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Heroes Community > Heroes 3.5 - WoG and Beyond > Thread: Objector, simple tool to combine graphics
Thread: Objector, simple tool to combine graphics This thread is 2 pages long: 1 2 · NEXT»
Salamandre
Salamandre


Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Wog refugee
posted August 20, 2011 07:12 PM bonus applied by angelito on 03 Sep 2011.
Edited by Salamandre at 16:33, 21 Aug 2011.

Objector, simple tool to combine graphics

Our God friend Berserker stroke again. Today I present you Objector, your new modder toy.

Remember how hard was to compile two graphic mods at once? Each one came with its own zeobjts.txt, made by the creator, and you could not have the game reading from two at once.  To compile one to another, you had to write manually each def name, assign type/subtype, passability and the column corresponding in the editor.

All this is over. The objector will add records with each object information into zeobjts.txt, directly from mod creator released archive.

Files needed:

ObjTxtEditor.exe (unpacked, removed virus alert)
Objector
DOWNLOAD


INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Make your wog file

For those not knowing yet how to make create long lists in H3sprite.txt, Total Commander will help.

Find the folder where your files are laying, and select the all.



Copy list to clipboard



Add this list in your H3sprite.txt, you are done.

2) Create your custom Lines.txt

Open ObjTxtEditor.exe. Create new file.



Add manually the name of your def, fix passability, type, subtype and check the columns where you wish it to appear.



Save as Lines.txt



3) Create your bat file

Create text file in notepad. Add in the following commands:

@echo off
cls
color 0f
objector.exe Data\ZEOBJTS.txt Lines.txt
h3wupd.exe
del Lines.txt
echo New objects are installed
pause
del install.bat


Save it and rename to Install.bat.

4) Create your archive

You should now have an Update folder (with the wog file in, if you don't know how to create a wog file, go and read elsewhere), Lines.txt, Install.bat and Objector. Select all and add to archive:



Create SFX, best compression, give it a name



In advanced options, select SFX options



Create in current folder and run Install.bat after extraction



In text and icon, add your text to warn player about choosing game path



Your archive is ready.

This tool does not make easier the task of the graphic creator, he will still have to fix each object record manually. But once done, anyone will be able to install the new graphics and play with them while keeping his original zeobjts.txt, with all previous mods installed and safe.

Warning: if any of the new objects has the same name as a previous installed one, it will replace.

Credits: of cause the author.
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dragon_hunter
dragon_hunter


posted August 21, 2011 04:37 AM

Very Goooooooooooooooooood!

Thanks many Salamandre!!!!

I'm very need it!

In the name of a character VIP, bonus for Salamandre applied by [url=http://heroescommunity.com/member.php3?action=viewprofile&UserName=Dragon_Hunter]Dragon_Hunter[/url]

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Warmonger
Warmonger


Promising
Legendary Hero
fallen artist
posted September 03, 2011 01:38 PM

Easier modding! Maybe now we'll see more maps with custom content... and more content for that reason.
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Salamandre
Salamandre


Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Wog refugee
posted September 03, 2011 01:45 PM

Mapmakers do not know modding. Modders do not know mapmaking. The chances to have new maps with more content are below  zero, if we eliminate the catastrophic random maps on which Phoenix or MOP mods work.
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gnollking
gnollking


Supreme Hero
posted September 04, 2011 07:33 PM
Edited by gnollking at 19:33, 04 Sep 2011.

I have followed each step correctly, tried several times, but still, the OBJECTOR doesn't work! When installing, it crashes for some ****ing unknown reason.. Is it really required to make a *.wog file, because they just suck? I tried with a *.wog file (following each step precisely), but no. I tried manually editing my own *.bat file, adding the "objector.exe Data\ZEOBJTS.txt Lines.txt" command there, but no. I don't know what to do, anyone care to help?
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Salamandre
Salamandre


Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Wog refugee
posted September 04, 2011 07:34 PM

Can you upload your package? Are you using H3sprite.exe to add objects?
I noticed that a wog file still works sometimes better. Depends of your update.exe, it can be broken or not.
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gnollking
gnollking


Supreme Hero
posted September 04, 2011 07:41 PM

Quote:
Can you upload your package?

Here.
Quote:
Are you using H3sprite.exe to add objects?

Nope.
Quote:
I noticed that a wog file still works sometimes better. Depends of your update.exe, it can be broken or not.

Yes, the *.wog file worked, but before that the Objector crashed and wouldn't add the lines into the zeobjts.txt..
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Salamandre
Salamandre


Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Wog refugee
posted September 04, 2011 07:55 PM

Looks ok, have to ask Berserker, till now it worked.
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gnollking
gnollking


Supreme Hero
posted September 04, 2011 08:00 PM

So you mean it worked for you?
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Salamandre
Salamandre


Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Wog refugee
posted September 04, 2011 08:06 PM
Edited by Salamandre at 20:17, 04 Sep 2011.

I would not post it if it crashed. But it is only me who used it, maybe on other systems are problems, that's why feedback is so appreciated.

Got the error: remove any duplicates from the Lines.txt, there are several of them (error pasting?). Please post result.
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Bersy
Bersy


Honorable
Supreme Hero
posted September 04, 2011 09:00 PM

First, updated tools:
lodimport.exe - to pack into lods.
objector.exe - with lod packing support, still forbids duplicates in lines.txt.
batgena.exe + msvcr71.dll = one click bat-file-creator.

Actions to make install without wog-file:
-) Batgena, select folder with defs. MakeIt. Bat-file will be created in the upper directory.
-) Make sfx, include lodimport, objector, "Install" folder with defs.

http://www.multiupload.com/M1OSSPKYRX

Second, gp0.5 patch proof:
http://www.multiupload.com/43SJVPG9NL

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gnollking
gnollking


Supreme Hero
posted September 04, 2011 09:11 PM

Thank you very much for all your work , let's hope I'll succeed now
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Bersy
Bersy


Honorable
Supreme Hero
posted September 04, 2011 09:14 PM

You are welcome. Nice job of porting objects

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eddebaby
eddebaby

Tavern Dweller
posted September 21, 2011 01:10 PM

Thank you for all this great information. lodimport was just what I was looking for to install files to LODs without WOG/h3wupd.

I used a 7-zip SFX tool ([url=http://sourceforge.net/projects/sfx-maker/]http://sourceforge.net/projects/sfx-maker/[/url]) instead of WinRAR  and I got beter compression results (with LZMA Ultra).

I assume Objector is only for map objects? It looks sweet anyway

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eddebaby
eddebaby

Tavern Dweller
posted September 25, 2011 01:28 AM

When I run the command:

objector.exe Data\ZEOBJTS.txt Lines.txt

I get an error message:

Cannot load file "Lines.txt"

I've tried all sorts of different folder/filename combinations - and no joy. Does objector.exe have any dependencies?

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Salamandre
Salamandre


Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Wog refugee
posted September 25, 2011 07:14 AM

I am in charge to make a new tutorial because Berserker fixed it, but never found the time. He sent a video and I uploaded it HERE

If you feel you can complete this thread with the tutorial, I will be your debtor. If not, you'll have to wait because I am struggling on other projects.

In the video he is using total commander.
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eddebaby
eddebaby

Tavern Dweller
posted September 25, 2011 03:54 PM

Thanks Salamandre.

I've found out what was causing the error; I needed an extra CRLF at the bottom of Lines.txt. It would open in ObjTxtEditor (and saved like that too) but objector needs a blank line at the end of the file.

I've also discovered that if objector crashes - you have a duplicate line (no matter how hard you think you checked for it earlier!)

I put together a package for GnollKing's 0.6 patch ([url=http://www.mediafire.com/file/9uei434c187sohq/GnollKingH2MapItems0.6.sfx.exe]download[/url]) - could you let me know what you think about it's composition/install process?
The main differences are 7zip and lodmerge. I think the install time is drastically reduced (near instant for me). Compression on a LOD vs the actual files seems worse though.

Here's another example with a progress bar and lodimport: [url=http://www.mediafire.com/file/078jbkg5mzun8fn/GnollKingH2MapItems0.6pb.sfx.exe]download[/url]
The file size is smaller, even though there are more programs involved. However... the install time with almost 1000 calls to lodimport, and reporting back to the progress bar - takes a lot longer.

I'll try and expand your tutorial over the next couple of days - but I'd only be providing alternative methods. The original tutorial is correct and awesome.

---

Bonus troubleshooting: ObjTxtEditor requires a registered MSCOMCTL.OCX in your system32 folder: If you don't have it - download it, save it to system32 and run "regsvr32 MSCOMCTL.OCX" in a command prompt to register it)



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Salamandre
Salamandre


Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Wog refugee
posted September 25, 2011 04:29 PM

Thanks, I don't care much how long is the install, but more how proper is...the last video he made is giving all the missing details, but it takes a lot of time to decrypt operations.
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eddebaby
eddebaby

Tavern Dweller
posted September 25, 2011 06:10 PM
Edited by eddebaby at 18:16, 25 Sep 2011.

I've modified your tutorial (Changed Step 1 and tweaked 3 and 4) to provide what seems to be the quickest method to create a patch. Once downloaded by someone, you run the exe, enter your WOG directory and all objects are ADDED to your current ZEOBJTS/H3SPRITE files as intended.
Using LODs and lodmerge saves the hassle of creating either h3sprite.txt or batch files with hundreds of calls to lodimport [i.e. the Total Commander step].

I will work on collating information on all of the various methods of patching (lodmerge/lodimport/h3update/IPS patcher) as well as multiple methods of distributing (WinRAR/7Zip) and things like progress bars and optional components (Made with .bat files and WizApp.exe). I wrote a readme of sorts last night - I'll try and arrange it in a more user-friendly way this week.

Edit: Fixed a typo and screenshot in step 4

And so to the modified tutorial:

---

Our God friend Berserker stroke again. Today I present you Objector, your new modder toy.

Remember how hard was to compile two graphic mods at once? Each one came with its own zeobjts.txt, made by the creator, and you could not have the game reading from two at once.  To compile one to another, you had to write manually each def name, assign type/subtype, passability and the column corresponding in the editor.

All this is over. The objector will add records with each object information into zeobjts.txt, directly from mod creator released archive.

Files needed:

ObjTxtEditor.exe (unpacked, removed virus alert)
Objector
[url=http://www.multiupload.com/P43HOY9KO9]DOWNLOAD[/url]

[url=http://sites.google.com/site/sergroj/wog#TOC-LodMerge-v1.0.2]lodmerge[/url]
[url=http://sites.google.com/site/sergroj/wog#TOC-MMArchive-v1.0.3]MMArchive[/url]
WinRar (or any file compression software)


INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Make your LOD file

Open MMArchive and create a new LOD file (e.g. PATCH.LOD).


Add your files *.DEF, *.MSK, *.MSG and click the optimize button.


2) Create your custom Lines.txt

Open Object TXT Files Editor (ObjTxtEditor.exe). Create new file.



Add manually the name of your def, fix passability, type, subtype and check the columns where you wish it to appear.



Save as Lines.txt



Lines.txt:- Manual Editing Information
* This file is essentially a truncated version of zeobjts.txt. The first line is the number of objects included in the file, which is followed by each object on a new line.
* There must be a new line (CRLF) at the end of the file! - If there isn't, objector will not work and will report an error: Cannot load file "Lines.txt"
* The most likely reason for objector actually crashing is the presence of duplicate lines. So re-check for mistakes!
* Objector may also crash if you format the parameters incorrectly (e.g. objector \Data\ZEOBJTS.txt Lines.txt instead of objector Data\ZEOBJTS.txt Lines.txt

3) Create your bat file

Create text file in notepad. Add in the following commands:


@echo off
cd InstTemp
 lodmerge ..\Data\H3SPRITE.LOD PATCH.LOD
 objector ..\Data\ZEOBJTS.txt Lines.txt
cd..
echo New objects are installed
pause
rmdir /S /Q InstTemp


Save it and rename to Install.bat.

4) Create your archive

Create a folder called InstTemp.

Add PATCH.LOD, install.bat, lodmerge.exe objector.exe and Lines.txt

Now Add the InstTemp folder (not just it's contents) to an archive. The rest of this example assumes you will use RAR.



Create SFX, best compression, give it a name



In advanced options, select SFX options



Create in current folder and run "InstTemp\Install.bat" after extraction


In text and icon, add your text to warn player about choosing game path



Your archive is ready.

This tool does not make easier the task of the graphic creator, he will still have to fix each object record manually. But once done, anyone will be able to install the new graphics and play with them while keeping his original zeobjts.txt, with all previous mods installed and safe.

Warning: if any of the new objects has the same name as a previous installed one, it will replace.

Credits: Berserker (objector), Greyface (lodmerge, MMArchive), Bourn (Object TXT Files Editor)

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Bersy
Bersy


Honorable
Supreme Hero
posted September 25, 2011 06:51 PM

Nice tutorial indeed. Merging lods is a good approach.

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