Can someone help me merge some .ncs files?

[ShadowDragon868]

Perhaps this could shed some light on it:

 

There's an AR_ERROR.log in the swkotor2 main folder, which has the following text in it:

 

Names Differ: P_HandmaidenBA pfbam

 

What's this mean?

[stoffe]

Perhaps this could shed some light on it:

There's an AR_ERROR.log in the swkotor2 main folder, which has the following text in it:

Names Differ: P_HandmaidenBA pfbam

What's this mean?

 

It usually means that the file name of the MDL file does not match the internal model name inside the file. In this case the filename is pfbam.mdl, while the model internally is (still) called P_HandmaidenBA, since it's a (presumably modified) copy of the Handmaiden underwear model.

 

It generally isn't a good idea when the resource name and the model name does not match, but that particular error shouldn't have any bearing on your problem with the clothing since it concerns the underwear model, not the plain clothes model.

 

However, the pfbbm.mdl model file, which contains the clothes model appears to be suffering from the same thing, where the file is named "pfbbm" and the internal model name is

"pfb           "

. I'm not certain that this is what's causing your problem, but you could try to rename the model file and make the internal name match.

 

Rename the model (pfbbm.mdl and pfbbm.mdx) to something that is exactly 14 characters long (no blank spaces, make sure you keep the file extensions the same). Then open the now-renamed pfbbm.mdl file with a Hex Editor and look for "pfb" (+11 whitespaces) near the beginning of the file. It should appear twice. Overwrite that string with your new file name (without the mdl extension).

 

Then change appearance.2da and put the name of your renamed MDL file in the modelb column instead of "pfbbm".

[ShadowDragon868]

A hex editor?

 

I haven't had a copy of one of those in four years, and the only thing I used it for then was cheating on ZSNES save games. I think I'm really in over my head now.

[ShadowDragon868]

Well, I did what you said - I changed pfbbm.mdl and pfbbm.mdx to "pfbbm123456789".mdl/.mdx, I used the hex-editor I found to change the "pfb" + 11 white spaces to "pfbbm123456789", and I changed all the "pfbbm" entries in appearance.2da to "pfbbm123456789"...

 

And it's still doing it. It's very weird, because sometimes it decides to correctly apply the plainclothes blue dress to one or two of the starting models (the female Jedi Guardian, female Jedi Sentinel, and female Jedi Consular), but it hasen't applied it correctly to all three.

 

I'm starting to wonder what the heck is going on... I'm gonna try backing up my current override folder, and then replacing everything in it with the slender bodies default modification, to see if it's still happening then.

 

[edit] Yeah, when I add the appearance.2da and everything that should be in ther override file from the slender females mod, it works perfectly.

 

I'm wondering if there isen't some strangeness with the mod's files not liking the binary .2da that kotor tool is using...

[stoffe]

I'm wondering if there isen't some strangeness with the mod's files not liking the binary .2da that kotor tool is using...

 

The KOTOR games use binary 2DA format for all its standard files, as does the majority of all KOTOR mods released, so that would hardly be the problem.

 

Double check the changes you've made to the file to make sure they are set as they should. Make sure you don't have more than one appearance.2da file in the override folder (in sub-folders).

 

Does the problem only happen at character creation, or when you play the game as well? Does it only happen if you give the appearance to the player character, or does it show the same problem if you assign that model to a party member?

 

I tried putting the models in my game and altered my appearance.2da to make Mira use the model, for testing, and everything seemed to work as it should.

[ShadowDragon868]

Honestly, it seems like it's only happening at chargen - I'm wondering if it's not some problem with the targa image file of the plainclothes skin.

 

Anyway, I know if you start the game, it works right - at least, the underware is the new stuff...

 

Anyway, I'm going to try putting the rest on and see if it works right... Here's hoping.

[stoffe]

Honestly, it seems like it's only happening at chargen - I'm wondering if it's not some problem with the targa image file of the plainclothes skin.

 

Anyway, I know if you start the game, it works right - at least, the underware is the new stuff...

 

I would ignore any graphical glitches with the standard clothing during character generation. The game has a very quirky way of handling that, only loading a single body model which it re-uses no matter which appearance type you choose, while loading the textures from the selected appearance type. Pretty much all mods that modify the standard clothing of one or several player-selectable appearance types have this problem, but work fine once in the game.

[ShadowDragon868]

Okay, ran into Problem #2.

 

The baseitems.2da from the USM and baseitems.2da from the slender bodies conflict. However, the SlenderBodies one IS in Binary format.

 

Now I need to figure out how to merge them - first I suppose I need to figure out how to compare them... How do I do that, besides going through cell-by-cell?

[stoffe]

The baseitems.2da from the USM and baseitems.2da from the slender bodies conflict. However, the SlenderBodies one IS in Binary format.

 

Now I need to figure out how to merge them - first I suppose I need to figure out how to compare them... How do I do that, besides going through cell-by-cell?

 

You can try the 2DA Converter/Merger utility linked to in my signature (the merger part). It can combine two different 2DA files of the same type. Just remember to extract an unchanged baseitems.2da file from 2da.bif with KotorTool which it can use to compare against.

 

A lot quicker than doing it manually by comparing cell by cell if it works.

[ShadowDragon868]

Okay, I think I have a problem...

 

The default baseitems has 103 rows. The Slender Bodies mod adds a 104th - starting with ara_outfit.

 

The USM adds 104 through 108.

 

Can I merge these without basically rewriting the Slender Bodies to point at row 109?

[stoffe]

The default baseitems has 103 rows. The Slender Bodies mod adds a 104th - starting with ara_outfit.

The USM adds 104 through 108.

Can I merge these without basically rewriting the Slender Bodies to point at row 109?

 

Merge them with the USM 2da as the first file and the Slender 2da as the second file, so the Slender Bodies line gets added last.

 

Then open the g_araoutfit01.uti file from the SB mod with a GFF editor and change the value in the BaseItem field to the line number in baseitems.2da where the ara_outfit line ended up.

 

(Items refer to their base item type via the line number in baseitems.2da, so you need to update the reference in the templates if the line ends up at another position in the file. Fortunately the SB mod only adds one new template, so it's fairly quick work to adjust that as described above.)

[ShadowDragon868]

Um...

 

How do I update the menu? It's letting me select (for the BaseItem field) from Quarterstaff to Miner Uniform, but it won't show me the other items in the (merged) baseitem.2da to redirect it to.

[stoffe]

How do I update the menu? It's letting me select (for the BaseItem field) from Quarterstaff to Miner Uniform, but it won't show me the other items in the (merged) baseitem.2da to redirect it to.

 

I'd use a GFF editor instead, then you can just type in the line number directly.

 

Anyway, to make the menus update in KotorTool you must have the modified 2DA file in the override folder and set it up to look for files in the override folder in the Tools menu --> Options --> Other --> Look in game's override folder for 2DA files checkbox.

[ShadowDragon868]

Okay. I used the tool menu, and that worked. Now to insert everything else and hope there's no more complications. (Yeah, right. I'm not that lucky. )

 

 

Edit: Through some miracle, everything but your mods installed without giving me any more conflicts. I think we may just be onto something - thank you, so much.

 

Now, here's another question. If I wanted to install your mods, the full set, bearing in mind that I already have the Jedi Temple mod and the USM mod installed, which order should I install your mods in, Stoffe?

[ShadowDragon868]

I knew that lucky streak coulden't have lasted. The following mods installed okay:

 

High Level Force Powers (v2 and v2.1 update), the Improved AI, the CS Arena 4, Handmaiden's new look, Visas' new robes, the Female Twi'lek Exile, and Force Zeal.

 

Then I tried to install the Illusion fight, and got the following codelog error:

 

 • Installation started 4/8/2007 9:27:40 PM...
• Loading StrRef token table...
• Install path set to D:\Program Files\LucasArts\SWKotOR2\.
• Installing unmodified files...
• Saving unaltered backup copy of destination file 711KOR_dlg.erf file in D:\Program Files\LucasArts\SWKotOR2\Mods Basic\Stoffe\illusionfight\backup\
• Adding file darkpcattack.dlg to the Modules\711KOR_dlg.erf archive...
• Override check: No file with name "darkpcattack.dlg" found in override folder.
• Error: Unhandled exception: Access violation at address 00000000. Read of address 00000000 (0)

 

Should I just copy the unaltered backup file to the override folder and delete darkpcattack.dlg?

 

 

Edit: Okay, I got that all figured out - KotOR seems to be working smooth as silk. Now, I have a question:

 

How, exactly, does the Handmaiden mod work? Does it simply make the Handmaiden come along with the player whether or not the player is female, or does it require some special choice?

 

I ask because I've already gotten through Telos station, and simply have to board the Ithorian's shuttle to Telos' surface. Would I have to restart my game if I wanted to take the Handmaiden along, because I haven't installed the mod yet? Or can I install the mod at this point in the game and will it let me take her along?

[stoffe]

Okay, I got that all figured out - KotOR seems to be working smooth as silk.

 

You got past the problems described earlier? What was the problem with the exile illusion mod?

 

How, exactly, does the Handmaiden mod work? Does it simply make the Handmaiden come along with the player whether or not the player is female, or does it require some special choice?

 

You don't need to start a new game as long as you haven't been to the Telos Polar Academy yet and spoken with the Handmaiden there.

 

It's tied to one of the dialog options when you speak with the Handmaiden at the Telos Academy. Check section 3 in the readme file, it describes what you must say to get her to tag along.

 

 

=====================================================================

3. Playing instructions (read this or become confused)

=====================================================================

 

In order to get the Handmaiden to come along with a female Exile, you must speak with her (the one who isn't called "Handmaiden Sister", just "Handmaiden") when you are in the Telos Academy. Talk to her about anything you like, but when you prepare to end the conversation, she will ask you what the Force feels like.

 

Here you must pick one of the polite options, either telling her what the force feels like or what it's loss feels like. When she thanks you for the explanation, you MUST respond with:

 

"If you have any further questions in the future, seek me out and ask them."

 

...if you want her to come along. If you say anything else there as a female Exile, she will not stow away on the Ebon Hawk when you leave the Academy, and you'll pick up the Disciple on Dantooine instead as usual.

 

I thought this was the easiest way to subtly indicate that she should come along without going outside the story and add a dialog option to directly tell her to come, which would ruin the stowaway "surprise" scene on the Ebon Hawk.

 

Warning: Do NOT ask the Disciple in Khoonda (where he goes after your conversation in the Enclave Sublevel) to join you if you want to keep the Handmaiden. If you do the Disciple will be added to your group and you will be unable to add the Handmaiden to your party.

[ShadowDragon868]

I don't know what the problem with the illusion mod was, in all honesty. I worked around it by not installing it.

 

Okay now, strange question - do the romance triggers fire correctly with a female Exile, even if she says "he" or "him" to the other party members, or no?

 

Edit: And of course, I try to install it and I get some errors...

 

To solve the problem with the galaxy map, I should just install the update that came to the JediTemple mod, yes? ((It has a new galaxymap one that allows you to go to Courscant.))

 

However, the following files gave me errors. (I selected the "USM compatable" install option):

k_enter_601.ncs

k_hen_discipdlg.ncs

k_sup_galaxymap.ncs

a_next_scene.ncs

 

As I understand it, k_hen_discipdlg.ncs and a_next_scene.ncs come from your mods, which means they should be compatable by default. (oddly enough, I did NOT get any error about the k_003ebo_enter, even though I have both the Visas Marr new look AND the new AI update.*)

 

What should I do with k_enter_601, though? Just merge them like last time?

 

 

*On a possibly related note, at least part of your new AI update isen't working for me. T3-M4 is still closing to melee range, even when he has his shock arm - as his shock arm is, quite frankly, the best offensive option he has, I want him to use it to the exclusion of all other weapons. In the end I just threw in the towel and equipped him with a Watchman blaster, but what's wrong?

[ShadowDragon868]

Okay. I know this is late, but this is something people probably don't hear often around here.

 

Thanks for your help, Stoffe, and Gargoyle_King. Things seem to be running smoothly. There seems to be some... Discomfort where the game likes to crash the first time I try to transit to or from the combat arena, but I re-load and transit again and it works fine. I dunno why that works...

 

So, thank you.