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Wrath of the Lich King Modding => Serverside Modding => Tutorials => Topic started by: Curas on October 30, 2010, 03:27:01 am

Title: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Curas on October 30, 2010, 03:27:01 am
Custom NPC Creation

Hello Folks,

I programmed a tool in Java to generate entries for the CreatureDisplayExtraInfo.dbc and
today I decided to write a tutorial for creating custom NPCs.
Hope you like it.

What you need:
Included
EntryCreator.jar
DBCUtil.exe
BLP Converter.exe
WinMPQ or something similar

Not Included
Model Viewer R770 (http://www.wowmodelviewer.org/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=35&func=select&id=1)
Photoshop / G.I.M.P (http://www.gimp.org/) or something similar
Simple Text Editor
CreatureDisplayInfo.dbc
CreatureDisplayInfoExtra.dbc

[attachment=0:3c5lhv78]NPCCreationKit.rar[/attachment:3c5lhv78]

Create a character in the model viewer without Shoulder / Cloak / Weapons / Helm and Hidden Hair
Export the model as 3DS and open the ".tga" with Photoshop or something similar
Save the ".tga" as soldier.png and convert them with BLP Converter by drag&drop over the BLPConverter.exe to soldier.blp

(http://caleron.ca.funpic.de/web/images/modelexport.JPG)

CreatureDisplayInfo.dbc
First entry:: DisplayID
Fourth entry: relatedID to CreatureDisplayInfoExtra.dbc

Convert the CreatureDisplayInfo.dbc and CreatureDisplayInfoExtra.dbc with DBCUtil in a readable format by Drag&Drop over the DBCUtil.exe

Search in WoW for a NPC whom you want to replace with your new and note his DisplayID.

Open the CreatureDisplayInfo.dbc with a text editor and search for the DisplayID.

(http://caleron.ca.funpic.de/web/images/cdi.jpg)

Note down the fourth entry in the row and then open the EntryCreator.jar

Now open again in the model viewer and choose the items the NPC the NPC should wear. (Except weapons)

Write the displayIDs (in modelviewer the second number in square brackets behind the item) according to the text boxes of the EntryCreator, and then click "Show Entry".

(http://caleron.ca.funpic.de/web/images/cdiemv.JPG)

Then copy the entry from the top line in the export line and press
"Export to 'Entry.dbc.csv'", the file is saved
in the Directory where EntryCreator.jar is located. (Any number of entries can be exported.)

Please check again all your data and replace it with your new entry in the CreatureDisplayInfoExtra.dbc

(http://caleron.ca.funpic.de/web/images/cdiereplace.JPG)

Last but not least you create with WinMPQ or a similar tool a patch.

Revert the two DBCs from *.csv.dbc to *.dbc by drag&drop over DBCUtil.exe

The "soldier.blp" must have the following path:
textures  BakedNpcTextures
Both DBC files must have the following path:
DBFilesClient

Start World of Warcraft and admire your work!  :D

Some of my own NPCs:
[spoiler:3c5lhv78](http://caleron.ca.funpic.de/web/images/AskrathVendor.jpg)
(http://caleron.ca.funpic.de/web/images/allynorvendor.jpg)
(http://caleron.ca.funpic.de/web/images/Allynor%20Footmens%20Male%20&%20Female.JPG)[/spoiler:3c5lhv78]

Best Regards

Curas
Title: Re: [Tutorial] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Skullbot on November 01, 2010, 09:19:29 pm
Pretty good  :!:

Is your EntryCreator updated for 3.3.5 ? If not, for which version it was designed ?
Because DBC format often change with WoW Version so such program become outdated quickly.
But maybe those DBC haven't change for while, I don't know :p
Title: Re: [Tutorial] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Curas on November 02, 2010, 12:16:47 am
Entry Creator based upon 3.2.2a DatabaseClientFiles, I'm not sure but it should work with other DBCs too.

MfG

Curas

EDIT:
If someone can send me the CreatureDisplayInfo.dbc & CreatureDisplayInfoExtra.dbc from Client 3.3.5.
I'll test it if it works.
Title: Re: [Tutorial] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Skullbot on November 07, 2010, 05:24:18 pm
Here they are : DBC 3.3.5a (http://195.132.164.171/download/Original%203.3.5a.rar)
Title: Re: [Tutorial] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: gorq on November 08, 2010, 03:52:31 pm
Well done! ^^ Thanks, now i have a nice interface to make this :P

I'm feeling embarrased because anyone is making great apps.. lol
Title: Re: [Tutorial] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Curas on November 09, 2010, 09:53:25 am
As I said, I checked it. 3.2.2a and 3.3.5a has the same dbc file structure, here is a screen shot. I take the same entry from both and checked it.

(http://caleron.ca.funpic.de/web/images/sameentry.JPG)

as you see it's the same, so you can use this tool also for 3.3.5a

MfG

Curas
Title: Re: [Tutorial] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Skullbot on November 09, 2010, 09:29:17 pm
Okay, so I'll not need to code this tool by myself, at least, not for this DBC ^^.

I was planning to create a program which can edit DBC directly from MPQ and save them into the MPQ.
No longer need those CSV converter ^^.
But by editor I mean an editor like the one you've made, in order to add custom stuff like displayID, sounds, factions etc directly in DBC with an user-friendly interface.

Because I have to say that it's pretty boring to add stuff line by line (like in Items.dbc) when you have many entries to add ^^.

Anyway, if you have the actual CSV offsets for some DBC (or at least those two), it will help me a lot (and will keep me from looking for it on the Web ^^).
Title: Re: [Tutorial] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Supora on January 03, 2011, 07:55:53 am
So I create my custom NPC on 3.3.5a
but when I compile from csv to dbc, dbc becomes empty
and I use Taliis
But thnx very very much for this guide
Title: Re: [Tutorial] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Supora on February 19, 2011, 01:46:42 pm
Oh... When I create DisplayID without helm, characters don't have hair-geoset... Only green texture
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Shrexx on October 16, 2011, 10:30:29 am
WoW, very cool :O
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Freigeist on October 20, 2011, 08:04:19 pm
One Question; and where to put the model file? This only changes Equip/Texture to me.

lG,
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Tjuki on October 22, 2011, 12:22:22 pm
Thank you very much =)
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Shakar on December 10, 2011, 01:13:10 pm
I'm having a problem with the beginning of the tutorial...

When I export the model to 3DS, all the program does is crash after making a 3ds file (I'm assuming it's the model itself) but it isn't making a TGA with it as I'm assuming that's what it's supposed to do.

I looked on the WMV site that you have linked, but I don't see R770 as you said is required in the post anywhere on the site.

Any clue on what is going on? I'd like to create custom NPCs for my future RP server, but I'm not really wanting to do it with the already pre-made displays from Blizzard. Any idea on what I could do about it?

EDIT:
I managed to get a model viewer to get the tga made so the crashing isn't an issue now...

My new issue, how ever, is that now the display id I based my new textures on are now all green with a hood and cape I never gave them, and the Texture I made isn't showing up on the ID I gave it...
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Nupper on December 29, 2011, 06:22:39 pm
My first temp came as a green troll with only hair and shoulders working.
my second attempt got me (http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/9481/69225280.jpg)
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Steff on October 04, 2012, 08:14:48 pm
Could someone suply the R770 version of ModelViewer?

The one I have crash on 3ds export and the current once have no 3ds export.
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: TheBuG on October 12, 2012, 06:11:09 pm
Quote from: "Steff"
Could someone suply the R770 version of ModelViewer?

The one I have crash on 3ds export and the current once have no 3ds export.

http://code.google.com/p/wowmodelviewer ... nloadCount (http://code.google.com/p/wowmodelviewer/downloads/list?can=1&q=&colspec=Filename+Summary+Uploaded+ReleaseDate+Size+DownloadCount" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Fidena on February 24, 2013, 01:53:03 pm
Quote from: "TheBuG"
Quote from: "Steff"
Could someone suply the R770 version of ModelViewer?

The one I have crash on 3ds export and the current once have no 3ds export.

http://code.google.com/p/wowmodelviewer ... nloadCount (http://code.google.com/p/wowmodelviewer/downloads/list?can=1&q=&colspec=Filename+Summary+Uploaded+ReleaseDate+Size+DownloadCount" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

That doesn't have R770. R770 doesn't even come up in a Google search.
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Ascathos on February 24, 2013, 03:04:47 pm
Quote from: "Fidena"
Quote from: "TheBuG"
Quote from: "Steff"
Could someone suply the R770 version of ModelViewer?

The one I have crash on 3ds export and the current once have no 3ds export.

http://code.google.com/p/wowmodelviewer ... nloadCount (http://code.google.com/p/wowmodelviewer/downloads/list?can=1&q=&colspec=Filename+Summary+Uploaded+ReleaseDate+Size+DownloadCount" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

That doesn't have R770. R770 doesn't even come up in a Google search.
Typo I assume, 640 works and is available on the webpage provided by Bug.
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Fidena on February 25, 2013, 10:19:09 am
How come I can morph into my new NPC model fine, but when I try to make an NPC use it, it acts like it's an invalid model number?
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Ascathos on February 25, 2013, 04:10:48 pm
Quote from: "Fidena"
How come I can morph into my new NPC model fine, but when I try to make an NPC use it, it acts like it's an invalid model number?
If Trinitycore, make sure to include creature_model_info.
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Fidena on February 25, 2013, 06:11:49 pm
Quote from: "Ascathos"
Quote from: "Fidena"
How come I can morph into my new NPC model fine, but when I try to make an NPC use it, it acts like it's an invalid model number?
If Trinitycore, make sure to include creature_model_info.

Alright, I'm going to try that out. Wish me luck, and thanks for the help dude.

Awesome avatar, by the way.

Edit - I got it to work, so thanks.

For some reason I can't get hair to work. I had to turn it off in model viewer to get it to export correctly, but for some reason I can't put it back in with the CreatureDisplayInfoExtra. Is there a trick to it?
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: MR. Farrare on March 12, 2013, 04:57:12 pm
were i dawnload the entry creator.jar plz
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: MR. Farrare on March 12, 2013, 04:57:46 pm
Quote from: "Ascathos"
Quote from: "Fidena"
How come I can morph into my new NPC model fine, but when I try to make an NPC use it, it acts like it's an invalid model number?
If Trinitycore, make sure to include creature_model_info.

EntryCreator.jar were i dawnload it
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Ascathos on March 13, 2013, 12:42:04 pm
Quote from: "Fidena"
Quote from: "Ascathos"
Quote from: "Fidena"
How come I can morph into my new NPC model fine, but when I try to make an NPC use it, it acts like it's an invalid model number?
If Trinitycore, make sure to include creature_model_info.

Alright, I'm going to try that out. Wish me luck, and thanks for the help dude.

Awesome avatar, by the way.

Edit - I got it to work, so thanks.

For some reason I can't get hair to work. I had to turn it off in model viewer to get it to export correctly, but for some reason I can't put it back in with the CreatureDisplayInfoExtra. Is there a trick to it?
http://pxr.dk/wowdev/wiki/index.php?tit ... oExtra.dbc (http://pxr.dk/wowdev/wiki/index.php?title=CreatureDisplayInfoExtra.dbc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

You are lying ;)
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Ilc on May 12, 2013, 01:19:31 am
Ive followed the guide but it does not seem to work for me, when I try to change myself or an NPC into the display ID nothing happens they stay the same and when I try to spawn the creature the skin is the same as before aswell.. as of now every NPC in-game has a white skin without any textures.. any idea what i could've done wrong?
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Ascathos on May 12, 2013, 01:49:35 am
Quote from: "Ilc"
Ive followed the guide but it does not seem to work for me, when I try to change myself or an NPC into the display ID nothing happens they stay the same and when I try to spawn the creature the skin is the same as before aswell.. as of now every NPC in-game has a white skin without any textures.. any idea what i could've done wrong?
Betting 90 out of 100 that you broke the creaturedisplayinfoextra, e.g. using Tallis.
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Ilc on May 12, 2013, 12:43:59 pm
Quote from: "Ascathos"
Quote from: "Ilc"
Ive followed the guide but it does not seem to work for me, when I try to change myself or an NPC into the display ID nothing happens they stay the same and when I try to spawn the creature the skin is the same as before aswell.. as of now every NPC in-game has a white skin without any textures.. any idea what i could've done wrong?
Betting 90 out of 100 that you broke the creaturedisplayinfoextra, e.g. using Tallis.

I didnt open it with taliis.. Thank you for saying it tho it might spare me another bug similar to this one :)
I extracted both of the dbcs and only modified the DisplayidExtra or whatever it is called. I converted them back to dbcs and moved them to DBFilesClient inside of my patch map and the .blp in the path that is given in this tut. Sorry if there are any typos im writing from my phone lol
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Steff on May 13, 2013, 05:18:40 am
Why convert and not just using mydbceditor.
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Ilc on May 14, 2013, 12:55:41 pm
Quote from: "Steff"
Why convert and not just using mydbceditor.

What do you mean? Im talking about converting the .csv's back to .dbc again,

Quote from: "Curas"
Last but not least you create with WinMPQ or a similar tool a patch.

Revert the two DBCs from *.csv.dbc to *.dbc by drag&drop over DBCUtil.exe

The "soldier.blp" must have the following path:
textures  BakedNpcTextures
Both DBC files must have the following path:
DBFilesClient

Start World of Warcraft and admire your work!

Did I miss anything or?
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Steff on May 14, 2013, 01:32:11 pm
Yes just use en editor that can directly edit DBCs?

viewtopic.php?f=59&t=782 (http://modcraft.io/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=782" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

No converting needed.
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Ilc on May 17, 2013, 04:16:49 pm
Quote from: "Steff"
Yes just use en editor that can directly edit DBCs?

viewtopic.php?f=59&t=782 (http://modcraft.io/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=782" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

No converting needed.

Thank you ill look into it :-) sorry for the late response didnt have any time to model edit and stuff
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: MR. Farrare on July 25, 2013, 01:22:21 am
Quote from: "Steff"
Yes just use en editor that can directly edit DBCs?

viewtopic.php?f=59&t=782 (http://modcraft.io/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=782" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

No converting needed.

can i change only the helmet of an npc i tried to put crown of winter to some npc whithout an helmet its culome 9 right becuase i put the display id of the item there and when i renter wow nothing happpen plz reply??
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Fidena on February 14, 2014, 03:49:35 pm
Quote from: "Ascathos"
Quote from: "Ilc"
Ive followed the guide but it does not seem to work for me, when I try to change myself or an NPC into the display ID nothing happens they stay the same and when I try to spawn the creature the skin is the same as before aswell.. as of now every NPC in-game has a white skin without any textures.. any idea what i could've done wrong?
Betting 90 out of 100 that you broke the creaturedisplayinfoextra, e.g. using Tallis.

Is Taliis known for that? I'm getting into wow modding again, and I remember that happening a lot when I was making custom NPCs.
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Steff on February 14, 2014, 08:32:22 pm
Use mydbceditor.  It is in my modding pack.
And yes you need only to change one row in the dbc
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Tuskeh on April 21, 2014, 05:11:55 pm
Heya!

So I've been trying to get this working, with very little success. I'm using a 3.3.5a ArcEmu server, and I've followed the steps exactly:

1. Create model (without shoulders, helmet or hair) with WoW Model Viewer
2. Export as 3DS
3. Convert to PNG
4. Convert to BLP
5. Find the NPC with the DisplayID I want to replace, note the DisplayID Down, then convert the two DBC files
6. Find the DisplayID in CreatureDisplayInfo.dbc, note it down
7. Open the EntryCreator.jar
8. Reopen Wow Model Viewer, add Shoulders, hair, and helmet
9. Fill in the EntryCreator with ExtraDisplayID, hairstyles, color, facial features, displayIDs for the armor, and the baked texture.blp
10. Hit Show Entry
11. Copy/Paste the Entry into the Export Line, Export it
12. Find the DisplayID's line in the CreatureDisplayInfoExtra.dbc
13. Paste the Export Line to replace the DisplayID's current line, make sure there are no line breaks
14. Re-convert the CreatureDisplayInfo.dbc and CreatureDisplayInfoExtra.dbc into DBC files
15. Use an MPQ editor to create a new patch with DBFilesClient and Textures folders, inside DBFilesClient go the two DBC files, inside Textures, another folder named BakedNpcTextures, then inside that pop the blp file

However, when I go in-game to find my DisplayID, I get this:

(http://i.imgur.com/CRSGFFh.jpg)

This isn't just the single DisplayID that I edited - it's all DisplayIDs for NPC models. Character models are unaffected. What in the seven hells is going on? :(

EDIT: I've done some poking about and it's not go to do with the CreatureDisplayInfo.dbc or the BLP file, it's the fact that I've edited the CreatureDisplayInfoExtra.dbc; doing so has somehow borked up all textures for all models.
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Dottore on April 21, 2014, 11:16:20 pm
I had this shit recently too. I tried to create a new npc but it broke all of the blps and everything was white ingame.. sadly I didn't found any solution.
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Tuskeh on April 22, 2014, 04:43:38 pm
It must have something to do with the CreatureDisplayInfoExtra.dbc. When I removed that from my custom patch everything reverted to normal - perhaps I'm using the wrong program to implement it? I'm just using notepad, like the tutorial was using. I was replacing the same DisplayID, aswell. I can't for the life of me figure out what the problem is.
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: iindigo on April 22, 2014, 09:16:13 pm
I use MyDBCEditor to directly edit DBCs (no conversion) and my custom NPCs work fine.
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Tuskeh on April 22, 2014, 09:35:24 pm
Quote from: "iindigo"
I use MyDBCEditor to directly edit DBCs (no conversion) and my custom NPCs work fine.

You wonderful saint. This sorted my issue out - the conversion must have buggered it up somehow. Thank you very much!
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Tuskeh on April 22, 2014, 10:52:21 pm
I'm having some trouble with hair now - the skin and armor (Even the shoulders) work fine, and the DisplayId is showing - but the hair is untextured. I'm not sure why this is - does anyone have a suggestion? I am so very close to getting this working! :|
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Valkryst on June 04, 2014, 06:09:55 pm
Nice tutorial.
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Sprucey on September 26, 2014, 11:52:04 am
Is the Entry Creator hosted elsewhere?

Lack of images on both these tutorials have me struggling to add my own NPCs, was going to try Entry Creator next but it's no longer here.
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: Steff on May 29, 2016, 06:14:50 pm
Can someone reup this tool please.
Title: Re: [TUTORIAL] Custom NPC Creation
Post by: SeraphimFalls on May 15, 2020, 10:12:58 am
Sorry for necro. Just late to the party.

Anyone out there have the EntryCreator.jar tool, or know where I can get it? Otherwise, if you know of an alternative that does the same thing, I'll take that.