NGE blaster effects

[MatthewStarWars]

So guys, I was also wondering, if the blaster effects and such could be implemented in swgemu also, as they are far better in my opinion and I think it would be great to see.

 

[MatthewStarWars]

apparently I had a reply to this thread but I cant see it, was it deleted?

the preview in my email said

(djehd#ryndom[a..z]ye has just replied to a thread which you have subscribed to at Mod the Galaxy. This thread is titled NGE blaster effects.

Here is an excerpt of the message:
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Swiss Watches With so different counterfeiters available on the market still, you are able to be de... (visit the thread to read more..))


???? what? lol

 

[NelkQuyiter]

Probably spam of some kind. As for blaster effects, I'm pretty sure that takes place client side and if you were to replace the current effect file with the nge file (so long as the format hasn't changed) you will get the desired effect. I didn't play the NGE but for a day, but are you referring to the actual lasers and whatnot, or did they add something in addition to that I'm unaware of?

Edit: If it is the lasers you want to change, look at appearance/sprite for the actual lasers.

 

[MatthewStarWars]

Yeah the actual lasers, I wouldn't know where to get the NGE lasers though or how to mod them

 

[NelkQuyiter]

If you have a patched version of the NGE you can use a tre extractor to get it. All you need to do to install a swap is rename the file of the laser you want to the laser you want to replace(they might be the same name even) and replicate the folder structure. To do just make an "appearance" folder in your swg install. In side the "appearance" folder make a new "sprite" folder. then place the file in that. SWG has preference for loose files over packed files in the TREs.

 

[MatthewStarWars]

do you know which file I need to open with the tree, as there are so many, I have been looking through, but cant find any laser textures, maybe im going blind lol

 

[Timbab]

I'd assume you have the .toc files from the NGE, so open the first one, do a search for "pt_".

All textures are in the /texture/ patch, you'll have to look for the right ones. For example there are "pt_bolt_...." and "pt_bls_...." files.

Then there are also .prt and .cef files. ".prt" are the full particle files (linking to shader and texture) and ".cef" are basically specific links to ".prt" files. PRT are found in the appearance folder, CEF in the clienteffect folder and then you have the sprites Nelk mentioned in the appearance/sprite folder.

Haven't messed around or tested anything, don't have the time right now, but look around there.

 

[MatthewStarWars]

I actually cant find any TOC files what so ever, just TRE files, I have even done a search for the files using the start up menu bar, and nothing on TOC what so ever, plenty of TRE.

Im using TRE explorer, which also opens TOC, nothing at all, im using the complete online adventures version if that makes any difference

 

[Timbab]

Hmm, I'll upload my .toc files, no idea if they work with your client.

You might need to download all the files Uli uploaded from that were updated to the last patch, but it seems to be down atm.

Try these. http://www8.zippyshare.com/v/15481259/file.html

Edit:

Here is another mirror.

https://fletzia.com/p-dir1/dl/secure/swg/galaxies/

Taken from here http://www.modthegalaxy.com/forums/thread-swg-recent-patch-files-updated-toc-s?page=3

 

[MatthewStarWars]

Thanks, I'll give those files a whirl

 

[MatthewStarWars]

Right, I have all the bolt files, looked for the other files but couldn't find any related to laser effects, I have extracted the bolts anyway, now its just getting them to work on the emu client, I assume its not as simple as putting them in the texture folder in swgmeu emu as that didn't seem to work like it did for music.

 

[Timbab]

Well I don't have the time, so you have to figure it out.

If you put NGE textures into a texture folder in the SWGEmu directory, then yes it'll replace the bolt textures as long as they're named correctly.

For instance, if the NGE bolt is called "pt_bolt2" and the preCU bolt is called "pt_bolt1", you'd have to rename the NGE bolt to "pt_bolt1" so the client reads and overwrites the .tre files.

That's just one step, I don't know how the NGE effects changed, but it's likely that there was more than just a texture change.

For example, if an NGE effect moves a texture from A to B to C in 3 seconds, and a preCU texture just moves the bolt texture from A to B in 2 seconds, all a texture replacement does is use the NGE texture on that A to B in 2 seconds effect from preCU, so in a 2D visual sense it's the new, but it functions like preCU.

SWG links files together to make up something, for example a static model links to a .sht and a .dds, the .sht shades the model and the texture colors it (and the alpha layer in the .dds affects how the model is shaded). You can't just copy the model and expect everything to work unless the link chain is identical, but with effects it's most likely not.

Look into .prt and .cef files to see to what they link and try to understand the difference between the NGE and preCU 'link' chains. A simple copy and paste of the chain might do the trick, I'm not sure, you'll have to try.

I'll try to check it out if I don't forget it in October when I have some time, if you can't figure it out.

 

[MatthewStarWars]

Well I don't have the time, so you have to figure it out.

If you put NGE textures into a texture folder in the SWGEmu directory, then yes it'll replace the bolt textures as long as they're named correctly.

For instance, if the NGE bolt is called "pt_bolt2" and the preCU bolt is called "pt_bolt1", you'd have to rename the NGE bolt to "pt_bolt1" so the client reads and overwrites the .tre files.

That's just one step, I don't know how the NGE effects changed, but it's likely that there was more than just a texture change.

For example, if an NGE effect moves a texture from A to B to C in 3 seconds, and a preCU texture just moves the bolt texture from A to B in 2 seconds, all a texture replacement does is use the NGE texture on that A to B in 2 seconds effect from preCU, so in a 2D visual sense it's the new, but it functions like preCU.

SWG links files together to make up something, for example a static model links to a .sht and a .dds, the .sht shades the model and the texture colors it (and the alpha layer in the .dds affects how the model is shaded). You can't just copy the model and expect everything to work unless the link chain is identical, but with effects it's most likely not.

Look into .prt and .cef files to see to what they link and try to understand the difference between the NGE and preCU 'link' chains. A simple copy and paste of the chain might do the trick, I'm not sure, you'll have to try.

I'll try to check it out if I don't forget it in October when I have some time, if you can't figure it out.

Ah right, well this is my first time in modding SWG so im finding it completely confusing lol. I have modded other game textures before, but with SWG its all links to this and chains to that lol, it never ends!