EasyEsf for NTW (30/11/2011)

[Biggus Splenus]

To everyone having troubles, follow these steps. It's what I did (went through every possible thing that could have been causing the problem) and it solved it:

OK, I uninstalled jruby and easy esf, then followed these steps:

1) Downloaded the latest version of 64-bit Java from their website and installed it.
2) Downloaded all Easy Esf installers and the new patch.
3) Ran all installers as admin in the default installation path, then manually installed the new patch for ETW (it installed jruby too in the default path, and I also left the "set path" option on)
4) Made sure my Easy ESF NTW folder had all editing privileges, which it did in my user name and for admin (both the same anyways)
5) Ran nokogiri.bat file in the easy esf folder folder, and it done it's job
6) Made sure all the files in the folder easy esf was installed in had no "read only" settings
7) Edited the settings for standards users to have full privileges on the folder
8) Ran the ntw easy esf .exe file as admin
9) Put the regions.esf and startpos.esf files in the correct folder for editing
10) Clicked on the "Slots" tab at the top
11) Waited for it to do its thing
12) Selected the region I wanted to edit from the drop down menu
13) Tick the boxes for the slots you want
14) Selected what buildings I wanted in each slot
15) Selected set startpos.esf, then set regions.esf
16) Clicked build esf, and the date saying when it was last edited was not changed

And then finally success !!!

Everyone who is having problems should try all this too

[Lord Davn]

Worked with the Easy Esf editor to CHANGE some of the building slots and upgrade the existing buildings (ex: from Barracks to Drill School)

Load only your STARTPOS.esf file in the ESF folder.
1. Hit the "Start" button and let the editor convert your Esf file.

2. When it's complete select the "Region" button

3. Select the Region Slot you want to CHANGE, select the Building Type and hit "Change Type"
It helps to fill them in the proper order, (if there is more than one open slot only do one at a time)
...slot 1 -Administration buildings
...slot 2 -Barracks
...slot 3 -Cannon factory
...slot 4 -Theater

4. Hit the "Set" button and move on to the next Region or another Faction.

When you've completed all of the changes you like to make select the "Main Page" button and "Build Esf"
After a few minutes your new Esf file will be ready

[regal_shocker]

ok i have gotten adding new slots to regions working on ETW however, there's something wrong with my NTW. whenever i hit Set Regions it returns an error like this:

Error: NewSlots -> Button2 -> On Click, Line 107: Argument 3 must be of type string,

Stack Traceback:

1: [NewSlots -> Button2 -> On Click] Line: 107 in main chunk
2: [[string "line"]] Line: 427 in function 'Show'
3: [Project -> On Menu] Line: 138 in main chunk

Also, my selections for building slots are for ETW instead of NTW :/

im guessing i missed to copy a file or something but idk which one:

[Lord Davn]

im guessing i missed to copy a file or something but idk which one:

There are two separate programs for the Easy ESF editor. One for ETW and the other for NTW, make sure that you copy the right Startpos & Region file into the correct file folder.
They are easy to mix up. Also when you start the Easy ESF editor program, right click and select "Run as administrator".

[regal_shocker]

There are two separate programs for the Easy ESF editor. One for ETW and the other for NTW, make sure that you copy the right Startpos & Region file into the correct file folder. They are easy to mix up.
Also when you start the Easy ESF editor program, right click and select "Run as administrator".

Thanks I only noticed now that there was a separate download for the NTW version. I'll give it a try now, thanks again

[Condottiere SOG]

Got the ETW version to work, but can't seem to get this version to work. Is there another update to follow? This version seems buggy.

[Lord Davn]

Got the ETW version to work, but can't seem to get this version to work. Is there another update to follow? This version seems buggy.

I have been using husserlTW's Easy Esf editor for several weeks now and it has some limitationsl. However as it states in the troubleshoot notes it may not work well with STARTPOS files that have been modified by original Esf Editors.
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...hp?t=480745%20

[Steph]

That happens to me. I can start Easy ESF.
Then I click on Slots, and the tool successfully confert the startpos.esf and region.esf I place on the ESF folder.
I can add slots to the first region, Alsace.
Then I can click on Set Startpos and then Set Regions. I get a success message.
Then I click on Build.esf, and get again a success message.
But when I go the ESF folder, startpos and region both have the same size and date as when I started, and if I open it with esf editor, I cannot see my changes.

I tried with my modified startpos, and then with the default startpos (I hope, I'm not sure I did not actually changed it at some point), the changes are not saved.

[Lord Davn]

That happens to me. I can start Easy ESF. But when I go the ESF folder, startpos and region both have the same size and date as when I started

Check the previous page on this thread from October 6th: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...=498159&page=4

You have to run Easy Esf and it sub-programs on a Windows 7 ~64 bit OS. with an up to-date version of Java already running,
(the Jruby and Nokogiri programs are provided with the Easy Esf install files).

[Steph]

I finally managed to get Easy ESF to save the results.
However, the campaign now crashes when I start it.
Maybe it's because I used a modified startpos, but I tried with what I think is the original startpos (not sure) and it crashes too.

Or maybe because if you add new slots, they cannot be empty? I added the slot, but did not gave a building to each slot.

[Steph]

I did some additional tests this morning. Apparently, you can add slots to a city, but you need to specify a building for each slot. You cannot have empty slot.

[Lord Davn]

Apparently, you can add slots to a city, but you need to specify a building for each slot. You cannot have empty slot.

My experience has been that you can change buildings in a slot, but you cannot fill an empty building slot in the startpos.esf file or it will likely cause a CTD later in the campaign game.

If you are changing buildings try to keep them in their natural order:
slot 1: administration
slot 2: barracks
slot 3: cannon
slot 4: culture
slot 5: fortifications

[Steph]

How does the order work exactly?
I did everything in the order they appear in Easy ESF, which is their natural order, but at the end they were in a different order

[Lord Davn]

How does the order work exactly? I did everything in the order they appear in Easy ESF, which is their natural order, but at the end they were in a different order

I also would try to add the buildings in order but sometimes they show up in different order, not sure why, but they do work from all of our testing and that's the important thing.
CA gave us NO tools to mod NTW with so I'm grateful that HusserlTW made this tool for modders to use

[Steph]

Yes, as long as it works, it's not very important, I just want to be sure I used the tool in the best way it can be used.

[Condottiere SOG]

One can only be grateful...if one can use the tool.

[Steph]

So, I managed to add slots to a city (including empty slots).
However, when I try to add a prestige slot, it crashes the game. Do you know if there is a way to do it?

[Lord Davn]

However, when I try to add a prestige slot, it crashes the game. Do you know if there is a way to do it?

I also did not have any luck adding prestige slots, it seams they are set and reserved for the major faction prestige building

I also noted the other night when working with the Easy Esf editor I received an error message after rebuilding an Esf file and the saved file size was zero. I could not get the Easy Esf editor to work after that despite closing it and restarting it several times with "run as administrator". I finally re booted my computer and was successful on the first try.
My guess is that the file error changed something with Jruby or Nokogiri that required a restart to get it running properly

[Steph]

When I did some tests last week, I finally manage to add slots to one city.

But today impossible to make it work. The regions and startpos created by EasyESF will crash the campaign when I try loading it.

At first I thought it was because my startpos was not clean. So I tried from the original files (even cleaning the cache from steam to get a new version).

It still does not work.

I have no idea why it worked last week, and now it doesn't anymore.

I have wasted two days trying to rebuild a startpos from the original file, adding again more playable factions, redoing the victory conditions, the LOS, etc.

And this was for nothing. I'm quite disappointed, and I think I'll abandon the idea to use Easy ESF to add slots.

[Andromachos]

I have been looking this over a bit. I have only used the old esf editors in the past, but this one it appears you could rebuilt the starting armies, but when I look to add the unit from the list, I only see Empire units. Is there something I need ot add on for getting the Napoleon List in there??? Just checking. I havent gone through all of it yet, but this looks like a great tool. well done!!!