Recommended Mod Tools

[Hawk]

Well, you just found a rig that does not have Java installed.

I have no need for it so I didn't see any reason to install it.

I assume you've heard about the security risk of allowing your browser to enable Java, haven't you?
You can still have Java installed on your computer, but just disable it in your browser as there are few websites that actually require it.

http://krebsonsecurity.com/2013/01/what ... a-exploit/

How to turn off Java in your Browser

[Gumboots]

Well if you want to use these modding tools, you'd better install Java.

Incidentally, I did try using the Watto Game Extractor, but it didn't seem to run well on my box. The site for it does warn that it may not work for everyone. Using the command line scripts makes more sense for me. Far less aggrevation.

[Hawk]

I'll leave the modding to others more qualified and knowledgeable on the matter.
I'm just a lowly map creator, and not very good at that.

I was just letting you know about the Java security issue.

I did edit my command prompt window though. Thanks for that.

[Gumboots]

Might as well provide n00b-proof instructions for re-packing too. I needed to figure them out, so they may be handy for someone else.

1/ First thing you need is a text file listing all the files you want to pack. This will probably be a long list, and typing it manually will be nasty and prone to error. You want a quick and easy way of doing it. It exists.

2/ Open the folder that contains the files you want to pack.

3/ Highlight every file you want to pack.

4/ Hold down the Shift key.

5/ Right click any highlighted file.

6/ Click Copy as path.

7/ Open your editor. This can be the basic Notepad, or whatever you normally prefer (I use Notepad++).

8/ Paste into a new file. This will give you a list of every file, but with the downside that it will include the folder path and quotation marks. You need to remove those, so only the file names are left.

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"C:\Users\Peter\Desktop\RRT 3\Train_skinning\A_class\NWA2664L_Truck1Couplingbar2.3dp"
"C:\Users\Peter\Desktop\RRT 3\Train_skinning\A_class\NWA2664L_Truck1Couplingbar1.3dp"
"C:\Users\Peter\Desktop\RRT 3\Train_skinning\A_class\NWA2664L_Truck1Connectingrod2.3dp"
"C:\Users\Peter\Desktop\RRT 3\Train_skinning\A_class\NWA2664L_Truck1Connectingrod1.3dp"
"C:\Users\Peter\Desktop\RRT 3\Train_skinning\A_class\NWA2664L_Truck1Bogie4.3dp"
"C:\Users\Peter\Desktop\RRT 3\Train_skinning\A_class\NWA2664L_Truck1Bogie3.3dp"
"C:\Users\Peter\Desktop\RRT 3\Train_skinning\A_class\NWA2664L_Truck1Bogie2.3dp"
"C:\Users\Peter\Desktop\RRT 3\Train_skinning\A_class\NWA2664L_Truck1Bogie1.3dp"
"C:\Users\Peter\Desktop\RRT 3\Train_skinning\A_class\NWA2664L_Truck1.3dp"
"C:\Users\Peter\Desktop\RRT 3\Train_skinning\A_class\NWA2664L_TrackPoint.3dp"
"C:\Users\Peter\Desktop\RRT 3\Train_skinning\A_class\NWA2664L_Piston2.3dp"
"C:\Users\Peter\Desktop\RRT 3\Train_skinning\A_class\NWA2664L_Piston1.3dp"
"C:\Users\Peter\Desktop\RRT 3\Train_skinning\A_class\NWA2664L_LengthPoint.3dp"
"C:\Users\Peter\Desktop\RRT 3\Train_skinning\A_class\NWA2664L_Drivewheel2.3dp"
"C:\Users\Peter\Desktop\RRT 3\Train_skinning\A_class\NWA2664L_Drivewheel1.3dp"
"C:\Users\Peter\Desktop\RRT 3\Train_skinning\A_class\NWA2664L_Couplingbar2.3dp"
"C:\Users\Peter\Desktop\RRT 3\Train_skinning\A_class\NWA2664L_Couplingbar1.3dp"
"C:\Users\Peter\Desktop\RRT 3\Train_skinning\A_class\NWA2664L_Connectingrod2.3dp"
"C:\Users\Peter\Desktop\RRT 3\Train_skinning\A_class\NWA2664L_Connectingrod1.3dp"

9/ Using the above as an example, highlight and copy the folder path, and the quotation mark, at the beginning of the lines.

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"C:\Users\Peter\Desktop\RRT 3\Train_skinning\A_class\

10/ Click Edit, then Replace.

11/ Paste into the Find what window. Leave the Replace with window blank.

12/ Click Replace All.

13/ Repeat this procedure, but with a basic double quote ( " ) in the Find what window.

14/ The result should be a list of file names, without any other crud attached.

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NWA2664L_Truck1Couplingbar2.3dp
NWA2664L_Truck1Couplingbar1.3dp
NWA2664L_Truck1Connectingrod2.3dp
NWA2664L_Truck1Connectingrod1.3dp
NWA2664L_Truck1Bogie4.3dp
NWA2664L_Truck1Bogie3.3dp
NWA2664L_Truck1Bogie2.3dp
NWA2664L_Truck1Bogie1.3dp
NWA2664L_Truck1.3dp
NWA2664L_TrackPoint.3dp
NWA2664L_Piston2.3dp
NWA2664L_Piston1.3dp
NWA2664L_LengthPoint.3dp
NWA2664L_Drivewheel2.3dp
NWA2664L_Drivewheel1.3dp
NWA2664L_Couplingbar2.3dp
NWA2664L_Couplingbar1.3dp
NWA2664L_Connectingrod2.3dp
NWA2664L_Connectingrod1.3dp

15/ Save this as a text file with the .lst suffix. Using .lst as a suffix isn't strictly necessary, but the packing gizmo is already set up for that suffix, so you might as well use it.

16/ Make sure to save this text file to the same folder that holds the files you want to pack.

17/ Copy the packing gizmo files to the same folder. There are four of them.

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PK4Pack.bat
UnitC.exe
binlist2.exe
pack4.exe

18/ Open PK4Pack.bat in your editor, and change the pack4 <filename>.lst text to include the actual name of your.lst file.

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pack4 NWclassA.lst

19/ Save the PK4Pack.bat file.

20/ Open the command line thingy (earlier n00b-proof instructions) and get yourself to the right folder.

21/ Type in the name of the packing gizmo, and hit Enter.

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PK4Pack

22/ You should now have yourself a nice new packed PK4.

[Stoker]

Great instructions for operating the command line .PK4 tools,Gumboots. Thank you for sacrificing your own hair and sanity to figure this out and share this with us all. I have successfully ran the Unpack, but have yet to attempt the Pack function. Reading through your instructions I did however notice something that can simplify the Pack sequence quite a bit. I have been using Free Commander for some years now in lieu of the WinFileExplorer and I can't imagine ever going back. You have a dual window with all kinds of nifty search functions including "find duplicates" and such that makes file sorting a breeze compared to the Faildows file explorer. Another function of FC that I was aware of and thought of immediately when reading your Pack instructions was the ability to copy file names en masse without having the entire folder tree associated with them. What you do is navigate to the folder containing the files you intend to Pack and select them. Then go to the Edit tab and select "Copy name as text" (not "copy full name as text", which will include the folders) and then go to your notepad and paste . Viola! All of the file names are pasted in one operation with no fuss.

Even if you never intend to use the .PK4 tools I highly recommend getting Free Commander, it makes dealing with all of your files a snap- including doing things like being able to see "hidden" files and such that you can not do with the Faildows Explorer.

Here is a link to Major Geeks to download Free Commander. Major Geeks is a great source for free software, and all downloads are tested and guaranteed safe.

Edit to add: I went to the Free Commander site and discovered that there is a newer version than the one posted at MajorGeeks. Seems to have a few more features and a new look.

Click here to go to the Free Commander site downloads page.

[Hawk]

Thanks for that link to Free Commander.
I downloaded it and will give it a shot.

[Gumboots]

Cool. Will try it. With this modification stuff you end up doing a lot of unpacking and repacking (mostly repacking during the testing phase) so geting rid of that step would be quite useful. Usually you only generate the .lst file itself once, so not a huge deal even if you do have to get rid of the extra bits for the path, but I'm up for making it even easier.

ETA: Just saw something else on that site: Useful utilities. Down the bottom it lists xdoc2txt, which apparently will extract text from PDF's. I can see uses for that too.

[Gumboots]

Anyone after a good, free hex editor might want to look at this:

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http://www.hexedit.com/index.html

Edit: This editor seems to be defunct as of October 2023.

The thing about this one is that it has a decent, permanent bookmarking facility, which makes all the difference when trying to navigate large hex files. Frankly I think editors like XVI are near to useless, because they wont keep a permanent and easily accessible record of what groups of bytes do what. This makes trying to modify complex files almost impossible for normal humans.

I'll still be using HexEditorNeo, just because I already have the license for one of the paid versions and because its interface is better in some ways that HexEdit, but HexEdit looks like it would be a very good option for anyone who wants a free app.

[Hawk]

ETA: Just saw something else on that site: Useful utilities. Down the bottom it lists xdoc2txt, which apparently will extract text from PDF's. I can see uses for that too.

With FoxIt PDF Reader you can copy text from a pdf file, but it seems FoxIt is getting a little bloated recently (but not near as bloated as Adobe Acrobat Reader).
It used to be a good app. Still works OK. I use it only for the purpose of copying text from pdf's. I use Sumatra PDF reader for my daily pdf reading needs.

[Gumboots]

Yeah but anyone can read a PDF. I'm thinking we should be aiming to make hex edting less intimidating/frustrating/aggrevating for people, which means we should get away from recommending editors that don't contribute to this aim.

It'd make far more sense to ship HexEdit with the TM dev pack, for example, than to ship XVI if you want people to actually work on this stuff. As I said to Stoker yesterday, if I had to use XVI I honestly would not be doing this stuff, because the difference between XVI and a really good editor is like night and day.

[Hawk]

How does HxD compare with HexEdit?

[Gumboots]

No good. No bookmarking = stumbling around in the dark going crazy. Been there, done that. It was HxD that got me convinced there must be a better way, and someone would have built it, so all I had to do was go and find it. So that's what I did.

[Gumboots]

Y'know after doing quite a bit of unpacking and repacking lately, there's only one thing that bugs me about these tools: the commands are too long.

Having to constantly re-type PK4Pack and PK4Unpack gets to be a real nuisance after the first 25 times. It'd be much better if the commands were simplified: use pk> for packing and pk< for unpacking. Easy.

Unfortunately I don't know how to change this for the packing files. I've looked inside them in my hex editor but can't see where the default commands are defined for the packing files.

I can find them for the unpacking files.

[Wolverine@MSU]

Using the ">" and "<" in the command line might be a problem because they are also DOS command line parameters (at least the ">" is) redirect output. "dir > dirlist.txt" input at the command prompt sends the directory listing to a file named "dirlist.txt". You probably already know this and it may not be an issue.

[Gumboots]

Didn't know that. Could use different characters to get around it, if necessary. The main thing is shortening the commands without jumping all over the keyboard. I am not a proficient typist.

[Hawk]

I am not a proficient typist.

WOW! Could have fooled me. I figured you were a speed typer, from your posts.

[Gumboots]

No. I just like grumbling.

[RulerofRails]

Had me fooled as well.

Speed isn't so much my problem, just the thought-to-words process and how to string sentences together in a logical way. Sometimes it works!

---

I never packed up a PK4 file before, only unpacked. A quick test later and I think I might have a shortcut for you, at least it works on my machine.

First thing, I placed the PK4Unpack and PK4Pack files directly in (on Windows 7) my user folder: C:\User\<Your Personal Username>\. This is the default place that command prompt runs on my machine. Yours may be different. Any files to be packed or unpacked must be in this "default" folder. Edit: Below Gumboots found that I was in error on this. As long as you have the files for the program and whatever you want to pack or unpack in the same place, it will work anywhere.

Anyway, the shortcut is to edit the PK4Pack.bat or PK4Unpack.bat with Notepad. Select "Edit" in the menu from right clicking over file in Explorer. This needs to look just the same as what you would type if you were in command prompt. (Needs to have the list file name for PK4Pack or the name of the pk4 to be unpacked for PK4Unpack.)

After the file is correct: Save it. Now, double-click on the .bat file, to run the program.

Note:
There are still some hassles such as copying files into and out of that folder. But there are ways around this. For example, it's not very hard to modify the dates on the important files (plenty of free tools for that on the web) so that you can quickly sort to clean the folder.

Alternatively, utilize the fact that pasted files are "selected" when they first appear in a folder. Use two windows, one just for pasting and cleaning. The other for working.

Edited: There's been enough misinformation on this. Don't need to spread some more.

[Gumboots]

If the tools work by simply double clicking the batch file why on Earth did people insist on posting descriptions that said it was a command line tool? That just complicates things for absolutely no benefit.

It seems to be a common question, as to which tools to use in order to create engine, building, and other mods. I'd like to get this thread going, to collect recommendations for the best tools to use, to accomplish all of the hex-editing, PK4 packing, skinning, and other tasks needed. I'll go ahead and list the tools I'm using briefly, but it might be good to post as further replies a more in-depth examination of how to use each particular tool, such as a post all about hex-editing. If anybody else has pointers on how to create successful mods, please add them here!

Here's the tools I use:

...Pack4.exe = PK4 creation utility, included in User Skinning Tools, command-line operation...

Ok, NO! It does not require the command line.

If someone had the sense to mention that before I'd never have bothered with the command line rigmarole. Nobody else needs to have bothered with it either. For years people have been jumping through unnecessary hoops to use this thing.

I just tested it. As long as the .lst file and PK4Pack.bat files are set up correctly in advance, which you need to do anyway, simply double clicking the PK4Pack.bat will work perfectly regardless of which directory the files are in.

I'll say that again:

...simply double clicking the PK4Pack.bat will work perfectly regardless of which directory the files are in!

No CLI needed. At all. Ever.

Code junkies: making things more difficult for normal people since time immemorial.

[Wolverine@MSU]

The only way to know is to try it and see what happens. DOS command expects to see the ">" as a stand-alone character so using it in the "pk> ..." command may work after all. Sorry I can't help with the actual coding change that would be needed to accomplish this.