Hi guys!

Ive been modding the game for the past few days now after reading from the tutorial and discussions here, editing guns as i see fit (tried to make some of them more realistic), replacing all the sounds on conventional weapons with sound files from my rainbow6 games, reskinned some armors into a black/gray urban camo look, made new ammo types (added non lethal gel cartridges for the shotgun and corresponding damage type) and so on...

ok, so my problem now is this: I want to make different textures for the same model type. What i previously did was copy an existing .txt file (ie eagle.txt) into my mod folder, rename it into something like eagle357.txt, replace the .dds path within the eagle357.txt with the path for the new .dds texture, replace the path for the new gun within the equipment.txt (tactical\model\weapons\human\eagle357.txt), and then load up the mod, but, the game gives me an error saying it cannot load the 'eagle357.txt' model.

i did some debugging and re-testing, until i figured out that the only problem was the filename. I renamed the eagle357.txt back to eagle.txt, without changing the pathing, and re-pathed the one in the equipment.txt, and it worked perfectly. so what am i doing wrong?

Thanks in advance...

How did you edit the model txt? If you used a normal text editor like Notepad you may have broken the file, use a hex-editor instead. If you already did that then I have no idea

i did use a hex editor... also if it were broken due to path editing, then i suppose it should also not have worked even after i renamed the file back to the original name, but it did... it's really weird. guess i have to do some more debugging.

the problem isnt whether i cant reskin stuff, rather, i cant make model\*.txt that i copied, renamed, and edited to work(all path changes to equipment.txt done). The weird part is, renaming the file back to the original even if it is still edited makes it work.

anyway, im currently working on separating smg/shotgun/pistols damage code(Soft, Hard) from the rifles damage code(i added RifleSoft, RifleHard) because rifles are designed for better armor penetration, rather than better damage. so i reduced the rifle and machinegun damage by 10% and increase armor penetration by 10%... that way, thay will do only slightly higher damage against unarmored targets over SMGs, but will still do the same damage to armored targets as before.

i wish i could make the model txts work

I guess you failed to read the posts where I explained why it isn't possible to create new damage types.

Actually, right path to game models is 'tactical\model\weapons\humans '. So, the problem probably was not in the model itself, but in the fact you forced the game to look model in non-exisiting path.

Oh, and BTW, Joe, not all rifles are designed for better armor penetration. The AK-series rifles are designed for ruggedness. And their ammo is designed for increased damage (due to post-impact tumbling) rather than penetration.

You really should not confuse assumptions with reality.

the 'human' was a typo i made here... again, if i made that mistake, i suppose the txt 'eagle357.txt' file i renamed back to its original name 'eagle.txt' should not have worked as well, but it did(it correctly displayed a black chrome desert eagle, not the original silver one, so im pretty sure it's reading from the edited txt).

as for the rifles, please dont assume that i edited all of them to just do armor penetration instead of damage. as i said, i edited the guns as i see fit. i know that the AK47 pack alot of punch, and i put that into consideration, as well. That includes sniper rifles, just in case u ask.

also i have made the game run with the new damage types i made, tho im not entirely sure if they are in effect...

here's what i did: i copied 'soft' in dmgtype.txt and renamed it as 'riflesoft' changed all the necessay (IN, arrays and all) data then i went to equipment .txt and filled in the float below the medical float (the ones that kinda look like resistances) on all of the armor data... im not sure if it's working, tho, as the game seems to run. maybe ill try to put some extreme value to see a more drastic effect, and see if it's actually working.

Im just starting out anyway. It does not hurt to try out things for myself.

As for my original question, what do you guys think that im doing wrong?

As far as I know, there are no telepaths on these boards. How about you'll host model file, texture file and equipment.txt somethere, so I (or someone else) could take a look on them? Providing with game's error message is also never hurts.

hey thanks

anyway, lemme just scrap all the damage editing stuff i just made (my mistake, it really doesnt work ) and go back to trying to make the model txts work.

ill try to solve this one last time. (sorry, im just starting to feel really really dissappointed with my self now)

If you want to learn how to mod this game, you really should SEARCH the forum first for answers. It might save you a LOT of time -- and perhaps some embarrassment.

yeah, my bad. i should'nt have jumped into the advanced stuff on my own. after i did the stuff in the tutorial and made my first skin, it just got me all too excited.

it's just that i never had this much problem modding other games. the scripting seems to have alot of discrepancies and limitations.

ill just return everything to the way it was, except for the urban camo, im beginning to get too frustrated with this game to continue on..

As for searching the forums, i tried my best looking for answers with my model.txt file problem(thats why i failed to read the other topics on damage and other stuff). that's also why i was trying to ask you guys for some help. obviously, some of the replies are a little bit too unkind and discouraging for a starting modder like me...

The damage editing i just did because i was getting really frustrated with the non working model txt files.

anyway, gudluck with your little little AS project... i hope it turns out great so maybe i can download it instead.

Had you searched the forums you might have discovered that the developers did a really bad/stupid thing and hard-coded array values into the game's engine, which prevents us from expanding several critical arrays. Such as damage types, training abilities, etc.

I've been working on modding AS for months. The very first major change I tried was to add more damage types. Which leads to my closing point ...

For future reference, when you are new to a game, and especially if that game has been out for more than a week or two, it is best if you first search that game's forums for answers & help before you try to mod the game yourself or ask questions that have very likely already been answered. It will save you (and others on the forum) wasted time. Odds are that someone else has already done what you are wanting to do, or at least someone may have a clue.

oh darnit... just when i thought i was gonna give up(and finally get some sleep), everything in the model txts starts to work...

just deleted the old .vfs mod, deleted some files in the mod folder that i felt wer causing some problems, created a new .vfs and imported the files and everything is working fine...

i dunno if im gonna be glad or agitated, but im definitely satisfied :sigh:

guess all it took was for me to calm down a bit.

i apologize for bothering you folks, you wont be hearing from my whining no more

Guessing you didn't want to spend some time reading in the forums like this one > Psychophat's weird way to multi-models with skins, though this was by experience type of guide it gives you knowledge on things to look for and stuff you need to cover in order to make the stuff you want work in regards to model text file. Also it's somewhat a funny read . . . . Hihihihihih

nope, i read it more than you'd probably expect... spent a whole morning reading through all the model/.txt related topics over and over cross checking and debugging and retesting, rinse and repeat...

HAD ZERO TIME to check on other topics (ie shadowarrior's AS DMG thread)

got frustrated, tried modding other parts of the game(which apparently didn't work so well), started this topic, got dissed for being a 'noob', deleted old mod file, restarted the PC, remade new mod file...

voila! it worked!

that's one hell of a way to making a .txt file work...