Wanting to extract skin from XGM to SPQR...

**Norse Archer** · March 23, 2008, 05:45 PM

Hi... i've read several tutorials in this forum, and have tried in vain to completely extract the Greek Athenian Marine Archer skin from the Extended Greek mod, and use it in SPQR for the Greek Cities to replace Greek Archers.I've somewhat successfully inserted the new skin, however my SPQR model is missing the helmet plume, cheek guards, and chin strap. I've done the UI unit card and unit info(easy enough)... I'd really like to get the helmet right.

First off, if i'm simply replacing an existing units skin, do i really need to rename the unit? thus creating a new unit... Wont i then have to go through every descr_unit_building file and add the new troop type, to make it recruitable?? I've tried that before in another mod and had multiple crashes.

Per tutorial: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=124007 this shows how to extract from SPQR and move a skin to EB... which in itself is confusing me somewhat lol...) I'm actually extracting a skin from the Extended Greek MOd(XGM) and trying to insert it into SPQR.

1.
Open the X:\Rome - Total War\EB\Data\export_descr_unit.txt
Find the entry:
Quote:
;242 type roman infantry legionary cohort ii
Copy the whole entry and paste it underneath.
Now you have two same entries. Alter the first by adding an "a" in the first line: type roman infantry legionary cohort iia

Open the C:\Documents and Settings\X\Desktop\spqr\Data\export_descr_unit.txt
Find the entry:
Quote:
type roman legionary cohort ii
Copy the line:soldier roman_legionary_cohort_ii and replace with it the same line in your EB entry.
So now your EDU looks like this:

Quote:
;242
type roman infantry legionary cohort iia
dictionary roman_infantry_legionary_cohort_ii ; Cohortes Imperatoria
category infantry
class heavy
voice_type General_1
soldier roman_infantry_cohorsimperatoria, 50, 0, 1.15
officer officer_roman_centurion
officer officer_roman_standard
attributes sea_faring, hide_forest, can_sap, hardy
formation 1, 2, 2, 3, 6, square, testudo
stat_health 1, 0
stat_pri 4, 0, pilum, 35, 2, thrown, blade, piercing, spear, 15 ,1
stat_pri_attr prec, thrown, ap
stat_sec 12, 4, no, 0, 0, melee, simple, piercing, sword, 0 ,0.13
stat_sec_attr no
stat_pri_armour 12, 9, 4, metal
stat_sec_armour 0, 0, flesh
stat_heat 4
stat_ground 0, 0, -2, -2
stat_mental 15, disciplined, highly_trained
stat_charge_dist 30
stat_fire_delay 0
stat_food 60, 300
stat_cost 0, 2244, 561, 100, 160, 2244
ownership seleucid, slave

;242
type roman infantry legionary cohort ii
dictionary roman infantry legionary cohort ii ; Cohortes Imperatoria
category infantry
class heavy
voice_type General_1
soldier roman_legionary_cohort_ii, 50, 0, 1.15
officer officer_roman_centurion
officer officer_roman_standard
attributes sea_faring, hide_forest, can_sap, hardy
formation 1, 2, 2, 3, 6, square, testudo
stat_health 1, 0
stat_pri 4, 0, pilum, 35, 2, thrown, blade, piercing, spear, 15 ,1
stat_pri_attr prec, thrown, ap
stat_sec 12, 4, no, 0, 0, melee, simple, piercing, sword, 0 ,0.13
stat_sec_attr no
stat_pri_armour 12, 9, 4, metal
stat_sec_armour 0, 0, flesh
stat_heat 4
stat_ground 0, 0, -2, -2
stat_mental 15, disciplined, highly_trained
stat_charge_dist 30
stat_fire_delay 0
stat_food 60, 300
stat_cost 0, 2244, 561, 100, 160, 2244
ownership seleucid, slave

Ok i'm not clear if i need to do this or not...

**Norse Archer** · March 23, 2008, 05:50 PM

Now the next step in the tutorial...

From SPQR:

"
type greek_archer
skeleton fs_fast_foot_archer, fs_fast_dagger
indiv_range 40
texture macedon, data/models_unit/textures/SPQR_ARCHER_MACEDON_LIGHT.TGA
texture seleucid, data/models_unit/textures/SPQR_ARCHER_SELEUCID_LIGHT.TGA
texture greek_cities, data/models_unit/textures/SPQR_ARCHER_GREEK_LIGHT.TGA
texture thrace, data/models_unit/textures/SPQR_ARCHER_THRACE_LIGHT.TGA
texture merc, data/models_unit/textures/SPQR_ARCHER_GREEK_LIGHT.TGA
model_flexi data/models_unit/unit_roman_archer_high.cas, 15
model_flexi data/models_unit/unit_roman_archer_med.cas, 30
model_flexi data/models_unit/unit_roman_archer_low.cas, 40
model_flexi data/models_unit/unit_roman_archer_lowest.cas, max
model_sprite thrace, 60.0, data/sprites/thrace_greek_archer_sprite1.spr
model_sprite greek_cities, 60.0, data/sprites/thrace_greek_archer_sprite1.spr
model_sprite seleucid, 60.0, data/sprites/seleucid_greek_archer_sprite1.spr
model_sprite macedon, 60.0, data/sprites/macedon_greek_archer_sprite1.spr
model_tri 400, 0.5f, 0.5f, 0.5f

From XGM "greek_athenian_marine_archer":

type greek_athenian_marine_archer
skeleton fs_s1_archer, fs_dagger
indiv_range 40
texture greek_cities, data/models_unit/textures/UNIT_GREEK_ATHENIAN_MARINE_ARCHER.TGA
texture romans_brutii, data/models_unit/textures/UNIT_GREEK_ATHENIAN_MARINE_ARCHER_GCSR.TGA
model_flexi xgm/data/models_unit/unit_greek_athenian_marine_archer_high.CAS, 15
model_flexi xgm/data/models_unit/unit_greek_athenian_marine_archer_medium.CAS, 30
model_flexi xgm/data/models_unit/unit_greek_athenian_marine_archer_low.CAS, 40
model_flexi xgm/data/models_unit/unit_greek_athenian_marine_archer_lowest.CAS, max
model_sprite greek_cities, 60.0, xgm/data/sprites/greek_cities_greek_athenian_marine_archer_sprite.spr
model_sprite romans_brutii, 60.0, xgm/data/sprites/romans_brutii_greek_athenian_marine_archer_sprite.spr
model_tri 400, 0.5f, 0.5f, 0.5f

What should my new SPQR descr_model_battle file look like?

**Norse Archer** · March 23, 2008, 05:57 PM

Next step:

" Textures
Copy and paste the textures from
C:\Documents and Settings\X\Desktop\spqr\Data\models_unit\textures
to
X:\Rome - Total War\EB\Data\models_unit\TEXTURES"

I did this, my Greek Archer in SPQR now has the just about everything: chest armor, leg armor, clothing, bow, but only has a round helmet, the model is missing the helmet plume, cheek guards, and chin strap, and I think it's suppose to have a sword or dagger on the belt.

**florin80** · March 23, 2008, 06:25 PM

There`s a lot of text and I haven`t covered it all, but to make it short. If you only want to change the unit`s aspect and both units have the same weapons you will only need to edit the DMB(descr_model_battle) and change the texture and model. And the sprites if you have those too. You don`t need to edit the unit`s name or add another unit or change the stats in EDU.
If the DMB text you`ve quoted above is accurate you should end up with something like this:
(it`s not my fault the text is all crowded; next time use the CODE to wrap the text in it; that way it keeps its original aspect).

Code:

type greek_archer
skeleton fs_fast_foot_archer, fs_fast_dagger
indiv_range 40
texture macedon, data/models_unit/textures/UNIT_GREEK_ATHENIAN_MARINE_ARCHER.TGA
texture seleucid, data/models_unit/textures/UNIT_GREEK_ATHENIAN_MARINE_ARCHER.TGA
texture greek_cities, data/models_unit/textures/UNIT_GREEK_ATHENIAN_MARINE_ARCHER.TGA
texture thrace, data/models_unit/textures/UNIT_GREEK_ATHENIAN_MARINE_ARCHER.TGA
texture merc, data/models_unit/textures/UNIT_GREEK_ATHENIAN_MARINE_ARCHER.TGA
model_flexi data/models_unit/unit_greek_athenian_marine_archer_high.CAS, 15
model_flexi data/models_unit/unit_greek_athenian_marine_archer_medium.CAS, 30
model_flexi data/models_unit/unit_greek_athenian_marine_archer_low.CAS, 40
model_flexi data/models_unit/unit_greek_athenian_marine_archer_lowest.CAS, max
model_sprite thrace, 60.0, data/sprites/greek_cities_greek_athenian_marine_archer_sprite.spr
model_sprite greek_cities, 60.0, data/sprites/greek_cities_greek_athenian_marine_archer_sprite.spr
model_sprite seleucid, 60.0, data/sprites/greek_cities_greek_athenian_marine_archer_sprite.spr
model_tri 400, 0.5f, 0.5f, 0.5f

Now, don`t forget to place the models, the texture and the sprites(both the .spr and the .tga.dds files) in their correct folders.

Note: you were missing some sprites lines from the text you`ve quoted. Not to mention the model_tri line. Are you sure you`ve posted the whole section?
Also, the SPQR entry has textures for other factions. If those has units using this DMB entry their unts will all look the same. If you want only one of them to look differently(like the one in XGM) you`d need to make another DMB entry and change the soldier line of the EDU entry to point to it.

**Norse Archer** · March 23, 2008, 06:34 PM

My mistake on the SPQR greek_archer file, it's been corrected....

Thanks for the reply. Just in case I haven't been clear, I'm wanting to change my SPQR unit... ie extract FROM XGM and change my SPQR archers.

I understand enough to just cut and paste your reply, however, how exactly will the SPQR mod recognize the new name "greek_athenian_marine_archer"? If I dont do something in the export_descr_unit file?

Also, do i need to have the XGM mod downloaded into it's own seperate folder, inside my main RTW SPQR folder?

**Norse Archer** · March 23, 2008, 07:15 PM

Ok tried that, as i thought, when i did a test and tried to enter the SPQR battle map, file greek_athenian_marine_archer low image.cas does not exist.

Again, I'm wanting to change the existing SPQR greek_archer skin.