Help: Research Creating String Errors

Ok, so I am attepting to create a new research and it is causing some major isues.

Lets call the new research as RESEARCHSUBJECT_SHIELDSTECH2. A simple copy and paste got me this far, so I changed its position as to match were I want the research tab to show up. I left the HUD icons as is for now, I changed the Name and description string as to match the entry file.I changed the prerequisites to the previous research and changed the level to 3 (thinking that it creates arrows, im not shure Im still new to this stuff). I also changed the Trier to 6 (ShieldsTech0 is 2, 1 is 4 so i assumed it goes up by 2). I saved it and moved on to the PlayerTech file.

I put in the research file under research info and changed the count at the top. I created a description and name string for it and gave them appropriate values, I also changed the other 2 shield files at this point in the string to accompany my mod. I added 2 to the count at the top and moved to the entry.manifest file where I put in the new file and added 1 to the count and saved.

When I opened this in SSEE the game did not crash but something srtange happened. First off when I switched to tech the symbol for my empire disapeared. At the loading screen, there was no guy standing to the left (there was a picture and quote). Ingame the UI was mostly gone, you cant jump or just about anything or the game crashes. In the research tab the tabs all display "String Not Found" and no research is in the tabs, however the fleet tab shoes the medal displayer in an awkward place.

I noticed the only way to rid myself of the issue is to get rid of the created RESEARCHSUBJECT_SHIELDSTECH2.entry file completely. As far as I know this should work.

Any help please, Thanks in advance!

13,765 views 18 replies
Reply #1 Top

remember to edit the amount of strings at the top of the string list.

Btw. I have bad experience with two different entities having the same hud icon on the same "page". This is usually causes a minidum when you open that page (such as the list of frigates you can build if two different frigates have the same hud icon). Also please use paragraphs it will make it a lot easier to read.

 ~ gruntmaster1

Reply #2 Top

I did change it from 5786 to 5788. And sorry about the paragraph thing. It was seperated but I guess that didnt work.

Reply #3 Top

Thx for the paragraphs it makes it a lot easier to read. One thing I noticed was that you only moved it one spot to the right, but increased the tier with 2. Remember each step to the right increases the tier with one. Tiers are the required labs where the first tier requires one lab.

Also try and open this in the dev exe. When you do this, you will get an error messeage for eveything you have done wrong. Now just because you get an error doesn't it mean that it will cause a mini-dump (though some times it happens later on). Some of these errors might help us to understand what is wrong. You can find the dev exe in your install folder.

Reply #4 Top

Unfotunetlly can not use the developer exe. I would have posted my errosrs in the first post but the "fmod.dll" is missing or something (probably has something to do with 1.04.

Anyways I have isolated the file. It apears that the PlayerTech.entry file is causing the damage. To reveiw to what I did to it. I added one like in research with "entityDefName "RESEARCHSUBJECT_SHIELDSTECH2" in it and added 1 to the count (making it from 117 to 118).

Is there anything else that needs to be done in this file that is causing the errors or is it in the string file?

I did redo the entire mod to eliminate flukes but it appers that it is deffidently getting tripped up on the PlayerTech.entry file.

Thanks for the help so far!

Reply #5 Top

Have you seen into the Tier thing I mentioned? Besides that I can only think of the fact that you use the same hud icons as the previous, you can just try and delete that part so that it says hud_icon "" (only the "" is important I probably have some spelling errors that you shouldn't add). I haven't tried to add new research before so my experience is quite limited.

The reason that the problem disapear when you remove the playerTech is that the file will then not lead to the researchfile so the problem doesn't necesary lie in that file.

About the dev.exe. If you you have entrenchment 1.041 then there should be a file in your install folder named sins of a solar empire entrenchment dev.exe. This is the newest dev.exe which is compatible with the current entrenchment version.

Reply #6 Top

I did try the Tier thing, although that helped it still dosent work. Deleating the HUD didnt work .

I also appear to not have a sinsofasolarempireentrenchmentdev.exe on my computer. I searched it, nothing came up. I ran it, nothing came up. I dont even know were this install folder is.

Reply #7 Top

xD the install folder is loocated in C:\Programfiles\stardock games\sins of a solar empire

Reply #8 Top

also, subfleet, there ARE spaces in the program names and folder names

eg the folder where the sins installation is 'C:\Program Files\Stardock Games\Sins of a Solar Empire' and the dev for entrenchment is 'Sins of a Solar Empire Entrenchment Dev.exe', so putting it all together you get 'C:\Program Files\Stardock Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\Sins of a Solar Empire Entrenchment Dev.exe'.

and if you are using a 64 bit windows then you would add ' (x86)' to the program files part of the path eg 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Stardock Games\Sins of a Solar Empire'

if you are trying to debug a mod of your own I suggest creating a shortcut on the desktop to the dev.exe so you can find it quickly and easily

harpo

 

Reply #10 Top

you do not have the 1.041 update.

the devs are included in it

harpo

 

Reply #11 Top

Thanks for the help, I think i figured it out. The a error comes up when the mod is loaded.

File: C:\Documents and Settings\...\PlayerTech.entity

Label: field
Line Number:30
Line Contents:capitalShipNameType "CapitalShipTech"

Line number will continue forever. I believe that something in the PlayerTech file was changed in the updates and considering that I dont have the updated files, I cant fix it. So, ya.

Thanks for your help.

Reply #12 Top

subfleet,

I suggest copying your sins folders to another location eg c:\sins\reference\sins 1.181, and the entrenchment folder to c:\sins\reference\entrenchment 1.041,
then downloading my modding utilites 1.181a rar from my mod updating thread and running the text-bin gui  and converting you sins and entrenchment folders in the COPIED TO location to text then  you WILL have reference files for the current version.

harpo

 

Reply #13 Top

Every time I run the converter, I get a

converterdata not found for the expansion chosen. looked oft convertdata?entrenchment0.exe here, an did not find it.

If i put it in the mod utilaties folder I get the program to run but then it fails to execute comes up with a microsoft error and I still dont have the bin converted. Help please. There are instructions but they arent very specific.

Thanks for your help so far.

Reply #14 Top

Try and put the gameinfo folder in you entrenchment 1.041 mod folder (the same folder as where you have your mod folder). I fI remember right the program converts them after different versions depending on the name of the folder they are in.

Reply #15 Top

there are very explicit instructions for the use of the text bin gui in its thread, the mod updater in it's thread, but basically the mod updater updates all the mods from one version to the latest per pass, and the manifest maker makes manifest files for each mod ONLY, ie can not make manifests for more than one mod at a time, so you have to OPEN the mod's folder in manifest maker before clicking on the 'work on this mod' button

 

Reply #16 Top

Ok so I made shure that harpos's mod was in the correct spot but the program still refuses to convert the bin files.

 

For an easy fix can someone just post the code of the updated PlayerTech.entry file here. This is the only file I need and would save me a lot of trouble.

 

Thanks

Reply #17 Top

here is a link to MY playertech.entity from 1.041

harpo

 

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