mod file placement

[Erwin]

A really basic question... where does one place mods after downloading them?

I thought that after unzipping or un-raring you simply place whatever was inside the file into a "z" folder that one creates in the combat mission strike force root directory.

However, I don't think my mods are being seen.

Some unzipped/un-rared files result in .bmp files\, others in a .brz file, others in a folder, others in a folder that has subfolders. Sometimes the instructions say "unzip into your CMSF root directory (rather than into the z folder).

Is there a tutorial re where to place what sort of unzipped file?

Thanks...

[Chainsaw]

the Z folder should be in the "data" folder, not the root directory.

both BMP and Brz goes in Z. brz is just a few bmps/soundfiles/others bunched up as a single file by the skin creator.

[Erwin]

Thank you. I feel like such a twit for forgetting that the z goes in the data folder. Is it my imagination, or does the manual not really mention how to handle mods etc?

So, folders also go in the z folder? (ie. You don't extract the files from the folder into the z?)

And when a mod folder has subfolders, does that mean that one has to choose which subfolder to use as a mod -eg: mods located in subfolders "A" and "B" will not work until EITHER subfolder A or B is taken out of the "main" mod folder and placed in the z folder. ie: A and B cannot be active at the same time.

Have I got that correct now?

However, what about the instruction I found in at least one mod readme that said "extract into the CMSF root directory." Is that a certain type of mod, or is the instruction wrong?

(I know that BFC wanted to make the use of mods easier, but without clear instructions in the manuals - at least I couldn't find em - it's confusing.)

[Chainsaw]

well I cant remember to have read anything about Z folder in the manual,so I doubt its there.

all folders and brz goes into Z folder. Right now I have like 15 different folders, a few brz and a few stand alone bmps in the Z folder.

About subfolders, you can only have one skin of same name. so one of the bmps will show but not the other one. On uniforms and gears you can rename them so all shows up by renaming them with a number in the end, like "vest" "vest 1" "vest 2" etc, but thats all. and it doesnt work for vehicles and weapons.

I havent heard of any mod that needs to go into the root directory so I dont know about that one unfortunly.

[Erwin]

I think some mod zips have built in directory trees that automatically install mods to the z folder when you install to CMSF root.

What about .wav - sounds and music. Are they handled the same way?

And what takes precedence when you have mods that do something similar. (I have a lot of mods and threw em all into z. And it locked up the game good. Now I have to take em all out and start trying them again.)

[Chainsaw]

thats probleby true about the built in directory.

wav files is the same, dropp em in the Z folder.

I never had a mod make my game lock up, but you cant have like 2 files with the same name,because only one will show up (if any of them) so you have to sitt down and sort out what you want in Z folder. i have a folder in Data thats named 1Z where I have all my mods I dont want to use atm but want close by.

[stoex]

The game reads the folders in the 'data' folder alphabetically, and the files in the ones read later override previously read identical ones. Very simple, really. It means that if there is a file called, e.g., 'vest' in one of the folders delivered with the game, and a mod file with the same name (but a different texture on the vest) in your 'z' folder, the mod will override the original and be seen. The same counts for any subfolders.

This is why one names the mod folder 'z' - so that it is read last and the mods become active. And it's also why Chainsaw's '1z' folder contains mods that he doesn't want to see - it is read first and overridden by the original game files which are read later.

Hope this clears things up.

[Erwin]

I kinda have started soing the same thing with a "General Mods" folder for ALL mods, then several Z folders for different configs (Marines, Brits etc.). Just to be safe I keep em all in another root folder called CMSF PATCHES AND FILES completely separate from the actual CMSF game folders.

However, what about the sound folders and subfolders? I have several sound mods that have numerous subdirectories of sounds - categorized like "explosions", "shots", "gunfire", "screams" etc.

Do I have to copy all the individual .wav files from those subdirectories into the main "SOUND" folder in the z folder? Or, does the system read subfolders within a "root" mod folder that is in the z folder.

(Hope wot I said makes sense.)

And is there a tutorial or FAQs about all this???

[Chainsaw]

Nah, you can keep the subfolders in the main "sound" folder, it works nevertheless. only when you have duplicate names does it become a problem.

[stoex]

You can keep any and all files you wish in your 'data' folder or any subfolder thereof. CMSF will read all the folders alphabetically and hierarchically (e.g. 'data/afile.bmp' -> 'data/bfile.bmp' -> 'data/a/afile.bmp' -> 'data/a/bfile.bmp' etc...in this case the files in subfolder 'a' will override the identically named ones in the 'data' folder), ignore non-game-related files entirely, and always replace any game resource file with an identically named file read later on. The only thing you need to be careful of is to make sure the mod files you want to be in use when you start the game to be in folders (and subfolders thereof) read latest.

If you want to exchange one sound mod with another one depending on which kind of scenario you are playing or just to test the mods, place them in differently named folders within 'data', then rename the folders appropriately before you start the game. You can use one folder named 'a_unused_mods' and one named 'z', for instance. As long as all the stuff you don't want to see is read before the core game files, and everything you do wnat to use is read after the core game files, you should be fine.

[stoex]

Damn editing rules and auto-logout! Here it is again, hopefully a little clearer:

You can keep any and all files you wish in your 'data' folder or any subfolder thereof. CMSF will read all the folders alphabetically and hierarchically (e.g. 'data/afile.bmp' -> 'data/bfile.bmp' -> 'data/a/afile.bmp' -> 'data/a/bfile.bmp' etc...in this case the files in subfolder 'a' will replace the identically named ones in the 'data' folder), ignore non-game-related files entirely, and always replace any game resource file with an identically named file read later on. The only thing you need to be careful of is to make sure the mod files you want to be in use when you start the game to be in folders (and subfolders thereof) read latest.

If you want to exchange one sound mod with another one depending on which kind of scenario you are playing or just to test the mods, make two folders in your 'data' folder. You can use one folder named 'a_unused_mods' and one named 'z', for instance. As long as all the stuff you don't want to see is read before the core game files (in folder 'a_unused_mods'), and everything you do want to use is read after the core game files (in folder 'z'), you should be fine. You can keep each mod in a subfolder in one of these two main folders and move those subfolders between the two to switch mods on and off.

You can run into unforseen things when you try to use two mods concurrently which alter the same core files, like two different sound mods maybe. If you want to mix and match between two sound mods, you will have to move individual files back and forth to get the combo you want.

Am I making sense?