Hex editing & Mini Tweaker tutorials

[swdw]

---------------------- MINI-TWEAKER INSTRUCTIONS:----------------------------------

Mini Tweaker tips by U-Bones

As usual, back up any file you plan to change before doing this (Although the Mini Tweaker will create a backup for you anyway).

Assume an install of the Mini-Tweaker in
C:\Program Files\SH3 Mini Tweaker\
With your Tweak Files located in
C:\Program Files\SH3 Mini Tweaker\Tweakfiles

Here is the most important thing to know to get started with the program.

The "File You Want To Tweak" is determined by two things.

1. The game folder.
If you have installed SH III, the game folder is read directly from your computers registry. This is the directory that contains the Data folder, C:\SH3 on my computer.

If you do not have SH III installed, the application will ask you to select an alternate game folder.

In either case, you can reset the game folder once in the program.
2. The relative path to the "File You Want To Tweak".
This is set by a parameter in the tweak file you load. For example my tweak file NSS_Gato.zon.txt contains the line:
PATH=..\SH4\MODS\My_Uber_Subs\Data\Submarine\NSS_G ato\NSS_G ato.zon
.................................................. ..........................................^ no idea why this space is here
Notice how I first back up to the root from my default game folder of C:\SH3, then change up into C:\SH4\... this means I never have to change the game folder in the tweak program. I had to edit all my tweak files to do this however. If you would rather not do that, then you can simply reset the game folder every time you use it.

Also notice that I went into the \SH4\MODS\ directory to modify files - it is not a good idea to edit in the live Data\* area.

The game folder should be set to a folder that contains a Data folder, the tweak file PATH should take care of the rest of the path (relative to the game folder).

Hope this helps, I have seen a lot of confusion on this topic lately.
1.Download and install Mini-Tweaker by:
1A. Download nvdrifter's collection of modding tools as modtools.rar from here:
http://www.savefile.com/files/684634

and unzip modtools.rar,
then unzip SH4_Modding_Tools_and_Utie.zip
To point mini tweaker to a specific folder by U-Bones
Consider this registry export file...


Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Ubisoft\Silent Hunter III]
"InstalledPath"="C:\\SH3\\"

This is what Mini Tweaker reads from the registry. You could hack this back and forth with regedit if you ran mini-tweaker from a script. I never bothered with it myself as I tended to work all over the place anyway. For those of you who do not have SH3 on your disk, just set it to your SH4 path permanantly.

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Getting started with Mini Tweaker by Steppenwolf:

Not quite a tutorial, but it should get anyone started.

MINI-TWEAKER INSTRUCTIONS:
As usual, back up any file you plan to change before doing this (Although the Mini Tweaker will create a backup for you anyway).

1. Download and install Mini-Tweaker by:
1A. Download nvdrifter's collection of modding tools as modtools.rar from here:
http://www.savefile.com/files/684634

and unzip modtools.rar,
then unzip SH4_Modding_Tools_and_Utie.zip

1B. Unzip SH3MiniTweaker_build104.zip
1C. Run setup.exe
NOTE: The default installation folder is \SH3 Mini Tweaker, but you can install it wherever you want. We will assume you leave it as \SH3 Mini Tweaker.
1D. Create a subfolder under the \Sh3 Mini Tweaker folder called \SH4Tweakfiles.
1E. (OPTIONAL) If you are going to be using Mini Tweaker on an SH3 installation as well as an SH4 installation, create another subfolder under the \SH3 Mini Tweaker folder called \SH3Tweakfiles.

2. Install the SH4 Tweak files by:
(NOTE: These Step 2 instructions are a little complicated because not all of the zipped tweak files use the same directory structure. But its easier to sort them out now, rather than deal with the additional time it takes to change directories, every time you run Mini-Tweaker and load a tweak file later).
2A. Unzip "SH4 Aircraft .zon and .sim Tweak Files.zip" to a temporary directory (we'll assume you call it \SH4temp).
Copy all of the files in the \SH4temp\SH4 Aircraft .zon and .sim Tweak files folder to the \SH3 Mini Tweaker\SH4Tweakfiles folder.
2B. Unzip "SH4 Sub .sim and .zon Tweak files.zip" to \SH4temp.
Copy all of the files in the \SH4temp\SH4 Sub .sim and .zon Tweak files folder to the \SH3 Mini Tweaker\SH4Tweakfiles folder.
2C. Unzip "AI Sensors.dat Tweak File.zip" to \SH4temp.
Copy all of the files in the \SH4temp\AI Sensors.dat Tweak File folder to the \SH3 Mini Tweaker\SH4Tweakfiles folder.
2D. Unzip "scene.dat_Tweak_File.zip" to \SH4temp.
Copy all of the files in the \SH4temp\scene.dat Tweak File folder to the \SH3 Mini Tweaker\SH4Tweakfiles folder.
2E. Unzip "SH4_Ship.sim_Tweak_Files.zip" to \SH4temp.
Copy all of the files in the \SH4temp\SH4 Ship.sim Tweak files\SH4 Ship.sim Tweak files folder (Yes there are two identically named folders) to the \SH3 Mini Tweaker\SH4Tweakfiles folder.
2F. Unzip "Sub Gun .sim Tweak Files.zip" to \SH4temp.
Copy all of the files in the \SH4temp\Sub Gun .sim Tweak Files\Sub Gun .sim Tweak Files folder (Yes, again there are two identically named folders) to the \SH3 Mini Tweaker\SH4Tweakfiles folder.
2G. (OPTIONAL) If you are going to be using Mini-Tweaker on an SH3 installation as well as an SH4 installation, download the SH3 tweak files (in a file called tweakfiles.zip) from:
http://www.delraydepot.com/tt/sh3sdk.htm#tweaker
Then unzip tweakfiles.zip into the \SH3 Mini Tweaker\SH3Tweakfiles folder.


3. Run Sh3 Mini Tweaker
NOTE: If you do not have SH3 installed on your system you will get a pop-up saying, "Unable to find SH3 registry key. Manually choose this or another game folder path". Just ignore it and click OK.

4. Pick the SH4 installation you want to make changes in by:
4A. In the upper right corner of the screen where it says, "Locate alternate game folder", click the "..." button. Browse to the \Silent Hunter Wolves of the Pacific folder of the installation you want to make changes in and select it.
NOTE FOR SH3: If making changes to an SH3 installation, you would instead browse to the \SilentHunterIII folder of the installation you want to make changes in and select it.

5. Pick the file you want to change by:
5A. Click on the "Load Tweak File" button at the top middle of the screen. This brings up the "Select Tweak file" screen. Browse to your \SH3 Mini Tweaker\SH4Tweakfiles folder.
NOTE FOR SH3: If making changes to an SH3 installation, browse to your \SH3 Mini Tweaker\SH3Tweakfiles folder instead. The rest of the instructions below apply equally whether you are editing an SH3 or SH4 installation. Just susbstitute SH3 for SH4 in the descriptions.

5B. All of the SH4 files are shown here in one directory. You don't have to browse down through subdirectories. Just choose the one you want.
TECHNICAL NOTE: You will note that the files all have a .txt extension tacked onto them. This is because technically these are the "tweak" files (files used to map Mini Tweaker to the real files), but pick them just as if they were the real files.
SECOND NOTE: Many, but not all, SH4 files are listed here. To change a file not listed here you would have to create your own tweak file, which is a whole other subject.

6. Pick the Category and field you wish to change within the file by:
6A. From the drop down list at the upper left, pick a category. These change from file to file.
EXAMPLE: If you were changing the Deck_Gun_3_50.sim file, the categories shown are "Shell storage amounts", "shell specs" and "gun barrel movement and recoil". To edit the reload time pick "shell specs" from the menu.
6B. The "Names and Values" box will now show a list of all of the fields within that category you can change. Click on the one you want.
EXAMPLE: Under "shell specs" you will see seven fields, Shell Speed, Clip Size, Reload Time, Maximum Range, Angle, Travel tolerance, Elevation Tolerance. Click on the Reload Time field (This field influences, obviously, the amount of time to reload).
6C. Enter the new value you want for that field in the "New Value" box on the middle right of the screen. Click on the "Save new value" box.
EXAMPLE: Enter 6 into the box and click "Save new value" (This would increase the reload time).
6D. Exit Mini Tweaker

7. The Mini Tweaker created a backup copy of the file you just changed, in the same directory as the original file. The name is the usual "Copy of ...." name. You should move this to some other directory (otherwise the game sometimes gets confused and still uses this copy with the old values in it).

You're done. Test your change.

NOTE: Various modders periodically issue additional tweak files. Use the search function to find them.

Just follow the same procedure you did in Step2 above, to unpack and use them. Make sure that the ".txt" files go directly into the \SH3 Mini Tweaker\SH4Tweakfiles folder, or each time you click "Load tweak file" you'll have to change the directory to wherever you put them.

Here is a link to a thread for the shells.zon file:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...ells.zon+tweak

There is currently no link for the additional Torpedoes_US.zon file, so I have put the contents into the thread listed below, so you can cut and paste the contents into your own text file.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...d=1#post534957

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Creating Tweaker files by CAPTAIN COX

1.You need a hexeditor to look at the stuff
2.Windows/XP/VISTA Notepad
3.You need a lot of patience and coffee!

There is a small tut in the top of the tweak files from timetraveller.
Quote:
Examples of search lines, used when searching for a variable:
// search,WindCoef,4,single,>2,Wind Coefficient
// Description: Look for 4th occurrence of the term WindCoef.
// The floating point single variable starts at 2 bytes past the end of the
// search term. Name the list item Wind Coefficient.
// search,WindCoef,2,single,+9,Wind Coefficient
// Description: Look for 2nd occurrence of the term WindCoef.
// The floating point single variable starts at 9 bytes past the first byte
// of the search term (the same as using >2 above).
// Name the list item Wind Coefficient.
// search,WindCoef,1,single,-4,Wind Coefficient
// Description: Look for 1st occurrence of the term WindCoef.
// The floating point single variable starts at 4 bytes before the first byte
// of the search term. Name the list item Wind Coefficient.


Lets say i want to tweak the crash depth of a sub.

Where could this data be?, this is where you have to use a bit of imagination and logic (logic sometimes don't work, but its good to have)

It should be something with subs so lets look in the sub files for it.
C:\Program Files\Ubisoft\Silent Hunter 4 Wolves of the Pacific\Data\Submarine\NSS_Gato

Ok there are a lot of stuff there, but normally it should be in the .sim .dat .zon etc, we have to look plain and simple (here also the tweak files already made by various ppl will give you clues as to where these are)

Lets check the NSS_Gato.zon using a hex editor. I am using the search function in the hexeditor and do a search for "crash"



WOW! we found it directly

Ok what does this tell us



Well it tells us that we a have a "SINGLE FLOAT VALUE of 190 AT THE 2ND BYTE PAST!!!! the SEARCH TERM, in this case "CrashDepth" ( I think the high value here is due to a mod I am using, no matter)

Ok so how does one put this info in to a tweak file.


1. You have to specify the version of the game
In this case 1.2
Quote:
Version=1.2

2. You have to specify the "PATH" in the document
in this Case it would be
Quote:
Path=data\Submarine\NSS_Gato\NSS_Gato.zon
If you check existing tweak files you will see similar paths (just for reference) this path tells the MiniTweaker what .dat .sim etc etc to modify. In this case "Gato.zon"

3. We have to specify in the tweak file what line of code we want to change (elementary) So we wanted to change the "Crush Depth".
So lets start.

3.1 We will have to put in a drop down name, this is the name of the group or part that will appear when we start the Minitweaker, this can contain as many groups as you like but as we only have one "Crush depth" we will settle with that for now.


So in this case we put
Quote:
[1]
DropDownName=CRASH DEPTH
The [1] is the 1st group, again elementary.

3.2 Lets put in the search string to get the " Crash depth"
Quote:
search,CrashDepth,1,single,>2,CRASH DEAPTH
Now what is all this. Well again pretty elementary if you start to understand each element. Lets look at each one.
Quote:
search
tells the code to search for xxxx
Quote:
CrashDepth
Specifying the search to CrashDeapth
Quote:
1
This means the FIRST instance of the search word in the file
If there are more instances we make another search line and put 2 in that case etc etc
Quote:
single
floating point single variable ( if its a byte or a integer we put that, this you can see in the hexeditor, this is also where the imagination bit comes in to play. Sometimes you have to really strain your eyes to find the right one, trial and error is sometimes needed )
Quote:
>2
Past 2 bytes past the end of the search word
Quote:
CRASH DEAPTH
This will be shown in the minitweaker as an identifier as to what we are tweaking

So the code looks like this (including all of above)
Quote:
Version=1.2
Path=data\Submarine\NSS_Gato\NSS_Gato.zon
[1]
DropDownName=CRASH DEAPTH
search,CrashDepth,1,single,>2,CRASH DEAPTH


Ok lets save this and check it out. (save as "NSS_Gato_zon.txt")



Now look at that its 190!!!!! we are ready to set it to 1000 if we want