How to perm. get things in the Game Database

[ReinierK]

Hi,

Whenever I make a new resource in the game database, it disappears when I restart the editor... This is frustrating, because all my DialogScenes are now gone from the tree...

The files are physically there, but somehow it's impossible to get them in the tree for good.

Anyone can help me?

[Asheera]

I'm not sure what you mean?

If, when the map is still open, you go to the directory where you installed H5 and then enter the Editor folder, then "H5Mods" or something like that (can't remember for sure now), do you find your custom files in there somewhere? If yes, it may be a good idea to copy them...

[ReinierK]

What I mean is, if I create two maps, one for play and the other for a dialog scene, if I edit the dialog scene and save it, close the editor and start the editor again, the dialogscene has disappeared from the database tree...

Although I somehow think I figured something out, by creating maps from the resource menu instead of the file menu...

It's a weird editor for sure...

[Asheera]

You use the advanced editor mode?

If not, open up editor.cfg from the profiles folder where you installed TotE and modify the line with "setvar map_editor_mode" to set it to 9.

[ReinierK]

Yeah I use that... seems like I did it all wrong the first time around...

I now create new resources in the tree and work from there (copying old files from the h5m containers) and changing the values that need it (like map hrefs)...

So far it's actually working and everything gets stored in the \data folder.
No idea yet how I'm every going to share that ;-) Maybe build a scenario from it?

[Neckie]

I now create new resources in the tree and work from there (copying old files from the h5m containers) and changing the values that need it (like map hrefs)...

So far it's actually working and everything gets stored in the \data folder.
No idea yet how I'm every going to share that ;-) Maybe build a scenario from it?

The proper use of the editor is :

1 - Create a new mod : ->Resource->New MOD

2 - Work from the Game Database Window to create new files.

3 - Use Resource-> Save All to save the changes regularly.

4 - To test the mod ingame, just go to Resource -> Pack MOD ( It will create a .h5m file in your Maps folder )


-- You can changes the files at any time in your mod folder (\\\H5\mods\MODNAME) and you'll see the result without having to quit the editor (simply double click on your map/file in the game database window)

-- If you want to open a map that you won't have to change you can do it with the editor, but if you plan to change things, I suggest that you do the following steps : (if it's a mod, you should never open it directly in the editor and always use this method)

1 - If your Editor is opened, close it.

2 - Extract the file in your \\\H5 \mods\ folder

3 - Open \\\H5 \editor\UserData.xml with notepad

4 - At the bottom of the file, You'll see : <OpenedMODFolder>...</OpenedMODFolder>
Just copy path to the mod you extracted ... it will look like this
<OpenedMODFolder>C:\Program Files\Ubisoft\Heroes of Might and Magic V - Tribes of the East\Mods\MODNAME\</OpenedMODFolder>

5 - Open the editor and use Resource->Open Map to open the .xdb file you want to edit

6 - Continue to work from the Game Database Window



The advantage of using this method is that your own index.bin file will be created that is read by the editor as a complement to the index.bin file which is in your data folder. Thats the file that contains the Game Database. Also, you won't destroy it by opening other mods and it won't mess up with your files in the data folder and the original index.bin file that is sometimes changed in other mods, like NCF.

[ReinierK]

Hmm.. seems a bit far fetched if you ask me...

I simply use the default index.bin and work from there. My files get saved in the HoMMV\data\ folder, I can zip them up into a single file for ditribution I guess...

So far it sees to work this way, although I would have to distribute it to see if it works on other PC's as well...

[Asheera]

I simply use the default index.bin and work from there. My files get saved in the HoMMV\data\ folder, I can zip them up into a single file for ditribution I guess...

You can place them in the map file (h5m which is actually a zip file) and I think it will work as well. But that only after the map is finished and ready for distribution

[ReinierK]

Yeah it looks like it will work...
The vague thing is the different options of opening "resources" in the editor... If you do it from the file menu (most logical) you enter a world of pain and suffering...

The MOD options aren't clear either (I'm making a scenario, not a mod!) and a "resource" is kind of arbitrary... Anyway, there's only one way to find out and that is to simply try and test it ;-)

Luckily it's quite simple to copy existing resources over others (bot in the folder and in the h5m files), so I can always start over and replace the files ;-)