Kotor Tool - v1.0.2210.16738 (2006-1-19 12:38)

[Darkkender]

Here's a new map I'm working on for use with the module editor.

 

http://kotortool.home.comcast.net/151har_lg.jpg (6144 x 4608 px)

 

This model consists of 17(!) parts and would have normally taken a few hours (at the least) to get the first-pass assembly done. I usually have to go back and realign parts when module items like doors won't line up.

 

This model was assembled using a new technique that allows me to get the initial assembly done in less than 25 minutes.

 

Once I get some new assembly instructions put together, it should be much easier for people to contribute maps.

 

I'll be eager for that since I still have difficulties putting together the models following the instructions. But that looks great. I'm eager for my next dayoff to do various things involving modding and now your just adding more to my plate of palatable desires Fred.

[Fred Tetra]

I am actually trying to write a MaxScript that will load all of the models for a map and align them, all in one shot.

 

If it works out right, when you export a series of map models, Kotor Tool would write out the script to be run in Max to import and align them, simplifying the whole workflow. At the worst, you'd have to specify some things manually but it would still take less time than it does now.

 

In other news, I discovered why I cannot load my own room models into the game and not have the room look dark. I am working with CChargin to make a few changes to MDLOps to fix these things. If anyone is really interested in the technical reasons, just ask.

[Pavlos]

Are you working on a way to create new modules? If I've missed the point then, owww. Because if someone can figure out that lightmapping issue I would erm... thank them very much.

[Fred Tetra]

Are you working on a way to create new modules? If I've missed the point then, owww. Because if someone can figure out that lightmapping issue I would erm... thank them very much.

 

I've been working on that for the past two years now

 

It is a slow process because almost everything has to be figured out empirically through testing and experimentation (and failure!). Granted, if I were working on this 8 hours a day and wasn't writing Kotor Tool at the same time (assuming it or something like it already existed), I'm pretty sure I'd know what could or could not be done by now.

 

I have just added/modified/fixed about 40 things in Kotor Tool, so to take a break from that I am back playing around with the MDL format. I have written a binary reader for the MDL files that lets me explore the file in an easier to read format. It is not complete, but it does read enough of the file data for me to see what the problem I am having with room lights is caused by.

 

So, while I can now put my own room into 204TEL, my character still looks like the room has no lights, at least for now.

[Fred Tetra]

I am actually trying to write a MaxScript that will load all of the models for a map and align them, all in one shot.

 

If it works out right, when you export a series of map models, Kotor Tool would write out the script to be run in Max to import and align them, simplifying the whole workflow. At the worst, you'd have to specify some things manually but it would still take less time than it does now.

 

 

Well I have certainly enjoyed some success tonight!

 

I managed to update Kotor Tool and write some MaxScript code for 3DS Max 7 that together allow me to completely assemble a map like 204TEL in 35 seconds and a complex model like 001EBO in 2 minutes and 7 seconds! You still have to remove any "roofing" items so that the floor below is visible, but this is trivial task compared to aligning all of the map models.

 

Now if I can get my idea for the math-based map calibrator working (presently I do them all by tedious iterative tweaking), I should be able to produce a whole new set of maps for your module editing pleasure in rather short order.

[RedHawke]

Now if I can get my idea for the math-based map calibrator working (presently I do them all by tedious iterative tweaking), I should be able to produce a whole new set of maps for your module editing pleasure in rather short order.

You da man Fred! Sounds really, really cool!

[Darkkender]

Man I feel a song coming on.

 

Karaoke time! -- "I'm So Excited, and I just Can't Hide it, I think I'm about to Lose control and I think I like it."

[The Source]

I was wondering if anyone is creating a map for 202TEL (Entertainment) Level?

[Fred Tetra]

I was wondering if anyone is creating a map for 202TEL (Entertainment) Level?

 

I loaded that one up as one of my tests with you in mind.

 

It will require some clean-up work, as the model is more "3D" than most and there are a lots of roofs to remove without damaging the room underneath, but it should be available in the near future.

[The Source]

I loaded that one up as one of my tests with you in mind.

 

It will require some clean-up work, as the model is more "3D" than most and there are a lots of roofs to remove without damaging the room underneath, but it should be available in the near future.

 

Cool man! I started to think about how complex that level was. There are several hidden areas, which you can't get to in game. Cool Man!

 

THANKS MAN!!!!

[Simbacca]

how come, just in the past two weeks or so, whenever i open a file with KotOR Tool there is a file created, in the same folder as the file i opened, called K1TemplateTags.bfd?

 

is this something that happens because of a new version i have, or is it caused by some options change i may have unknowingly made?

[Fred Tetra]

how come, just in the past two weeks or so, whenever i open a file with KotOR Tool there is a file created, in the same folder as the file i opened, called K1TemplateTags.bfd?

 

is this something that happens because of a new version i have, or is it caused by some options change i may have unknowingly made?

 

It is a file Kotor Tool uses to make certain features work faster. It is a serialized hastable of the tag fields for all of the files in tempates.bif.

 

If you have K2 installed, you'd see a file for that, too.

[Fuu]

Help please Trying to gff edit my g_w_lghtsbr79.uti, whn i try to edit any line in the properties it produces this:

System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException: Specified argument was out of the range of valid values.

Parameter name: '0' is not a valid value for 'index'.

at System.Windows.Forms.ComboBox.set_SelectedIndex(Int32 value)

at kotor_tool.frmUTI_Editor.dgProperties_DoubleClick(Object sender, EventArgs e)

at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnDoubleClick(EventArgs e)

at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)

at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)

at System.Windows.Forms.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)

at System.Windows.Forms.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)

at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

 

<snip>

 

Ack! Never did that before...................

 

Do I have to make a new .uti and start over or is this something I can work through/fix?

 

Thanks,

Fuu

[Fred Tetra]

Help please Trying to gff edit my g_w_lghtsbr79.uti, whn i try to edit any line in the properties it produces this:

 

 

See the end of this message for details on invoking

just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.

 

************** Exception Text **************

System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException: Specified argument was out of the range of valid values.

Parameter name: '0' is not a valid value for 'index'.

at System.Windows.Forms.ComboBox.set_SelectedIndex(Int32 value)

at kotor_tool.frmUTI_Editor.dgProperties_DoubleClick(Object sender, EventArgs e)

at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnDoubleClick(EventArgs e)

at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)

at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)

at System.Windows.Forms.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)

at System.Windows.Forms.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)

at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

 

<snip>

 

Ack! Never did that before...................

 

Do I have to make a new .uti and start over or is this something I can work through/fix?

 

Thanks,

Fuu

 

Have you ever edited the file outside of Kotor Tool? Does it depend on changes to 2DA files to work? If so, make sure you have the required 2DA files in the Override directory and make sure the Look in Game's Override folder for 2DA files checkbox is ticked on the Kotor Tool Options form

[Fuu]

Yes, and Yes. Tried your suggestion and it still put out another error.

 

Ok, so I'm guessing that the gff editor in KoToRTool cant edit files that have been opened in another prog? I think I'll just start a new one..........thanks Mr. Tetra!

 

Fuu

[Fred Tetra]

Yes, and Yes. Tried your suggestion and it still put out another error.

 

Ok, so I'm guessing that the gff editor in KoToRTool cant edit files that have been opened in another prog? I think I'll just start a new one..........thanks Mr. Tetra!

 

Fuu

 

Well, before you start over and lose your work, email me the file zipped up and I'll take a look at it. Also, if there are any 2DA files that you've modified to support your item, include them as well.

[Pavlos]

I find that with the latest version of kotor tool when I go into the inventory section for the creature editor the icons for the body arms etc are all missing. Any reason? I never got this before.

[Fred Tetra]

I find that with the latest version of kotor tool when I go into the inventory section for the creature editor the icons for the body arms etc are all missing. Any reason? I never got this before.

 

I can only see that happening if the actual application is corrupted.

 

Delete the Kotor Tool .exe file and run the installer, choosing not to uninstall first.

[Fred Tetra]

I have been working with my newly-created map workflow tools and have assembled and calibrated some new maps; this is amd example of what I can crank out in a few evenings using them:

 

 

101per: Peragus Administration Level

102per: Peragus Mines

151har: Harbinger - Command Deck

302nar: Refugee area - Nar Shaddaa

503ond: Onderon - Iziz Cantina

851nih: Ravager - Command Deck

 

An updated MapInfo.bfd installer and map files should be available in the near future.

 

(Kdsphantom had assembled the 503ond map before, but the new tools assure 100% part alignment, so I chose to re-do that map. Fortunately it only has 3 parts, so hopefully s/he doesn't feel too bad. Thanks for the effort anyway! )

[TheOssusKeeper]

way cool, new modules... can't wait for the complete set... GJ Fred

[Pavlos]

I reinstalled and now it is back to normal. Thanks. Yay! Maps!

[REDJOHNNYMIKE]

Thanks again for including ravager:D

[Fred Tetra]

Yes, and Yes. Tried your suggestion and it still put out another error.

 

Ok, so I'm guessing that the gff editor in KoToRTool cant edit files that have been opened in another prog? I think I'll just start a new one..........thanks Mr. Tetra!

 

Fuu

 

How did you create the Properties section of your UTI file? What I found is that the Param1 field always had 0 (zero) in it when it should have been -1.

 

The 255 value tells KotOR (and Kotor Tool) that there isn't any "fine grained detail" for a property.

 

For example, an Attribute Bonus, Strength, +2 has a:

Property ID of 0 (Row 0 in itempropdef.2da; tells you to use iprp_abilities.2da)

Subtype ID of 0 (Row 0 in iprp_abilities.2da; "Strength")

CostTable of 1 (Row 1 in iprp_costtable.2da; tells you to use iprp_bonuscost.2da; "Bonus")

CostValue of 2, (Row 2 in iprp_bonuscost.2da; "+2")

Param1 of 255

Param1Value - doesn't matter; if Param1 is "unused", value is unused

Param2 - doesn't matter; if Param1 is "unused", Param2 is as well.

 

As you can see, no Param1 or Param2 values are needed, so they must be set to -1; 0 or higher means the param is in index into yet another 2DA table.

 

Just for example, if you had a property "Damage Bonus vs. Alignment, Dark Side, +2, Unstoppable", the values would look like this:

Property ID of 12 (Row 12 in itempropdef.2da; tells you to use iprp_aligngrp.2da)

Subtype ID of 3 (Row 3 in iprp_aligngrp.2da; "Dark Side")

CostTable of 4 (Row 4 in iprp_costtable.2da; tells you to use iprp_damagecost.2da; "Damage")

CostValue of 2 (Row 2 in iprp_damagecost.2da; "2")

 

Ahh, now how do we specify "Unstoppable"? With the Param1:

Param1 of 0 (Row 0 in iprp_paramtable.2da; tells you to use iprp_damagetype.2da)

Param1Value of 4 (Row 4 in iprp_damagetype.2da; "Unstoppable")

 

 

Ok, so now you're probably wondering why your data causes the Kotor Tool property editor to crash. Because the editor follows the exact rules that the game engine does for looking up values, when it sets up the drop down menus and sets the values for the property (#1 above), it "knows" that there isn't a Param1 or Param1Value associated with it because the itempropdef.2da says so. So when your property specifies values for them, it doesn't handle it gracefully.

 

The item property editor was designed to be used only with property data from in-game items or that which it assigned to user-made items. It will work with "hand edited" properties, but you have to follow some strict rules.

 

I suggest editing your item's properties by using the editor to duplicate each existing "bad" entry, then delete that "bad" entry. You'll be left with a good set of properties.

[Fuu]

Thanks Mr Tetra! I created the uti folllowing Achilles's "Item Property Editing Tutorial" ( I know this is old.... but I wanted to understand the inner working of a .uti.) Basicially I extracted it with the tool and then used the bioware editor (and) kgff to "hand edit" the properties. Dont know what really happened with the numbering of the structs, since all I did was copy/paste and then edit each one I pasted. I followed the tut to the letter (welll at least all of the steps), and was very carefull in cross refrencing the various tables, so I dont see what I could have done to cause the problem...... I do remeber thinking it was odd that the structs were all zero when I opened it again in Kgff later............

 

Thank you for the feedback, I'll keep your responses in mind. While editing my .uti the "old" way was informative ( I did manage to create a working version of this file doing it by hand.... it was later that this one got screwed up), I think I'll just stick to using KT's gff editor from the gitgo.

 

Thanks again,

Fuu

[Fred Tetra]

Here's a link to screen-captured movie (with player) showing off some of the new features of Kotor Tool's Text editor, which now has added support for script editing:

 

http://kotortool.home.comcast.net/text_edit_demo.exe

 

The Text editor now has:

• A list of functions available in NWScript file specific to each game
  with function name filtering
  
• Click to show function definition
  
• Double-click to paste function name
  
• A context menu to show definition for a selected NWScript-defined function.
  
• Compilation of scripts with error reporting