[SOLVED]Adding Mangonels to Game.

**CodOfDuty** · August 28, 2009, 09:41 AM

Would it be possible for someone to give me step-by-step info on how to add mangonels from Crusades to my mod? I've tried everything, including:

Adding the entry from descr_skeletons, descr_effects, descr_engines.
I coded the mangonel unit into my EDU, EDB and ModelsDB correctly...
I also placed the animations and skeletons in (I think) The IDX extractor doesn't work too well for me but I managed to get a file from unpacked crusades in the animations folder called 'MTW2 Mangonel'.

Thanks..

**Taiji** · August 28, 2009, 09:52 AM

I did it for DLV, what's the problem?

If you say what the actual problem you're experiencing is, then noone need waste time explaining what you possibly already know.

So what happens that makes you think that what you have done is incorrect?

edit:

Hmm actually there is something I would like to know about this too, if I remember right my mangonels are completely silent in operation - which sucks.

How to fix it?

**CodOfDuty** · August 28, 2009, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by Taiji

I did it for DLV, what's the problem?

If you say what the actual problem you're experiencing is, then noone need waste time explaining what you possibly already know.

So what happens that makes you think that what you have done is incorrect?

edit:

Hmm actually there is something I would like to know about this too, if I remember right my mangonels are completely silent in operation - which sucks.

How to fix it?

My problem is that these Mangonels aren't working and my mod CTD's whilst loading a battle with them..I've encountered this CTD numerous times so I assumed it is a model, animation or skeleton missing/incorrectly coded etc.

I am sure what I have done so far is correct; added the Mangonel info from unpacked Crusades into my mod from every necessary file - I can post screenshots first thing if that helps. I understand requesting a step by step process is a lot of work but I can't find a tutorial on adding siege units.

**Taiji** · August 28, 2009, 04:56 PM

Assuming you've got everything in the correct folders specified with the correct filenames. You're probably right.

Have you copied the \animations folder and descr_skel from crusades? You would need to rebuild the animations unless you copied both descr_skel and the .dat and .idx files from the 'animations' folder. Rebuilding is necessary any time you make a change to descr_skel.

For your reference this is my northern european battlemodels entry for it:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

And here's my EDU entry:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Descr_engines:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

I really didn't have to mess with animations at all but I think the animations I began with (Niko's) were based on kingdoms anyway.

**CodOfDuty** · August 28, 2009, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by Taiji

Assuming you've got everything in the correct folders specified with the correct filenames. You're probably right.

Have you copied the \animations folder and descr_skel from crusades? You would need to rebuild the animations unless you copied both descr_skel and the .dat and .idx files from the 'animations' folder. Rebuilding is necessary any time you make a change to descr_skel.

For your reference this is my northern european battlemodels entry for it:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

And here's my EDU entry:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Descr_engines:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

I really didn't have to mess with animations at all but I think the animations I began with (Niko's) were based on kingdoms anyway.

Ok, the battlemodels, EDU, and Descr_Engines are identical to mine, could you please tell me more about rebuilding the animations? As they are .IDX files must I delete these and they will be rebuilt - similar to the .IDX files in the sounds folder. However I don't know if it will work without me having to find all the old skeletons/animations. I cleared my animations folder after I tried unpacking both pack.idx and skeletons.idx. Doing that did not work because there were identical file names as different types:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

The right box is my current animations folder..the left is what I had - and the game didn't work when I tried to play with it. What happened when I unpacked left me with all the folders in one folder, and all of the other files in another...I ended up placing about half of the folders in and all of the non-folder files in..which was a bad idea..

Thanks.

**Taiji** · August 28, 2009, 06:57 PM

OK... not really sure what's going on there...

Anyway, go download this.

Delete everything in your animations folder except the mangonel stuff.

Extract the contents of the file you just downloaded to your mod's animations folder.

Rename your vanilla animations folder (so the game cannot find it).

Start your mod and the animations will be rebuilt using the extracted animation files as per the descr_skeleton.txt.

There's a tiny delay in startup while it does this, and you should be able to test immediately upon entering the game.

Done.... I think

**CodOfDuty** · August 29, 2009, 04:34 AM

OK, before I try that - because I don't want to lose my new animations also..would it be possible to request a file for the Mangonel referenced from descr_skeletons? I found these files to not be present...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

The file in the middle column - data/animations/siege_Crew/Crew_Left_mangonel_2.cas is missing.

Also, is my descr_skeletons file for the mangonel input identical to yours Taiji? Thanks.

**Taiji** · August 29, 2009, 05:02 AM

Here's the mangonel entry I'm using:

Code:

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;


type		MTW2_Mangonel
parent		MTW2_Knifeman
anim		default										data/animations/MTW2_Knifeman/MTW2_Knifeman_basepose.cas

anim		stand_a_idle								data/animations/MTW2_Crew/MTW2_Crew_crew_stand_idle.cas

anim		crew_left									data/animations/siege_Crew/crew_rear_idle.CAS								-fr			;-evt:data/animations/carry_and_artillery/ballista_crew_left_crank_loop.evt
anim		crew_left_to_crew_stand						data/animations/siege_Crew/crew_rear_idle.CAS								-fr			;-evt:data/animations/carry_and_artillery/ballista_crew_left_fire_idle.evt
anim		crew_left_stoke_1							data/animations/siege_Crew/crew_catapult_left_1.cas							-fr			;-evt:data/animations/carry_and_artillery/ballista_crew_left_fire_idle.evt
anim		crew_left_stoke_2							data/animations/siege_Crew/crew_rear_idle.CAS								-fr			;-evt:data/animations/carry_and_artillery/ballista_crew_left_fire_commence.evt
anim		crew_left_stoke_3cycle						data/animations/siege_Crew/crew_rear_idle.CAS								-fr			;-evt:data/animations/carry_and_artillery/ballista_crew_left_fire_recover.evt

anim		crew_right									data/animations/siege_Crew/crew_right_idle.CAS								-fr			;-evt:data/animations/carry_and_artillery/ballista_crew_right_crank_loop.evt
anim		crew_right_to_crew_stand					data/animations/siege_Crew/crew_right_idle.CAS								-fr			;-evt:data/animations/carry_and_artillery/ballista_crew_right_fire_idle.evt
anim		crew_right_load_1							data/animations/siege_Crew/crew_right_treb.cas								-fr
anim		crew_right_load_2							data/animations/siege_Crew/crew_right_idle.CAS								-fr
anim		crew_right_load_3							data/animations/siege_Crew/crew_right_idle.CAS								-fr			;-evt:data/animations/carry_and_artillery/ballista_crew_right_fire_recover.evt

anim		crew_rear									data/animations/siege_Crew/crew_rear_idle.CAS								-fr			;-evt:data/animations/carry_and_artillery/ballista_crew_right_crank_loop.evt
anim		crew_rear_to_crew_stand						data/animations/siege_Crew/crew_rear_idle.CAS								-fr			;-evt:data/animations/carry_and_artillery/ballista_crew_right_fire_idle.evt
anim		crew_rear_fire_idle							data/animations/siege_Crew/crew_rear_idle.CAS								-fr			;-evt:data/animations/carry_and_artillery/ballista_crew_right_fire_idle.evt
anim		crew_rear_fire_commence						data/animations/siege_Crew/crew_rear_idle.CAS								-fr			;-evt:data/animations/carry_and_artillery/ballista_crew_right_fire_commence.evt
anim		crew_rear_fire_recover						data/animations/siege_Crew/crew_right_cover.cas								-fr


;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Doesn't reference any mangonel specific anims.

I can barely read your picture (I suggest copy and paste for stuff like this).

I might have time to check your response later, might not...

Now I have to leave and catch my flight.... good luck

edit: One last thing. When I mentioned mangonel anims, they should go in the 'engines' folder which is in the animations folder. They are referenced by descr_engines not descr_skel, descr_skel is just for the crew's animation set.

**CodOfDuty** · August 29, 2009, 01:50 PM

I fixed the problem, I cleared my animations folder and put in the animation files as you said, I then copied all of my cleared animations back in and overwrote (except pack.idx and animations.idx.I also renamed the vanilla animations folder.

Thanks Taiji! Wouldn't have solved this one mate! +rep