XML:Basic tutorial

Click to return to the main XML page.

Here's a step-by-step guide to creating a mod through XML modding, using an ONCC modification as an example. It will give you a grasp of the usual tools and workflow. Let's roll!

Open AEInstaller, then Vago

Open the AEI and choose the menu item Tools > Vago GUI (first, Vago has to have been installed via Tools > Manage Tools).

When Vago is opened for the first time, it will ask you to locate the AE installation on your hard drive.

Get Konoko's character file (ONCC) by splitting level0_Final.dat

In Vago, go to the "Levels" tab.

Drag and drop the file level0_Final.dat, found in the directory AE/AEInstaller/vanilla/, into the "Sources" section of the window. Click "Convert".

At the top, click on the blue folder icon. The folder with Vago's converted files will appear. Go into Levels/DAT - ONI FILES/level0_Final/.

Convert the .oni to XML

In the level0_Final/ folder, there will be a lot of files. You want ONCCk4_L.oni. This is the name of the file for the version of Konoko that appears in Chapter 13, as documented here.

Go to Vago's "XML" tab and drag-and-drop ONCCk4_L.oni into the "Sources" section. Click "Convert".

Edit the XML

Click the blue folder icon again and go into "XML/ONI - XML". There should be a file called ONCCk4_L.xml now.

Open that file with a plain-text editor (in Windows, you should use Notepad, and TextEdit will work on the Mac).

Search for the <HasSupershield> tag and change its value from 0 to 1.

Save the file and close it.

Convert the XML back to a .oni

Go to Vago's "XML" tab. In the "From:" popup menu, choose "XML", and the "To:" popup menu should have "ONI" supplied automatically by Vago.

Drag-and-drop your XML file into the "Sources" section. Click "Convert".

Click the blue folder icon again and go into "XML/XML - ONI".

Create a new folder on your hard drive, preferably outside of the VagoWorkspace folder, called "level0_Final", and put your new ONCCk4_L.oni file into it.

For more information on the supershield flag, see XML:ONCC.

Get the file back into Oni

The best way to test your mod is to make an AE package. Vago can help you do this: choose the menu item Tools > AEI Mod Package Wizard.

Fill in all the mandatory fields. Set the Type to "Character". When choosing a package number, follow the suggested numbering range that is auto-filled in Package Number, and click "Check" to see if it has already been used by another package. Hit "Continue" once you have decided on a package number.

Leave the optional fields blank. Hit "Continue".

Drag-and-drop your level0_Final folder into the "Common" section. Hit "Done".

Test your mod

Copy your package folder into AE/AEInstaller/packages/ in your Oni installation.

Open the AEI, locate your mod by looking under the "-Local-" category or by typing its name into the Filter, and install it.

Load Oni's level "TCTF Regional HQ (redux)" (the next-to-last level).

If you raise your health above 150% (301 HP), the supershield will switch on and you will be untouchable. The "chenille" cheat is a handy alternative to finding some hypos, and it will permanently turn on the supershield.