XML:Basic tutorial: Difference between revisions
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=XML modding: getting started= | =XML modding: getting started= | ||
'''What is XML modding?''' | '''What is XML modding?''' | ||
: Binary data becomes converted into more human-readable form which allows easier modding. All supported file types can be seen [[# | : Binary data becomes converted into more human-readable form which allows easier modding. All supported file types can be seen [[#supported_file_types|HERE]]. | ||
'''Okay, what do I need?''' | '''Okay, what do I need?''' | ||
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'''Okay. What mod possibilities do I have?''' | '''Okay. What mod possibilities do I have?''' | ||
: See [[# | : See [[#supported_file_types|HERE]] again. It's an overview what you could do. But note that some types can be more difficult to mod than other. | ||
: If you need some ideas look at this page: '''[[Modding_brainstorms|modding brainstorms]]'''. | : If you need some ideas look at this page: '''[[Modding_brainstorms|modding brainstorms]]'''. | ||
: If you want to contribute AE: [[AE:Bug-fix_and_feature_requests|bug-fixes and feature requests]]. | : If you want to contribute AE: [[AE:Bug-fix_and_feature_requests|bug-fixes and feature requests]]. |
Revision as of 13:13, 2 July 2009
XML modding: getting started
What is XML modding?
- Binary data becomes converted into more human-readable form which allows easier modding. All supported file types can be seen HERE.
Okay, what do I need?
- OniSplit will be your tool. It's part of AE. Installing AE spares you some work because it splits the level achieves right away and globalize some more data. Global data can be used in any level.
AE installed. What now?
- OniSplit cannot be opened in a classic way. But you are lucky. Now we have a GUI (graphical user interface) for it.
- Mac user will want to get "AETools (Beta)"
- Unpack and put "AETool" and "AETools_Data" into your "edition" folder.
- Windows user will want to get "OniSplit GUI v0.6"
- Unpack and put the executables into your "edition" folder.
- Mac user will want to get "AETools (Beta)"
Is there an easy exercise to get me started?
- Just see at the following table. Read left side if you use a Macintosh, read right side if you use Windows.
converting an ONI file into an XML file | |||
---|---|---|---|
Open AETools. Click on "Export" tab, select checkbox "Export as .xml file", then click on "Export .oni file" and chose "ONCCk4_L.oni". See "XMLfiles" in "AETools_Data". There you should find "ONCCk4_L.xml". | Open the GUI. Chose "ONI - XML" tab. Write "GameDataFolder/level0_Final/ONCCk4_L.oni" into the first line. "extracted" into the other. After clicking on "Convert" you should see a new folder named "extracted". | ||
modifing the XML file | |||
Open the extracted file with a simple text editor. Search for "HasSupershield" tag and set its value to "1". Save file. | Open the extracted file with a simple text editor. Search for "HasSupershield" tag and set its value to "1". Save file. | ||
debugging, and creating a new ONI file from XML | |||
Write into the bottom line (manual input): "-create ONI_files XMLfiles/ONCCk4_L.xml". Run. If an error appear look at the terminal. Find the trouble making line and fix it. Line number isn't always accurate. In this case it was shifted by 1 (not line 293 but 292). Th fix was "<DeathParticle></DeathParticle>" | Goto GUI's "XML -> ONI" section and write "extracted/ONCCk4_L.xml" into its first line and "created" into its second line. After clicking "Convert" you should see a new folder named "created". Try THIS method if no oni file was created. Use then "onisplit -create created extracted/ONCCk4_L.xml" and look for error messages. | ||
coping the new ONI file | |||
Copy the file from "ONI_files" folder and insert it into the "level0_Final" folder which is located in the "GameDataFolder". Confirm the replacement. | Copy the file from "created" folder and insert it into the "level0_Final" folder which is located in the "GameDataFolder". Confirm the replacement. | ||
recombining the level archive | |||
Let's choose the "Import" tab now. Click on "Select Level to rebuild" and then "LEVEL 0: GLOBAL DATA". | Let's choose the GUI's first tab now, "Compile". Write "GameDataFolder/level0_Final" into the first line, "level0_Final" into the second and "GameDataFolder" into the third line. Click now on "Compile" and wait until onisplit's black window disappears again. | ||
testing the modification | |||
Let's test our modification. Therefore we start TCTF HQ redux (pre-last level). The supershield becomes automatically switched on at 51% overpower (301 healh points). "chenille" cheat works too. | Let's test our modification. Therefore we start TCTF HQ redux (pre-last level). The supershield becomes automatically switched on at 51% overpower (301 healh points). "chenille" cheat works too. |
Okay. What mod possibilities do I have?
- See HERE again. It's an overview what you could do. But note that some types can be more difficult to mod than other.
- If you need some ideas look at this page: modding brainstorms.
- If you want to contribute AE: bug-fixes and feature requests.
- Check also AE's current To-Do page and maybe there are fields that need a modder.
supported file types
General information.
|
BINA/OBCJ/CHAR
|
BINA/OBCJ/CONS
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BINA/OBCJ/CMBT
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BINA/OBCJ/DOOR
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BINA/OBCJ/FLAG
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BINA/OBCJ/FURN
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BINA/OBCJ/MELE
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BINA/OBCJ/NEUT
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BINA/OBCJ/PART
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BINA/OBCJ/PATR
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BINA/OBCJ/PWRU
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BINA/OBCJ/SNDG
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BINA/OBCJ/TRGV
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BINA/OBCJ/TRIG
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BINA/OBCJ/TURR
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BINA/OBCJ/WEAP
|
BINA/ONIE
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BINA/TMBD
|
CONS
|
DPge
|
FILM
|
HPge
|
IGHH
|
IPge
|
Impt
|
Mtrl
|
ONCC
|
ONCV
|
ONGS
|
ONLD
|
ONSK
|
ONVL
|
ONWC
|
OPge
|
PAR3
|
PSpc
|
PSpL
|
PSUI
|
TRAC
|
TRAM
|
TRGE
|
TRMA
|
TXMB
|
TXMP
|
TxtC
|
WMCL
|
WMDD
|
WMM
|
WPge
|
working with XML files: good to know
- capitalization rules (use of capital and small initial letters): You need to care about it because also Onisplit does.
- text position in a line: most tags have some distance towards line begin. It is not needed but preserve the overview.
- structure: some tags have children. It doesn't hurt to break the structure but is also not good for the overview. Example:
<Instance id="4" type="IGSA"> <Strings> <Link>#7</Link> </Strings> </Instance>
<Instance id="4" type="IGSA"><Strings><Link>#7</Link></Strings></Instance>
- code folding: don't destroy the structure to compress code. There are tools which can handle large xml files. (e.g. Microsoft Visual ... Express and xcode both for free)
- You can fold whole instances and parent tags.
- Folded code can be previewed in Microsoft Visual Express applications, although xcode provides an extra scroll popup.
Windows (Visual C++) |
way without Windows GUI: window address bar
Put the newest OniSplit.exe into the "edition\GameDataFolder" folder and use the window's address bar (that's where you can see the directory in full length).
Delete that address, type (for example) the code below, and hit enter.
onisplit -extract:xml xml_dir level0_Final/ONCCkonoko*.oni
The star is good for mess extraction/creation and good for shorten long unique file names. ("ONCCkonoko_generic" will be extracted in new folder "edition\GameDataFolder\xml_dir".)
It's also a good idea to keep the code in a temporary opened text file. There you can easily modify the code for other files and doesn't need you to type it from beginning into the address bar. (Be aware of Windows' short cut "shift + c" for coping marked text and "shift + v" for pasting text.)
*.oni file creating goes like this:
onisplit -create oni_dir xml_dir/ONCCkonoko_generic.xml
level recombining goes like this:
onisplit -import:nosep level0_Final level0_Final.dat
You can put this line also into a new bat file. It saves you some time during intensive modding. Then just double-click it.
way without Windows GUI: local called CMD
Useful for debugging. Copy the code into an empty text file and save it as whatever.reg, then double click it.
REGEDIT4 [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\cmd] @="Open Command Window Here" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\cmd\command] @="cmd.exe /k \"cd %L\"" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\cmd] @="Open Command Window Here" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\cmd\command] @="cmd.exe /k \"cd %L\""
Now you can goto "Oni/edition" and mark the GameDataFolder, right-click it, a popup menu appears, click "Open Command Window Here".
way without Mac GUI: the terminal
Put the newest OniSplit.exe into the "Oni/GameDataFolder" folder.
Open the Terminal program then "change directory" to the GameDataFolder (Type "cd " then drag the GameDataFolder into the Terminal window, now press the RETURN key)
At this point you can enter the OniSplit commands, such as:
mono onisplit.exe -extract:xml xml_dir level0_Final/ONCCkonoko*.oni
("ONCCkonoko_generic" will be extracted in new folder "GameDataFolder/xml_dir".)