how do I install the unit graphics?

[malfuriouspete]

just a quick question. How do I go about installing some graphics for Civ 4 BTS? I got some graphics from here, but none of the files have any kind of readme so I'm thinking what to do.

Where do I put them and is it just a simple copy and paste or something more sinister involved?

cheers

 

[mechaerik]

Definitely more sinister. First, you need to find the Assets/Art/Units directory. Create a folder there and paste the art.

Next, XML work. Find the Assets/XML/Units/Civ4UnitInfos. If you want a new unit, you'll need to mod it in (which requires the Civ4UnitClassInfos), just search the forums for instructions. If you just want to change the art of 1 unit, you have to find the ART_DEF_UNIT_X. Next, open up Assets/XML/Art/Civ4ArtDefinesUnit and find the same tag. Change the .nif there to Assets/Art/Units/X/X.nif and the .kfm to whatever animation you want to use (if your just changing art, leave that alone). Next, Find the <SHADERNIF></SHADERNIF>. This is what the unit will look like on higher-end PCs. If you have no unitname_fx file, close that reference like this:

<SHADERNIF/>

And youre done. Unless you modded in unit, in which youll need pedia info. And most of all, DONT EDIT THE ORIGINAL FILES.

 

[malfuriouspete]

that doesn't sound like fun at all.. all in all, is it fairly easy to do? Since I use BTS to play, do I make a new directory in Beyond the Sword/Assets/Art/Unit?


I got the new B-52 made by snafusmith and would like to use that... but this all seems like one hell of a pain in the ass to do..

 

[GFO_Anubis]

its not that hard to do.. I would say that you should make your own mod folder.. and paste the units you want there so that you still have the normal game and just load you kod to get your costom units.. thats how i got started on my mod...

How to do it depends on what you want.. to create a new uint or simply add it as a skin of an unit for a specific nation or replace the standard one that is already there...

 

[The Capo]

its not that hard to do.. I would say that you should make your own mod folder.. and paste the units you want there so that you still have the normal game and just load you kod to get your costom units.. thats how i got started on my mod...

How to do it depends on what you want.. to create a new uint or simply add it as a skin of an unit for a specific nation or replace the standard one that is already there...

I agree with this completely. In fact you should download a mod that you like and play your SP games with that mod, which gives you the option of altering the mod's files without effecting the normal game (which you can save for your MP exploits). In fact my mod would be a decent choice because there are hardly any changes to game mechanics, in fact the only differences between my mod and the regular game are spy promotions, and inquisitors (which remove non-state religions from cities). There are also ALREADY flavored units and extra leaders in it, so you may not even have to add anything (if it is already included). So check my sig for the link.

But having made a mod, and 10 modules for it, I can tell you that adding units is very tedious, especially if you don't know what animations go with them. I learned on my own though, and you should do the same because then it becomes second nature. If you DL my mod and the module pack that goes with it (there's a link on the download page) you will see how to add units, you just have to look at the XML.

 

[mechaerik]

Maybe i should have said this earlier...
Although it sounds hard, once you get the hang of it, it can go pretty fast. When i started adding units, it took me a while (my first modded-in unit was a Confederate Rifleman UU for a new civ), about an hour or more, because i made plenty of mistakes, and i had to learn by myself. I eventually got the hang of it, and a unit i made recently, the Future Combat System (using the NextWar Dreadnought), an entirely new unit, took about 10 minutes. Overall, it just takes practice.

 

[malfuriouspete]

hmm.. okay. how do I go about editing XML files? If I click on one it opens it up using Internet Explorer

 

[mechaerik]

left-click and select Open With.

use notepad (or notepad++ if you have it)