[TUTORIAL] Modding basics.

[Steff]

In this thread we will collect some basic informations, every wow modder should know.

Tips for modding beginners

1. Don´t open up more then one modding tool at the same time. The most tools open files not in a save mode, so it is possible to open the same file in two apps. That will destroy them with a hight probability. That takes effect with MPQs and also with extracted WoW files on your HD folder, like ADTs or DBCs.

2. Make backups of your files before you work on them with any tools. Most of the tools out there  are buggy and you could forget rule 1 and start 2 applications at the same time.

3. The file extention of MPQ files MUST be upper case. Right patch-4.MPQ -- wrong patch-4.mpq. WoW won't load MPQs with a lower extention.

4. It is possible that more then one version of a file exists in the WoW MPQs. They can also have different versions. So if you extract the wrong file, it can crash your patch. To avoid this, extract the MPQs all into one folder on your HD in the following order and overwrite existing files.

From the WoW/data folder
- common.MPQ
- common-2.MPQ
- expansion.MPQ
- lichking.MPQ
- patch.MPQ
- patch-2.MPQ
- patch-3.MPQ

From your localisation folder (data/enUS for US clinet)
- locale-enUS.MPQ
- expansion-locale-enUS.MPQ
- lichking-locale-enUS.MPQ
- patch-enUS.MPQ
- patch-enUS-2.MPQ
- patch-enUS-3.MPQ

Now you have always the right file and you can also search with your OS search function for a filename.

5. Ladics MPQ editor has the abbillity to compress a patch file direct from a folder on your HD. So the best way to build up a patch is to create the folderstructure on your HD, edit the files there and then generate a complete patch from this folder.

6. BLP image files must always have a square resolution that you can divide with 2. Best use imagesizes like 128x128, 256x265, 512x512 or 1024x1024. The client will then stretch the images to the display resolution. So if you whant to design a loading screan, just genearte a 1025x1025 and stretch it to a 4x3 resolution of 1365x1024 in this case. Then creat your image and bring it back to the 1024x1024 resolution.

7. Use a local patch file: If you change DBC or interface stuff use a second patch file in the local directory, because the local patches override the stuff in the data folder.  You must name it similar to patch-deDE-4.MPQ with your local code in the name.

8. You can only have >>>4<<< textures on one adt chunk. If you press F7 in noggit you see the chunks. The red squares. If you have there a texture you don't use you can swap it with latest beta version. Also you can clear ALL textures and repaint the chunk from scratch. But take care to add only the textures you need. This is a technical limitation of the 335a wow client and his files structures. it has nothing to do with any modding tool.

 A small list of the main WoW client files

MPQ Contains all the client files. Think of them like ZIP containers.

DBC Client Database files. They are containing all the client informatins in an excel-like structure. Stuff like continents, races, classes, spells and many other things. There are more then 200 of them.

BLP Blizzard Picture file. Blizzards own image format. It supports compression and Alpha informations. There are different converters to change format to TGA or PNG. They are used for all 2D stuff in the game like  textures, loading screens, minimaps or maps for example.

M2 Smaller 3D objects like trees

WMO World Model objects. Houses, or complete Instances mostly are .wmo files

ADT A maptile. A map can hold 64x64 of this tiles. They contain different informations like ground hight, texture alpha maps, water or 3D object placement.

WDT Map definition file. This file hold the information how a wow map is constructed. It can point to several ADT files for a terrain or to one WMO for an isntance.

WDL A low resolution version of the highmap informations contained in the ADT files. Used for the distance rendering of the terrain like fare away mountains.

TOC The toc file is the definition file of a WoW addon and interfaces like the login screen or the character creation screen. The interface has the same structure like an addon.

XML In the XML files the design of the intreface is definde. Same as addons.

LUA This files hold scripts in the language Lua that defines the functionalaty of the interface. Also like addons


For more special informations, please take a look in the tutorial subboard in the different sections.

[Steff]

Nice.
And again... if someone hase idea for this.
Post it, I will include.

[Near]

I find this tutorial quite helpful, thanks. Also, on the topic of searching through your wow files via a search tool like the windows one, I find BLPView especially helpful.

[Steff]

Very nice
I also locked fot such an extetion some time:)

Thanks for posting. I will ad it to te resources section.

[Calibur]

7. Use a local patch file: If you change DBC or interface stuff use a second patch file in the local directory, because the local patches override the stuff in the data folder. You must name it similar to patch-deDE-4.MPQ with your local code in the name.

I've got a DBC patch located in the Data folder, this does not get overrided by the local patches. Though come to think of it, the modified dbcs only contain new entries, not modified old ones. I suppose this might have something to do with it? But it works fine non the less.

[Steff]

Some DBCs are locat in the local patches. Like the orldmap stuf. So this dbcs will overwrite yours if you change them. So th avoid conficts it is best to put them in the local folder.

[Alastor]

About those extension, can you add what's exactly .SKIN ?

[Steff]

Just read the wiki for file information.

http://www.wowdev.wiki/index.php ... otLK/.skin