Original files reorganizer

I have made some time ago a tool that unpacked and reorganized the original H3 files into something like below. (filenames are 100% the same only folders changed)

It was in the form of a separate .cpp added to VCMI.

Can you make any use of this? Does it make any sense to commit it?

  1. I think this can be used even without coding, only VFS configuration (“map” nodes).
  2. If we even use this, The tool will also be required as install time - this may lead to more bugs.
  3. I don`t know how to use this with any profit.

The original idea for this reorganization was to make life easier for modders, beginner modders in particular.

It will be a lot easier to understand what resources do what, and easier to find some specific resource files.

Personally I would love such tool just outside of VCMI so if you can put it on github do that please! If it’s can also let’s say convert some bitmaps into PNG would be even more handy for fixing small UI quirks

Though I don’t see much use of it within engine because modders shouldn’t use H3 assets as base for their work because it’s cause all kind of legal issues. No reason to make it easier.

Great idea! This will help modelers very much.
Does source code available somewhere?

Opposite, modders will more easily find and replace original assets by new :bulb:
I think stand-alone tool will be good.
The question is one - can VCMI start without loading standard *.lod files and take all from mods data?

I hope, that this method is still working, but I’m going to test it this weekend.

In a few days I will have a fresh system. I will try and see how independent of VCMI I can make it because right now it relies on VCMI loading the resources for it.

This could be useful for my project… but on the other hand I have to replace all the assets anyway so I can go file by file after unpacking them.

However this script could be nice if assets from HD edition are ever to be supported. While lod and defs have many great tools you can work with pak files and dds from Hd edition are a different story.

You will not have to work with lods anymore with this reorganization. You will have a hierarchy of .png and .bmp