Home » SIRTECH CLASSICS » Jagged Alliance: Unfinished Business » JA2:UB General Talk » UB Editor Glitches
| UB Editor Glitches[message #12698]
|
Mon, 17 November 2003 21:43 
|
|
 Khor1255 |
 |
Messages:1817
Registered:August 2003
Location: Pleasantville, NJ |
|
|
I've been working with the UB Editor now for a week and am wondering if there are any patches, etc. to solve the numerous menu button glitches and overall crashing of generated maps.
This editor is simply awesome in that it gives a computer layman like myself the ability to generate an entire campaign for Ja2 (working around the regular UB storyline of course) and really get afeel for what the AI is up to. At the risk of gushing again HATS OFF TO THE DESIGNERS!
That said, there are numerous functioning problems with the map editor. To list a few:
1)Many of the menu 'buttons' (that is the various selection choices for each catagory) will not engage. Sometimes backing out of the menu sub heading, the general catagory or reloading the whole editor will solve this problem. But other times you spend four hours designing a map and it REFUSES to let you place enemies etc.
2)The intruction manual is vauge on many points and just plain absent on others.
How do I make hills/depressions? How do I make a mine entrance work? What exactly does the number of enemies selection do (I've placed 32 enemies with a minimum of 8 and ended up with 22)? Is it totally random or am I missing something?
Actually the list of questions could easily fill an entire column so I'm really wondering is there an area of this forum that's dedicated to the map editor? If not any answers to any of these questions would be greatly appreciated. I highly recommend this editor to everyone wether you plan to make you're own campaign or just wonder why the AI functions as it does you will be elated with what you find!
Report message to a moderator
|
Sergeant Major
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: UB Editor Glitches[message #12702]
|
Tue, 18 November 2003 23:06 
|
|
| Wodan |
 |
Messages:539
Registered:December 2001
Location: Antwerp, Belgium |
|
|
22:
Hmm, since you can't change a map you alreay entered in-game, I can imagine the number and placement of enemies stays the same after visiting (and saving). (That doesn't count for roaming patrols though).
But if that doesn't work it might even be that you have to start a new game to get another enemy count. (Although i don't think so)
NPC's:
There's quite some stuff to do when replacing an npc.
1.there's the scripting. I don't know anything about it but I think that's the file that says this npc walks over to this tile and does that". I assume you could leave it as it is, if you want the character to do the same as in the original game. I think the "ja2desktop" utility by Batman edits these. (well, it edits almost everything. 
2. The reworking/replacing of the character. There are all the images, speech, edt's (text bubbles), and mouth movement gap-files. (Trailblazer made a handy proggie for that.
Using the "unslf" proggie you can look up all the characters used in UB or ja2, extract all their files from the *.slf archives and rework them.
(after reworking, you don't have to replace those in the slf. You can create a folder structure equal to the (relevant) one in the slf, do it under the ja2\data directory.
The files you place there will overrule the ones from the slf archive.
Don't underestimate replacing all these files. Voice recording, voice optimalization, sti creation, mouth and eye pics, gap creation...
For most of these handlings we already have nice tools out. Sti-edit, or Trail's lip sync analysor and gap file generator, ProEdit,NPC file editor, unface extractor, windows sound recorder, Photoshop ,...
3. The prof.dat file registers all variables about npc's, rpc's and mercs, from clothes to stats to the maps in which you'll find them. You edit it with proEdit. (place proedit in the same folder as you find the prof.dat file)
Check it out, it is quite self-explanatory. Make sure you mark the sector in which you want the npc to show (somewhere in the lower right part of the GUI)
4. Finally, there's the placement in the editor. In the deailed placement tab, I think, there is an npc tab. It only has one variable field. Fill in the number of the npc,
e.g. 060. Make sure you check the yellow exclamation mrk so the npc always gets shown.
And that's about it, I think. If I forgot something, you'll soon find out.
When UC is released, I am thinking of writing a manual or a guideline or two about some modding stuff I think to know something about. With some help from others (you know, the people who REALLY know what they're doing, like most of the others in the modsquad)
that might be another usefull addition to the ja32 modding community. (if that community is still there of course).
Report message to a moderator
|
First Sergeant
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: UB Editor Glitches[message #12704]
|
Wed, 19 November 2003 17:28
|
|
| Khor1255 |
|
Messages:1817
Registered:August 2003
Location: Pleasantville, NJ |
|
|
The way I initially tested this map was to get a small squad of mercs, arrive at sector H7, save the game, then move on to my first modded map (G7). I was getting 22 enemies showing up every time I'd try a test play. I tried starting a new game, killing Jerry, not killing Jerry, going first to H8, retreating and going back to G7 from there, changing my roster, you name it! I even tried changing the starting number of mercs per sector (5 to 10 to 15 to 20 then finally even 25!) and it still keeps giving me 22 enemies no matter how many different ways I try to enter the sector. I wouldn't worry so much except that I'm afraid this could be a fatal exeption type glitch that could ruin the whole test campaign.
One unusual problem with my Ja2 and UB games is that I get that black box around my cursor that was discussed on another post. Until now it never really bothered me but if it could somehow be connected to my editor glitches I think I'll fix that problem.
Thanx again Wodan for pointing me toward the utilities that will enable me to expand on the mod I'm working on. I feel like it's Christmas already with the ammount of (new) toys I now have at my disposal!
@Maddog in the post directly above the last one you posted there is the answer to you're question.
Report message to a moderator
|
Sergeant Major
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: UB Editor Glitches[message #12713]
|
Fri, 21 November 2003 16:08
|
|
| LCJr. |
 |
Messages:83
Registered:November 2001 |
|
|
Easy way is to use the english version of ProEdit. Check on JAG or use the one in JA Desktop.
Report message to a moderator
|
Corporal 1st Class
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: UB Editor Glitches[message #12715]
|
Sun, 23 November 2003 09:50
|
|
| LCJr. |
|
Messages:83
Registered:November 2001 |
|
|
After you make the changes with ProEdit your saving the changes, yes?
Next are you copying the modified prof.dat from the ProEdit folder to your Data\Binary Data folder?
Thats the only two things I can think of that would keep changes from showing up.
Report message to a moderator
|
Corporal 1st Class
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: UB Editor Glitches[message #12717]
|
Wed, 26 November 2003 03:37
|
|
| LCJr. |
|
Messages:83
Registered:November 2001 |
|
|
Sounds like you have the right file. Its Prof.dat for JA2 and JA25Prof.dat for UB.
If your doing the changes for JA2 you have to rename it back to Prof.dat then add it to your Data\Binary Data folder.
Report message to a moderator
|
Corporal 1st Class
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: UB Editor Glitches[message #12723]
|
Fri, 28 November 2003 23:42
|
|
| Wodan |
|
Messages:539
Registered:December 2001
Location: Antwerp, Belgium |
|
|
This forum is here for cluttering up, at least if you stay on-topic.
Anyway, Yes, I actually managed to place npc's in maps, including an rpc and the robot. Ain't I cool? :naughty:
But uhm, I only did it in ja2. That kinda moves my suggestions over to the "should work" side, doesn't it? 
Hence the "Well, if I find the time, I'll see if it works with MY game. Maybe we are all forgetting something".
Npc's don't need to be attached to a town to appear.
Report message to a moderator
|
First Sergeant
|
|
|
|
| Re: UB Editor Glitches[message #12724]
|
Sat, 29 November 2003 00:51
|
|
| Dvornik |
 |
Messages:20
Registered:January 2003
Location: Necropolis |
|
|
Quote: Please don't take this the wrong way Wodan but have you actually made a map AND TEST PLAYED IT or are you telling me the way it SHOULD work? So how do you think npcs were placed in such mods like Vietnam, Rubicon and all others? By some magic portal? Bah...
Is that so difficult to follow these steps (not to mention that they were descibed like a million times in various topics?):
1)Place NPC in map. Either with beta editor of MFE.
2)Assing him to that sector with Proedit. Don't forget to push that magic "Save" button, eh?
3)check out his schedule (beta editor). If you playtested the map on 7:00, probably he hasn't showed up yet (by default npcs and civilians show up at 9 o'clock, iirc. Or maybe 8? Anyways)
Proedit25.exe must be in Data\Binarydata folder. It needs following files to work (in the same folder, all these files can be extracted from binarydata.slf): JA25PROF.DAT (obviously), JA2PAL.DAT (palette, for describing clothes and such) and ITMDSC25.EDT (item descriptions, without it you won't see any item names under Items tab in proedit, just something like |||||||||||| ).
To assing npc, change Sector (in "Hidden") to that where you want him to be. For example, Pacos has sector set to "A9" which is obvious.
To edit schedules for npcs and civilians, you have to use beta editor, or use some trick to make them appear in Ub editor, I don't remember exactly how, but it should be described several times already in this forum or on LotB.
Report message to a moderator
|
Private 1st Class
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: UB Editor Glitches[message #12727]
|
Sat, 29 November 2003 05:49
|
|
| Khor1255 |
|
Messages:1817
Registered:August 2003
Location: Pleasantville, NJ |
|
|
Yea, I heard MFE is used when you have a problem loading changes made by Proedit. This was why I originally loaded the MFE utility. MFE seems to do most of what it says it does (with the exception of loading any RPC characters).
I was hoping it was as simple as not being there at 9am to see the RPC71 dude, but not so. I created an RPC71 (with Proedit), saved him, went to the sector I8 map (the one I had assigned him to), created a bloodcat (checking priority appearance), saved the map, went back to MFE, changed the cat to RPC71, saved it, started a new UB game, went to the sector (well after 9am) and checked for 71.....no 71.
Now when I was originally tinkering around with proedit I just changed Sidney's shirt colour, saved, started a new game and checked Sidney's shirt colour on the screen (after all the dialouge had passed just to make sure it wasn't 'loading' during this time. It's still white.
What's interesting is that the Import button (at bottom left on Proedit) never works. It says something about a .csv? file and when I do a search there are no .csv files of any type on my pc. Export seems to work except that I don't know where it's exporting to.
Also, in the UB Editor there are three buttons in the merc tab: Bloodcat, Merc and Player. The Player button is never active.
One last (clue?) is that while I dress the RPC71 dude in subdued colours, in the UB Editor he appears in neon gayness with something like purple skin and fire red hair! But again, once I go to test play that sector he doesn't even appear. Crows however work just fine but they're just fancy scenery.
Report message to a moderator
|
Sergeant Major
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: UB Editor Glitches[message #12737]
|
Tue, 30 March 2004 09:42
|
|
| Kurt |
 |
Messages:425
Registered:March 2004 |
|
|
Khor1255:
Don't worry, it's just a DOS screen passing by, since it doesn't know what to do. The usual SLF unpacking utility is a DOS command line tool. Rather use a Windows utility: SLF-Explore, by Bimbo (sorry, no link, I don't recall where I got it from).
About Proedit, that's what works for me:
Proedit is for JA2, Proedit25 is for JA2:UB. No need to download it, it's already inside the file binarydata.slf, file which you'll have to unSLF anyway. You should find Proedit25 in the Data/Binarydata folder, and if you start it, it will automatically find and edit the right files. No need to copy/export, or anything else: Launch it, it will load the right file.
So start Proedit, make all the changes you want, hit "save" and here you are. To check if your changes actually worked (no reason they shouldn't), just rename one of AIM's mercs, so you'll see immediately if your changes have been taken into account.
Naturally, this happens only when you start a new game. Ah, I nearly forgot: To undo changes, just unSLF yourself a new copy of the "Ja25prof.dat" file from the original binarydata.slf. This way you can test all kinds of crazy things, and when you have decided what you want, you make a clean edit on a virgin, clean file.
Hope that helps.
Report message to a moderator
|
Master Sergeant
|
|
|
|
Goto Forum:
Current Time: Wed Nov 29 01:45:39 GMT+2 2023
Total time taken to generate the page: 0.01867 seconds
|
Blog
Search
Help
Members
Register
Login
Home
