A bit of Help please

[Civkid1991]

Ok... first of all i would have to say im new to modding and once i played some of the other mods posted here at CFC i was suprised what you could do with a bit of python scripts and xml (ok maybe more then a bit ). After playing various mods i wanted to make my ideas (most spawed after playing some of the really good mods here) into actuall playable mods. I've learned the language and looked at various files and downloaded the editor for the language but now i dont know what to do with all of the stuff i know/have.

What i want to know now is:
1) what software should i download (for unit graphics, maybe a better python editor, etc)
2) Where could i learn to use python in "real life" modding situations
3) Is there an example mod or tutorial that actually goes (step by step for use newbies if possible )through the programming. (Example scripts, stuff with the event manager, customization, etc)

As for the files that i've already looked through (mostly those from the FfhII Mod) i understand a function here and there and maybe a class here and there but im not really sure how cIV uses these files during game play. (ex. if i want to make a few custom units, change some techs... what files would i edit/creat to do these things and have civ except them during gameplay?)

Remember im reall new at this so please explain in noobish

 

[Kael]

Ok... first of all i would have to say im new to modding and once i played some of the other mods posted here at CFC i was suprised what you could do with a bit of python scripts and xml (ok maybe more then a bit ). After playing various mods i wanted to make my ideas (most spawed after playing some of the really good mods here) into actuall playable mods. I've learned the language and looked at various files and downloaded the editor for the language but now i dont know what to do with all of the stuff i know/have.

What i want to know now is:
1) what software should i download (for unit graphics, maybe a better python editor, etc)
2) Where could i learn to use python in "real life" modding situations
3) Is there an example mod or tutorial that actually goes (step by step for use newbies if possible )through the programming. (Example scripts, stuff with the event manager, customization, etc)

As for the files that i've already looked through (mostly those from the FfhII Mod) i understand a function here and there and maybe a class here and there but im not really sure how cIV uses these files during game play. (ex. if i want to make a few custom units, change some techs... what files would i edit/creat to do these things and have civ except them during gameplay?)

Remember im reall new at this so please explain in noobish

I do all of my python editing in notepad++.

There are lots of good how-tos in the how-to forum. I would definitly check them out.

I would start with minor changes. I usually recommend changing existing XML elements until you are comfortable with that. Then adding new XML elements. Then changing what happens in python events. Then onto adding new python events.

Thats just the process I went through. And although I think there is a lot of good stuff to learn from in FfH I think its a hard place to begin coding. We do a lot of things that aren't normal and it will probably confuse beginers who will wonder how events like the spells get initiated.

Instead I would recommend starting with one of the firaxis mods as a base. They tend to be more reasonable and will teach better habits then that FfH python mess .

 

[Gerikes]

I would start with minor changes. I usually recommend changing existing XML elements until you are comfortable with that. Then adding new XML elements. Then changing what happens in python events. Then onto adding new python events.

IMO, Jumping from changing old XML to adding new ones seems to be big, doesn't it? Unless you're talking about adding elements that are already in the schema and SDK but just unused in the actual XML?

But yeah, I would definetely agree with looking at the Civ4 pre-packaged mods. I have to imagine that these mods were partially made with the idea that modders can learn from them, so they probably better suit that task.

 

[Kael]

IMO, Jumping from changing old XML to adding new ones seems to be big, doesn't it? Unless you're talking about adding elements that are already in the schema and SDK but just unused in the actual XML?

But yeah, I would definetely agree with looking at the Civ4 pre-packaged mods. I have to imagine that these mods were partially made with the idea that modders can learn from them, so they probably better suit that task.

Oops, I should have been more clear. I meant adding stuff like adding new buildings, new units, etc.

 

[Gerikes]

Oops, I should have been more clear. I meant adding stuff like adding new buildings, new units, etc.

Gotcha. I guess had I realized the difference between elements and tags I could've avoided that

 

[Civkid1991]

What about those "actions" that you have for like mages and other special units? Is that seperate code and if it is im kind of confuse how its used/started by the computer...

Edit: Another question: What do you use for graphics editing?

 

[The Great Apple]

What i want to know now is:
1) what software should i download (for unit graphics, maybe a better python editor, etc)

I'm with Kael - notepad++ is good. Editting unit graphics really depends on what you want to do. If you just want to change skins all you need is a .DDS converter (see utility forum), and an image editing program (Paintshop Pro, Photoshop, GIMP would probs be best).

2) Where could i learn to use python in "real life" modding situations

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by this.

3) Is there an example mod or tutorial that actually goes (step by step for use newbies if possible )through the programming. (Example scripts, stuff with the event manager, customization, etc)

Not that I'm aware of. It's a very big area to cover in one subject. I've attempted to write a tutorial which covers python as it relates to Civ (see my sig), but it's not as detailed as what you seem to be asking for.

(ex. if i want to make a few custom units, change some techs... what files would i edit/creat to do these things and have civ except them during gameplay?)

Not python. This is mostly in XML. There are some tutorials in the tutorials section that you may want to look at, although if you are a quick learner these can be a tiny bit dry (XML is pretty straight-forward).

What about those "actions" that you have for like mages and other special units? Is that seperate code and if it is im kind of confuse how its used/started by the computer...

I think that's a bit more complicated. I don't know how the do it in FFH, but as talchas is on the team, I would imagine they use a varient of his action buttons mod. This is a mod which alllows you to create buttons which, when pressed, run a python script.

 

[Kael]

What about those "actions" that you have for like mages and other special units? Is that seperate code and if it is im kind of confuse how its used/started by the computer...

Edit: Another question: What do you use for graphics editing?

As TGA said, thats all special code for FfH. Nothing like that exists in Civ4, and its all Talchas's code. I honestly have no idea how he did it, I just write the python spells and he handles all of the hard stuff.

 

[Civkid1991]

2) Where could i learn to use python in "real life" modding situations

Well what i ment by this is where could i learn to use python (or may be this is for the sdk) to change things like specialists or change the way the game works.

Not python. This is mostly in XML. There are some tutorials in the tutorials section that you may want to look at, although if you are a quick learner these can be a tiny bit dry (XML is pretty straight-forward).

I have brifly looked at a bit of xml... actuall i think its the easier part of moding. Thanks

I honestly have no idea how he did it, I just write the python spells and he handles all of the hard stuff.

Thanks.. if i look around a bit more i may figure it out.

Thanks TGA for the info...