Decolored-Districts
-------------------------------------------------
So this will probably be my third and hopefully final post on this
What I need help with is learning how to inject my changes into the actual game.
----------------------------
My goal is to make it so most districts and their buildings are blandly colored.
1) I found out how to change the clutter-buildings by changing the tint mask in the Landmarks.artdef.
2) I manually used paint to retexture the actual buildings (for example: library, university, researchlab).
I did so by editing their associated '.dds' files.
For example:
DIS_CMP_Base_B.dds
When I checked on the buildings in the Asset-previewer, the changes were successful.
-----------------------------
My question is how do I get these changes into the playable game.
From the many MANY tutorials I have been reading/looking through, it almost seems like I would have to make my own replacement campus district, remove the base game one, then add mine.
I do not want to do that.
I don't care if this mod is downloadable/usable. If I could just hack it into my game, that would be more than enough.
------------------------------
I have tried searching this and other forums on how to make a mod that only alters '.dds' files, but have been unsuccessful in finding a clear solution.
I still have almost no idea how to make a mod that does nothing at all, and the "deploy"/"build"/etc buttons in ModBuddy, do nothing.
Trouble with tutorial instructions on '.dds' mods: Finding VFS import
---------------------------------
In most tutorials specifically dealing with making a '.dds' mod, they say there should be a "VFS" variable in the properties of my added .dds files. The fact is, there isnt. For sake of the trouble shooters who see this and doubt this. will describe my process.
I used the solution explorer in ModBuddy.
I found my .dds file
I tried:
---
clicking it and simply checking the "properities" window I already had open that adjusted based on the selected file.
right clicking it and pressing properities, led me to the same window I already had open
pressing f4 to open properities, led me to same window as before.
---
In this window, there are 3 tabs.
I checked all 3
I believe for 1 of the tabs there were 2 variables, but the rest had 1 variable. and For both variables, they were simply the name of the file.
-------------------------------------------------------
Trouble with what to do after previous step
----------------------------
Sadly, even if the VFS import = true setting was available to me, I am completely lost on what to do after. I don't know how to turn the mod-solution into a usable mod.
As I stated before; while i'd be happy to make my mod public if it was easy to do so, I would settle for simply injected these modified files into my game-- a sort of hack if you will.
I have spent about 20 hours total on this, and Im done. I just want my changes to be applied to the game without having to do some form of satanic ritual
------------------------------------------------------------
EDIT:
Also, less importantly. If anyone wanted this to be an actual mod- I need to know how to also publish my changes to Landmarks.artdef
I know to some extent from looking at other mods how to add a new Landmarks.artdef, but not how to replace the basegame version.
What I have done already is simply gone through Expansion1, Expansion2, Ethiopia, Base ... and used a program I found on here called "Artdef Editor" to change the tint mask for the different districts
Disappointingly, the Ethiopia tint mask for diplomatic quarters is unused.
-That is, unlike in other districts- every building is manually textured and not made to have a color applied to a white roof.
-ALSO Ethiopia assets arent loaded in the AssetEditor (it seems) and thus arent (if you know how please tell me) able to be retextured in the same way I did the library etc.
EDIT2:
Along the lines given above, I am happy to say that using this method lets you completely change the neighborhood district as it can still be useful even without its structures (like the food market etc).
Im just glad that my neighborhoods have darkish brown roofs now instead of neon green
EDIT3:
If it is possible to both make my changes a usable mod and for me to just inject it into the game files, I would like to know both. While selfishly I would like to simply make my game more to my liking by editing my game directly, I imagine others feel similar to how I do (Not liking the rainbow collage that civ6 districts are). I would have loved to not have to waste all this time learning how to mod civ6 and downloading many programs to make a simple texture-pack
I do not know if it is against the rules of this forum, but I could post my .dds changes if someone more competent than me would like to make my changes into a mod... I know that sometimes it can be far easier to do something yourself than try to walk someone else through it
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDIT 4:
Added snippets of some buildings to the attached files... I would have put them in the post and labeled them but it doesnt want to let me do that.
UPDATE:
After another 10 hours working on it today. Im beginning to give up.
If you look down in the comments to the 4th comment, I have uploaded my attempt at making a mod.
Aparently going through the Asset editor and pressing "copy to project" on every asset, material, and texture. then uploading all the .dds files, then attaching the texture to that dds file--- aparently that doesnt work. Or atleast I know so little about how to actually finish a mod that I simply cant make it work
Edit 5:
Forgot to mention, I tried setting load order on every action in the '.modinfo' file so that expansions wouldn't overwrite it.
I also tried checking "affects saved games" to test it. no dice
-------------------------------------------------
So this will probably be my third and hopefully final post on this
What I need help with is learning how to inject my changes into the actual game.
----------------------------
My goal is to make it so most districts and their buildings are blandly colored.
1) I found out how to change the clutter-buildings by changing the tint mask in the Landmarks.artdef.
2) I manually used paint to retexture the actual buildings (for example: library, university, researchlab).
I did so by editing their associated '.dds' files.
For example:
DIS_CMP_Base_B.dds
When I checked on the buildings in the Asset-previewer, the changes were successful.
-----------------------------
My question is how do I get these changes into the playable game.
From the many MANY tutorials I have been reading/looking through, it almost seems like I would have to make my own replacement campus district, remove the base game one, then add mine.
I do not want to do that.
I don't care if this mod is downloadable/usable. If I could just hack it into my game, that would be more than enough.
------------------------------
I have tried searching this and other forums on how to make a mod that only alters '.dds' files, but have been unsuccessful in finding a clear solution.
I still have almost no idea how to make a mod that does nothing at all, and the "deploy"/"build"/etc buttons in ModBuddy, do nothing.
Trouble with tutorial instructions on '.dds' mods: Finding VFS import
---------------------------------
In most tutorials specifically dealing with making a '.dds' mod, they say there should be a "VFS" variable in the properties of my added .dds files. The fact is, there isnt. For sake of the trouble shooters who see this and doubt this. will describe my process.
I used the solution explorer in ModBuddy.
I found my .dds file
I tried:
---
clicking it and simply checking the "properities" window I already had open that adjusted based on the selected file.
right clicking it and pressing properities, led me to the same window I already had open
pressing f4 to open properities, led me to same window as before.
---
In this window, there are 3 tabs.
I checked all 3
I believe for 1 of the tabs there were 2 variables, but the rest had 1 variable. and For both variables, they were simply the name of the file.
-------------------------------------------------------
Trouble with what to do after previous step
----------------------------
Sadly, even if the VFS import = true setting was available to me, I am completely lost on what to do after. I don't know how to turn the mod-solution into a usable mod.
As I stated before; while i'd be happy to make my mod public if it was easy to do so, I would settle for simply injected these modified files into my game-- a sort of hack if you will.
I have spent about 20 hours total on this, and Im done. I just want my changes to be applied to the game without having to do some form of satanic ritual
------------------------------------------------------------
EDIT:
Also, less importantly. If anyone wanted this to be an actual mod- I need to know how to also publish my changes to Landmarks.artdef
I know to some extent from looking at other mods how to add a new Landmarks.artdef, but not how to replace the basegame version.
What I have done already is simply gone through Expansion1, Expansion2, Ethiopia, Base ... and used a program I found on here called "Artdef Editor" to change the tint mask for the different districts
Disappointingly, the Ethiopia tint mask for diplomatic quarters is unused.
-That is, unlike in other districts- every building is manually textured and not made to have a color applied to a white roof.
-ALSO Ethiopia assets arent loaded in the AssetEditor (it seems) and thus arent (if you know how please tell me) able to be retextured in the same way I did the library etc.
EDIT2:
Along the lines given above, I am happy to say that using this method lets you completely change the neighborhood district as it can still be useful even without its structures (like the food market etc).
Im just glad that my neighborhoods have darkish brown roofs now instead of neon green
EDIT3:
If it is possible to both make my changes a usable mod and for me to just inject it into the game files, I would like to know both. While selfishly I would like to simply make my game more to my liking by editing my game directly, I imagine others feel similar to how I do (Not liking the rainbow collage that civ6 districts are). I would have loved to not have to waste all this time learning how to mod civ6 and downloading many programs to make a simple texture-pack
I do not know if it is against the rules of this forum, but I could post my .dds changes if someone more competent than me would like to make my changes into a mod... I know that sometimes it can be far easier to do something yourself than try to walk someone else through it
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDIT 4:
Added snippets of some buildings to the attached files... I would have put them in the post and labeled them but it doesnt want to let me do that.
UPDATE:
After another 10 hours working on it today. Im beginning to give up.
If you look down in the comments to the 4th comment, I have uploaded my attempt at making a mod.
Aparently going through the Asset editor and pressing "copy to project" on every asset, material, and texture. then uploading all the .dds files, then attaching the texture to that dds file--- aparently that doesnt work. Or atleast I know so little about how to actually finish a mod that I simply cant make it work
Edit 5:
Forgot to mention, I tried setting load order on every action in the '.modinfo' file so that expansions wouldn't overwrite it.
I also tried checking "affects saved games" to test it. no dice
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