SoD files mod like

International board Development
#221

I’m not familiar with refactoring vcmi config files. When I want to change, I always use “core:creatureGeneratorCommon” commands. All you have to know about object format, you’ll read there: wiki.vcmi.eu/index.php?title=Object_Format
I guess it’s best for you it’s trial-and-errors method. It’s best for me :slight_smile: Or browse various existing mods to see how it works under diffirent conditions.

In vcmi you can play maps using commanders or stack experience without WoG mod.

Modules:
“STACK_EXPERIENCE”, “STACK_ARTIFACTS”, “COMMANDERS” are disabled by default, player can enable them by change “false” to “true” in defaultMods.json file and play SoD maps with these features. I can’t see any reason to alter this handy functionality.

#222

For Castle town buildings I have

				"horde2" : null,
				"horde2Upgr" : null,
				"mageGuild5" : null,
				"special4" : null
At /town/buildings/horde2
	 Error: Required entry id is missing
At /town/buildings/horde2Upgr
	 Error: Required entry id is missing
At /town/buildings/mageGuild5
	 Error: Required entry id is missing
At /town/buildings/special4
	 Error: Required entry id is missing

How to fix this?

#223

You can safely delete this code.

#224

It seems that all creature dwellings have the same “visitableFrom” and “mask” definitions.
It looks pointless what I have done… that is to repeat these lines for each and every single dwelling.

"visitableFrom" :  "---", "+++", "+++" ],
                "mask" :  "VVV", "VBB", "VAA" ]

Can someone review the definition below? I am concerned about the “template” : “default” part. And about the “name” : “Creature Generator 1”, part

{
	"creatureGeneratorCommon" :
	{
		"handler": "dwelling",
        "name" : "Creature Generator 1",
		"base" : 
		{
			"base" : 
			{
				"visitableFrom" :  "---", "+++", "+++" ],
				"mask" :  "VVV", "VBB", "VAA" ]
			}
		},
		"types" : 
		{
			"guardhouse" : 
			{
				"name" : "Guardhouse",
				"creatures" : 
					
						"pikeman"
					]
				],
				"templates" : 
				{
					"default" : 
					{
						"animation" : "factions/castle/adventureMap/dwellings/AVGPIKE0.def",
					}
				}
			},
			"archersTower" : 
			{
.....................................
#225

I miss Ivan :frowning:

#226

I suggest you manually define masks (yellow, red and transparent squares) for every dwelling (“visitableFrom” may stay as base for every dwelling). Look: castle’s dwellings have various masks.

ooryTbw.jpg1280×800 467 KB

For example - mask for Halbardiers’ dwelling is “VVV”, “VBV”, “VBA” ] , for Angels’ dwelling is “VVVV”, “VBAV” ], for monks’ dwelling is “VVV”, “VVV”, “VBA” ] and so on.

And browse this mod:
mediafire.com/file/bcocv2lmt … k_v1.0.zip
There you can find hundreds configured new objects. Maybe something makes you things clearer.

#227

VCMI copies all dwelling masks from Guardhouse (first on the list). The problem is that Random Dwellings objects may become inaccessible if different mask is picked:
bugs.vcmi.eu/view.php?id=900

#228

This is what was puzzling me. Why the serialized version of dwellings from VCMI looks the same for all buildings.

I will leave the files with the Guardhouse masks for now. Once I have something working I will try to update those.

One question tough… From the screenshot above, it looks like the editor has this information already. Can I get this information from the editor somehow?

#229

Quite opposite. First you must manually write masks, then editor reads them and shows appriopate yellow/red squares. Writing mask is reletive easy, only some practise.

But standard h3 dwellings have configured masks, that’s way can be readable from editor.

#230

Then the question is… where can I get those masks from? Can I obtain them in a serialized form?

#231

I can only tell you how I write masks.

I have bmp file with my adventure map objects. I open Def maker, load this bmp in it and click reposition tab.

4TzYE5Q.jpg681×529 34 KB

So you can see 20 square parts in four rows. Each row has 5 squares.
And you have three mask parameters.
V - visible, transparent square
B - blocked square (red in map editor)
A - visitable by hero square (yellow in map editor)

So first square in first row is visible - V
second square - visible - V
…
fifth square - visible - V

Mask for first row is then: VVVVV

Second row:
first square - V
second square - blocked/red - B (or V, you must decide and then test proper visibility in game)
third square - B
fourth square - B (or V, reason as above)
fifth square - V

So mask for second row is: VBBBV

analogically mask for third row should be: VABBV
a fourth row: VVVVV

so your code is:

"mask" : 
                "VVVVV",
                "VBBBV",
                "VABBV",
                "VVVVV"
            ],

As you see, it’s no simple way to obtain masks, you must make them patienty. I think maybe someday someone write handy tool for easy mask design like Object Editor Tool for ERA platform.

But, if you open SoD map editor and place SoD dwelings on the ground, you can easily “read” all visible, red and yellow squares and easily write proper masks by yourself.

Mod creation tutorial
#232

And here’s example of inproper mask configuration - in game cactuses are cut and don’t display correctly.

#233

Thank you for the explanation on how to get them from def files. Maybe the above example could be linked into/from wiki?

But if they exist already in code for SoD objects, that means that at some point in the code I can get them out serialized in json file. So I do not have to build them by hand.

@Warmonger Is there any place I can get them in code or are they really copies of Guardhouse?