[ENG] Modding Tool Collection

About:
The program helps you adding properly timed animation SFX maps for any animation.


Download:
SFX Map Generator 1.0 [LINK DEAD] for 32-bit Windows XP/Vista (???? MB)
Languages: English


Installation:
N/A

Usage:
What you need
-3d Studio Max 6, 8, or 9
-Notepad
-SFX Map Generator
-ALO Viewer
-ALO Importer (Optional)

What is an animation SFX map
An animation SFX map is basically a sound or decal event that occurs at the time that you specify in AnimationSFXMaps.txt. You can have a surface effect spawn or a sound play at the time that you list. You can have more than one event per animation. An easy way to test your animation SFX maps is using Mike.NL's useful ALO Viewer.
Now onto getting the times for your sound and surface events.

Step 1:
Open the Max file with the animations listed in the Alamo utility. If you don't have the source file, use Mike.NL's ALO Importer.

Step 2:
Change the units in the keyframe timeline to MMSSTicks using the Time Configuration button.

Your timeline should look like this now


Step 3:
Write down the time for the first frame of the animation. This will be zero in the SFX maps file. Move the slider over and record the value of the event frame. In this example, this is the second footstep of the soldier.


Step 4:
Open up the SFX Map Generator and put the values in the appropriate boxes for each frame. Click calculate to get your final value.

Step 5:
Code in your animation sfx in AnimationSFXMaps.txt. Follow the coding conventions seen with the other entries.
Example:
SURFACE SI_TROOPER_move_00 0 INFANTRY_FOOT_PLANT Bip01 L Foot
SURFACE SI_TROOPER_move_00 1281 INFANTRY_FOOT_PLANT Bip01 R Foot

That's it! You now have two footsteps with that moving animation.

About:
The Story Creator is a modding tool for Star Wars Empire at War Forces Of Corruption that allows modders to create story events in a fast and simple way. Basic modding knowledge is required to use it.


Download:
Story Creator 0.3 for 32-bit Windows Vista/7/8 (4.0 MB)
Languages: English, German


Installation:
Unzip the archive and run Empire at War Story Creator.exe.


Usage:
The Story Creator is a tool that allows modders to create story events in a fast and simple way. It also uses simplified expressions instead of the "real" Event/Reward Type names to make it easier for new modders to identify the required Event/Reward Type. The proper usage of the Event/Reward Types is explained in the integrated help function. Basic modding knowledge is required to use it.

Introduction:
The basic event structure works like a simple if-then statement that a lot of you probably know from any programming language.
And if it doesn’t ring a bell: don’t worry! It’s really simple!
This is an example of the basic event structure:
<Event Name=”some_name”>
<Event_Type></Event_Type>
<Event_Param1></Event_Param1>
<Event_Param2></Event_Param2>
...
<Reward_Type></Reward_Type>
<Reward_Param1></Reward_Param1>
...
<Prereq></Prereq>
<Branch></Branch>
<Perpetual></Perpetual>
</Event>

Explanations:
1. <Event_Type>*: The “If” part. The Event type checks if something has happened.
2. <Reward_Type>*: The “Then” part. The Reward type performs an action if the condition specified in the <Event_Type> tag is met.
3. <Event_Param1>/<Reward_Param1>: Event/Reward parameters are used to specify more details for the Event/Reward Type.
4. <Prereq>: Prereq is short for Prerequisite. An event that has to be triggered before can be specified here.
5. <Branch>: The Branch tag can be used to put several events together in groups.
6. <Perpetual>: Can be true or false. Determines if the event can be triggered more than once.
* a full list of event and reward types can be found in Petroglyph’s Story Scripting Tutorial that comes with the map editor.

The Interface:
1. File: In this menu you can Open and Save XML files or change your mod XML folder.
2. The text box for the Event name.
3. Choose the Event/Reward Type with these two ComboBoxes.
4. All Events will be displayed in this tree view tool.
5. When you edit an event/reward parameter this box will show you the possible options.

Function Explanation:
Step 1:
The first thing you have to do when opening the Story Creator is choosing your mod’s XML folder.
Go to: File ->Change XML folder

Step 2:
Once you have chosen your XML folder you can start adding Events. In order to do that you have to specify the event name, the Event type and the Reward type. If all that is done, click on the “Add Event” button and your Event will show up in the tree view tool on the right side.

Step 3:
Editing Events: To edit any part of an event you have to perform a right-click on the node in the tree view tool. A context strip menu will
pop up and show you your options. If you want to edit an Event or Reward Parameter and choose “Edit Event/Reward Parameter” all the possible options for the selected parameter will appear in the list box on the left-bottom side.
To choose an entry as parameter select the entry with a leftclick first, then right-click on it and select “Set selected item as Parameter”.


Changelog:

Version	Changed Content	Date
v0.30:	Several fixes and feature improvements	(2012/04/16)
v0.22:	Fixed a bug that crashed the tool when an XML contained an error or "unusual" token.	(2011/12/25)
v0.21:	Initial release	(2011/12/22)

About:
This is a simple yet brilliant idea that can help modders to balance their units. It is a tool that serves as a calculator to calculate AI_Combat, Build Time & Cost, Tactical Health and Autoresolve Health. It may not act as the perfect balancing tool but it does provide much aid in the synchronising of the values of individual ships to each other.

Download:
Space Unit Calculator 1.0 for 32-bit Windows Vista/7/8 (121 KB)
Languages: English


Installation:
The download consists of a single which needs to be opened with Open Office.
Open Office can be downloaded freely at www.openoffice.org .


Usage:

Fill values in folling fields:

A3 -> max Weaponrange of the ship (unless it uses Missiles)
A4 -> Health of a Hardpoint
A5 -> Shield
A6 -> Number of Antifighter Laser on that Ship (small laser)
B6 -> Damage of one Antifighter Laser

A7 -> Number of Ioncannons on that Ship
B7 -> Damage of one Ioncannon

A8 -> Number of med. Laser on that Ship
B8 -> Damage of one med. Laser

A9 -> Number of heavy Laser on that Ship
B9 -> Damage of one heavy Laser

A10 -> Number of Turbolaser on that Ship
B10 -> Damage of one Turbolaser

A11 -> Number of Missilelaunchers on that Ship
B11 -> Damage of one Missilelauncher

A12 -> Number of Fighter Squadrons on that Ship

A13 -> Number of Bomber Squadrons on that Ship

And TADAA... you have the values of AI_Combat, Build Time & Cost, Tactical Health and Autoresolve Health which you should put into the xml of that calculatet ship:)
Again this is not the perfect balancing tool. it just helps to get the values "real" form ship to ship...

Alternative:
The Unit Strength Calculator was designed for the Galaxy of Chaos mod but can still help you balacing your units.
Download

About:
Empire at War uses MP3 and WAV files for ingame music, speech and effects.
You can use any audio editor of your choice, the web offers countless programs. An easy-to-use yet powerful editor is Audacity which is introduced here.


Download:
Audacity 2.0.5 for 32-/64-bit Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8 (21.2 MB)
Languages: English, German


Installation:
Click on the downloaded installer and follow the installation instructions.
To export MP3 files with Audacity you need to install the lame encoder:
1. Go to the external LAME download page
2. Directly underneath "For FFMpeg/LAME on Windows", left-click the link Lame v3.99.3 for Windows.exe and save the file anywhere on your computer.
3. Double-click "Lame v3.99.3 for Windows.exe" to launch it (you can safely ignore any warnings that the "publisher could not be verified").
4. Follow the Setup instructions to install LAME for Audacity, making sure not to change the offered installation location of "C:\Program Files\Lame for Audacity" (or "C:\Program Files (x86)\Lame for Audacity" on a 64-bit version of Windows).


Usage:
A detailed how-to-use guide can be found on the Audacity homepage .

About:
XML and LUA files can be opened with any text editor - even the simple windows editor is sufficient. Simply right-click on the file and select "Open with" -> "Editor".
But for cormfortable editing it is useful to use a text editor that supports syntax highlighting which makes the file much easier to read and reduces the risk of creating syntax errors.
There are several freeware editors you can use, such as Notepad++ or PSPad, which is introduced here.
PSPad can also be used to Hex Edit files - for example for changing the textures of an alo file.
If you want to use a very simple xml editor specifically for EaW/FoC take a look at the SMG XML Editor (scroll down)


Download:
PSPad 4.5.7 for 32-bit Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8 (4.46 MB)
Languages: English, German, French, Russian, Italian, Spanish, Slovenian, Czech


Installation:
Run the installer and follow its installation instructions.


Usage:
A detailed how-to-use guide can be found on the PSPad homepage .



Alterantive: SMG XML Editor


About:
A XML - Editor for Empire at War and Forces of Corruption


Download:
SMG XML Editor 1.0 for 32-bit Windows XP/Vista/7 (1.71 MB)
Languages: English

Installation:
Just put the extracted files into the XML folder of your mod.
Start with startEditor.bat.


Usage:
Use the StarEditor.bat to start the editor.
If its the first you run the Editor please initialize the Filters by clicking on choose Filter under Balancing, and then click the set Filter button.
Traderoutes:

-Create Traderoute:
Enter Data and click create Traderoute.
Attention:
1. The size of the shown Galaxymap can be altered by editing the galactic_coord element in the config.xml.
2. All planets (including Story&Tutorialplanets) will be shown in the Map, if you dont want them there delete them from the planets.xml, same applies to the traderoutes.
3. After creating a Traderoute the file „traderoutes.txt“ will be created, so you can easily cop its content into one of your campaigns.
4. The TraderouteEditor is not yet ready for multicampaign mods.

-Delete Traderoute :
Simply select the traderoute an click delete.

Balancing:

-Choose Filter:
Set Filter – initializes the Filters according to the files in the directory
Attention: You can manually edit the filters by opening the [x]Filter.xml and delete or add attributes, in future releases i will include easier ways of doing this.

-Load Files:
Select a file and click Load. If you want to Load FoC-Style XMLs then select „custom“ and select your file.
Attention: Editing FoC style XMLs will require you to select some Filters accordingly to your file, i know this is not perfect, and ideas for simplifing this are welcome.

Chainevents:

-create Sectorcontrolevent:
Planeten angeben, Objekt das freigeschaltet/gespawnt werden soll angeben,Wiederholbarkeit
Enter Planetnames, the object which you wish to release, and if the event should be perpetual.
If you select a Spawn-Event, then you have to Enter a Planet where the Spawned Unit should spawn and how many of these units should spawn there.
The resulting XML will be created and ist named „Sektorkontrollevent.xml“ copy its contents into your story arc.

-Create Movieevent:
Enter Values and save

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