tag

Rizgar: According to the sticky thread at http://vnboards.ign.com/ac_utilities/b5432/93082716 , tagging posts is no longer allowed on this particular forum. If you want to tag a post, you should PM yourself with the information or add it to the Active Topic notification.

sorry I didnt know that, I guess I'll just post "cool, I cant wait to try this out at home after work" instead or some other generic reply?


Anywho, any luck on skins/texture replacements? teaser screenshots?

yay..skins!

 

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anyone make skins yet?

I find it completely amazing the things y'all continue to come up with. I was just coming here to find a simple arrowhead making proggy.


Cheers


EZ

so, I finally got around to finishing the code to support dat file writing.


1. go to http://acdev.cvs.sourceforge.net/acdev/DatUtils/WriteDat/bin/ and download WriteDat.exe

2. go to http://acdev.cvs.sourceforge.net/acdev/DatUtils/ReadDat/bin/ and download ReadDat.exe

3. go to http://acdev.cvs.sourceforge.net/acdev/AC.Utility/bin/ and download AC.Utility.dll

4. go to http://acdev.cvs.sourceforge.net/acdev/AC.DatFile/bin/ and download AC.DatFile.dll

5. put all four of those files in the same directory (it's ok for you to put them in your AC folder, or you can put them elsewhere, but I don't recommend that you put them on a network share unless you know how to set up .NET security policies / trusts / zones)

5. MAKE A BACKUP COPY OF THE DAT FILE YOU PLAN TO WORK ON! (e.g. client_portal.dat)

6. use ReadDat.exe to extract a file from the datfile (e.g. ReadDat -f client_portal.dat 0e00000e)

7. edit the file using your editor of choice

8. IF YOU DIDN'T MAKE A BACKUP COPY OF THE DAT FILE YOU PLAN TO WORK ON, DO IT NOW!

9. use WriteDat.exe to write the changed file back to the datfile (e.g. WriteDat client_portal.dat -f 0e00000e=newfile.bin)


yes, this procedure is cumbersome. no, I do not plan to do anything about it anytime soon.


-ken


p.s. these utilities require the .NET Framework v1.1. not v2.0, which is what Decal currently requires. but that's ok, you can put both 1.1 and 2.0 on the same computer (I have both on mine). if you don't have the 1.1 framework for whatever reason, get it and install it.


I am sorry for resurrecting an old post, but I have to ask... In #7 It Says "edit the file using your editor of choice" I get the rest, but can you recommend an editor for the outputted .bin from ReadDat?


Thank you in advance.

 

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It depends on what TYPE of file you extract.


If you extract a SOUND file (WAV) then you need to use sound editing software to change it


If you extract an IMAGE file (BMP) Then you need to use photo editing software to change it


etc etc etc.

I think what he's asking drakier, is how to edit the file outputted in the .bin format, as ReadDAT only outputs a file as a .bin file, so basically he wants to know what he should use to turn the .bin into something editable via photoshop or other image editing soft.


I usually use Hex Workshop for hex editing bin files, but as for changing them as an image file i'm not quite sure on how to output from ReadDAT to something that is redily editable via image software.

 

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that's my point...


the BIN file is just a BINARY output file.. rename it to a WAV and it's a wav file... rename it to a BMP and it's a bitmap file.


It's all just binary data. The only difference is how you read it. Certain programs are designed to read binary data in a WAV format, just as other programs are designed to read binary data in a BMP format.


BIN is just "binary data".. and "binary data" has no "type" to it. It's all about what will read that binary data correctly.