What program(s) are you using to mod civ5?

[CrazyAce]

Depends on the file format structure of the models them self’s, I would say if possible a nif importer/exporter and Photoshop. I don’t do code.

 

[Ekmek]

I wonder if nif files will be used again to place the models

Also i have come to create a bit simpler models, these for example range from 2000 to 20000 polygons. But even if 5000 polygon models are realistic in civ5 i can recreate such work with not very much noticable difference:

no nifs BUT you can import a nif into blender then export it as a FBX. BUt then you need to create a FXSXML. For the record I havent successfully done gotten one in game but I have made an FXSXML. Bottomline, Civ5 will be blender friendy.

Has anyone tried the SDK/modding tools in your steam tools tab yet?

 

[The_J]

I guess i will not have enough time for a sticky...bah.

Ekmek, that 3D format does civ5 use, what plugins does Blender need?

 

[Ekmek]

I guess i will not have enough time for a sticky...bah.

Ekmek, that 3D format does civ5 use, what plugins does Blender need?

The FBX file is native to blender. i basically use the same set up I use for LHs wihich blender with the nif script. don't need the nifscript now unless you want to convert civ4 stuff to civ5.

Sadly I haven't been able to get anything in-game but RL for the last few months has limited me.

anyways here are my notes. I *guess* we can use this thread to walk people through some of the tools until we get more professional.

Add Tile Improvement

-Tried to do a Yert. Imported yert nif I got from Varietas Delectat
-FBX exported
-imported through nexus but the 3D model viewer button was grayed out. I assume the issue is that a tile imp doesnt have a bone.
- creating a new vertex and assigning all of it worked

- 3d viewer opened with pink yerts

- opened material editor
--Add Material
--- set to building shader
--- set diffuse to the yert dds
-- assign material to yert_A
-- again no next or apply function

- skipped animation manager

- model manager
-- edited $(FILENAME) removed need for animation
-- added group00, removed animation
-- Added Yert to All groups
-- what else do i need to do for this?

- clicked next on the popup
-- every time i need to find the directory?
-- exported to yert.fxsxml

- closed all windows

- now trying to view yert.fxsxml - just click open to go to previous folder instead of open by file for the main
- It showed up all black though in 3D view
- mesh is yert.gr2
- texture yert.dds shows up
- what is assign model popup - its grayed uout
- can we get the option to rename files in asset viewer in case we just want to have it go and redo th ewhole process just for a reskin?
- does black mean an error?

- next to test in game...

- found improvements.xml but no artdefines.xml (its in the fpk)
- used nexus script to extract the xml I needed from fpj it extracts everything into the common folder not even remembering folders
- found civ5artdefines_improvements.xml - its blank
- found civ5artdefines_landmark.xml only files with size to it and it says things have to bein order?
- plan to replace all goody huts with yert graphic. so replaced path for the art/
- placing file in Steam\steamapps\common\sid meier's civilization v beta - frankenstein\Resource\Common hopingi t replaces the fpk - will we get a custom assets folder?

- had create the building folder in asets
- copied yert there


- copied over all entries and GRAPHIC DID NOT SHOW

 

[The_J]

This does at all not sound very promising at the moment.

 

[Lord Tirian]

This does at all not sound very promising at the moment.

Eh, cut'em some slack, it's still the first day. In my experience (not only with Civ, but with NWN1/2, Dragon Age and Sins of a Solar Empire), modding usually really picks up after a couple of months or around the first expansion pack - since that's usually the time fans need to get familiar with what is possible and what isn't etc. - Rome wasn't build in one day. It's just the contrast to a very mature modding scene in CivIV, where everybody knows the ropes (or has fantastic tutorials as an aid) and where two expansion packs have illustrated how parts of the game *can* be modded.

With Kael's 0-day mod, CiV is probably one of the games with the fastest mod release ever!

Cheers, LT.

 

[YohanLeafheart]

Notepad++, Eclipse + LuaEclipse, and SVN for version control. And I have a DIFF tool from Git that I think I will be able to use in case they change the file after a patch.

 

[Dale]

With Kael's 0-day mod, CiV is probably one of the games with the fastest mod release ever!

Cheers, LT.

I beat him by a week.

 

[Takhisis]

I knew that learning Blender would eventually result in some good for the civ-community.

 

[Wirapuru]

Great to know it'll be FBX! It's an "under-used" file format since I know it - with a lot of features and capabilities! Animation, texture mapping, everything seems very well stored in there, but the best is indeed it's portability, if it's still like it was (4 years ago I guess).

Always was a good crossover format between software (Maya-Max-XSI-etc), and I just read it was bought by Autodesk... too. Autodesk really didn't give a chance for anything to survive by its own, eh? Anyway, excellent news!

edit:
I'm sure going to use Softimage Mod Tool (formely Xsi Mod Tool) for Civ!

 

[Shiggs713]

lets see here, let me look at my desktop;

Notepad++, Irfanview, DXTBmp, Winmerge, PS, GIMP, Blender, and NetBeans are amoung the possibilities. Maybe not blender actually.

 

[Wirapuru]

I might be reviving Blender in here too, the other day I reinstalled after 6 years, it was refreshing going to see what new features it's bringing.

For scripting I would like to use Eclipse but only if LuaEclipse has a nice and *stable* debugger or any neat tool, else I'll stick with Notepad++ too - Eclipse can be a system hog =/ I'm thinking on Scite too, the one which came on LuaForWindows package, it's very lightweight and has a debugger!@ It's alway nice to try new tools (new for me I mean eh).

Don't know yet if I'll go to deep on Civ scripting this time since there are already so good modders out here. Maybe I'll try my mini-mods and tweaks I have on mind and stick to 3D, to help someone who is in need of new models, textures and animation =]

 

[Kyriakos]

Doesnt sound very good tbh. I expected something a lot simpler, what with the "more moddable than ever before" line. This does not translate well to 5+ programs to use so as to create a single building for this game.

 

[Lord Shadow]

Notepad++ for XML tinkering, Illustrator for civilization icon making, Photoshop for setting up the necessary icon atlases and the GIMP for .dds conversion. I know there's a DDS plugin for Photoshop, but it's made by NVIDIA and I don't know if it'd have a problem with my ATI graphics card.

 

[Shiggs713]

i think the plugin actually works for ATI cards but I could be wrong, you should look it up, its useful enough.

 

[Ekmek]

Doesnt sound very good tbh. I expected something a lot simpler, what with the "more moddable than ever before" line. This does not translate well to 5+ programs to use so as to create a single building for this game.

only need a text editor (I prefer visual studio 2010 express though), GIMP (or other draw program), blender (for 3D models), then Nexus to import it. So its better and thankfully they got rid of the god awful fonts.tga file.

 

[Takhisis]

Heh, Ekmek, then all I need is Nexus. I already have Notepad (regular Windows version), GIMP and Blender. What else could I ask for?

 

[Wirapuru]

I know there's a DDS plugin for Photoshop, but it's made by NVIDIA and I don't know if it'd have a problem with my ATI graphics card.

Don't worry about that, I've been compressing DDSs with that plugin for a long time and no problems regarding which graphics card you have (since I've using this plugin I had a gf2mx400 pci, ati 9250 agp, gf 6600 pci-e, ati hd4850 and now hd5850 - never had a problem). I think it's a life saver for Photoshop

But: I found this new tool from AMD itself (well this doesn't solve the video card compatibility doubts - eh..) that does a great job, advanced options as we like:

http://developer.amd.com/gpu/compressonator/Pages/default.aspx

It's a standalone app, not any plugin yet but I guess it won't be long because AMD released a SDK so people can create one.

 

[Quetz]

The SDK is out (re: 2k Greg's post)

 

[Zen Blade]

Now that we can all mess around and mod, I was wondering if someone(s) in the know... perhaps a moderator... could create a sticky thread that outlines which programs and/or tools are useful for modding...

and then perhaps link to posts or threads that detail how to use those programs/tools... as well as where to find those programs.

I make this request because it could help a lot of people like me who are somewhat experienced with modding, but by no means an expert. Such a list would also be of major use to people who are very inexperienced with modding and are looking for a program that does "X" or "Y"

thanks guys,
-Zen Blade