[willdud]

Ok im new to generals moding but iv figured out the basics, rip INI.big and W3Dzh.big edit them acording to my mod and put them in my mod.big. ok?

My mod is creating a new side called the New Regime, very russianesque ergo i need russianesque units.

I have Gmax and RenX and know how to open models, but i dont know how to animate them, save them correctly so they are buyable and how to use smoke wingtip and other nodes that i have noticed in existing models.

My Xfire is willdud if you think it would be easier to tell me like that

[Alphathon]

OK, these "nodes" you talked about are actually called bones. For them you can use anything from a dummy object to a mesh. just make sure "export transform (bone)" is on and "export geometry" is off in the W3D settings panel (top of the list of buttons under the tab tht looks like a hammer). Then rename the "bone" to whatever you want (as long as the name is unique and u can remember it).
To animate it just hit the animate button and move to your desired frame, and move/rotate some objects (vertex anims r not xported).
To export, just click file>export, and choose w3d frm the list @ the bottom.
There are tuts all over the place on adding ur model to the game, which involves editing ini's.
BTW, WTF Xfire?

[willdud]

thanx, and Xfire is like MSN for gamers.

Also I noticed theres no Units.INI or anything like that so how do i ensure that what i make goes into the game under the faxtion i want? i know i need to have locomoter and armour set but what else? is it in science.ini or weapons.ini? somet like that?

[EDIT]
How do I animate things like turrets, getting them to spin is easy getting them to face what the user clicks... its another matter.

[theliberator2005]

There are various files in the Data\INI\Object folder called eg. AmericaInfantry.INI, ChinaVehicle.INI...
These are the "Unit.INIs" you've asked for, theBuildings are in FactionBuilding.INI !!

The Parameter "Side" in the "Unit.INIs" defines which faction your new unit belongs to.

Turrets don't need to animated, the engine provides a logic for that!
You just have to link,all subobjects that should move with your turret (eg the barrel) to the turret itself, then again in the "UnitINIs" there are entries called conditionstates.
Open AmericaVehicle.INI. search for the PaladinTank.
Then search for eg conditionstate = damaged.
You'll see various parameters beneath!
The model that should be used for that status of the unit,
also the animation (if there is one) and there are also verious parameters for bones that are used:
ParticleSysBone (for particle effects like explosions and smoke), WeaponLAunchBone(guess what this means) and so on,
also you'll find a parameter called "Turret="
There you'll have to put in the name of the subobject you want to become your turret (and you've linked the barrel to), that's it!

For the future I would suggest to download all tutorials from the download section first (and probably some from GenDev at Revora, too).
The questions you've had, have been answered many times before (not by me, I just tell you because you've started quite many threads in the last few days )

[willdud]

erm... no if you read my post count i have 3 posts (now) and if you count how many times i have posted in this one thread.... (the answer is three pal) youll see i havent made any threads in the last few days bar this one.

[AntiSocialKindaGuy]

I believe he was trying to highlight the power of the search function before posting a new topic.

On a side note, there is no need to make MyMod.big - just put the files in the correct folders.

[theliberator2005]

sorry, I thought, this thread was from goblinsleez, too.
But the tutorials are recommended.

[willdud]

im sorry could you explain the put all the right files in the right folders cos im having trouble making a .big that works.

[Alphathon]

ok, u can put files within the gens directory in folders. These must have certain names tho. W3D models go in <generals directory>/art/W3D, textures in <generals directory>/art/textures, inis in <generals directory>/data/ini, and OBJECT inis in <generals directory>/data/ini/object. The reason ur .bigs aren't working is probably coz the files inside the bigs also have 2 be in these folders (eg <.big>/art/W3D). U probably jus put them straight into the .big (I do appologise if I'm wrong)

[willdud]

And i can do this with files from data/INI? Even ones that i have extracted and changed?

Surley this will leave me with 2 of these files (the ones i changed and the origanals in the big file.) and the ones iv changed will be the ones that it reads?