My MC2 Buildings:

http://www.filesonic.com/file/1443477034

My MC2 vehicles:

http://www.filesonic.com/file/1443598974

Some of my MC2 weapons:

http://www.filesonic.com/file/1443477044

As an example.

How to add buildings to MC2

1. You need textured 3D model.
2. Texture must be 128x128 .TGA format.

1. Export to ase and copy to your MC2\data\tgl folder.

You must have following files:
1. your_building.ini (download my buildings and see examples)
2. your_building.ase (game will translate to .tgl)
3. your_buildingx.ase (lowest poly model of your building - used for shadow - will translate to tgl)
4. your_buildingdam.ase (model of the destroyed building - tgl)
5. your_buildingdamx.ase (lowest poly model of the destroyed building (shadow of the distroyed building - tgl)

Place all texture files you used for your_building in MC2\data\tgl\128 folder.
And you are done? No unfortunately not.

You need fit file for the building in object2.pak and name string in mc2res.dll and reference in the file MC2\data\art\buildings.csv (?!?!)

Add line to buildings.csv file, example:

City2StoryG,11,34243,BUILDING,258,,1,0,0,0,,0.8

In your case:

Your_building,11(your building type),XXXXX (reference number to name string of your_building in mc2res.dll),BUILDING,X (file number of the file for your_building in object2.pak - no leading zeroes just number),,1,0,0,0,,0.8

For other values in the line open the file and see the header.

Download my unpacked object2.

Example of the building file for City2StoryG:

FITini


l ObjectTypeNum=1


st Name="City2StoryG"
st AppearanceName="City2StoryG"
l ExplosionObject=727
l DestroyedObject=0
f ExtentRadius=35.000000


ul DmgLevel=25
f ExtentRadius=35.000000
f ExplosionRadius=0.000000
f ExplosionDamage=0.000000
l BuildingName=30163
l SetImpassable=1
l XImpasse=0
l YImpasse=0
ul NormalEffectId=0
ul BlownEffectId=0
ul DamageEffectId=0
b CanRefit=FALSE
b MechBay=FALSE
f TimeToBurnDamage=5.000000
f BurnDamagePerTime=1.000000
f DamageLvlForBurn=22.000000
f SensorRange=-1.000000
l TeamID=-1
l Tonnage=20
l BattleRating=20
l NumMarines=0
b blockLineOfFire=FALSE
l LowTemplate=939524096
l HighTemplate=14392
l PotentialContact=0
l BasePixelOffsetX=4
l BasePixelOffsetY=70
b ImpassableWhenDestroyed = false
FITend

Find in the files from a0000.fit through a1187.fit something like this:

FITini


l ObjectTypeNum=24


st Name=""
st AppearanceName="NONE"
l ExplosionObject=0
l DestroyedObject=0
f ExtentRadius=0.000000


f ProjectileLength=0.000000
f BulgeLength=0.000000
f BulgeWidth=0.000000
f Velocity=0.000000
st FiringEffectName="NONE"
st TrailEffectName="NONE"
l HitEffect=0
l MissEffect=0
l FiringSoundFX=0
l LightEffect=0
ul FrontRGB=0
ul MidEdgeRGB=0
ul MiddleRGB=0
ul BackRGB=0
uc EdgeAlpha=255
uc BoltAlpha=255
FITend

And replace with data for your building like in example above.
Save the file axxxx.fit and dbl click mkObject2.bat. Now you have object2.pak with your file inside. Dont forget to write the number of axxxx.fit, its the reference number for buildings.csv.

Its not over yet. The last thing you need is name string in mc2res.dll. If you know how to edit mc2res.dll ok (it can be done with hex editor with warning that the string length of you new string must be the same length as the string being replaced. If your string is shorter fill the rest with blank spaces, cant be longer). Or use c++ to modify mc2res from the project. If you dont know what to do with mc2res post here and I will add the string for you. Dont forget to write resource (string) number it will be your reference number for buildings.csv.

That should be all, You should be able to see your_building in mc2 editor.

nice!!

Indeed, that's great Anything were you need helping testing in that, or is it already finished ?

Its finished long time ago.

Most of it should be in Wolfmans expansion.

Thanks Magic

Post updated at top

Many thanks for that "howto". I will try that one

@Magic : Do the shadow models need any special textures ? Maybe a placeholder with a specific name or such ?

One more question, in which game version shall I test the new models ? When I use your unpacked Object file, is it requiring a special MC2 edition, like wolfman's, or the 2.5 variant ? Or does it also work in the retail installation ?

For the shadow, i simply created a black map and named it on the model the like. I will see how it turns out and if it will worl

Hi Magic,

I have a few question regarding adding objects (in this case a building) to the game. For testing purpose, I take the final release folder from the MC2 Sourcecode.

I want to collect the stuff "how to mod", and also intend to create a forum where to collect the information. I would really appreciate, if you would answer the questions and will help me to collect that information.

According to your discription, I want the know the following additional information :

1) The ini-file :

FITini 

(Bounds)
l UpperLeftX=-20
l UpperLeftY=-20
l LowerRightX=20
l LowerRightY=20

(TGLData)
st FileName="datacenter"

st ShadowName="datacenterX"

//Night Lights
ul HotPinkRGB = 0x00A7A783
ul HotYellowRGB = 0x00FEfF91
ul HotGreenRGB = 0x00707070
ul TerrainLightRGB = 0x0099cccc
f TerrainLightIntensity = 0.07
f TerrainLightInnerRadus = 100.0
f TerrainLightOuterRadius = 200.0

(TGLDamage)
st FileName="datacenterdam"

st ShadowName="datacenterdamX"

FITend  

#define IDS_OBJECT_610 30610
#define IDS_OBJECT_611 30611
#define IDS_OBJECT_612 30612
#define IDS_OBJECT_613 30613
#define IDS_OBJECT_614 30614
#define IDS_OBJECT_615 30615
#define IDS_OBJECT_616 30616
#define IDS_OBJECT_617 30617
#define IDS_OBJECT_618 30618

Do I see this right, that the only deeper goal behind the file is to store unique ID numbers for each gameobject and part ? So, I can look for an empty spot and insert my new entry ? Is it important to keep it sorted to mechs, component and so on ? If so, it could be a little hard to find an empty spot.

If I follow these steps above, will then the building show up in the editor with named entry, and later ingame ? I remember downloading the unofficial mechlab extension a few years ago (that was what they took from you afaik), but in the editor all new stuff wasn't named so it was nearly impossible to work with it for good.

Thanks in advance for your help

B/R
Starman

  

Thanks man, i will give it a try

Ok, i must admit, that I simply have no idea what I actually do in Visual Editor and have no experience with C++, I'm simply overwhelmed with that software, that is nothing that I can figure out in trial and error.

I changed resource.h with a complete new entry. I also added that entry into script.rc, though I have no idea if the place is correct, I just placed it near similar entries. The reason and the synthax of both files is more or less clear (not the sorting of script yet)

But I have no idea how to create a new dll out of this. I tried to create "new project", save project, create only project and whatever. I have no really idea where this is created, and if there will even be a dll created. Besides that, I always get an error message in the list below, something about a missing file.

So, I think I will need a crash course in this.

@magic : Could you please maybe create a dll for me so that I can test the model ? I don't care about the id you give it, make it similar to the industrial complex, since it's only a building prop. Name should be "mechhangar". That would be great

Use MC2res.dll from the 2.5 its already there - 30209.