Editing Data files

Ok, so I want to make the Manta in EVN a better ship, like by giving it some more gun/turret space, and some more free mass. I would like to know the easiest/least time consuming way to do this. I'm on a mac, running 10.4. No classic, by the way. I tried searching and got nothing, but maybe i was using the wrong search terms. Any help wpuld be VERY much appreciated, as well as, um, helpful. Thanks!

Pi

And, just to make it fully clear: Manta, EvNova, More mass, thanks.

This post has been edited by PiSketch : 24 August 2006 - 07:55 PM

Do you have an editor?

I don't know whether you can do it in Mac editors, but on EVNEW, you can open up two plugs at the same time, and use copy and paste.

If you can, open Nova Data 1, go into "ship" resources, find the manta, click copy, and paste it into a new plug.

Then you can just edit the ship as you wish, it doesn't alter the original files, and it overrides the original data if you put your new plug in the plugs folder.

If by "editor" you mean EVONE, yes. I'll try it. Thanks.

Edit: Ok, i have the two things open, but all i get when i open the nova ships 3, which has "Polaris Manta" in it, i just get stuff about graphics.

This post has been edited by PiSketch : 24 August 2006 - 08:10 PM

@pisketch, on Aug 24 2006, 06:08 PM, said in Editing Data files:

If by "editor" you mean EVONE, yes. I'll try it. Thanks.

Edit: Ok, i have the two things open, but all i get when i open the nova ships 3, which has "Polaris Manta" in it, i just get stuff about graphics.

EVONE and EVNEW are two different things. And also, the stuff about graphics is becuase you looking at the shan resource. What you want is the ship resource, it shouldn't be to hard to find. But since I'm using EVNEW, I can't help you more than that.

Ok. So don't look at the shan. Thanks.

@pisketch, on Aug 25 2006, 02:08 AM, said in Editing Data files:

If by "editor" you mean EVONE, yes. I'll try it. Thanks.

Edit: Ok, i have the two things open, but all i get when i open the nova ships 3, which has "Polaris Manta" in it, i just get stuff about graphics.

Which is why I said open Nova Data 1, rather than Nova Ships 3.

I did suggest that particular file for a reason.

The Nova Ships files are all graphics. You don't want graphics, you want the Nova Data 1 file, which contains all the 'ship' files, where you can control their weapons, shield, armour etc.

Also, I strongly recommend downloading MissionComputer. EVONE is a rather poor excuse for an editor. It's acceptable as a beta version, demonstrating that it can create valid plug-in files, but it hasn't been updated in years, is quite unstable, and has horrible editors (with the exception of the map editor).

MissionComputer has a nearly complete set of graphical editors, is still under active development, and the only quirk you're likely to run into here is that you'll need to use the "Resource Copier" to copy the Manta into your plug, rather than just copying and pasting.

Edwards

A little pointer: don't ever directly edit the data files. Work with copies, or make a new plugin.

@edwards, on Aug 24 2006, 09:41 PM, said in Editing Data files:

Also, I strongly recommend downloading MissionComputer. EVONE is a rather poor excuse for an editor. It's acceptable as a beta version, demonstrating that it can create valid plug-in files, but it hasn't been updated in years, is quite unstable, and has horrible editors (with the exception of the map editor).

MissionComputer has a nearly complete set of graphical editors, is still under active development, and the only quirk you're likely to run into here is that you'll need to use the "Resource Copier" to copy the Manta into your plug, rather than just copying and pasting.

Edwards

Erm...MC supports copying and pasting.

I must say, I'm rather disappointed. 😛

Yeah, MC can open multiple files, just not multiple resources.
And the other reason against EVONE is it's not free.

Whew. Lots of replies since last night. Ok.

pp0u20e8, who posted JUST before me: Oh. Sorry. That would explain why i can't find it in those. Sorry.

Edwards: I did download Mission Computer. Probably it doesn't like my intel chip, as it shows up in the dock, bounces once, and the goes away.

Belthazar:Thanks for the tip, I copied the entire set into a new folder before even looking for an editor.

orcaloverbri9: Um, yeah. nothing to say here.

Guy: as to your second point: Yes. Rather LARGE point against it.

Thanks for all the help, guys. I'll get back to work then.

Pi

EDIT: HELP! Um. Sorry. Ok, so i downloaded MC again, and it worked. I made a plugin, (I have very little idea how to do this) and put it in the folder, and nothing happens. The plugin is: Graa. No attatching. Not working. Darn. Ah well any help still might be helpful.

This post has been edited by PiSketch : 25 August 2006 - 03:22 PM

I'm not sure on a mac, but aren't you supposed to put the new plugin in the "Nova Plugins" folder in the "EV Nova" folder?

@orcaloverbri9, on Aug 24 2006, 09:45 PM, said in Editing Data files:

Erm...MC supports copying and pasting.

Oops. Now that I look at my notes, it seems that I was confusing MC with EVONE, which I couldn't convince to copy/paste no matter what I tried. Sorry about that.

@pisketch, on Aug 25 2006, 06:13 AM, said in Editing Data files:

EDIT: HELP! Um. Sorry. Ok, so i downloaded MC again, and it worked. I made a plugin, (I have very little idea how to do this) and put it in the folder, and nothing happens.

What's your plug-in trying to do? Are there any other plug-ins in your plug-ins folder? If you make a modification to the Light Blaster (or any other common outfit), does that show up in-game?

To attach your plug-in to a post, you'll need to archive it first. I recommend using Guy's Plug-in Archiver, as it does the special encoding needed to make the plug-in format and zip format compatible automatically. Do not use Finder's built-in zipping mechanism to archive plug-ins, as it is not compatible with Windows or MacOS < 10.3.

Edwards

chrono: Yes, and i did.

Edwards: I'll try to modify the light blaster.

Plugins loaded:
Auroran Shield Glows
ExtraOutfits v16 Part 2
Federation Shield Glows
ForeverSigma
Guide Book
Horse of Many Colours v2.2 (Npď
Hypergates
Independent Shield Glows
Map Size 1280x800
Mission String Selector 3 (Come to think of it, i can delete this)
New manta (This one)
Pirate Shield Glows
Polaris Shield Glows
Rebel Shield Glows
Z-Hellhound Helper

The plug:
(attachment=2003:attachment)

EDIT: Having removed all other plugs, it now works. Anyone know what plug is messing it up?

This post has been edited by PiSketch : 25 August 2006 - 07:45 PM

@pisketch, on Aug 26 2006, 10:33 AM, said in Editing Data files:

Plugins loaded:

Think you've got enough? 😛

Quote

Horse of Many Colours v2.2

Ooh, that's a good one. 🙂

Quote

EDIT: Having removed all other plugs, it now works. Anyone know what plug is messing it up?

Not off the top of my head, but I will say that it can only be one of the ones which load after it - that is, which come later in alphabetical order. Since you're modifying the Manta, my guess is that it'd be the Polaris Shield Glows plugin, but I'm not at all sure.

Lol. You know, very few of them do anything. My brother doesn't like horse of many colors. He made me get rid of it... I, on the other hand, love it. I'll probably redownload it. And it works with all these plugs:

Plugins loaded:
Auroran Shield Glows
Federation Shield Glows
Independent Shield Glows
Map Size 1280x800
New manta
Pirate Shield Glows
Polaris Shield Glows
Rebel Shield Glows
Z-Hellhound Helper

So it's either:

Mission String Selector 3
Hypergates
Horse of Many Colours v2.2 (Npď
ForeverSigma
Guide Book
ExtraOutfits v16 Part 2

Ah well. I can live with it. Thanks, all. Feel free to use it, but I won't put it on the offical plugin list unless i - or, for that matter - someone else, get all the bugs out of it.

Off to play EVN

I'm assuming "New Manta" is the name of the plugin you're making. Since the plugins load in alphabetical order, with later plugins taking precedence, it cannot possibly be any of the plugins you think is causing the problem, as they all start with a letter that comes before N. (Furthermore, since I can say with utter certainty that Horse of Many Colours doesn't alter any of the shďp resources. Thus, it would not conflict with your plugin even if it loaded later. The same is probably true for several of the other plugins you've rejected from your list, but since I couldn't be bothered downloading each of them in order to check, I can't be sure.)

On a slightly unrelated note, why doesn't your brother like Horse of Many Colours? 🙂

Well it's possible the earlier ones could affect it. Like modifying resources it depends on to make it work.