Creating the .civ5mod file

[ThorHammerz]

Uhh...... How is this file created? The one you use to upload to steam workshop.

 

[LeeS]

by doing build solution in ModBuddy

 

[ThorHammerz]

Doesn't that just create the .MODINFO file though? The uploader seems to want a .civ5mod file (i.e. the 'mod package' file).

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

It also creates the .civ5mod file, just not in the same place. If you look in "My documents", there's a folder entitled "Firaxis Modbuddy". In this folder, there'll be a folder with the same name as your mod, and in there as folder named "Packages". The .civ5mod files are kept there.

 

[ThorHammerz]

Ah, I see. Thanks!

 

[LeeS]

1. "Build My Mod Name" creates the mod with its xxx.modinfo file. It places a copy of it in the "Build" folder within the overall Mod folder, and it sends a copy of the mod to your CIV5/MODS folder (assuming you have not been silly and re-directed the destinations for modbuddy to send these "copies" of the mod).
2. At that point I don't believe there is a 'packages' sub-folder created.
3. The "Build Solution" does that, creates the xxxx(v x).civ5mod file, plus it also makes (I believe) the xxxx.civ5sln (solution) file, which you really need in order to re-load the mod back into ModBuddy at some future point when you've created enough mods that the one you want is no longer showing on the "recent" list.
   • You can get the mod to re-load under this condition by selecting the xxxx.civ5proj file, but doing so doesn't seem to 'refresh' the recent mods list properly: the link appears in the recent list, but clicking on it gives an error instead of opens the mod.
4. It isn't clear to me when the xxxx.civ5suo file is created or what it is used for.

 

[ThorHammerz]

The packages folder was beside the "Build" and "[Mod Name]" folder in the Firaxis ModBuddy folder as Rob said, never knew the .civ5mod was stored in that all along.

 

[bouncymischa]

It's one of the things that always trips me up when I haven't published anything for a while. I go to update or publish or whatever, and I reflexively start looking in my Mods folder under the Civ 5 game, rather than in the Modbuddy folder...

 

[ls612]

• It isn't clear to me when the xxxx.civ5suo file is created or what it is used for.

I don't think it is used for anything, it is tacked on due to the fact that Modbuddy uses the Visual Studio isolated shell.

 

[AW Arcaeca]

I apparently don't have the Packages folder in my Firaxis Modbuddy folder. :/ Although I don't upload to Steam, so it's not much of a problem.

Aren't .civ5mod files just really .zip files with a modified file extension? (or was that .7z? I think I read somewhere that .civ5mod == one of them...) Does the game automatically extract either of those file extensions?

 

[LeeS]

I apparently don't have the Packages folder in my Firaxis Modbuddy folder. :/ Although I don't upload to Steam, so it's not much of a problem.

Aren't .civ5mod files just really .zip files with a modified file extension? (or was that .7z? I think I read somewhere that .civ5mod == one of them...) Does the game automatically extract either of those file extensions?

The file folder tree structurre is:

Documents
	Firaxis ModBuddy
		My Mod Name
			My Mod Name
			Build
			Packages

So if you are looking for packages to be directly under "Firaxis ModBuddy" you won't find them there.

But yes, the xxxx.civ5mod file is just a 7z file. Or at least, 7z reads it and extracts it just fine. Quite a few people don't zip the "built" version of the mod for use in the download database or for posting to mediafire or what-have-you. They just copy the xxxx.civ5mod file to the forum's download database or whatever file sharing site they're using. If you can't find a "Packages" folder within each of your mods when you use your browser to look for it, then I'm really confused as to how you have ModBuddy set up on your computer.

 

[AW Arcaeca]

Gnaaahh, I misunderstood. Yep, the first random mod I looked at had a Packages folder. I thought y'all meant that Packages was a subfolder of ModBuddy. False alarm, no problems here.

 

[whoward69]

I don't think it (.civ5suo file) is used for anything,

It's a "compiled" version of the .civ5sln file, and also contains session information - like open files/panels, open state of the folder tree, last search, etc

You can delete it. When you re-open the mod (.civ5sln file) it will be automatically recreated, but your ModBuddy UI will be in a pristine state.