrel. I did the best I could but I'm no expert in photoshop. To make the gun look correct I had to add the skin from the PzIVC (which is where the gun mesh is from) and recolor the gun part. Once I located the gun area of the skin I then added the camo (largely by cutting and pasting from the PzIVF1 skin. However, you can see that my skills in photoshop are largely that of a hack and that if someone wanted to do a better job, I would be more than happy to let them. You can now understand why I never tried to reskin a plane in Il-2. When I rework the installation instruction I'll upload the unit. Thanks again for all of the input from the testers. Oudy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifty Cal' Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 Hi Oudy, All I'm having trouble installing the mod? I've put the new files into the Ai/Animator/etc/ directories OK, and here's the problem, I don't have a /Data/ directory, am I "Adding" that directory as a new whole new directory structure? (edited) Well I added said directories then followed the rest of the instructions, Hey presto, once I'd opened the Encyclopedia there it was Now, as far as the instructions go, I'm quite familiar with Windows explorer and making directories etc so no problem's there, I followed the "new mod" set of instructions and apart from the problem mentioned above Step I was OK. Step II , The 3rd sentance instructs you to click the "install mod" whereas its actually a button with > on it, mouseover = enable selected. Step III, I didn't need to do any of this as all the files were already in place, so mebbe a reminder that this only need to be done as an option to Step II (being real picky there). Thanks Oudy, I now have a Panzer IVF1, the shame is that, ATM, there's no way to use this new tank as far as I can see? Will it be an option in a set mission? no coz the missions are already scripted! What this game is crying out for now is a "Quick Battle" setup option, not just to see new mods but also test them. "It" would also be usefull for multiplayer games, I play MP (online internet) at least once a week and the set maps/forces are quite limited already.. but now I'm into another topic Cheers again Oudy .50 [ July 05, 2007, 10:18 AM: Message edited by: Fifty Cal' ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlapHappy Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 Fifty If you create new missions in the editor, you can use the new unit. In addition you should be able to edit in the new unit using the editor by adding it or using it to replace an already existing unit in the currently available missions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifty Cal' Posted July 6, 2007 Share Posted July 6, 2007 Exactly my point, I don't want to go through all that process just to see a mod. Also, what would be the fun in playing a mission I designed? I would know the terrain, forces of both sides and exactly where they are. And to re-design the existing campaign's would prolly take me longer than to fight them! I want a battle game not a battle design game. CM:** had this facility, surely it can't be impossible to have it in TofW. With the much smaller campaign/mission/battle list it wouldn't take too long to get through all the missions in the game, what then? A "Quick Battle" option, as in CM:** makes it possible for this game to last for years IMO, both for single and multiplayer. .50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oudy Posted July 6, 2007 Author Share Posted July 6, 2007 Fify Cal' When I release the final version, it will be with JSGMC so there shouldn't be so much moving of files. There is no way to use the new tank without creating a new mission. I have started a mission using it, which I'll try to complete once I get home. Thanks for your comments Oudy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifty Cal' Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 Hi Oudy, Thanks again for the mod, sorry I sounded so negative above, I can't wait for this game to develop into its full potential. Guys like you make that probable .50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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