X3 ModManager 0.0.8 - updated 3/11/2008

[doubleshadow]

Note: This software is no longer actively developed. It was superseded by X3 Editor 2.

X3 ModManager latest version 0.0.8 - released 3.11.2008

Download from www.doubleshadow.wz.cz

Don't forget to set your game version in Settings dialog!

Tutorials / How-to's:

You can now find the tutorials on X3 ModManager page on X-wiki.

Old tutorials hosted on this forum:
- How to unpack your game with X3MM (if you want to do that)
- How to make a mod with X3MM

Changes
You can now specify the game version in Settings and X3MM will look for "active mod" in corect place and run X3E or X3 TC depending on the game version.

Works with X3 TC PCK files. When you add file to catalog, you can specify what compression type to use:

• PCK - for X, X2, X3 Reunion
• Deflate - for X3 Terran Conflict

Description

Program for extracting/changing the .cat and .dat files where most of the game data are stored.

FAQ

Q - When I unpack the dds directory, all the files have extension .txt instead of .dds.
A - Just rename the extension. See this post below.

Q - When I start the program, I have an error saying:

Code: Select all

Error starting program:
File not found: "some file.dll"

A - You need to download and install the "C runtime and zlib1 library installation". It is available at the same download page where the X3MM is. It might be good to install it into your system directory (windows\system32 on Win XP) as those files are used by all of my tools.

[enenra]

I think there's a problem: now, many different files are compressed as .pck (for example the .dds textures as well as the .xml t-files) How do I have to set the MM up so that they won't be extracted in the same way?
If this doesn't work: Would it be possible to set the MM up so that files with the same extensions in different directories are handled differently?

[doubleshadow]

I think there's a problem: now, many different files are compressed as .pck (for example the .dds textures as well as the .xml t-files) How do I have to set the MM up so that they won't be extracted in the same way?
If this doesn't work: Would it be possible to set the MM up so that files with the same extensions in different directories are handled differently?

Yes I've noticed that as well. The thing is that X3MM is looking at the extension which is - you wouldn't quess - PCK. It looks like its too much for Egosoft to name it for example pdds or something...

I might hardcode the renaming as I did with XML files but as I stated in X3E thread: This isn't my comeback. Not now.

I think that the easist way is to use Batch Rename and change the extension manually. You are going to exctract the files only once anyway.

Programs which can do that:
XnView - free pics viewer
Altap Salamander - commercial file manager
ACDSee - commercial pics viewer
Hopefully Total Commander can do it as well

Edit:
Maybe I need to clarify this: The files will always be extracted correclty - only they will have the extension "txt" instead of the propper one. All that is needed is to change the extension.

[Gazz]

I might hardcode the renaming as I did with XML files but as I stated in X3E thread: This isn't my comeback. Not now.

You're still my hero!
X3 would have stayed a nice but bland game without all those excellent tools.

[doubleshadow]

New version 0.8 is out. You must open the Settings dialog and specify the game version. Check the first post.

@Gazz - I'm proud to be someone's hero!

[Vash_the_Stampede]

Hi there.

I have a problem whit the editor, whit extracting Scene file's..... In the old game it will open the scene whit note and i can read everything. But in TC when i open the same kind of file's it a mesh and cant do anyting.... How can this happen. Need i to set something different?

[Realspace]

Just a few words to say how much I appreciated the work you made. without it the whole modding stuff could probably not really exist

And i'm sure that if your editor was not working also for TC that would signify my (and of many others) bye bye to the serie

thanks !!!

[exogenesis]

Like to second that!, many thanks for the continued effort doubleshadow.

(without this, I wouldn't leave the X series as a game,
but possibly might as a util/guide maker).

[DeadlyDa]

Vash_the_Stampede,

Once you get the cat/dat file extracted, you still need to unpack the individual files.

For example, if I look at the file "...\objects\ships\argon\argon_m1_scene.pbd" in TextPad, it's gibberish.

However it is really just an archive. If you open the file argon_m1_scene.pbd in WinRAR, you will find inside a file called "argon\argon_m1_scene" (with no extension). All you need to do is save that file and add a .txt file extension...and you're good to go.

I use Altap Salamander to do the mass WinRAR extract & rename.

Ah...oops!As doubleshadow "gently" pointed out to me just now, version 0.0.8 works fine. I was still using an older version, which requires a separate step to unpack the files.

[Vash_the_Stampede]

Oke thanks for the heads up i dint know that 1 yet
Now i can go to work again

[Gazz]

Is there an issue with packing files with ModManager 0.0.8?

It unpacks those files perfectly well. The renaming part I can deal with.

Whenever I try to pack a perfectly good .DDS file (gui_radar.dds),
regardless of chosing X3 or TC pack mode I get a small .PCK file in the CAT archive.

So far, so good.
This file will not load in TC.

If I unpack it again, using the regular technique, I cannot open the resulting gui_radar.pck

The ModManager PCK conversion does work for text files but something goes wrong with graphics.

[KillingMonkey]

I get an error when starting the manager... It says:
Error starting program: ():
File not found: x3mmext.dll

The file is right there... Just above the .exe of the manager... Don't know what's the problem...

[apricotslice]

I get an error when starting the manager... It says:
Error starting program: ():
File not found: x3mmext.dll

The file is right there... Just above the .exe of the manager... Don't know what's the problem...

Did you install the dlls or just unpack them ?

[KillingMonkey]

Well... I just installed the thing you download... Didn't know you had to do anything with the dlls...

[apricotslice]

From memory, there is 2 downloads needed.

From the OP :

Q - When I start the program, I have an error saying:
Code:
Error starting program:
File not found: "some file.dll"

A - You need to download and install the "C runtime and zlib1 library installation". It is available at the same download page where the X3MM is. It might be good to install it into your system directory (windows\system32 on Win XP) as those files are used by all of my tools.

[KillingMonkey]

Hmmm.... Worked... Decompressing .cats now... do I need to decompress all .cats in different folders? And since I'm mainly gonna edit/create ships, do I need all of them extracted?

[fud]

The first thig I did was extracted every cat file to a temp directory (in my case, temp\x3tc\OEM).

I started with 01.cat, then 02, 03, etc. Each one will overwrite any files in the previous one (this ensures you have the latest versions in your temp folder).

You can extract all the ships, that's what I'd recommend.

[KillingMonkey]

Hmmm... Can't I extract all .cats and then pick out the ships? Since the textures are somewhat spread and the overwriting is to ensure that the version of the files is the newest...
Also, approximately how much space would I need for all the extracted information?

[exogenesis]

8.5 gigs

[KillingMonkey]

Pretty much enough.... Got about 1TB (with externals counted) to my name, so I shouldn't worry anyways... Just wanted to see what the game would be without the compressing of the .cats.... I'm thinking of making my own tread in awhile with constant or semi-constant (depending on real-life schedule) feedback... Thanks for all the help...