nezroy

EDIT: Nvm, you'd want to edit the actual plot flags with the toolset or HxD equivalent, and at the moment I don't have a good way of finding the relevant plot flag out of the 941 or so default plot flags in the plot list in the toolset. And haven't correlated the plot flags to the plot string in the .DAS file yet.

There's a known problem with memory use when editing save game files. Nothing that can be done about it unfortunately...

It turns out that the arrow variant is used not just as a reference to the standard arrow type to display with the bow, but also as a variant type for the actual ammunition items. So when the ammunition is equipped, the arrow variant defined for the ammo tells it what quiver to display. Of course fixing the problem meant creating duplicate ammo types that used my custom quiver variant, and then hooking EVENT_TYPE_EQUIP to"convert" the ammo between the two types as appropriate. EDIT: And in case anyone happens across this thread in the future, I created a wiki article that describes the ammo system in detail, including how these variants work.

Yeah there's no reason you wouldn't be able to override them just like anything else, as it looks like they're just extending ABI_base with an "abi_base_gwb.gda" M2DA in the DLC the same way any other AddIn would. The trick of course is figuring out what the relevant row IDs are for it so you can override it in your own M2DA. If the Combat Tweaks mod messes with them, then take a look at his GDAs to see if you can identify the relevant row IDs.

In the item variables set ITEM_RUNE_ENABLED to 1. The actual # of rune slots is dependent on the material definition.

The DLC content is in your my docs AddIns folder with names like dao_prc_promo_c2, dao_prc_nrx_1, etc. Most of these ERFs are encrypted, and therefore inaccessible. I don't know if the 2da ones are encrypted also or not. I'd guess yes.

Ah, OK. Yeah if it's just an addin then just load a saved game and your changes should show up as soon as you go to the modded area. You can also check the "downloadable content" from the main menu to verify that your addin is installed and enabled.

After changing it in the string editor, if you close/re-open the toolset, does the change still appear in the string editor? Or does it revert to the old version? ...736 is probably where it's trying to put the item description string, but it seems like your toolset is unable to update the strings DB properly. Have you tried creating a new mod and seeing if you can edit strings there? It could just be something borked in that mod somehow. Also, have you looked at the toolset logs in <my docs>\BioWare\Dragon Age\Toolset\logs\ to see if it has a more detailed error about what's going wrong? EDIT: Also, if you're changing the string that shows up in the DLC menu in game, I believe you have to re-generate your module and manifest XML from the Tools->Export menu. I'm pretty sure that the strings that are used for your module metadata (author, URL, mod description, etc. - basically any strings you set in the module properties screen) are read straight from those XML files and not from the talk table.

Are the textures in <my docs>/BioWare/Dragon Age/AddIns/<plugin>/core/textures/medium and /high? Are these textures just copies of each other or did you actually create different textures for high vs. medium? What does your custom MAO look like and where is it located in your addin folder structure? Did you do textures/MAOs for all 3 LODs? What are the custom texture/MAO filenames (i.e. how long are they?) Do you have specular/tint textures too, and if so, how did you create them (tools, options, etc.)? If you are using DATool, copy your custom .MMH, .PHY, and .MAO to the location where DATool is installed, then use File->Open in DATool to open your .MMH file from that local location (if the model/mao is not local it doesn't work properly for some random weird reason). Does DATool show your model with your custom diffuse texture? (It can and should find the DDS textures from your addins path; don't copy the textures local to DATool too, just the MMH/PHY/MAO). These questions assume you are creating a new item variant with custom MMH/MAO/texture names (but referencing an existing MSH), and not just doing a straight texture replace/override of an existing item.

Don't really get the question. Test the mod by loading DA:O and going to the area you've modded. I don't know what other option you're expecting? Use -enabledeveloperconsole and debug scripts to quickly set plot flags or move your character to wherever you need to be. Disable intro movies by setting the DisableIntroMovie value in <Documents>\BioWare\Dragon Age\Settings\DragonAge.ini to 1. Also set the 0= and 1= lines near that to (UNASSIGNED) to completely disable all bik entry movies. Run the game in windowed mode at low resolutions and low graphic settings to reduce the load time and footprint. Disable audio for the same reasons. (Obviously you'll have to back to full res, etc. when you are specifically testing textures or important graphical/audio stuff).

(This is the post people are asking to have pinned to the top because is really helped them. So now the topic is pinned! :thumbsup: --TNL) Honestly, BioWare should have never tried to bundle MSSQL with the toolset. They should have just required that you install/configure it independently, as it makes a lot more sense that way IMO. First, you want to uninstall everything and start fresh. That means uninstalling the toolset AND uninstalling everything that begins with "Microsoft SQL Server" (note, this step can theoretically botch other things, like if you have Microsoft Visual Studio C++ installed, but in 99% of cases people will NOT have anything else that depends on an MSSQL server install and it's almost guaranteed to have come from a prior toolset install [and uninstalling the toolset does NOT uninstall MSSQL server, even if that's how it got installed]; however, disclaimer provided, uninstall this at your own risk). Second, install Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express, which is a free download from MS. You can get it right here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...;displaylang=en. Scroll to the bottom where it has "Files in This Download" and select either the x86 or x64 option, depending on if you're running 64-bit or not. (You can also go to the more "fancy" official SQL express page, which is here: http://www.microsoft.com/express/Database/. However, that page will force you to download a stupid MS d/l manager in order to download SQL express, which is annoying). Install Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express with all the default options. As I recall you shouldn't have to change anything from the default. However, verify that the native client and management tools are selected for install; if not, check them to be installed too. It's possible you will be asked about the authentication modes to use; select "mixed" mode in that case. For the DB-specific admin user you should use a username of "sa" (the standard DB admin account name) and whatever password you want. You shouldn't ever have to use this account but it's convenient to have setup in case you have issues with the windows authentication modes. NOTE: Depending on windows versions, you may get a warning about the SQL Express 2008 install having "compatibility" issues; just tell it to install anyway. This is a known issue and as long as you follow up by installing the SQL Express 2008 SP1, there are no problems. Once finished, make sure you also install the SQL Express 2008 SP1. You should be able to get this most easily by just using Windows Update, or you can go straight to the microsoft download page for it: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...;displaylang=en. Once that is finished installing, fire up "Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio". If everything was default, you should be able to connect to the server name "localhost\SQLEXPRESS" using "Windows Authentication" and get connected with DB admin access to your local SQL Express install. If you get connected and can browse the system databases, etc., then your DB is setup and good to go. If you can't get connected with Windows Authentication, you can try the db mode authentication using the "sa" user you setup before. If you have other problems at this point, just search the web for help installing MSSQL Server Express 2008. As this is a widely used tool you should be able to find a ton of stuff about getting a standard default install running, completely unrelated to the dragon age toolset. From within the MSSQL server management studio, expand your server node and right-click on "Databases". Select "New Database", and enter "bw_dragonage_content" for the "Database name". Click on "Options" and set the "Compatibility level" to "SQL Server 2005 (90)". Leave everything else at the default and click "OK". You should now have a new database under the databases node named "bw_dragonage_content". Now download and install the DA:O toolset. During the install when it asks you about the DB, uncheck both "Install MSSQL Express 2005" and "Restore the default database.". Leave the radio option set to "Use default database settings". Finish the toolset install and exit. Now back in the MSSQL server management studio, right click on the "bw_dragonage_content" DB you created earlier, and go to "Tasks->Restore->Database...". Under "Source for restore", select "From device:", and click the "..." button on that line. Set "Backup media" to "File", then click the "Add" button. Browse to your DA:O install path (i.e. C:\Program Files\BioWare\Dragon Age, or wherever you have it installed), then go to the "tools->dbbak" folder. Select the "bw_dragonage_content.bak" file, then hit "Ok", and then "Ok" again. This should add the DB backup set to the list window at the bottom. Put a checkmark in the box in the "Restore" column, then click "Ok". It will execute the restore to load the toolset data. Once finished, you should be able to see some tables under Databases->bw_dragonage_content->Tables, like "dbo.t_Area", etc. This means the toolset DB has been loaded properly. You can now exit the management console. The last step is to tell the toolset how to find this DB. Navigate to your DA:O install directory, and under the tools\ subdir run the ConfigureToolset.exe program. Click "Next" on the first screen. On the "Content database" screen, uncheck "Use the default database", and then click on the "..." button next to the "Database" line. An advanced config screen pops up. Under 1., enter ".\SQLExpress" as the server name. Under 2., select "Use Windows NT Integrated security" (unless you had problems connecting with windows auth when firing up the SQL management studio, in which case you should instead tell it to use a specific username/password and then use the "sa" account you setup). Under 3. pick "Select the database on the server" and enter "bw_dragonage_content" in the box. At this point you should be able to hit "Test Connection" and get a popup that says the connection succeeded. Hit "OK" and you'll see a string in the Database field now. You should copy/paste this string into Notepad for the final steps, in case it's needed. Then hit "Next" and "Finish" to close this tool. At this point you can try firing up the toolset and see if it connects to the DB OK. If you get no errors then everything is fine and you are done! If you still get a DB connection error, then you'll need to to verify the registry key for the DB connection. In some windows/installs the registry key does not get set correctly for some reason. Run regedit.exe and go to the "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\BioWare\Dragon Age\Toolset\Environment" key. Look for the "DefaultDatabaseConnection" value. If it does not exist, right-click on the Environment key and select "New->String Value". Change the name of this new value to "DefaultDatabaseConnection", and set its value to the database string that you copied/pasted into notepad during the ConfigureToolset.exe setup. Unfortunately, depending on your version of windows, the correct key location may be in a difference place; you may find it under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\BioWare\..., or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\BioWare\.... If you can't find it in those locations, do a search in regedit for "DragonAgeToolset", and check only "Keys" under Look at. This should ultimately locate the registry key location that the toolset on your machine is using. Now run the toolset and it should find and connect to your local MSSQL Express DB.

Oh and if you have *never* been able to put anything into the description field (and not just that you did put something in once, and now can't change it), then it's possible the StringId Begin and StringId Last Used ranges for your mod are conflicting with IDs in core/single player. You should set this to a unique range when you first create your mod, before adding any strings, but this of course is not mentioned in any of the tutorials :/ Using a 3-letter author prefix is pretty common for mod naming, etc. (i.e. I prefix all my mod names/unique IDs with "nez" to avoid collisions). You can take your 3-letter unique prefix, convert it to a number (so if you used "roe", that would map to 181505), tack on 4 0s, and use that as the base for any unique IDs you need in your mods (so your first mod might use 1,815,050,000 as a StringId Begin and 1,815,050,999 as a StringId End, your next mod would go from 1,815,051,000 to 1,815,051,999, and so on). This minimizes the change of collisions with your unique IDs and any other mods, and guarantees you won't conflict with anything from BioWare, which uses IDs all below 100,000 or so. It's a pain to convert a mod after the fact though, as any strings you've added will have the wrong IDs and there's no easy way to change them "in place" that I know of. You can try a builder-to-builder export of your mod, create a new mod where you set those values up front, and then do a builder-to-builder load and tell it to create your own StringIds, which should then map any of your strings into the new range you setup when you created your new mod. You'll also need to create strings with the string editor for your mod name, author name, and the other metadata that shows up in the DA:O DLC content menu. Hopefully that makes sense.

Pretty sure those strings are stored in your talk table. Maybe there's something borked about that string in particular. If you go to your mod properties you can see the "StringId Begin" and "StringId Last Used" fields. Write these down and then go to your talk table (Tools->String Editor), and start entering String IDs in this range until you find the one from the item description. You could then edit it from there and see if that frees up whatever problem the item editor is having. Also you'll need to export your talk table to get strings like custom descriptions into your game (Tools->Export->Export Talk Table). If you haven't exported your talk table that's probably why it doesn't show up in game at all. When you export the talk table it also erroneously exports the global talk table to the global override location; packages/core/override/toolsetexport. Basically the same as what happens whenever you export a custom script as well. So don't forget to delete any files from that location after your export (should be something like core_en-us.tlk or something similar, I don't remember exactly).

The Curvaceous Attire mod does essentially that.

The in-game description goes in the Description field, not the Comments field.

There isn't one good complete tutorial for this specific process that I've been able to find. I've done it on two mods now and you have to pull information from multiple places, etc. Did you ever find the info you needed or a good compilation? I'm considering updating some of the wiki tutorials for this particular task but don't want to waste effort :)

It's possible but currently quite difficult. There are still issues with boning, collision/bounding, etc. that make it less than perfect. And the workflow for doing it is non-trivial. This thread probably has the best compilation of related links/resources for it that I've seen to date: http://social.bioware.com/forum/Dragon-Age...-1328638-1.html

Pretty sure this is controlled by the IsHeavy field of the base weapon type in BITM_base.xls. I think you'd have to create a new weapon type by extending that 2DA in order to add a DW longsword type that was a copy of the longsword type but with that flag set to 0. Then set your new weapon to be of that new type, rather than of the longsword type. Here's a tutorial for adding new weapon types.

Without seeing your script, no. The script in that tutorial is a very complicated place to start. I would suggest creating a much simpler script. Name it something like "my_mod_gimme", with: #include "utility_h" void main() { DisplayFloatyMessage(GetHero(), "giving my custom item", FLOATY_MESSAGE, 16777215, 20.0); CreateItemOnObject(R"your_custom_item.uti", GetHero()); } Then make sure your developer console is enabled, and in game enter "runscript my_mod_gimme" in the developer console to execute the above script, which should float a message over your head and add the custom item to your inventory. Once you've got that part working and have checked out the item in game, etc., you can go back to the tutorial script to figure out how to make it a more automatic process for your mod, etc.

I created a mod that has a custom bow and quiver variation (via ItemVariations.xls mechanism), by deducing that the last field of longbow_variation was actually a link to the id of a row in arrow_variation. Now my custom bow variant has a custom quiver variant to match it. This works fine as long as I'm firing standard arrows, however, as soon as I equip a custom ammo type, the quiver reverts back to one of the default quivers. Does anyone know what's going on here, or have any ideas? I haven't been able to figure out why equipping ammo is causing the quiver to switch back.

If your mod textures are split out into the _yourmod_/core/texture/high and _yourmod_/core/texture/medium kind of setup, then note that the toolset seems to ONLY read from the medium folder and ignores everything in high. At least that's been my experience. I always just drop copies of everything from high into medium to verify it in the toolset, though I rarely use the toolset view for anything. If you are just dropping textures in the override dir or somewhere else, then I don't know.

2DA files in DA:O can be "extended" without causing conflict. It's called "Multiple 2DA" or just M2DA, and you can read about it over here: http://social.bioware.com/wiki/datoolset/i..._game_via_M2DAs The learning curve for doing it is a bit steep, but once you get the hang of it it makes sense. I use a tool to work with the GDAs directly (2DAs and M2DAs get "compiled" down to GDAs), which simplifies the workflow and cuts out a whole bunch of steps. It's much easier in my opinion to do it that way, but others might find the Excel->2DA->compiled->GDA workflow easier for them. Anyway, the GDA tool is here: http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=214

I recently added a mod that has a unique light armor set and weapon set for Leliana, inspired by the Sacred Ashes trailer and other concept art. It's not an exact copy of the SA CGI armor by any means (it's just a re-texture and not a custom mesh), but I think it is an improvement over the light armor options available in vanilla DA. You can check it out here: http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=793 I also was frustrated with the trailer edition mod bundling everything all in one, plus it looks like that mod has died as the author has not released any new updates or even made any new comments in quite some time. So I was motivated to create an alternative that just had some nice armor and weapons for Leliana.

Hey guys, just pimping my recent mod. It's a unique light armor set and weapon set for Leliana, based on the Sacred Ashes trailer art and also specifically that great concept art from the very first post in here. It's not a custom mesh, though, just a re-texture of the existing light armor. You can check it out here: http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=793

I just created a mod that adds a unique light armor set and weapon set for Leliana, inspired by the Sacred Ashes trailer and other Leliana concept art from BioWare. You can check it out here: http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=793