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Thread: Creating / editing strat map settlement models.

  1. #1
    leo.civil.uefs's Avatar É nóis que vôa bruxão!
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    Default Creating / editing strat map settlement models.

    This is a very short and simple tutorial that would not be really necessary if there were not some tricks that can turn your modding experience into a nightmare.

    To edit / create settlement models for strat map, follow these steps:

    1 - Download IWTE.
    2 - Go to the strat_map tab. The buttons are self explanatory. Click Read Strat Cas and navigate to the folder where the strat map settlement models are. (they are .cas files mostly in data/models_strat folder), double click a .cas file, the tool will load the file. Now click Write Strat Cas to MS3D and the tool will do exacly as the button says. Go to the folder where the .cas file is and you will see your .ms3d file there.
    3 - Open it and edit the way you want. Pay attention to the group models inside milkshape 3d. There is a symbol group, which is a box. This is the position of the army flag inside the settlement in the campaign map. You can move it but I dont recomend this since it uses to cause CTD. You can edit the rest of your model freely, always paying attention in the materials assigned to each group.

    NOW VERY IMPPORTANNT:

    You should edit your file while keeping it already inside its final destination folder, because when you create materials in milkshape 3d to assign to your groups, you will need to select a texture for them and define a path for it (the folder where it is located). When the game is launched it will look for the texture in the folder where it was when you selected it in milkshape, so dont use textures located in your desktop or somewhere else. I recomend locating your texture inside the texture folder near to your model (exactly as vanilla game does).
    Resuming: Before selecting textures in milkshape, place the texture in its final destination in your mod, only then use it in milkshape.


    Save your .ms3d file. Now you have a .ms3d custom made strat map model.

    4 - Go back to IWTE and to the strat_map tab, click Read MS3D Strat Cas, select the .ms3d file you just edited, the tool will load the file, then click Write strat Cas. Its done. Now find the .cas file you just created and rename it to match the original one, replacing it (keep a backup of the original one!)


    Thats it.

  2. #2

    Default Re: Creating / editing strat map settlement models.

    Can you elaborate on the part where you mention moving the Symbol box causes crashes?

    When does the CTD happen? Is it when an AI army is besieging a settlement or when a battle is finished at a settlement battlemap that the game crashes?

    I ask because I have moved the Symbol box for 99% of the campaign strategy map models I created for Divide and Conquer and I am only aware of two kinds of crashes when it comes to settlements and one is where the AI gets stuck during a siege battle and crashes the game during end turn and the second is when a battle is fought on a settlement's battlemap and the player is returning to the campaign map, the game crashes.

    However, I have been told that these are just a result of the game being old as well as the amount of modification done to the game (in the case of TATW and DaC).

    EDIT: I also checked the base game and I can confirm that the Symbol box moves when the city-line of settlement is upgraded so I'm even more curious about that statement.

    So, if you could give me more detail, I would appreciate it.
    Last edited by TheEliteDwarf; January 28, 2019 at 06:51 PM.

    GRAND ARCHITECT OF THE DWARVEN EMPIRE

  3. #3
    leo.civil.uefs's Avatar É nóis que vôa bruxão!
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    Default Re: Creating / editing strat map settlement models.

    Quote Originally Posted by TheEliteDwarf View Post
    Can you elaborate on the part where you mention moving the Symbol box causes crashes?

    When does the CTD happen? Is it when an AI army is besieging a settlement or when a battle is finished at a settlement battlemap that the game crashes?

    I ask because I have moved the Symbol box for 99% of the campaign strategy map models I created for Divide and Conquer and I am only aware of two kinds of crashes when it comes to settlements and one is where the AI gets stuck during a siege battle and crashes the game during end turn and the second is when a battle is fought on a settlement's battlemap and the player is returning to the campaign map, the game crashes.

    However, I have been told that these are just a result of the game being old as well as the amount of modification done to the game (in the case of TATW and DaC).

    EDIT: I also checked the base game and I can confirm that the Symbol box moves when the city-line of settlement is upgraded so I'm even more curious about that statement.

    So, if you could give me more detail, I would appreciate it.
    In my experience, it crashes while loading the game. (loading screen). When you open a new campaign, for example.

  4. #4

    Default Re: Creating / editing strat map settlement models.

    Thanks for elaborating.

    I had forgotten about this thread so that's why it has been so long since I last posted here but I did want to post again to let you and anyone else who reads this thread know that I have moved the Symbol "model" (cube) in every single campaign strategy model that I have made for Divide and Conquer and not once have I had an issue with that causing my game to crash or the games of anyone else who plays DaC.

    The only time I've experienced a campaign strategy model cause the game to crash upon loading is if I forgot to put the texture(s) the model uses in the respective textures folder.

    Anyway, I just wanted to add what I have experienced. Thank you for creating this guide, it's nice to have for current and future modders.

    GRAND ARCHITECT OF THE DWARVEN EMPIRE

  5. #5
    Jadli's Avatar The Fallen God
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    Default Re: Creating / editing strat map settlement models.

    Quote Originally Posted by leo.civil.uefs View Post
    In my experience, it crashes while loading the game. (loading screen). When you open a new campaign, for example.
    Nice guide!

    Could you advice me about how to more the banner box properly, I have tried that, but as you say, the game will not load...

  6. #6
    Araval's Avatar Protector Domesticus
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    Default Re: Creating / editing strat map settlement models.

    Interesting, I've moved it without doing anything special and without crashing the game.

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