[Request] A layman's tutorial for "converting" vanilla Civ4 modded XMLs for Warlords

[worshipwillow]

Uhm, I think this thread title kinda said it all...

I'm hoping someone would write up a good XML tutorial for taking the old modded files and making them compatible with all the additions in Warlords. I'm only using modded civics, leader traits, & religion XMLs, but, as it turns out, just copy/pasting the text from the old files and putting them into the new Warlords versions while retaining the new leader traits, for example, doesn't work, even if you do remember to make a special "my mods" folder in the mod directory for Warlords, and remember to clear the cache directory before running the game to see if the changes were made properly. Apparently there are issues with a leaderhead xml, or some leaderhead file, since I get about 900000 xml errors when loading the game up with my modded files, and many of them mentioned this file. There are new "schema" lines or something, I read this here on CivFanatics, I don't know what that means. But surely someone can help us modder wannabes? Purty pleeeeze? :]

P.S. - The modded files I'm using DO work perfectly in vanilla Civ4, so it's only a matter of compatability, not syntax error in the old modded files. I wonder if that would have been simpler...

 

[Gunner]

I think that the best way is to compare the Vanilla and Warlords versions of the file you want to combine with some type of comparing program such as Beyond Compare (which I really like, but it just has a 30 day free trial). With that method you can quickly see what was changed in Warlords. Its usually just one or two new tags.

 

[zulu9812]

This isn't that difficult actually. It really is just a case of looking at the XML files. I use a program called BeyondCompare to compare the differences between files, and a program called Altova XMLSpy to edit them. Besides, if your XML files are wrong, Warlords will tell you when you start up your mod - it'll even give you the file and the line number.

 

[wotan321]

How do you use the errorlog files created? I am getting an xml error on startup that simply says the file failed to load, but no line numbers, nothing. I look at that file, there is nothing there unusual and all the changes related to the new Warlords version of the file are taken care of, the schema info matches.... is there a thread that tells me what the FAILED message in the log points to?

btw, thanks for the info on the app to search this stuff out. That will really help.

 

[zulu9812]

post the file and I'll take a look at it

 

[wotan321]

Thanks Zulu, yer a saint,

I start the scenario, its loading the mod, I get a popup. If I OK through, I get more errors, but first things first...

XML Error
failed loading xml file XML\Units\civ4unitclassinfos.xml

The xml.log file reads... and I am starting a few lines before the first "Failed",

[55852.375] Load XML file XML\GameInfo/CIV4SeaLevelInfo.xml SUCCEEDED
[55852.375] SetGlobalClassInfo (Civ4SeaLevelInfo/SeaLevelInfos/SeaLevelInfo)
[55852.375] Loading XML file XML\Interface/CIV4AdvisorInfos.xml
[55852.390] Load XML file XML\Interface/CIV4AdvisorInfos.xml SUCCEEDED
[55852.390] SetGlobalClassInfo (Civ4AdvisorInfos/AdvisorInfos/AdvisorInfo)
[55852.390] Loading XML file XML\Terrain/CIV4TerrainInfos.xml
[55852.421] Load XML file XML\Terrain/CIV4TerrainInfos.xml SUCCEEDED
[55852.421] SetGlobalClassInfo (Civ4TerrainInfos/TerrainInfos/TerrainInfo)
[55852.437] Loading XML file XML\GameInfo/CIV4EraInfos.xml
[55852.453] Load XML file XML\GameInfo/CIV4EraInfos.xml SUCCEEDED
[55852.453] SetGlobalClassInfo (Civ4EraInfos/EraInfos/EraInfo)
[55852.453] Loading XML file XML\Units/CIV4UnitClassInfos.xml
[56121.312] Load XML file XML\Units/CIV4UnitClassInfos.xml FAILED
[56135.781] Loading XML file XML\GameInfo/CIV4SpecialistInfos.xml
[56135.796] Load XML file XML\GameInfo/CIV4SpecialistInfos.xml SUCCEEDED
[56135.796] SetGlobalClassInfo (Civ4SpecialistInfos/SpecialistInfos/SpecialistInfo)
[56135.796] info type NONE not found, Current XML file is: GameInfo/CIV4SpecialistInfos.xml
[56135.796] info type UNITCLASS_PROPHET not found, Current XML file is: GameInfo/CIV4SpecialistInfos.xml
[56141.000] info type UNITCLASS_ARTIST not found, Current XML file is: GameInfo/CIV4SpecialistInfos.xml

I appreciate any help you provide, and will answer any questions to clarify the circumstanced involved in this xml error.

Again, thanks.

-W

 

[zulu9812]

I mean post the XML file in question, i.e. civ4unitclassinfos.xml - zip it up and attach it.

 

[wotan321]

Thanks Zulu,

I think I may have the solved the problem. The problem is I am up editing files way past my bedtime.... if I continue to have problems I will post it, but I appreciate your offer in any case.

I edited the unitschema file, and incorrectly too, and I have fixed that. My thinking was (and here where problems start...thinking....) that instead of going into the units file and inserting elements from the unitschema file that are new to Warlords, I would imply comment out the unwanted new elements in the unitschema file. What sort of problems would that cause? Would that hose the units file?

Regardless, since I had a few cups of coffee in me and a good nights sleep, I decided to simply put the new elements in the old Units file, and I hope that will work.

I gotta say, that "Beyond Compare" program is a wonderful thing. It has improved my quality of life considerably <g>. Finding the pertinent lines and correcting these files is now very simple.

Thanks again.

As for the aforementioned tutorial, its probably the case that the people who could write it are too busy using the knowledge to write it down. The great Mod makers are eager to get their great mods updated. By the time that is done, and the mods are undated, there will no more need for a tutorial... but maybe we can sort of piece one together once the initial rush to update is cooled.