SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - View Single Post - Realism- and gameplay-related hardcode fixes for SH3.EXE

Stiebler · 03-21-14, 07:04 AM

The hard-code fixes are divided conveniently into two groups, namely Hsie's and mine (Stiebler's). Generally speaking, Hsie's changes have very little effect on other SH3 files apart from SH3.exe itself - minor additions (by cut-and-paste) have to be made to one or two files. However, ALL his files must be in place if the mod is to function. The Stiebler additions require in addition a series of listed detailed changes and/or additions to several files if they are to function.

The central problem is that, once having made these changes to other SH3 files - let us call them file1.cfg, file2.cfg, file3.cfg and file4.cfg, there are several involved - then you must not let other mods write over files1,2,3,4.cfg. For Hsie's patch, this is less of a problem, since at worst some of his additions will be missing from the overwritten files.

But for the Stiebler additions, placing other modders' files 1,2,3,4.cfg over the fixed Stiebler files of the same names will cause some kind of problem for sure. Sometimes even a CTD.

At one time we planned to release a combined package, but decided against this in the end, because of the problem of conflicting files. Hsie's patch is not much affected by conflicts; the Stiebler patch causes many conflicts.

Once you have installed either or both of our patches, you must not install any further mods whose files conflict with the files our patches have installed.

What you can do, however, is to take the conflicting files of the new mods and make the same alterations to them that you have previously made to install our patches onto stock SH3, NYGM or GWX3.0 (or other super-mods).

The names of the conflicting files can be discovered easily just by reading our two installation packages. The critical files (overwriting them can cause a CTD) are these:

commands_en(de).txt
en(de)_menu.txt
menu_1024_768.ini (used by MANY mods that change screen appearance)
envsim.act, SH3Sim.act, SH3Sound.act, CameraBehaviour.act, SH3Collisions.act. (These files are not likely to be overwritten by anyone else's mods, but the new versions must be present.)

M36B occurrences:
Anyone who has IABL's M36B CAM-ship installed should change the UnitType everywhere to type 8 (from 102). This affects particularly GWX users. You will find M36B in Data\sea\M36B\M36B.cfg, Data\campaigns\campaign_RND.mis and Data\Roster\Sea\M36B\M36b.cfg.
I produced a GWX package some time ago that fixes all these problems for GWX users.

The point is this:
Any new mod that you introduce to SH3.exe already patched successfully with the Hsie and Stiebler fixes must not overwrite any of the files I've listed above. (Other files are also involved, but clashes with them don't cause CTDs, just unexpected behaviour.)

If you want to use other people's mods on top of your patched SH3 standard installation, check very carefully (eg, with JSGME) that they do not contain files that clash with my list above.
The biggest single offender is certainly the menu_1024_768.ini file. It is widely used by those who provide alternative GUIs (graphics-user interfaces).

You MUST install the Hsie and Stiebler patches BEFORE you add any other mods (excepting the basic NYGM or GWX+[Stiebler-GWX-patch] super-mods - these can be in place before you install). Check the patched game at this point to make sure that it works properly.

One other point, concerning modified versions of envsim.act (which controls the weather):
Hsie's patch actually calls code in his provided envsim.act file.

If you wish to use the Stiebler/NYGM envsim.act replacement file, you must first use the Options Selector (provided with the Hsie patch) to TURN OFF Hsie's weather code in the Hsie-patched file SH3.exe. Then you can copy my envsim.act file on top of Hsie's.

I need hardly add that it is best to make all these mod additions and removals with JSGME!

Stiebler.

03-21-14, 07:04 AM	#3756
Stiebler Fuel Supplier Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: London, UK Posts: 1,237 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 4	The hard-code fixes are divided conveniently into two groups, namely Hsie's and mine (Stiebler's). Generally speaking, Hsie's changes have very little effect on other SH3 files apart from SH3.exe itself - minor additions (by cut-and-paste) have to be made to one or two files. However, ALL his files must be in place if the mod is to function. The Stiebler additions require in addition a series of listed detailed changes and/or additions to several files if they are to function. The central problem is that, once having made these changes to other SH3 files - let us call them file1.cfg, file2.cfg, file3.cfg and file4.cfg, there are several involved - then you must not let other mods write over files1,2,3,4.cfg. For Hsie's patch, this is less of a problem, since at worst some of his additions will be missing from the overwritten files. But for the Stiebler additions, placing other modders' files 1,2,3,4.cfg over the fixed Stiebler files of the same names will cause some kind of problem for sure. Sometimes even a CTD. At one time we planned to release a combined package, but decided against this in the end, because of the problem of conflicting files. Hsie's patch is not much affected by conflicts; the Stiebler patch causes many conflicts. Once you have installed either or both of our patches, you must not install any further mods whose files conflict with the files our patches have installed. What you can do, however, is to take the conflicting files of the new mods and make the same alterations to them that you have previously made to install our patches onto stock SH3, NYGM or GWX3.0 (or other super-mods). The names of the conflicting files can be discovered easily just by reading our two installation packages. The critical files (overwriting them can cause a CTD) are these: commands_en(de).txt en(de)_menu.txt menu_1024_768.ini (used by MANY mods that change screen appearance) envsim.act, SH3Sim.act, SH3Sound.act, CameraBehaviour.act, SH3Collisions.act. (These files are not likely to be overwritten by anyone else's mods, but the new versions must be present.) M36B occurrences: Anyone who has IABL's M36B CAM-ship installed should change the UnitType everywhere to type 8 (from 102). This affects particularly GWX users. You will find M36B in Data\sea\M36B\M36B.cfg, Data\campaigns\campaign_RND.mis and Data\Roster\Sea\M36B\M36b.cfg. I produced a GWX package some time ago that fixes all these problems for GWX users. The point is this: Any new mod that you introduce to SH3.exe already patched successfully with the Hsie and Stiebler fixes must not overwrite any of the files I've listed above. (Other files are also involved, but clashes with them don't cause CTDs, just unexpected behaviour.) If you want to use other people's mods on top of your patched SH3 standard installation, check very carefully (eg, with JSGME) that they do not contain files that clash with my list above. The biggest single offender is certainly the menu_1024_768.ini file. It is widely used by those who provide alternative GUIs (graphics-user interfaces). You MUST install the Hsie and Stiebler patches BEFORE you add any other mods (excepting the basic NYGM or GWX+[Stiebler-GWX-patch] super-mods - these can be in place before you install). Check the patched game at this point to make sure that it works properly. One other point, concerning modified versions of envsim.act (which controls the weather): Hsie's patch actually calls code in his provided envsim.act file. If you wish to use the Stiebler/NYGM envsim.act replacement file, you must first use the Options Selector (provided with the Hsie patch) to TURN OFF Hsie's weather code in the Hsie-patched file SH3.exe. Then you can copy my envsim.act file on top of Hsie's. I need hardly add that it is best to make all these mod additions and removals with JSGME! Stiebler. __________________ NYGM Tonnage War Mod - More than a mod: it's an experience!