Custom settlement problem in Linux

[Käpt'n Blaubär]

Ok Im Back and have the results

I actual installed a Vanilla Version of Tatw. So the testing will be the same....
I tried everything again, and have to say: I did it totally wrong the first time =) I didnt read your instruction properly. So sorry for that...

Step 1: It worked
The Map loaded. And was playable, Amazing =)

About Step 2: I hope i did it write: Here what i did:
I deleted the files i have put in before (your changed files) and put the files from the zztec folder in. I saw that they were missing the a in the filename, think that was the point you were refering to. Hope i got it write...

Then i started again and it didnt worked but it showed me a error.
Fatel Error: Error Code 361

I aplied Step Number 3 as well. Copy the ZZtec folder i had put in the tatw/blocksetfolder as well in the medievil/blocksetfolder. It didnt worked. I got the same error.

I did everything really carefull.

Thanks a lot and good night =) Really sleepy.....

[makanyane]

Ok Im Back and have the results

I actual installed a Vanilla Version of Tatw. So the testing will be the same....
I tried everything again, and have to say: I did it totally wrong the first time =) I didnt read your instruction properly. So sorry for that...

Step 1: It worked
The Map loaded. And was playable, Amazing =)

that's using a set of original anim/meshes - the wrong ones, but vanilla not custom ones, and ones in the original locations so in your case it'll be reading them from the packs.

About Step 2: I hope i did it write: Here what i did:
I deleted the files i have put in before (your changed files) and put the files from the zztec folder in. I saw that they were missing the a in the filename, think that was the point you were refering to. Hope i got it write...

aaargghh no sorry, very sorry, that's me they should have been the same file name eg. edoras_a.world etc it's the internal contents of them that are different - they should be directing to the same vanilla anims, but this time to the ones copied into the blockset/zztec folder (it's to check if it will find them properly in a location that doesn't exist in the packs)

could you rename those files to edoras_a and try steps 2 & 3 again? I'll go fix the download in-case anyone else picks it up...



oooooops!!!!

[Socrates1984]

Alright, time for some tests! I downloaded the files you sent us.

inside the folder there's a 'blockset' folder - copy that over your TATW/data/blockset folder
(you should end up with a new folder TATW/data/blockset/zztec)

I ended up with that folder architecture indeed.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

first test copy the edoras_a.world, collision, animinstances etc from the included 'edoras aztec' folder into your
TATW/data/settlements/unique_settlements/edoras folder so they overwrite the ones currently in there.

First test
A note: You say edoras_a.world, collision, animinstances etc. That etc there confused me a bit, because there are actually no other files in there. See below:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Anyway I pasted them in the folder you instructed:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

It did work.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Second test

thats test 2. which is again giving it the vanilla aztec palisade animations but with the one letter change in the path name

Well, actually it worked. But to be sure I followed your instructions, these are the files I have in my settlements/unique_settlements/edoras folder:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

As you can see, there are two trios of the same files (edoras.world, edoras.worldcollision, edoras.animinstances), but with an added _a (edoras_a.world, edoras_a.worldcollision, edoras_a.animinstances). I pasted the former from the edoras zztec folder you sent us (not the one in the blockset of course).

Is it useful to proceed with the third test, seeing that the second worked?

Note: I assume that every time you send us some files, a clean vanilla TATW is presumed, right? Or the files you send us are supposed to be put on top of the files you previously sent us?

EDIT: Ninja'd! I will rename them and try again!

[makanyane]

Sorry Socrates please see above the file names in the zztec edoras folder were an error by me they should have been
edoras_a etc and overwritten the ones I gave you in step 1

they won't be being used at all unless they're re-named

please rename them and overwrite the ones used in step1

and yes I'm assuming you're starting from vanilla TATW

[Socrates1984]

Thanks! We both wrote our replies at the same time...

So, after the renaming, the 2nd test didn't work for me.

Third test
I ended up with the data/blockset/zztec folder architecture in the vanilla Med2TW folder. It didn't work.

EDIT: @c.l.
One good way to spend less time for these tests is editing the descr_strat file located in the data/world/maps/campaign/imperial_campaign folder. Back it up, open it and search for Ugluk. After the last unit line, add this line:

unit        Isengard Catapult            exp 0 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0

Now, the only thing you have to do to test Edoras is select Isengard, start the campaign and then the console and press:

move_character Ugluk 184 153

Ugluk will be on the bridge next to Edoras with a Catapult unit.

[makanyane]

Thanks! We both wrote our replies at the same time...

So, after the renaming, the 2nd test didn't work for me.

Third test
I ended up with the data/blockset/zztec folder architecture in the vanilla Med2TW folder. It didn't work.

bum! That is looking like it won't accept anim/mesh files that aren't in the same locations as in the packs

I'll try and double check that I haven't done anything else stupid with the test files though... and see if that makes sense versus our list of settlements that do/don't work.

EDIT: @c.l.
One good way to spend less time for these tests is editing the descr_strat file located in the data/world/maps/campaign/imperial_campaign folder. Back it up, open it and search for Ugluk. After the last unit line, add this line:

unit        Isengard Catapult            exp 0 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0

Now, the only thing you have to do to test Edoras is select Isengard, start the campaign and then the console and press:

move_character Ugluk 184 153

Ugluk will be on the bridge next to Edoras with a Catapult unit.

good idea - I normally end up adding/moving armies in descr_strat so they're near test settlements - but using the 'cheat' movement would be more flexible

[Käpt'n Blaubär]

I had no time so far testing it. I could test it in the evening.
Will post the results then.

I made a save file, in which saruman is attackd by the besieged forces of edoras. I just use this savefile for testing.

[Käpt'n Blaubär]

OK, tested it as well

Got the same results.

I have to say, dont really get what i am testing, so i cant give any clues what to do next
Hope that helped

By the way im using Ubuntu 16.04 LTS

[alreadyded]

I would say test village level custom settlements to keep it simple, less variables, but I never focused on this settlement stuff too much so I don't remember half of what I figured out. Do the Hobbit ones works for you guys? Or Weathertop?

[makanyane]

@c.l.

think we're now pretty sure the cause of the crashes under Linux are the custom animations - I've just checked through the list from earlier;

non working

Edoras - custom anim for wall only (gate uses vanilla)
Hornburg - custom anims for gate and wall
Isengard - custom anims for gate and wall
Minas Tirith - custom anims for gate and wall
Minas Morgul - has gate only - uses custom anim
East and West Osgiliath - (checked east) both versions have custom anims
Black Gate - has gate only - uses custom anim
Moria - has gate only - uses custom anim
Cair Andros - custom anims for gate and wall


Working settlements (just for the record)

Esgaroth - vanilla anims
Erebor - in SE huge city - no walls/gates no anims
Imladris - (Rivendell I think) - no walls/gates no anims
Dol Guldur - vanilla anim (gate only)
Caras Galadhon - celebrant - denmark large_city (NE) - uses ?????
Goblin Town - high-pass - hre town (EE) - uses EE/settlements/town/orc_town_a.world - vanilla anims
Amon Sul - weather-hills - teutonic_order large_castle (NE) - uses ?????
Hobbiton - no walls/gates no anims
Carn Dum - portugal fortress - uses NE/castles/fortress/tc_fortress_a.world - vanilla anims
Henneth Annun - vanilla anim (gate only)

Barad Dur (It looked like a normal settlement to me)
Pelargir (ditto)

There's a couple I haven't tracked down - but the pattern is pretty clear!

Also our tests in this thread so far;

file / folder names are converted to lower case
both custom and vanilla file paths to anims have mis-match in case - but vanilla work

holy's changed minas tirith anims back to use vanilla ANIMS. - battle loaded

Socrates tried loading everything into data/folder didn't work. for edoras

edoras resave of TATW files but using IWTE latest version didn't work

edoras using vanilla anims did work

edoras vanilla anims on new path didn't work.

edoras using aztec vanilla anims (in /aztec folder vanilla path) did work

edoras using aztec vanilla anims moved to tatw/data/blockset/zztec folder didn't work

edoras using aztec vanilla anims copied additionally to m2tw/data/blockset/zztec folder still didn't work

I kind-of repeated things a bit with that last set of tests because I wanted to try a radically different file/path (and shorter name)

To explain when you start a battle the *.worldpkgdesc calls the > *.world which calls the > *.anims which call a >*.texture
The only change the 'custom anims' make in TATW is to call a different texture from the vanilla one.

custom settlements modify the contents of .world which includes the path to the .anim it could have been that we'd been doing that in a way that Linux didn't like, so 1st stage of last test was to redirect to the existing /aztec folder which is a radically different and shorter path than the vanilla NE one that settlement used before it was modified. That loaded so it's ruled out IWTE itself messing up the path re-writing (most path strings have a count at the beginning like the battle_models.modeldb)

2nd stage was to copy those same anims that 1st stage used - they're originally found in unpacked versions at
data/blockset/aztec/animations/town_wooden_palisade

but paste them in so you have;
mod-folder/data/blockset/zztec/animations/town_wooden_palisade

they're the same anims - the same relative path, except the one letter change - that rules out any sort of problem like the blockset/new_settlements/.... file paths possibly being to long - and also as they're the identical vanilla anims it rules out any problem with the modifying to look up new texture bit.

so that leaves it doesn't like the new location / won't read them from the mod-folder...
hence the 3rd stage to paste them back up to get them in;
/data/blockset/zztec/animations/town_wooden_palisade

as that didn't work either it's looking like Linux doesn't find them if they're in a location that isn't also in the m2tw/packs

have two possible other things to try (absolute path & chucking the anims in the settlement folder instead) - will get back to you with stuff to test


EDIT: I partially wrote that lot out in full in the hope that some kind person (HolyX ?) could check I didn't balls up the test somewhere...

[makanyane]

I would say test village level custom settlements to keep it simple, less variables, but I never focused on this settlement stuff too much so I don't remember half of what I figured out. Do the Hobbit ones works for you guys? Or Weathertop?

They should work based on what we've found so far - I just re-printed the list of the ones that seem to work/not work above with comments about the gate/wall anims.

[alreadyded]

Ah, didn't realize you had it all narrowed down already . Oh so pro.

Edit; what about the Osgiliath battlemap that isn't a settlement? The custom tile one, osg.wfc, anyone test that? I'll take a gander at the anim files when I get a chance, I was just editing some stuff anyway so no trouble.

Edit; Leo's uses the same as KK's right?

[makanyane]

Edit; Leo's uses the same as KK's right?

Don't think so - Leo revised a lot of the settlements - I'm fairly sure Leo's Erebor has at least a gate if not walls and therefore also custom anims, whereas KK's doesn't and is more like a 'village' set-up.

EDIT: Not sure about the ambients, but they're a bit of an odd case anyway as they don't use a lot of the 'settlement' stuff, even if you stick a settlement in as an ambient.

[alreadyded]

Don't think so - Leo revised a lot of the settlements - I'm fairly sure Leo's Erebor has at least a gate if not walls and therefore also custom anims, whereas KK's doesn't and is more like a 'village' set-up.

EDIT: Not sure about the ambients, but they're a bit of an odd case anyway as they don't use a lot of the 'settlement' stuff, even if you stick a settlement in as an ambient.

I was going to recommend trying the settlement as an ambient if the ambient one doesn't cause a crash. But you know a lot more than I do so that approach may be a waste of time. On windows bugged animations causes the animations to go a little or maybe all freaky like the metal guy dying in Terminator 2, but maybe Linux doesn't tolerate anything of the sort. Or the animation code has caps or was saved/converted a different way.

Pretty much all of my experience is making unit anims and ambient stuff though. Unit anims missing is the only thing that will cause a ctd that I recall (near the end of the loading bar if I remember correctly, which was reported for this problem). As long as they are there, no matter how effed up they are, the battle does load for me (I have seen some weird stuff). I find it very odd that linux can read the battlemodels.db and unit files with how touchy that is but not read this settlement path stuff.

[Gigantus]

as that didn't work either it's looking like Linux doesn't find them if they're in a location that isn't also in the m2tw/packs

That would then only apply to these particular paths - it does seem (can't confirm) to find unit models in custom folders as nearly each unit has it's own directory in mods.

[Socrates1984]

That would then only apply to these particular paths - it does seem (can't confirm) to find unit models in custom folders as nearly each unit has it's own directory in mods.

Yes, that I can confirm.

[makanyane]

The bit I was starting to wonder about is if you look at the log on trace (under windows) - you see that it 'caches' the contents of some of the folders on start up - including the contents of the /settlements folder it doesn't cache the contents of the blockset/***/animations folders until you actually try and start a battle - so could it be getting overloaded by trying to suddenly look up too much stuff at that stage?

Anyway when I'm back from work will try moving the anims to the /settlements folder.




Actually could those with Linux try changing their
packagedb.txt
to look like

; List of directories to search for packages
.\settlements
.\blockset

I think that should force it to cache it early

[Socrates1984]

Actually could those with Linux try changing their
packagedb.txt
to look like


I think that should force it to cache it early

I tested that with Hornburg and it didn't work.

[Gigantus]

One oddity came to my mind: when using custom models for battle banners you need to use a extended path in descr_banner_new else the game would continue to use the vanilla files. Example from 1648 where we came across this:

      <Banner Name="main_spear" MainMesh="mods\1648_2\data\banners\main_spear.mesh" MiniMesh="mods\1648_2\data\banners\mini_spear.mesh" GeneralMesh="mods\1648_2\data\banners\main_general.mesh" BuildingMesh="mods\1648_2\data\banners\main_spear.mesh" EffectOffsetX="0.0" EffectOffsetY="8.1" EffectOffsetZ="-0.1">
         <Textures>
            <Texture Faction="poland" DiffuseMap="banners\textures\Faction_banner_poland.texture" TranslucencyMap="banners\textures\Faction_banner_trans.texture"/>

[makanyane]

One oddity came to my mind: when using custom models for battle banners you need to use a extended path in descr_banner_new else the game would continue to use the vanilla files. Example from 1648 where we came across this:

      <Banner Name="main_spear" MainMesh="mods\1648_2\data\banners\main_spear.mesh" MiniMesh="mods\1648_2\data\banners\mini_spear.mesh" GeneralMesh="mods\1648_2\data\banners\main_general.mesh" BuildingMesh="mods\1648_2\data\banners\main_spear.mesh" EffectOffsetX="0.0" EffectOffsetY="8.1" EffectOffsetZ="-0.1">
         <Textures>
            <Texture Faction="poland" DiffuseMap="banners\textures\Faction_banner_poland.texture" TranslucencyMap="banners\textures\Faction_banner_trans.texture"/>

had seen that earlier and will give it a go... I'm not holding out a lot of hope though as we've already tried getting the Linux users to move the anims (and also the settlements in an earlier test) into m2tw/data/... which would have fixed it if it was just a mod-folder issue