Installing Units into PtW

[Patroklos]

Hey all,

I have spent the better part of five days (between classes) trying to get the WWII units into the game, and everything I do brings another error or crash or something.

If any of you have already done the installation of the units, could you maybe give me some pointers on how to do it right? I't appreciate

[SuperSlinky]

Re: Installing Units into PtW

Originally posted by Patroklos
Hey all,

I have spent the better part of five days (between classes) trying to get the WWII units into the game, and everything I do brings another error or crash or something.

If any of you have already done the installation of the units, could you maybe give me some pointers on how to do it right? I't appreciate

Here is what I have tried and everything checks out fine in a debug game. The main thing is that in addition to the usual unit folder, edited INI file, and creating the unit in the editor (all with the EXACT same name), that you probably already knew about, the civilopedia entry box in the editor must read PRTO_Unit, with the exact name of the unit. You should also edit the units_32.pcx file to include the unit icon. Do this by using an image editor (like Paint Shop Pro) to paste the unitsmall.pcx graphic into the larger file into one of the empty spaces near the end. Fill in the background color to match the purple color of the units_32.pcx file becaue that is understood by the game to be transparent.

Then you have to edit the PediaIcons.txt file under the "# start units" header to reference the unitlarge.pcx and unitsmall.pcx files. These files should be placed in the folder art\civilopedia\icons\units\ and the PediaIcons.txt entry should look like:

#ICON_PRTO_Unit
art\civilopedia\icons\units\unitlarge.pcx
art\civilopedia\icons\units\unitsmall.pcx

Then further down in the same text file you need to add the unit under the "# Unit animations" header to read like all the other unit entrys:

#ANIMName_PRTO_Unit
Unit

I added the Turret unit to my game this way and will ad a few more as time goes by. I haven't tried it in an actual game yet, but it seemed to work perfectly in a debug game.

[zulu9812]

Does this mean that ALL units have to have pedia icons now? Can't I install fan-made units that don't have pedia icons?

[WarpStorm]

They should have them. If you never go to the civilopedia, you should be okay if you don't.

[SuperSlinky]

Originally posted by zulu9812
Does this mean that ALL units have to have pedia icons now? Can't I install fan-made units that don't have pedia icons?

From what I have seen, you won't be able to build the unit without the #ICON_PRTO_Unit entries.

The game will crash of there is no #ANIMName_PRTO_Unit entry. You can reference an existing #ANIMName_PRTO_Unit entry in the editor, but your unit will look exactly like that unit (unacceptable).

The current status of my turret unit is that I can build the unit and it appears to work perfectly (so far). If I go to the civilopedia (by right clicking on it in the build list in the city screen), I get a blank page with the stats of the unit. The unitlarge.pcx, which I assumed was for the civilopedia, does not appear. I just get a black sqare in the upper right where I thought it would end up. Evidently there is more to do there. If nobody beats me to it, I will try to figure out what else we are supposed to do and post the results. But for my purposes, I have no problem with it in this state. I built the unit, so I don't have much use for a civilopedia entry.

But back to your original question, it appears that you need the *.pcx files for the unit to work. If there are units that don't have the *.pcx files, you could make them with a combination of flicster (to export the unit animations frame by frame) and paint shop pro (to make them like the other unit icons).

[zulu9812]

I've viewed pedia entries in-game for units w/o icons - it uses what appears to be a low-quality screenshot instead. My point was can I get away with just having #ICON_PRTO_Unit and not have any entries under that key (like I can with non-PTW civ3)?

[Deathwalker]

Is there a fan made document outlining how to add units?

[Willem]

Originally posted by zulu9812
I've viewed pedia entries in-game for units w/o icons - it uses what appears to be a low-quality screenshot instead. My point was can I get away with just having #ICON_PRTO_Unit and not have any entries under that key (like I can with non-PTW civ3)?

Check the screenshot for what you need to enter. Then in the PediaIcons.txt file you have to add:

#ANIMNAME_PRTO_Settler
Settler

The PRTO_Settler refers to the entry in the editor, the line below refers to the folder and ini file that contains the graphics.
I've discovered the game doesn't like spaces in the text names. If you have more than two words, you should add a downspace or something. Like_this!

[SuperSlinky]

Originally posted by zulu9812
I've viewed pedia entries in-game for units w/o icons - it uses what appears to be a low-quality screenshot instead. My point was can I get away with just having #ICON_PRTO_Unit and not have any entries under that key (like I can with non-PTW civ3)?

Don't know, haven't tried it. If it was me, I would just make the pcx files to make the solution as complete and elegant as possible. Who knows what bugs may be intruduced this way.