strings.bin problem

[Phoenicia]

I tried to put a +1 morale for the faction leader in the americas campaign.

So i change it in those 2 files
export_descr_character_traits.txt
export_vnvs.txt (i used alpaca's tool to convert the .bin file)

But when i load the game it does not convert back (in data\text) export_vnvs.txt to a .bin file as it did in MTW2

Instead it appears FactionIntroSubtitles.bin ????

I tried several times and always the same thing.

In the data\text folder i only put export_vnvs, no other file.

I have no idea how to make it work ?

[finneys13]

I had the same problem plus others, look at this thread:

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=119103

[Phoenicia]

Thanks.

But it seems to be a different problem.
I already did what they did.
I only kept the files i modified and removed the other ones.


What i don't understand is why the game does not convert back the .txt file into a .bin file.
and why as the only file in my text folder is export_vnvs.txt the game generate another file in .bin (which by the way is a .txt file originally)

Is it not working like in MTW2 ?

[finneys13]

What I mean is that I have had your problem and my own one.

[Phoenicia]

How did you solve it ?

[nerazzurri]

I tried modifying a strings.bin file with a hex editor and the change I made showed up in the game, so it's just the strings.bin generation that seems to be broken.

[Phoenicia]

Thanks for your help.

But what is a hex editor ?

and wher can i find it ?

[finneys13]

Fixed the problem.

Have you got another mod, like Stainless Steel? If you do, moove and keep safe the SS version of whatever files you are turning into a .bin file, add your files into the text folder, run SS and start a new campaign, it will crash at some stage before you start the campaign, exit and SS will have made a new .bin file for you.

[Phoenicia]

Well done

i don't have SS, but i kept on an external hard drive a copy of the previous MTW2.
So i put it back on my computer and did what you said.
and now my changes works in kingdoms.

Thanks a lot.

By any chance, have you tried to mod ancillaries or traits ?
because i can't find those 2 files :
- export_descr_ancillary_enums.txt
- export_descr_vnvs_enums.txt

so i wonder how can we add a new ancillary or trait without it ?

[nerazzurri]

A hex editor is used for editing files at the byte level, but I wouldn't recommend using one to make major edits to a file.

The enums files are amongst the files that were unpacked on my system, so if you can't find them I can send them to you if you want.

[Phoenicia]

They did unpack in MTW2\data

but not in the MTW2\mods\(4 campaigns)\data

There is no enums files specific to the campaigns ?

Do you mean that if i want to create a new ancillary for the americas campaign i have to use export_descr_ancillary_enums.txt from MTW2\data ?

[nerazzurri]

No, but I found that the enums files were unpacked for everything but the Americas campaign.

I'm currently working on an editor that will enable editing of the strings.bin files directly and I've included a tool for extracting the enums files from the strings.bin files as well. At the moment it it's only an alpha version and only supports the vnvs files but I will be adding the rest over the next few days. You can download it here:-

http://nerazzurri.net/ss/Strings.Bin_Editor.zip

[Phoenicia]

I've only unpacked MTW2 and americas...bad luck!!

So does it means we won't be able to create new ancillaries for americas campaign ?

I'm sorry, i don't understand what you mean by extracting the enums files from string.bin files ?

Enums files are in data folder and in .txt, no ?

[nerazzurri]

For reasons best known to CA the actual contents of the enums files are built into the strings.bin files when they're created. I've added the capability to extract the ancillaries enums files which should solve your problem, though at the moment the editor still doesn't support the ancillaries file.

[Phoenicia]

I'm not sure if i understand it right.
Do you mean that inside the packs the enums files are in .bin
and that the enums for americas campaign for whatever reason haven't been unpacked.
So you are making an editor that will extract them, right ?

[nerazzurri]

For whatever reason the enum files don't seem to be in the packs for the Americas campaign, however when the strings.bin files for the ancillaries and vnvs get built a copy of the enums file is included in it, so if you download the link I posted above you'll find a program in the zip that can extract the enums file from the relevant strings.bin file.

The editor meanwhile is so that you can directly edit the strings.bin files since Kingdoms won't rebuild them from the text files.

[Phoenicia]

For whatever reason the enum files don't seem to be in the packs for the Americas campaign, however when the strings.bin files for the ancillaries and vnvs get built a copy of the enums file is included in it, so if you download the link I posted above you'll find a program in the zip that can extract the enums file from the relevant strings.bin file.

The editor meanwhile is so that you can directly edit the strings.bin files since Kingdoms won't rebuild them from the text files.

OK, maybe this time i get it right.
So if i use your program with the file export_ancillaries.txt.strings.bin it will extract the ancillary enums file, right ?

EDIT : i downloaded the program, but when i use it i have an error message

"Unhandled exception has occured in your application.If you click continue it will try to continue.If you click quit, it will close"

details :
See the end of this message for details on invoking
just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.

************** Exception Text **************
System.ArgumentNullException: Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: path
at System.IO.StreamWriter..ctor(String path, Boolean append, Encoding encoding, Int32 bufferSize)
at System.IO.StreamWriter..ctor(String path)
at Extract_Enums.Strings_Bin..ctor(String Filename, Boolean SuppressWarnings)
at Extract_Enums.Form1.btnExtract_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mevent)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)


************** Loaded Assemblies **************
mscorlib
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.42 (RTM.050727-4200)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v2.0.50727/mscorlib.dll
----------------------------------------
Extract_Enums
Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0
CodeBase: file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/st%E9phane/Bureau/Strings.Bin_Editor/Extract_Enums.exe
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.VisualBasic
Assembly Version: 8.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 8.0.50727.42 (RTM.050727-4200)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Microsoft.VisualBasic/8.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Microsoft.VisualBasic.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Windows.Forms
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.42 (RTM.050727-4200)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll
----------------------------------------
System
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.42 (RTM.050727-4200)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Drawing
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.42 (RTM.050727-4200)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Runtime.Remoting
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.42 (RTM.050727-4200)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Runtime.Remoting/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Runtime.Remoting.dll
----------------------------------------

************** JIT Debugging **************
To enable just-in-time (JIT) debugging, the .config file for this
application or computer (machine.config) must have the
jitDebugging value set in the system.windows.forms section.
The application must also be compiled with debugging
enabled.

For example:

<configuration>
<system.windows.forms jitDebugging="true" />
</configuration>

When JIT debugging is enabled, any unhandled exception
will be sent to the JIT debugger registered on the computer
rather than be handled by this dialog box.

[finneys13]

Kingdoms won't, but my work around works though, just try to load vanilla or a vanilla mod with the text files needed to be converted.

[nerazzurri]

That's true but it I figure it would be easier if you didn't have to mess around like that (it would be even easier if CA had included the code to do it in the Kingdoms exe...).

[nerazzurri]

I think the problem is that you've clicked on Extract before selecting a file first. Before clicking on Extract you need to click on Browse and select the strings.bin file you want extracted.