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Current news:
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20.March.2010 :: New version of my "SDK Extras" C&C3/RA3/C&C4 tools available |
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I have uploaded a new version of my C&C3/RA3/C&C4 tools to this site.
Changes since the last version:
Fixed binview to dump audio from C&C4 correctly (it should now be able to dump all sound effects from C&C4 same as from C&C3 and RA3). As with C&C3 and RA3, music and other audio compressed with EALayer3 codec is not able to be dumped.
Fixed bigextract so it can handle large refpack compressed files (such as static.bin from C&C4 staticstream.big) correctly. All .big files of C&C4 should extract properly with this new version.
binview can also view (and dump) any texture from C&C4.
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19.March.2010 :: C&C4 data files and info on same |
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Based on a preliminary analysis of C&C4 data files, I can state the following as far as my tools goes:
1.The big extractor program works on every .big file except staticstream.big (it crashes on staticstream.big for reasons I have yet to figure out)
2.Binview.exe can read every extracted manifest file just fine and can display (and extract) all texture files
3.Audio files will not extract properly for reasons I have yet to figure out (they extract but play as silence)
4.The format of the APT UI files has changed in C&C4. I dont know anything about the new format yet.
5.The movies (those that I have tested) and the movie audio files are the same format as RA3 and should to play with any video player that can play the RA3 video clips.
6.Unlike C&C3 and RA3, there is no copy protection on the exe file. This means those with assembly skills can disassemble it no problems. Note that I do NOT condone reverse engineering for the purposes of cheating, piracy or other bad things, merely for understanding data file formats.
7.The launcher application and the launcher.support.dll are compiled with .NET and can be reverse engineered with various .NET reverse engineering tools.
8.Loading the exe file (cnc4.game) directly does not seem to work for reasons I am still investigating. (likely you just need to pass the right command line)
9.The gamestrings.csf file, scripts.lua, scriptevents.*, map.xml and overrides.xml all seem to be the same as C&C3 and RA3.
10.Any data formats not mentioned here have not been analyzed or identified yet.
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15.January.2010 :: some small updates to my art packs |
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I have 2 updates to my art packs on the downloads page of www.cncmods.net, the first is an update to the Archer Maiden that makes it work. Everything works except for the "Arrow Barrage" power (which I am still working on the coding for), some issues with the unit type icon and unit purchase icon that I cant seem to fix (fixes appreciated) and the fact that the strings are missing (because I dont yet have a way to get the strings out of Uprising). The normal weapon seems to work just fine in my testing.
The second update is a new defaultscript.cs file for the mod studio. Put assetmerge.exe and cc3tools.dll in the "tools" folder of the SDK (next to the other tools) and put the defaultscript.cs in the root folder of the SDK. This will add 3 new options to run assetmerge.exe automatically (no need to mess around with the command line now)
Also note that I will be away for 2 weeks as of Sunday so dont expect any posts or info from me during that time.
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15.January.2010 :: Archer Maiden art/audio pack now available, help wanted with the XML |
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I have just added an art/audio pack for the Archer Maiden.
Here is how to use it: (This example assumes the RA3 SDK is in the default location of C:\RA3 MOD SDK, that your mod is called samplemod2 and that you have not modified the mod build studio defaultmod.cs. It also assumes that your mod compiles correctly before you bring in the Northern Russia pack)
1.Download the latest version of cc3tools from this site
2.Download the archer maiden art pack from this site
3.Put the JapanArcherInfantry.xml and JapanArcherInfantryEnergyArrowProjectile.xml into your mods data folder. Put the Assets folder into your mods folder.
4.Put the art into the art folder
5.Put assetmerge.exe and cc3tools.dll into a folder, for the
example lets put them in C:\RA3 MOD SDK
6.Edit your mod.xml to reference JapanArcherInfantry.xml, JapanArcherInfantryEnergyArrowProjectile.xml and packedimages.xml. See the mod.xml I included for some example lines.
7.Run the "build data", "build medium LOD" and "build low LOD" steps in the mod build studio. Do not run the other steps yet. You will see errors and warnings related to AudioFile, BaseRenderAssetType and W3DAnimation. These are expected when using this pack.
8.Open up a command prompt and go to the folder with assetmerge.exe in it. Then type assetmerge "C:\RA3 MOD SDK\builtmods\mods\samplemod2\data\mod" "C:\RA3 MOD SDK\mods\samplemod2\assets" followed by assetmerge "C:\RA3 MOD SDK\builtmods\mods\samplemod2\data\mod_m" "C:\RA3 MOD SDK\mods\samplemod2\assets" and assetmerge "C:\RA3 MOD SDK\builtmods\mods\samplemod2\data\mod_l" "C:\RA3 MOD SDK\mods\samplemod2\assets" replacing the name of your mod and the SDK install path as appropriate.
9.Run the remaining build steps in mod build studio.
You will need to re-run step 8 each time you recompile your mod.
Note that this doesn't have the code/art/etc for the archer maiden arrow barrage power as I am still working on the coding for that.
These steps work fine and I can see the Archer Maiden in WorldBuilder and can place it no problems. But I cannot build it in game even though I set up the Japanese barracks to be able to build one. Can someone who knows more about XML please help me figure out whats missing or incorrect with this pack and these steps and these XMLs? The only compile errors I see relate to missing art and audio and those missing assets get added in step 8.
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14.January.2010 :: Uprising XML and Northern Russia pack updated |
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Thanks to Apoc, we now have a complete set of Uprising XML including the defines, changes made to the stock faction units and everything else used for Uprising. This is basically the same set of XML as included in the RA3 SDK but for Uprising.
Also, he has given us an example of a volume map texture (LUSaturateColors_VOL) and an example of a cube map texture (EVDefault)
Download the new version from my downloads page at www.cncmods.net
I have also slightly updated the Northern Russia art pack (specifically I fixed some of the AudioEvent assets). Again, download from my downloads page.
Coming up next, more "art/audio packs", starting with the Archer Maiden assuming I can make that work.
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