Trying to work with IEEP and DLTCEP Options

[Sir_Carnifex]

I'm trying to familiarize myself with item making, so I downloaded both IEEP and DLTCEP.

The problem is that IEEP refuses to run. I checked out TeamBG to see if anyone else had the problem and sure enough, I found the exact same thing (IEEP refuses to run).

Ok, so the advice in that forum was to use DLTCEP instead. This program will load up but I do get the error "Can't load MORALEAI.ids!" Other than this, it seems to be working fine once I found out where the "read-only" check was.

Now it's time to ask some questions.

1. Can DLTCEP do everything that IEEP does?

2. If not, does anyone know a solution to getting IEEP to run (I'd like to use this as there's a tutorial for item creation with IEEP and I don't see one for DLTCEP).

3. What does the failure to load MORALEAI.ids mean?

4. When I make an item, DLTCEP updates my dialog.tlk. Is it putting in strings? If I save the ITM somewhere else and then load it into a game with the original dialog.tlk, will the item not work?

Thanks!

Carnifex

[Sir-Kill]

I'll try to answer my best

1) yes and more,it is updated by TBGavenger
2
3) don't worry about MORALEAI.ids. if you want to make one you can just to get rid of that warning (load some .ids and delete all info then save as MORALEAI.ids)
4) it only updates the dialog.tlk if you change the description, since that is the only dialog that gets changed.
(somewhere else??) um, if you changed the description and it up dated the dialog.tlk then it will work but if you somehow changed the description and have the original dialog.tlk then chances are that it will crash the game when loaded.

This post has been edited by Sir-Kill: Apr 24 2008, 12:20 AM

[Sir_Carnifex]

Thanks for the fast reply!

By somewhere else, I mean that I made the ITM and stored it in a separate file to be used later as I don't want it in the game just yet. I guess once I make the ITM, I need to just leave it in the BG2 folder then? What I really want to do is add it to a character later.

[Sir-Kill]

n/p
you'll probably have to learn weidu then if that is what you are going to do. but I am a graphics guy not a modder so someone else will have to help out on tougher questions

[Sir_Carnifex]

Learning WeiDU is something I intend to do eventually. I already read through half the tutorials in the WeiDU readme. Undoubtedly I'll have to read them again and again. And again...

By the way, since you're a graphics guy, perhaps you'd care to give me your opinion on the portrait I posted in the thread about my NPC. Or both portraits for that matter.

Thanks for all the help!

[Baronius]

2. If not, does anyone know a solution to getting IEEP to run (I'd like to use this as there's a tutorial for item creation with IEEP and I don't see one for DLTCEP).

COMDLG32.OCX is the part of TeamBG's VB6 package, you can get it on the excellent Sorcerer's Place:
http://www.sorcerers.net/Games/IEmodding/index.php

4. When I make an item, DLTCEP updates my dialog.tlk. Is it putting in strings? If I save the ITM somewhere else and then load it into a game with the original dialog.tlk, will the item not work?

It will probably work, but its name, description and other related text properties will become incorrect. This is true to many other file types as well, I suggest you to read my short introduction, link & discussion can be found on the IE modding forum of Sorcerer's Place.

Consequently, you need your mod's WeiDU installer to integrate the texts for items and other files into dialog.tlk during the mod's installation. You will learn to use WeiDU anyway (especially because you're creating an NPC mod), but let me list a few hints:

• You've probably seen an existing mod's package already. You need a main folder for your mod (e.g. halbo) that contains two required files -- setup-halbo.exe, setup-halbo.tp2 -- and several subfolders, such as "items", "spells", "dialogues", "translations" etc. The translations folder contains TRA files, these files contain the text properties of your mod's files (think of them as "exported" parts of dialog.tlk). TRA files can be manually written and edited, but usually they're generated by software -- e.g. the output of WeiDU dialogue compilation/"traification" or generated by other tools (such as TP2CG).
• The TP2 file contains the installation instructions and logic. This is where you also tell WeiDU to install the text properties of your files into dialog.tlk. If your file, e.g. CXTEST.ITM is located in the folder "items", the TP2 installation code block for this file will start with COPY ~halbo/items/CXTEST.ITM~, followed by various "SAY" instructions. These "SAY" lines tell WeiDU which texts (unidentified name, description etc.) of the item must be installed to dialog.tlk. If you use TRA files (that is what you should do) in your mod, then the second argument of "SAY" instructions is always a reference, such as @1 or @2. The number in this reference is an index of a TRA entry (an entry inside a TRA file that can be found in your "translations/english" folder and in other language subfolders). I suppose there are several TRA tutorials available, one short introduction can also be found in the manual of BlackWyrmLair's TREP tool (TREP can easily edit TRA files and it supports the work of mod translators).
• There is a tool available for generating the aforementioned code blocks for certain file types, including items. It's called TP2 Code Generator, hosted by the Black Wyrm's Lair. Its use can be learnt in a short time, and you can use it to generate the code block for your items and other files (but it does not generate complete TP2, just "COPY" blocks: you need to copy & paste them into your existing TP2). Of course, you will probably learn much more about TP2, but this can make development faster even if you're able to write such code on your own. You can also use --automate, but TP2CG offers more features (such as automatic commenting and TRA indexing).

[igi]

The VB runtime libraries are also available from the TBG homepage: http://www.teambg.eu/?page=tools&cat=256

You can export the relevant TP2 blocks from DLTCEP itself.

[Baronius]

I forgot that the VB6 is also available on the (new) TeamBG site, thanks for the information. I should've known.

Exporting TP2 blocks is possible from DLTCEP as well, but it can't process multiple files at the same time (though this isn't a problem if there aren't many files), and cannot add TRA references and block comments . TRA references are required if the mod follows the TRA concept, while comments can be helpful when reading the code. So I still suggest --automate or tp2cg for that. Especially for a beginner.

[Sir_Carnifex]

IEEP is now working.

I have you guys to thank for all the time I spend modding when I could be doing other things! Your help and information is much appreciated!!!

Now, it's time to go read up on TP2 files...

[Valiant]

But still I should stick with DLTCEP. Forgot the IEEP, DLTCEP can do its job pretty well, and of course, many many more. Sooner you familiarize yourself with it, sooner you´ll get some progress...

[Baronius]

Since he intends to gain advanced WeiDU skills, getting used to DLTCEP sooner or later should be considered natural (as WeiDU is much more complicated than DLTCEP which is a GUI program).

IEEP knows less indeed, and has some problems as well. However, it's OK to make a few items at the beginning, if he prefers it. DLTCEP makes consistency checks, so if a file created with IEEP has a problem, DLTCEP should indicate it.

[Sir_Carnifex]

I jumped into DLTCEP without bothering with IEEP since I found the tutorial pretty much explains DLTCEP too. It was easy enough after I looked over some already-made items. Still, I'm glad IEEP is working because I hate something not working and not knowing why.

There is one thing I definitely like better about IEEP -- The BG-style interface.

[Valiant]

GUI can be remade, just download DLTCEP source files and modify them in some C++ editor...

[Baronius]

All what IEEP seems to do is reusing a few BG GUI elements, especially as background for usual controls. It reminds to Baldur's Gate indeed, but it doesn't impress me (looks like a half-solution, and as such, its graphical inconsistence makes it uncomfortable) -- but it's surely pleasant for many beginners

I wouldn't recommend trying to implement IEEP-like themes in DLTCEP to anyone without good knowledge in WIN32 API and GDI (beside C++, of course).

[Sir_Carnifex]

I think I just got called a newbie.