Dear Colleagues,

This is a fantastic game!

I am, though, have a tough time with the ops editor. Instead of asking some brave and patient expert (Flashburn) to hold me by the hand, let me outline my modding goal, my steps, and the outcome. If you could identify possible mis-steps and suggest remediations, I’d be grateful.

Goal: Mod forcepool in the 11 Pzr Div Ops so that tank (esp. heavy) and SPGun platoons are available at the beginning.


Overall method:
--Create a new ops
--Use units data from an existing ops as a base for the config files
--Convert the “cannibalized” config data for changes in the editor


Steps:
1. Applied updates: Not sure of the order. Question: Does the order matter?
2. Followed procedure to create a new campaign. Put all the generated files in a folder “My Ops” in the users/modwork folder
3.“Unflattened” the German Ratinkoe ops, and converted the files to readable text.
+++Outcome: Several files appear, but not the overall config file in which basic ops parameters are set.
4. Copy and pasted units set forth in Ratinkoe ops div pool text file into the corresponding file in my new ops folder in the user folder (The div pool file for the new ops is in the src folder. )
5. Opened the Ops editor, hit cancel and then answered “No” for the “Make a new operation” prompt.
6. Was prompted to open a file (an existing ops). In the “My Ops” folder, selected the only readable file and received a message that all files had been converted. The files appears to be the overall config file.
7. Opened Ops editor and selected the opsproject file that appears as the only readable file in the My ops folder.

OUTCOMES:
++The various components load, but the map will not appear (the menu looks fine, but the map screen is black).
++ Units appear as question marks rather than units named in div pool file.

Thanks in advance!

Simply install them in the order they were released (but the core update first). So, the patch is going at the bottom and DLCs are above it. See: http://graviteam.ua/help/install-patch.html and http://graviteam.ua/help/install-dlc.html.

I think you should wait for the new patch, it has Ops editor changed.

I have never been able to get a default campaign to open in the editor. However, I have been able to modify div pool files, add/remove units from reserves and basic things like that. I do beleave you could probably get it to open i editor with ALOT of config changes, but the amount of effort to do that is huge.

To modify squads and reserves in exsisting cmapaign.....

1 Use unflat on campack2 file...copy paste somewhere to do it first.
2 Us cfgp2pd on divpool file and desc file.
3 Open both of them at same time in notepad or notepad++
4 You will see the units listed in both files but with a bunch of numbers and , all over. Also notice that they are simular BUT different. Modify carefully making sure both units in both files match up correctly...WITH THE RIGHT numbers and , deal. (those are vary important. They set skill, experience, ammo/fuel levels and such. If they do not match up correct between both files wierd things happen) Oh and you cant just copy paste them between both files.......each use a slighyly different system.
5. Use pd2cfgp on the files you opened and modified
6. Use mkflat (you have to set up a win cmd or bat file to work) When you used unflat it make a .flatlist file mk flat can use this file to repack it.
7. Rename the extention from flatdata to campack2 (Notepad ++ makes this part simple)
8. put in in cmapaigns and see if it works right


Feel free to ask questions. Also I have started a thread at graviteam websight for common modders questions...its under sabow not APOS but most things are the same between the two.

By the way I am going to go update that post with things I have answered before on forums right now....top of my list is how to set up the mkflat command.

Thanks Krabb and Flashburn. I will give the above a try and visit your thread at the graveteam site.

Speaking of SABOW, it looks amazing to me. The screenies and videos are making me salivate. I may have to start squirreling away nickles and dimes for that one.

QUICK QUESTION: Which file, the desc or the div pool, has the final say about which units appear in the ops? In other words, am I taking data from one and putting it in another, or am I making changes to both based on parameters taken from unit data taken from the op editor manual tables?

For modding campaigns they both need the changes of units. There is no easy copy paste options, just alot of tweaking by hand.

For your own camp. in editor, just need a divpool file to generate squads and such. When you complile it writes all that to the desc file along with frames, weather conditions and such.

Let me know how it goes.

The only campaign (modded or not) came from blond knight (apos). I think he threw in the towel right as he nearly had it all down. Personally would love some user campaigns to be made for both as I would have no clue what was going on.

Oh but as Krabb said.........editor has been reworked for APOS patch. So I would just learn the basics now and see what happens with the changes.

Flashburn,

Something’s not working, I suspect with mflat.

After making the changes to the desc and div pool files and converting them back to config files, I

-- Go to the docs/modwork/flatwork file and copy the mflat file and paste it into my userser/modwork/my_addon folder
-- I right click the mflat icon, select edit, and paste the following:
“starter.exe root\programs\mkflat.progpack, users\modwork\my_addon.flatdata, users\modwork\my_addon.!flatlist”
-- I save and re-name as “mflat_copy.bat”
-- I click the bat file and it runs without prompting me to enter anything (Question: is it supposed to?)
-- Per your help above, I am supposed to rename the extention from flatdata to campack2, but I don’t see anything with the flatdata extension.

I noticed in the out folder a file that looks like an mflat report; in it, i see something about an error with the source list. Any idea what that could be?

Thanks again for the help.

If you are copy pasting teh mkflat command you do not need to change its file extention, it is already a a windows.cmd file.

However what is probably wrong is command. Myaddon should be the name of the file for both flatlist (what it looks for to pack) and my_addon.flatdata (what it will name it.) Plus you can leave it where you got it. Think of it just like opening something in windows..........that is C:folder\folder\file. Same thing, only it starts in the games root folder. But you have to make sure the path and file names are correct. You could also name everything My_addon....including the the !flatlist. And yes it just opens the big ole black box for a second and closes. DOS anyone? Ya I never used it either....not that old. It should then spit out the file. where ever you specified users\modwork\my_addon.flatdata in this bit.

In the out folder and report....... It did not find your !flatlist.

Do not just copy&paste .bat from its original location. It has relative paths that you need to change (e.g. to absolute).

You can use my "universal" .bat as an example (I used it for my SABOW mod).

Just edit the "starter" commands as you need and change cd "game_full_path" to APOS root (but in quotes!). So, this .bat will work from any path.

Tried again using Flashburn's suggestions in #3587845 above, but no joy. Will try to cut and paste Krabb's universal bat instructions into a new bat file tonight and edit accordingly (vs. cutting and pasting into the mflat file, right?).

If that does not work, I'll try again from scratch, beginning with unpacking the original ops once more.


But while I'm here, let me ask one other question about the actual data:

Can you

1. Add unit types to a reserve pool, as I've done the german engineers below (see the last two lines in red):

werp_ss_dr_pion=()
{
code[u] = 149;
name[s] = txt_op_werp_ss_dr_pion;
sold_fams[s] = txt_sn_ger_fams;
sold_names[s] = txt_sn_ger_nams;
marks_name[s] = wer_marks_dr_pzgr_ss;
camo[s] = pat1;
div_sprite[s] = divh_batn;

pool[suuvvs]()
{
wer_com_ss_pzgr_coy, 1, 2, 0.5, 0.5, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0.5, 0, ;
wer_com_ss_pzgr_plat, 2, 0, 0.5, 0.5, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0.5, 0, ;
wer_squad_eng_43a, 2, 0, 0.5, 0.5, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0.5, 0, ;
wer_squad_eng_43a2, 2, 0, 0.5, 0.5, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0.5, 0, ;
rn_wer_spg, 1, 0, 0.5, 0.5, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0.5, 0, ;
wer_pz3fl, 1, 2, 0.5, 0.5, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0.5, 0, ;
wer_flamer, 3, 0, 0.5, 0.5, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0.5, 0, ;
rn_wer_sapc, 2, 0, 0.5, 0.5, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0.5, 0, ;
wer_corr_art, 1, 0, 0.5, 0.5, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0.5, 0, wer_artsup_lefh_plat;
wer_corr_air, 1, 0, 0.5, 0.5, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0.5, 0, wer_airsup_ju87_plat;
rn_wer_pz4kh, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0.5, 0.5, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0.5, 0, ;
wer_stug3f8, 1, 0, 0, 2, 0.5, 0.5, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0.5, 0, ;

} //endof pool

} //endof werp_ss_dr_pion

2. Add the new unit type(s) to to active platoon? (see red below)
werpl_ss_dr_pion_1c_1p=()
{
code[u] = 17;
params[v] = 0.7, 0.7, 1, 0;
level[v] = 1, 1, 0.5, 0;
side[*] = GER;
ai[*] = AL2;
str_sprite[s] = pl_mech;
pool[s] = werp_ss_dr_pion;
max_squads[u] = 7;
name[s] = txt_op_werpl_ss_dr_pion_1c_1p;
mobility[*] = PIL;
range[u] = 1;
eng_caps[f] = 0;
scout_caps[b] = false;
type[*] = STR;
uid[u] = 4113;

pool[sas]()
{
wer_com_ss_pzgr_plat, 1, 0, 0, 0, ;
wer_squad_eng_43a, 2, 0, 0, 0, ;
wer_squad_eng_43a2, 2, 0, 0, 0, ;
rn_wer_pz4kh, 2, 0, 0, 0, ;

} //endof pool

It's not historically accurate, but it's a cheap way of getting more armor into the Ratinkoe scenario at the outset.


Thanks again, both.

Yes, after that new units will appear in Ops editor, so you can place them.

Krabb hes not using op editor........just editing default. And yes that looks correct. .........So use pd2cfg on those 2 files. Make sure !flatlist is correct. Make sure path to files are correct, run mkflat....rename extention to campack2....place in campaigns folder.....see if it is picked up. If your still having problems send me the unpacked camp and Ill pack it and send it back.

To be honest this way is actually more difficult that setting up a basic campaign, BUT is fast and easier for simple changes. You could actually use the DIVPOOL file and create a new campaign but this takes time to set everything up correct. We will see what happens with new editor in patch.

Krabb and Flashburn,

Still no luck.. I'm just not seeing a flatdata file anywhere after I run mflat. The report in the out folder still says the source file is bad.

Flashburn, I'll take you up on your kind offer soon. I just wish to heck I could play around with these files (itself an enjoy process) and have it work.

Thanks to you both!

Keep at it or send it my way. What ever problem/s I find I'll let you know.

Here's the op, Flashburn. Thanks so much for looking at it.

vr mediafire

OK I'll try and have it packed up tonight....no promises on that one though.

Auck! nearly forgot to do this. Will send you packed up file soon. Sorry bout that, was messing with mod till insane early. last night/this morning. Are you going to release it for general public???

Not sure exactly what chnges you made and too where. From post it looked like you set up the cfg part correct so just went ahead and packed it up. But It appears you put a couple panzer4G's in pioneer platoon? Anyways sending it back to you, check you pms.

No worries! Don't take one second away from your mods on my account, especially one that might feature the 11th Cav. My great grandfather was in the 11th, I believe. At least I know he was on Black Jack's staff when the US Cav went down to May-hee-koo after Villa.


As for the ops mod: yes! I will post any and all that I can manage. The more we post, the better for Graviteam, methinks. I believe the version you have gives Stuggs to the Pioneers; seems less historically aberrant. I picked the Engineers because I knew they were on map at the operation's start.


Many thanks!

A quick update: I think my problem is an incorrect application of the patches. I finally saw Flashburn's tutorial on applying patches and tried it, and now the editor seems to be working --at least now I can see the map screen (previously it was black after the ops loaded). I will try to un/reinstall tonight or this weekend if problems persist.