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Modder's "Get-an-Answer" Thread

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Modder's "Get-an-Answer" Thread

Answers from Modders, for Modders who "Ask a Question"

from Sins Forums

This is the place to ask and recieve specific modding (mod making) questions and answers. If you have a mod making question, post it here.

If your question involves long snippets of entity files and the like, please don't paste the entire file contents here but put them at the incredibly easy to use http://pastebin.com and then provide the link to your paste in your question posted here.

Please do limit  "just comments" here to brief posts please.  If you don't know the answer or can't point to help--don't post.  Please note that a random, uninformed guess isn't an actual answer.  

You can refer people to another source--IF it actually helps answer their question.  This could be in the form of links, outside sites, specific modding-useful programs, direction towards another post or poster, etc., etc.

Remember--specific questions, specific answers.  Only respond to the ones you can help solve.  Also, feel free to amplify, clarify, suggest alternatives to or correct answers seen here if such actions are merited and help provide a real solution. No flaming, insults or put downs here in the answers or other posts please.

Thanks in advance for your help and cooperation.  The reason for the rigid rules here is those this thread becomes a usable resource in the future to new people looking for answers.

NOTE: If an answer resolves your issue, please share it here.  These answers will help others coming along later too.  Karma is a great way to respond to people providing help without clogging the thread or bombing their forum mailbox here. Thanks!

 

OTHER SINS HELPFUL MODDING LINKS*

*Links are updated when requested.





The Soase Idiot's Guide

Confused?  No idea where to even start?

Determined to work at it?

This is the place!

 


 

  
   

Sins Modding Wiki

ZombieRus's Eclipse Wizardry

 
     

Tutorials

MyFist0's full modding site.

Emphasis on modeling  and

texturing.                            

 

 

 
                    

REBELLION MODDING TOPICS

Rebellion Modding Q & A

Mesh Editing

Changing Diplomacy Files to Rebellion

IT REALLY HURTS MY BRAIN--HOW TO START

An Idiot's Guide To Getting Started

MyFist0's Modding Megasite!

MOD DOWNLOADS

ZombieRus5's Mod Yard

Directory of Planet Mods

STEAM

STEAM Sins Forums

DEVELOPERS

Sins Developer Journals Forum 2007 to Present

REFERENCE FILES

Research Modifier List

MyFist0's Exported Models & Files

Modifier List

Harpo's Converted Sins Reference Files 2011

THIRD PARTY TOOLS

3dS Texturing Toool & Tips

Ship Fleet Calculator

SoaSE Eclipse Plugin Project

Mesh Resizing Tool--courtesy of the Reqiuem team.

Harpo's Sins Utility Package -- Dropbox

The Sins Optimization Project (TSOP)

Artificial Unintelligence (Mod and AI info)

Sins Data Converter by BCXtreme

EXPLANATIONS & DISCUSSIONS

Rebellion Updates by Blair Frazier

How to Add a Fourth Race

User-updatable Ship Reference Chart

Sins Modding Dictionary

Adding phase Effects to other weapon types

Culture, Explanation/Discussion

Weapons, Explanation/Discusion

Shield Mitigation & Armor, Explanation/Discussion-1

Shield Mitigation & Armor, Explanation/Discussion -2

Graphic Chart of Sin's Counters

Annotated Guide to the Developer.exe

In-Game Map Creator

Weapons Banks & DPS

Combat Mechanics

Rebellion Shield Mitigation & Focus Fire testing

PARTICLE FORGE

Particle Forge Help Thread

GALAXY FORGE

Adding Artifacts

Working Template Examples

SemazRalan's Template Guide

Pirates Base Start Template

SOUND RESOURCES

[SFX] Black Sun SFX/Music Resource for Modders

MODELING & TEXTURING--SOFTIMAGE XSI, 3DS MAX

XSI Texturing, Tutorial

3dS Model Exporter

3DS Max Rigging, Texturing & Exporting, Guide

Modding/Modelling/Texturing/Converting, Tutorials

WIKI'S

Sins of a Solar Empire Official Wiki

 

modding
7,618,517 views 2,761 replies
Reply #1951 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting ZombiesRus5, reply 1950
This buff type has special logic associated with it to validate colonization research is completed if needed. Using it in a sub buff file doesn't seem to add any value over changing player index. 

What are you trying to accomplish? There is probably another way to do the same thing. 
End of ZombiesRus5's quote

I need to apply a buff to the colonizer ship when it colonizes something. I'm thinking of putting a post colonize buff on the planet then having that apply the buff I want to the first spawner.

Reply #1952 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting GoaFan77, reply 1951


Quoting ZombiesRus5, reply 1950This buff type has special logic associated with it to validate colonization research is completed if needed. Using it in a sub buff file doesn't seem to add any value over changing player index. 

What are you trying to accomplish? There is probably another way to do the same thing. 

I need to apply a buff to the colonizer ship when it colonizes something. I'm thinking of putting a post colonize buff on the planet then having that apply the buff I want to the first spawner.
End of GoaFan77's quote

I do something similar to spawn turrets in the BSG mod. 

Start11 - Customize the Start Menu and Taskbar in Windows 10/11.
Reply #1953 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting myfist0, reply 1936

Quoting GoaFan77, reply 1935The default is you get one of those for every 20 population the planet has. If it can be changed I think it would be in the gameplay.constants file.

SOA2 dumped them all together, we have better uses for those resources 
End of myfist0's quote

Still haven't found it, do you know where the line is that corresponds to the Planet Elevators spawning, I remember I stumbled upon it quite easily in Trinity, but in Rebellion I can't seem to find it at all ...

Someone said for every 20 population, a Planet Elevator Spawns, I would prefer for every 100 in my mod.

Reply #1954 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Ben_Maxwell, reply 1953
Still haven't found it, do you know where the line is that corresponds to the Planet Elevators spawning, I remember I stumbled upon it quite easily in Trinity, but in Rebellion I can't seem to find it at all ...

Someone said for every 20 population, a Planet Elevator Spawns, I would prefer for every 100 in my mod.
End of Ben_Maxwell's quote

If you check the previous page someone said it was in each race.entity file.

Reply #1955 from Sins Forums Top

Looked, but it isn't as far as I can see, they list the specific buildings which need to spawn, but no mention of how much population needed to spawn one :S

Reply #1956 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Ben_Maxwell, reply 1955

Looked, but it isn't as far as I can see, they list the specific buildings which need to spawn, but no mention of how much population needed to spawn one
End of Ben_Maxwell's quote

The ONLY moddable data regarding planet elevators I'm aware of was provided by Lavo. I have never seen anything that indicates you can mod how much pop is needed to spawn a elevator.

 

Reply #1957 from Sins Forums Top

It was in trinity, I wonder if it is now hard coded or if the line has been moved to some obscure file somewhere? I am tempted to re-load trinity to see if I can find it there and then compare, do you think this would be a good idea?

Reply #1958 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Ben_Maxwell, reply 1957

It was in trinity, I wonder if it is now hard coded or if the line has been moved to some obscure file somewhere? I am tempted to re-load trinity to see if I can find it there and then compare, do you think this would be a good idea?
End of Ben_Maxwell's quote

You don't need to reload trinity. Just download the latest reference files for trinity and compare from there.

Did you mod it in Trinity? or you just know it was moddable because someone else said so?

Reply #1959 from Sins Forums Top

the only section that I can find in BOTH dip & rebel playerRACE.entity files that relate to the elevators at a planet are the mesh definitions and have searched the entire sets of refs and the only other files that get hits for 'Elevator' are the convertdata's, so might be a hardcode(drat)

harpo

 

Reply #1960 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Dark_Ansem, reply 1943
I'm trying to add a sfx whenever a ship/frigate/titan/fighter moves, similar to what happens in the Star Wars movies.

matter is, while I have checked the entity folder, I don't know where to start. any advice, please?
End of Dark_Ansem's quote

1st, you will never get that exact sound you posted in that green screen flyby, Sins does not support the "Doppler Effect". The sound will be a constant used in a loop.

Look for the fighter entity you want to edit

FighterTechCombat.entity

meshName "SupportShip_TechFighter"

will be the model attached stored in your mods Mesh folder

engineSoundID "ENGINE_TECHSUPPORTSHIP"

will be the engine loop connected to GameInfo\SoundEffects.sounddata 

effect
name "ENGINE_TECHSUPPORTSHIP"
fileName "Engine_TechSupportShip.ogg" < -- Stored in sound folder
type "Effect"
is3D TRUE
priority 1
threshold 2000.000000
minAttenuationDist 60.000000
maxNumPlayingSimultaneously 4
isLooping TRUE
isResident TRUE
minRespawnTime 0.1
fadeInTime 0.4
fadeOutTime 0.4
alternateGroup ""

+1 Loading…
Reply #1961 from Sins Forums Top

oh thanks! it's better than nothing at all I guess!

can I add a few alternates/variations for that?

Reply #1962 from Sins Forums Top

Hi there I had a few questions, a few things I just cannot seem to get worked through.

 Edit: This is working on Rebellion newest patch.

 

1)

Text FileArchive missing Label.

File: C:\Users\User\Documents\My Games\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion\Mods-Rebellion v1.52 Dev\40,000 Sins\String\English.str
Label: StringInfo
Line Number:22820
Line Contents:

However, I have cross checked this with the reference files and are similar in structure and contents.  That is the very last entry in the string file.

 

If I hold the esc key down it eventually passes through the errors and continues on.

 

2)  I get this message about 3 times

 

Failed to convert '' to an enum value.

 

I figured it would be a loose " somewhere in the code but I cannot seem to find it and it doesn't specify what file...

 

3)

Lastly, I get this error. 

Assert @ C:\Projects\P4\SinsRebellion\Release\CodeSource\GS/Entity/Interfaces/IAbility.cpp(398)

m_aiUseTime == AIUseTime::Invalid

 

How am I to access this? I cannot seem to find the .cpp file.

 

Thanks in advance!  

Reply #1963 from Sins Forums Top

1. Check your string file count

2. " is not actually a double quote, it's 2 single quotes '' showing a bad entry, but the bad entry is blank. I get this when I try to delete a brush entry or a string entry link in the entity file. To fix I use an empty link.

String file entry

StringInfo
ID "IDS_EMPTY"
Value ""

anything you do not want a string for, use that link

 

Brush file entry

brush
name "HUDICON_NONE"
content "Simple"
fileName "UI_SHARED-HudIcons"
pixelBox [ 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 ]

 

3. You cant access that. It is a code built into the engine. Your ability file is borked, you must track it manually. Test every ability thoroughly when you edit so you know which file you borked.

+1 Loading…
Reply #1964 from Sins Forums Top

More info on 3.

 

All passive abilities must use aiUseTime "Invalid", you have something else in one.  This is the nature of the error message, it's saying the entry in a file is supposed to be Invalid.

 

Assert @ C:\Projects\P4\SinsRebellion\main\CodeSource\GS/Entity/Interfaces/IAbility.cpp(393)


m_aiUseTime != AIUseTime::Invalid

 

You would get that message if you did the opposite, putting Invalid in an active.

Reply #1965 from Sins Forums Top

how high can we go with ship stats? for health, hull, shield, weapon damage etc.

Reply #1966 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Dark_Ansem, reply 1965
how high can we go with ship stats? for health, hull, shield, weapon damage etc.
End of Dark_Ansem's quote

Assume you can go as high as you want until the DEV.exe tells you otherwise.

Reply #1967 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting ZombiesRus5, reply 1966


Quoting Dark_Ansem, reply 1965how high can we go with ship stats? for health, hull, shield, weapon damage etc.


Assume you can go as high as you want until the DEV.exe tells you otherwise.
End of ZombiesRus5's quote

what's the highest you have done?

Reply #1968 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Dark_Ansem, reply 1967



Quoting ZombiesRus5,
reply 1966


Quoting Dark_Ansem, reply 1965how high can we go with ship stats? for health, hull, shield, weapon damage etc.


Assume you can go as high as you want until the DEV.exe tells you otherwise.


what's the highest you have done?
End of Dark_Ansem's quote

What's the highest you have tried in the dev.exe?

Reply #1969 from Sins Forums Top

8000 for shields, not tried anything else yet.

 

just put a ridiculous number for hull health: 2000000, and a more ridiculous one for shields. 100000

apparently it works, even with the normal exe, as the DEV exe wouldn't allow me to use mods.

Reply #1970 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Dark_Ansem, reply 1969
apparently it works, even with the normal exe, as the DEV exe wouldn't allow me to use mods.
End of Dark_Ansem's quote

8| |-O

Mods in development go in the DEV folder

C:\Users\myfist0\Documents\My Games\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion\Mods-Rebellion v1.52 Dev

Reply #1971 from Sins Forums Top

testing that now then :)

no isse apparently. selected ship, moved it, had it damaged by pirates (they are way too strong to be just a nuisance).

no dev error message, CONCERNING THAT.

Reply #1972 from Sins Forums Top

can I tell the game, in order to play certain sounds, to use parameters like

<Min_Pitch>X</Min_Pitch>

<Max_Pitch>X</Max_Pitch>

<Max_Instances>X</Max_Instances>
         <Volume_Saturation_Distance>X</Volume_Saturation_Distance>

          <Min_Volume>X</Min_Volume>
          <Max_Volume>X</Max_Volume>

Loop_Fade_In_Seconds> X </Loop_Fade_In_Seconds>
      <Loop_Fade_Out_Seconds> X </Loop_Fade_Out_Seconds>

<Play_Count> -1 </Play_Count>

Reply #1974 from Sins Forums Top

agh, no pitch shift, nor volume controls %... nor is allowed randomization (I think) or sequence play

max_instances = maxnumplayingsimultaneously

Volume_Saturation_Distance = minAttenuationDist

?

 

what is treshold?

Reply #1975 from Sins Forums Top

You never want a game doing your pitch for you, anyways.