Asset Editor

[Deliverator]

The reason why you can’t find Middle East assets is because skin tone is now achieved via Tint colours - which is a better system.

 

[Lonecat Nekophrodite]

Now i'm proceeding towards making Tutorial Unit Artdef file at the section of UnitBin...
This is what I got so far. through Tutorial 1.

Tell me about UnitBin in Artdef file and UnitMemberAttachments
1. Are the names of folders in this file CaSe sensitive?
2. And do I have to fill the name of attachment points exactly what appears in unit assets??
3. After this stage. what should I do next? and where should i pick the names of pieces and bits? ones shown in asset viewer or one shown in default UnitBin Artdef?

few more explainations on UnitAttachmentBins please. Do i have to make the same heirachy as UnitMemberTypesFolder? and is this where all pieces and bits of choices are chosen and will manifest on an actual units in real game??

 

[Deliverator]

Now i'm proceeding towards making Tutorial Unit Artdef file at the section of UnitBin...
This is what I got so far. through Tutorial 1.
View attachment 525393 View attachment 525394
Tell me about UnitBin in Artdef file and UnitMemberAttachments
1. Are the names of folders in this file CaSe sensitive?
2. And do I have to fill the name of attachment points exactly what appears in unit assets??
3. After this stage. what should I do next? and where should i pick the names of pieces and bits? ones shown in asset viewer or one shown in default UnitBin Artdef?

few more explainations on UnitAttachmentBins please. Do i have to make the same heirachy as UnitMemberTypesFolder? and is this where all pieces and bits of choices are chosen and will manifest on an actual units in real game??

1. Yes, you should match case.
2/3. Some hopefully helpful pointers below:

The names in Units.artdef reference to the UnitAttachmentBins entries in Unit_Bins.artdef. These in turn refer to Asset names in the BLP files which are Binary Library Package files that are cooked from the XLP (XML Library Package) definitions.

The "Bins" collection for each attachment needs some further explanation. These paths correspond to entries in the Unit_Bins.artdef file. For example in the vanilla Units.artdef you have Bins entries such as "Hats/Spearman" or "Heads/Male". If you look under this path in Unit_Bins.artdef you can see that under each of these you have all different cultural variants e.g. "European" or "African". This is how cultural variation is applied. If I don't want any variation cultural or otherwise then I can specify the exact specific asset that I want to use e.g. "Hats/Spearman/European/Spearman_European_HelmA" - this path identifies a specific Asset within Unit_Bins.artdef - the path is <UnitAttachmentBins Name>/<Groups Collection Name>/<Cultures Collection Name>/<Assets Entry Name>..

You need to make sure your .artdef files are included in the Mod.Art.xml for your Modbuddy project before you build it out. You can use @thecrazyscot's Mod Art Generator for that.

Mod.Art.Xml is a file that tells the cooker what systems need to use what artdefs and XLPs.

The mod.art file and the dependencies go under UpdateArt action if you made any artdefs or xlps for your mod you'll want the UpdateArt step and set it to (Mod Art Dependency File). You will never need to reference the Mod.Art.xml directly. The Mod.Art.Xml will create the .dep file when you build out your mod.

 

[Lonecat Nekophrodite]

^ Still in UnitBins Attachments.
1. Do I still have to add Armor directory in it?
2. If I want a tuturial unit to be accessible by all players and thus variable by race. What shall I do with Culture directory that comes with it. just leave blank or do I have to enter any parameters?
3. And in 'Bodies' directory. Only pics 'Body_Full' thing or should I pick Arms, Hands, Limbs, into the same directory?

 

[Deliverator]

^ Still in UnitBins Attachments.
1. Do I still have to add Armor directory in it?
2. If I want a tuturial unit to be accessible by all players and thus variable by race. What shall I do with Culture directory that comes with it. just leave blank or do I have to enter any parameters?
3. And in 'Bodies' directory. Only pics 'Body_Full' thing or should I pick Arms, Hands, Limbs, into the same directory?
View attachment 525640 View attachment 525641

If you are wanting to use existing assets then you don't need to create new Unit Attachment Bins in Unit_Bins.artdef. You only need to put your unit UnitMemberTypes entries together in Units.artdef. If you want to follow an example here is the Units.artdef for Steel and Thunder: Unit Expansion.

If you pick e.g. "Bodies/Male_MediumBody_Full" in "Bins" Collection for your Unit Member entry then the Culture skin tone variation will automatically be applied as the skin tone variation is at the UnitAttachmentBins level.

The Body type you use depends the Armor you want to use - if your Armor only shows the hands then pick a Hands body if it only shows the arms pick an Arms body and so on.

 

[Lonecat Nekophrodite]

This is what I got sofar... (Units.Artdef)
1. UnitBings Attachments completed
2. Units directory appears to be completed, all tutorial instructions were successfully done,
but

What is AttachmentVisi inside Units>Units directory? Explanations on its functions and parameters and things to add and in what case? What should I do about that now or just leave it as is (TUTORIAL 1)

And what next after i've done with Units directory of Units.Artdef section in Tutorial One?

 

[Deliverator]

@Lonecat Nekophrodite I think you are trying to run before you can walk here. You should try and just follow Leugi's Tutorial Part 1 completely and see the changes in game to understand how everything works first. Then maybe swap the helmet for a different one and see the change in game. Doing all the work first without getting a working mod making visible changes in game is not the best approach.

 

[Lonecat Nekophrodite]

^ But the Tuturial1 mentions nothing about AttachmentVisi in Units folder. ABSOLUTELY nothing. Then again versions shown in the tutorial and the recent one seems to have a significant different that I must try to read the tutorial PDF with the new versions lens.

in this case just left out and go to the next step? SQL XML thingy?

 

[Deliverator]

^ But the Tuturial1 mentions nothing about AttachmentVisi in Units folder. ABSOLUTELY nothing. Then again versions shown in the tutorial and the recent one seems to have a significant different that I must try to read the tutorial PDF with the new versions lens.

in this case just left out and go to the next step? SQL XML thingy?

The AttachmentVisibility Collection isn't used by any vanilla units. I've never used it and I've made a lot of units. The Tutorial doesn't mention it because it is apparently redundant and not important.

The changes to the Asset Editor aren't really significantly different - the architecture is the same and the process is the same. The main change is that the user interface is black instead of white.

 

[Lonecat Nekophrodite]

Finally my first mod (For Vanilla. yes the Unit Test thing as per Tutorial).
and this is what my test unit looks like.


Meh! Did I do something wrong?

 

[Deliverator]

Finally my first mod (For Vanilla. yes the Unit Test thing as per Tutorial).
and this is what my test unit looks like.


Meh! Did I do something wrong?

Looks like there's a mistake in one of your "Bins" collections in UnitMemberTypes. This usually happens when you are pointing to a Unit Bins entry that does exist or isn't loaded for some reason. A lot of the legacy Bodies have been renamed so that could be the issue. If you upload your Units.artdef I can probably spot the issue.

 

[Lonecat Nekophrodite]

OK Here it is.

 

[Deliverator]

OK Here it is.

Your names in the "Bins" entries need to specify the full path to the Unit Attachment Bins - the Armor one is correct which is why it shows up in game - but all the others are wrong.

"WarCart_HelmA" -> "Hats/WarCart"

"Slinger_WeaponA" -> "Weapons/Slinger"

"Male_ThinBody_Full" -> "BaseMale_Bodies/Full"

"Horseman" -> "Capes/Horseman"

"Male" -> "BaseMale_Heads/Heads"

As I described earlier - this path identifies a specific Asset within Unit_Bins.artdef - the path is <UnitAttachmentBins Name>/<Groups Collection Name>/<Cultures Collection Name>/<Assets Entry Name>.

You can always check the basegame Units.artdef to make sure you are matching their references.

 

[Lonecat Nekophrodite]

^this code shown here which one is correct and which one is not?
On Body, Weapons, thing... Do I have to edit UnitAttachmentBins down to Cultures level and pick every associating assets as per basegame Units.artdef? down to each of every individual races?
as shown here (and is it even correct yet)

Incomplete yet. because.. i'm.... really.... baffed.. walking the road inside Modding Wulin. doing exercise editing artdef and test a newer version (overwriting previous ones using manual install in MODS folder)

EDIT: One more annoying thing is that names in left hand directories are clipped. Input done in full tags but shown clipped.

 

[Shirotora Kenshin]

just want to say: keep on trying
you already got the armor showing up ingame, and you will get the other parts of the unit to work too, if you keep on trying.

just dont give up

 

[Deliverator]

^this code shown here which one is correct and which one is not?
On Body, Weapons, thing... Do I have to edit UnitAttachmentBins down to Cultures level and pick every associating assets as per basegame Units.artdef? down to each of every individual races?
as shown here (and is it even correct yet)

Incomplete yet. because.. i'm.... really.... baffed.. walking the road inside Modding Wulin. doing exercise editing artdef and test a newer version (overwriting previous ones using manual install in MODS folder)

EDIT: One more annoying thing is that names in left hand directories are clipped. Input done in full tags but shown clipped.

I've made the changes in the attached Units.artdef - take a look. You do not need to specify the path down to Cultures level - but you can if you want to. See the Steel & Thunder: Unique Units .artdef for some examples.

To be honest, the Asset Editor is awkward and slow for editing .artdefs - I never use it for that purpose. There are a couple of alternatives:
1) Use Sukritact's Artdef Editor which is much more fluid and simple to use in my opinion.
2) Directly editing the .artdef XML which is what I do and have been doing since the beginning of Civ 6 modding. Notepad++ is a good tool for this.

 

[Lonecat Nekophrodite]

^ Does that new tools of you have tutorials and who wrote it? and did it shows 'cooking' results rightaway without having to browse existing assets like what I try with Modbuddy tools?
Is this tool has an ability to make 'bronze age sword' through reskinning the existing assets?

Thank you for new ARTDEF file meow.

 

[Deliverator]

^ Does that new tools of you have tutorials and who wrote it? and did it shows 'cooking' results rightaway without having to browse existing assets like what I try with Modbuddy tools?
Is this tool has an ability to make 'bronze age sword' through reskinning the existing assets?

Sukritact's tool is just for editing the .artdef files which is nothing to do with re-skinning or asset cooking or previewing/visualising assets. Re-texturing/re-skinning is covered in this tutorial.

 

[Lonecat Nekophrodite]

^ if Sukritact's tools is ... as you say, user-friendlier when doing artdef edits. then... it is an unofficial addons to modbuddy and thus anything involving Artdef (particularly in aformented Tutorial One exercise) can be done with that tools and then resumes normal Modbuddy exercise in other stages? (I'm not really good at programming too bad) does it comes with its own tutorial and exercise?

Which tools do you use when fixing Units Artdef that you've posted here earlier today?

 

[Deliverator]

^ if Sukritact's tools is ... as you say, user-friendlier when doing artdef edits. then... it is an unofficial addons to modbuddy and thus anything involving Artdef (particularly in aformented Tutorial One exercise) can be done with that tools and then resumes normal Modbuddy exercise in other stages? (I'm not really good at programming too bad) does it comes with its own tutorial and exercise?

Which tools do you use when fixing Units Artdef that you've posted here earlier today?

I just used Notepad++ which is a text editor. There's no tutorial or exercise for Sukritact's tool - you just have to figure it out.