[tutorial] Modify 2DA, uti, utc files with TSLPatcher

[redrob41]

This is a quick little tutorial on how to modify .uti & .utc files so that they find the correct line in the appearance.2da file. This would be used when you are adding a new, custom character, and want to spawn it as an NPC (using a .utc) or as a disguise item (using a .uti). You can save the animated gif here: http://i463.photobucket.com/albums/qq351/redrob41/Quick2daTutorial.gif, but I have the static shots below.

 

For this example, I am adding a new Yoda like character to Revenge of Revan mod. He is numbered as 41.

 

First, using ChangeEdit for TSLPatcher, open a new or existing changes.ini file.

 

1 - click 2DA Files

2 - appearance.2da

3 - find the character you want to mess with

 

- double clicking will open a new window:

-in this window, it shows that the patcher will copy line 52 of the appearance.2da (which is Master Vandar's line), and only two changes to the new line. It will change the lable to be Alien_Yoda_41 and the racetex to be N_Yoda_41 (the new texture that I made in Photoshop).

 

4 - Column = 2DAMEMORY### (For this example I used 999, but usually start with 2DAMEMORY1)

5 - Value = RowIndex

- the RowIndex is just a number of the row of the character in appearance.2da. When you look at any .utc file with Kotor Tool, it will display the Label name of the character (example Alien_Yoda_41), rather than the row number. If the appearance.2da doesn't have the row number (say you have the wrong appearance.2da in the override directory), then Kotor Tool will display the label as orange, which we don't want.

 

6 - click the Right pointing arrow to add it to the list (then close this window)

 

7 - Modifiers pull down menu

8 - Add GFF file (such as .uti & .utc)

- You'll have to type in the name with the extension, and it will show up at:

 

9 - the new GFF file name shows up at the bottom of the list

 

- You'll have to type these values in manually:

10 - GFF Field = PropertiesList\0\Subtype

11 - Value = 2DAMEMORY###

- also make sure that the Replace file is checked, and it goes to the correct folder, like Override.

- I don't know if you'll be able to add other things too (like clothes or weapons)

 

12 - click the Up pointing arrow to add it to the list

- I'm not going to go into it too deeply, but the PropertiesList\0\Subtype is the label of the .utc (if you know how to use a GFF editor to manually change these fields, you'll know what I'm talking about).

- The patcher will now change the .utc file so that it's label will match the value of 2DAMEMORY999, which we set up earlier to be the RowIndex of the new Yoda_41 character.

- after running the patcher, you should be able to open the .utc file with Kotor Tool, and the label will not be orange, and will have the correct name of the character.

 

For more in-depth look at how to use this function, consult the ReadMe, really.pdf that is included in the TSLPatcher tool's download. Stoffe made quite a good instruction manual, but it didn't include enough screenshots. That's the only reason that I'm making this tutorial, for those modders that just look at pictures with out reading the instructions

 

Enjoy

[Qui-Gon Glenn]

~excellent concise tut~

Wow!

 

Awesome! And so helpful to non-modders or those of us with average skillz as it is possible to use this tutorial to help fix mod compatibility issues by repackaging setups that are known to be problematic... for personal use only of course.

 

Thanks redrob41!

[TriggerGod]

Copied to tutorial forum here

[redrob41]

I may have made a huge mistake with this tutorial for steps 10, 11 & 12.

 

Using the PropertiesList\0\Subtype is the wrong string of text to use for this example. Substitue the string Appearance_Type instead.

 

The difference is that Appearance_Type will change the appearance field of a .utc file ( obviously). The other string is used for changing a field in the Properties tab of a .uti file. Specifically, it changes the Subtype field of the first (topmost) line of the properties list. For example, If the topmost line is a disguise item, then the subtype field is the label name of the appearance.2da file, and using this method, you could change the disguise item to a new line of the 2da. If, for another example, your disguise property was actually on the 4th row (from the top), then you would use PropertiesList\3\Subtype (the number will always be one less than the row number).

 

I'll have to do up some new screenshots to correct this mistake. I'm really sorry to anyone who's tried to use this tutorial.