Possible to "clone" ships?

Syxx_Killer · 07-15-05, 08:20 AM

I am wondering, is it possible to "clone" a ship and then name it something else? Particularly I'm thinking of Bismarck again. Would it be possible to copy the ship data and add it to the roster as the sister ship Tirpitz?

Jace11 · 07-15-05, 08:29 AM

Serg knows how to do this, it is possible. He gave me some instructions, but I tried to follow them and it didn't work. The key is a bit string unique to each ship, clone all the files then sift through them and change the identifying bit string and you should have a new ship. Except I couldn't find all the bit strings in all the files Serg said they were in, so I gave up.

Here is what he told me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sergbuto

Each 3D object in the models has its own ID in binary format. That is how they are recognized by the game. I.e. each of two copies of the same 3D object should have an unique ID to appear in the game as independent units. Therefore, while duplicating, one needs to change such IDs throughout the DAT file to make them unique. An example of such an ID is shown in the pic below. It is 8 bytes highlighted in dark blue. These IDs also need to be changed in corresponding SIM, DSD, VAL, and ZON files.

Good luck.

macstu23 · 07-15-05, 08:35 AM

Tirpitz is already in the game, as she is listed as unit 2 on the BBBismarck.cfg contained in the 'SilentHunterIII\data\Roster\German\Sea' folder.
Just open it with notepad and have a look.
The museum only lists each 'class' of ship, so Tirpitz is considered Bismarck class.

As for adding the same model to the museum under the name 'Tirpitz'?... Hmmm. I'm sure it could probably be done. But I've no idea how.

Hope that was helpful

Syxx_Killer · 07-15-05, 08:44 AM

With the cool skins Type941 is doing, I was kind of hoping that it would be possible to have both Bismarck and Tirpitz independant from each other. It would be cool to see both ships in their own skins rather than using the same skin.

Type941 · 07-15-05, 08:56 AM

Well, is someone will make a standalong Tirpitz, it would be very very good. Heck, throw in a couple of Hippers as well.

Shadow9216 · 07-15-05, 09:04 AM

Quote:

He gave me some instructions, but I tried to follow them and it didn't work

Same here- I tried cloning the Liberator to make the navy variant, figured that would be a start, then I could try modding pieces of one ship/plane to another...
As Jace said, I couldn't identify the unique character string for the file, so I shelved the project.

It's too bad, as I know SeaCondor was looking at creating a Castle-class corvette, which could potentially use the Flower model.

Jace11 · 07-15-05, 09:08 AM

maybe I'll have a look at serg's additional merchants or southampton class, and check it against old original files to try and pick up the changes he made.

benetofski · 07-17-05, 10:18 PM

... be careful with this one

I understand that if a ship is 'cloned' even though it may be renamed, if the REAL ship is spawned (by date/time) then the game will CTD as two versions of the same data are not permitted.

I think I recal it is the way the data is hard-coded!

Someone who has done much work on this anomoly and can explain in detail is the author of 'MilkCow' MOD (forgot his name) but look up the thread.

macstu23 · 07-18-05, 02:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benetofski

I understand that if a ship is 'cloned' even though it may be renamed, if the REAL ship is spawned (by date/time) then the game will CTD as two versions of the same data are not permitted.

My mod which added the Fiji class destroyer to the Canadian Roster was pretty much a clone...Though it was different from what we want to do with the Tirpitz, it was a simple case of adding an existing ship cfg file to another country folder, and changing the data, e.g. unit name, nationality, and commision dates...The Tirpitz is a little more complex as we wont be changing nationality, but persuading the program to accept the Tirpitz as a new ship class, albeit using the Bismarck model...then persuading it to use a different skin.

I did take a hap-hazard 'lets see what happens if I do this' experimental approach and gave it a try, just by copying and re-naming a few files and folders... and got a CTD on startup, as expected. Where is Sergbuto when we need him ?

Shadow9216 · 07-18-05, 06:46 AM

I can send you the correspondence he shared with me- perhaps you'll have better luck. I tried to create a clone of the B-24, but got CTD when I tried to view it in the museum- game loaded, and I could click on the B-24, but when I tried to click on my cloned unit is when the crash occurred.

If you or someone else can get this to work, there's several doors that would be opened. As I mentioned, Seacondor wants to modify the Flower class into the Castle class, I want to model the USN Liberator/Privateer, someone else wanted to do the Royal Sovereign as Archangelsk...the list goes on.

Anyone who wants the details Serg and I hashed out, lemme know and Ill forward it to you.

Jace11 · 07-18-05, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sergbuto

Each 3D object in the models has its own ID in binary format. That is how they are recognized by the game. I.e. each of two copies of the same 3D object should have an unique ID to appear in the game as independent units. Therefore, while duplicating, one needs to change such IDs throughout the DAT file to make them unique. An example of such an ID is shown in the pic below. It is 8 bytes highlighted in dark blue. These IDs also need to be changed in corresponding SIM, DSD, VAL, and ZON files.

Good luck.

The above is all I have at the moment,

Shadow,

If you have any more details I'd be grateful as I could not get it to work using the instructions above. It doesn't seem to be the whole story...

Thanks

Shadow9216 · 07-18-05, 09:06 AM

Just sent you a PM. Using the Liberator as an example, I did a find and replace of Liberator with Privateer. Although this changed every reference (and the hex code to boot), it didn't create a successful clone. Serg indicates the string in blue is the specifc. My problem is that I can't determine for a given file what that string is.

If someone can figure out how to determine the specific string, that would open doors to all of us.

Jace, the only thing I can guess at is counting back from the NAMC to the string in dark blue and figuring out how many characters that is, then using that as a starting point. IE: if the string in blue is separated from the NAMC by 6 characters, try a six character separation from the name of the unit you want to clone. Maybe?

Rubini · 07-18-05, 09:23 AM

Jace,

Shadow,

Sergei "sergbuto" is the only guy that have this information. I also tried to clone uboats but only him get the right work. If he is able to clone a uboat then I think that he is able to clone any ships or planes in the game...

Rubini.

Shadow9216 · 07-18-05, 09:26 AM

He's tried to help both of us, too, but we (me speaking for Jace here) can't seem to fathom the directions. There seems to be a crucial piece we're missing to get it to work. Dunno about Jace, but maybe I'm beyond help? :P

Nice hat BTW Rubini

Rubini · 07-18-05, 09:39 AM

And I'm really a medic, pediatric. So, I like that hat!

But if a uboat's medic really have to use that hat...it's hilarius!

Rubini.

07-15-05, 08:20 AM	#1
Syxx_Killer Admiral Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 2,387 Downloads: 21 Uploads: 0	Possible to "clone" ships? I am wondering, is it possible to "clone" a ship and then name it something else? Particularly I'm thinking of Bismarck again. Would it be possible to copy the ship data and add it to the roster as the sister ship Tirpitz?

07-15-05, 08:56 AM	#5
Type941 Ace of the Deep Join Date: May 2005 Location: U-52 Posts: 1,270 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Well, is someone will make a standalong Tirpitz, it would be very very good. Heck, throw in a couple of Hippers as well. __________________ Sink the Bismarck SH3 Movie

07-17-05, 10:18 PM	#8
benetofski Helmsman Join Date: May 2005 Location: Port Perry, Canada Posts: 106 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	... be careful with this one I understand that if a ship is 'cloned' even though it may be renamed, if the REAL ship is spawned (by date/time) then the game will CTD as two versions of the same data are not permitted. I think I recal it is the way the data is hard-coded! Someone who has done much work on this anomoly and can explain in detail is the author of 'MilkCow' MOD (forgot his name) but look up the thread. __________________ OLt.z.S.Benetschik (Benetofski) [IMG][/IMG] \"U-bootwaffe - eine Gemeinschaft zusammengebracht durch Schicksal\"

07-15-05, 08:35 AM	#3
macstu23 Soundman Join Date: May 2003 Location: Scotland Posts: 143 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	Tirpitz is already in the game, as she is listed as unit 2 on the BBBismarck.cfg contained in the 'SilentHunterIII\data\Roster\German\Sea' folder. Just open it with notepad and have a look. The museum only lists each 'class' of ship, so Tirpitz is considered Bismarck class. As for adding the same model to the museum under the name 'Tirpitz'?... Hmmm. I'm sure it could probably be done. But I've no idea how. Hope that was helpful

07-15-05, 08:44 AM	#4
Syxx_Killer Admiral Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 2,387 Downloads: 21 Uploads: 0	With the cool skins Type941 is doing, I was kind of hoping that it would be possible to have both Bismarck and Tirpitz independant from each other. It would be cool to see both ships in their own skins rather than using the same skin.

07-15-05, 09:08 AM	#7
Jace11 Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK Posts: 683 Downloads: 104 Uploads: 1	maybe I'll have a look at serg's additional merchants or southampton class, and check it against old original files to try and pick up the changes he made.

07-18-05, 06:46 AM	#10
Shadow9216 Frogman Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 296 Downloads: 91 Uploads: 0	I can send you the correspondence he shared with me- perhaps you'll have better luck. I tried to create a clone of the B-24, but got CTD when I tried to view it in the museum- game loaded, and I could click on the B-24, but when I tried to click on my cloned unit is when the crash occurred. If you or someone else can get this to work, there's several doors that would be opened. As I mentioned, Seacondor wants to modify the Flower class into the Castle class, I want to model the USN Liberator/Privateer, someone else wanted to do the Royal Sovereign as Archangelsk...the list goes on. Anyone who wants the details Serg and I hashed out, lemme know and Ill forward it to you.

07-18-05, 09:06 AM	#12
Shadow9216 Frogman Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 296 Downloads: 91 Uploads: 0	Just sent you a PM. Using the Liberator as an example, I did a find and replace of Liberator with Privateer. Although this changed every reference (and the hex code to boot), it didn't create a successful clone. Serg indicates the string in blue is the specifc. My problem is that I can't determine for a given file what that string is. If someone can figure out how to determine the specific string, that would open doors to all of us. Jace, the only thing I can guess at is counting back from the NAMC to the string in dark blue and figuring out how many characters that is, then using that as a starting point. IE: if the string in blue is separated from the NAMC by 6 characters, try a six character separation from the name of the unit you want to clone. Maybe?

07-18-05, 09:23 AM	#13
Rubini Ocean Warrior Join Date: May 2005 Location: São Paulo Brazil Posts: 2,728 Downloads: 132 Uploads: 0	Jace, Shadow, Sergei "sergbuto" is the only guy that have this information. I also tried to clone uboats but only him get the right work. If he is able to clone a uboat then I think that he is able to clone any ships or planes in the game... Rubini.

07-18-05, 09:26 AM	#14
Shadow9216 Frogman Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 296 Downloads: 91 Uploads: 0	He's tried to help both of us, too, but we (me speaking for Jace here) can't seem to fathom the directions. There seems to be a crucial piece we're missing to get it to work. Dunno about Jace, but maybe I'm beyond help? :P Nice hat BTW Rubini

07-18-05, 09:39 AM	#15
Rubini Ocean Warrior Join Date: May 2005 Location: São Paulo Brazil Posts: 2,728 Downloads: 132 Uploads: 0	And I'm really a medic, pediatric. So, I like that hat! But if a uboat's medic really have to use that hat...it's hilarius! Rubini.