Problems with SF2...

[Wrench 9,816]

OK, finally bit the bullet and got my copy of SF2. So, obviously I want to add a couple of planes and make the MiGs flyable (and Su7 too.) Oh, and BTW, as you read this you'll see I'm more than a little pissed off...

 

So....following the usual procedures -hell, I WROTE the frakking tutorial on "how to" for the Classic Series...and

and g-d-f**king game keeps crashing out with an 'aircraftobject.dll' fault.

 

Ok, I says, lets got over this step by step....

 

move Ordway's cockpit folder, check

move the inis, check

open the inis and 'save as...' unicode, check

add the lines to the main aircraft ini, check

 

AND... the POS keeps crashing with the same dll fault.

checked for any missing items ... loadout is stock (Mig17F and 19S); no pilot changes as I've not figured out the crazy new extractor to pull the data inis --gods, we a single file extractor!!!!- add the sound files to a (newly) created /Sounds folder

 

So, I says to meself, lets try adding a complete aircraft, in this case, the NK Mig-15bis. No sweat, I think...copy folder to the mydocs/etc/blah/blah folder....open all the inis, save as unicode, create a /Decals folder, create a "MiG-15bis_NK" folder to drop the /D folder into (btw, do the skin bmps go there too???)

And guess what ... the same s**t happens!!!

 

So ... can one of our "experts" outline, IN DETAIL, the ENTIRE procedure for

 

1) Getting the AIs flyable with the addon pits we have and

2) Outline the procedure for adding aircraft.

 

with pictures, if possible for us dumb-s**ts.

 

Also, anyone tried running the old gundataini through the new gun editor???

 

I've been following all the threads, perhaps not a closly as I should have (as I was/am/still is hesitant about this "new" system - 7 years of learning how to do things right out the f***ing window ... so much more difficult the 'old' way ... a single aircraft folder with all the necessary parts right inside. Now, scattered to the 8 winds of Time and Space. Great step forward here...)

 

so, in essence the post is a Gigantic plea for

 

HELP!!!!!!

 

 

wrench

kevin stein

[GwynO 16]

Calm down mate! You'll get the hang of it! Just a few things I noticed from your post, this thing about saving in unicode, I don't think it is needed, I certainly haven't bothered with that at all and almost all of the aircraft I have dragged over into SFP2 work as is. The decals are a PITA, but what I do is make a folder inside the decals folder named after the aircraft in question, inside this I create folders named the same as the individual skin folders that come with the plane. You don't put any skin bitmaps in there, all you do is empty the contents of the D folder within the skin folder into the new, empty skin folder in the aircraft folder in the decals folder. Next go back into each skin folder inside the original aircraft, in your mods\objects\aircraft folder, and open the decals.ini you look for the lines that tell the game to look inside something\something\something\D\something e.g. A-5A/VAH7/d/Modex and you remove the \d\, that is all, so it becomes A-5A/VAH7/Modex.

 

Now just to check if the cockpit is what is snagging the port, just use the default A-4 pit like in the old days to see if that brings the plane to life in game. That thankfully is just as it always was, no need to copy over any cockpit files, they are all in the core cat files. I suspect it is something to do with the pit rather than the plane because 99% of everything I have sprinkled in has worked so far with the exception of pits that require certain files included in the old game not present in the new versions, but seems you are on the case with that. Check also that everything is named exactly as it is called in the ini's and lod files. It's worth opening the lod in notepad just to have a look with ctrl F for bmp check that the bmp files are named exactly the same, no lower upper case mismatches. It is a PITA admittedly but hopefully, once you isolate what is causing the problem it will reward you with a much much better total game experience.

[ndicki 22]

Kevin, aircraft inis are NOT unicode. Just do what you always do, and it'll work. Stop flapping! That's all I did.

 

Copy the cockpit folder and its ini out of the SFP1/WOX it's in into the appropriate aircraft folder. Update the ini by adding the cockpit lines, save WITHOUT CHANGING THE FORMAT, and off you go. In theory...

 

Have you got the new cat extractor? Don't extract the game's base files! They need to remain catted. Copy them to a save place instead, extract them there, and then you can copy-paste inis, lods, etc, the way you normally would. If I can figure it out, you certainly can!

[GwynO 16]

As for the crazy new extractor, it's not that hard to get used to. If you have a lot of space free somewhere it is worth taking a copy of every cat file from the game and dumping them into an empty folder, then put the extractor exe in the folder and drag each catfile one at the time onto the extractor exe icon, drag and drop. It opens a black box with some wizzing lines of text like ye olde dos days and proceeds to extract the entire contents of the cat file into a folder conveniently titled the same as the cat file right next to it. Delete the cat file as it is no longer required here, proceed until you have converted all cat files into folders. Have a look! It's well worth the effort, for example by looking in the aircraftobject.ini you will find a line stating allow gun unjam=FALSE simply turn to TRUE and save it into the relevant folder in your mods folder (objects in this case) and you won't be stuck with a jam in your gun if your gun has an unjam feature :yes: As for the gun editor, I have all the guns from all my various installs over the years, even the recoilless rifles from the Falklands mod, everything seems to be working so far. Same with the ground objects, everything works, just drop it in. Terrains also work as they did in the old games, however for those terrains that require WOE or WOI terrain cat, simply copy said terrain cat and drop it into the core game terrain folder, not the mods folder, the ini switch line will work then as it always did, so you have CatFile=..\GermanyCE\GermanyCE.CAT etc etc just the same as it always was.

 

The only real major PITA for porting is weapons, tanks and pilots, but KillerBee's ordnace shop is a major major step forward in that regard! Use it as a reference for how you add those things into the new game. Also the effects need some going over, not impossible by any means just a little tedious, but that's the same for everything in these games, from mod building to testing and now to porting. Once you get the hang of it, you will develop a coping strategy to take you through the tedium of repeating each process over and over again for each skin folder, effect, weapon... or like me you may just make do with a lot less in the game! I have trimmed out a lot of dead wood, planes I hardly ever used, some that didn't even work. Slowly but surely I am making my ultimate merged series one install, with only the planes and mods I really really like, everything else gets the chop. Once that is sorted, I will see to adding the cream of the crop over to series 2. Trouble is series 2 is addictive, the more time I spend in it the less I spend tidying up the series one installs!

 

Enjoy your repetitive stress disorder inducing porting/adjustment period as much as you can, and remember that at some point, it will all be worth it.

[GwynO 16]

Oh and also, if you have a clear.tga or some other similar thing representing glass in the cockpit folder, you must now drop a copy of it into every skin folder in the objects\aircraft folder (not the decals\aircraft folder)

[+Dave 2,322]

open the inis and 'save as...' unicode, check

add the lines to the main aircraft ini, check

 

WTF are you doing? Just add planes like normal.

[+Sundowner 4,813]

Non stock pilots & seats need their own folders too......just to add to the fun......dead easy m8.....

[ndicki 22]

It's "Terrains", BTW, not "terrain". That one had me wondering for a while.

 

You should end up with this structure:

 

Campaigns

Controls

Effects

Flight

Menu

MenuData

Missions

Objects

------Aircraft

------Decals

------GroundObject

------Guns

------Pilots

------Weapons

PilotData

ScreenShots

Sounds

Terrains

 

Much the same as WOX.

Meanwhile, if you move the entire mods folder to another place, leave the My Documents\ThirdWire\StrikeFighters2 there, with only Options.ini inside. There you can indicate the new path in the closing lines.

 

If you clone several installs, then it's easy enough just to swop the different Options.inis around to launch the one you want. Mine are:

 

For SF2 normal:

 

[Mods]

ModsEnabled=TRUE

Directory=E:\Program Files\ThirdWire\Mods\StrikeFighters2

 

[Version]

BuildDate=May 2009

 

[screenShots]

Directory=E:\Program Files\ThirdWire\Mods\StrikeFighters2\ScreenShots

Format=JPG

 

 

For WW2:

 

[Mods]

ModsEnabled=TRUE

Directory=E:\Program Files\ThirdWire\Mods\StrikeFighters2_WW2

 

[Version]

BuildDate=May 2009

 

[screenShots]

Directory=E:\Program Files\ThirdWire\Mods\StrikeFighters2_WW2\ScreenShots

Format=JPG

 

If you have a subfolder for each Options.ini, you can just copy/overwrite as you go.

Edited May 20, 2009 by ndicki

[+Stary 2,427]

TK has an idea of writing small launcher tools for users to select the current custom install, or new menu in game to do so, don't remember exactly.

[+Dave 2,322]

I put the pilots in their own folders and then put them in the aircraft folder. So my question is, does having a "pilots" folder in the "objects" folder work the same?

[ndicki 22]

That's how you're supposed to do it - with a dedicated folder in the objects folder. But it worked when I just threw them in with the aircraft, as in WOX, too - I think!

[JediMaster 451]

Remember, people, this isn't TK's fault...it's Vista's!!

[+331Killerbee 840]

I put the pilots in their own folders and then put them in the aircraft folder. So my question is, does having a "pilots" folder in the "objects" folder work the same?

 

Yes...The "Pilots" Folder works for Pilots, Seats and Pylons...A-4 Humps..ect.....

 

 

Guy's, The biggest Problem I found while getting Weapons to show was Naming Conventions. You'll have to check to see if the .LOD naming and .INI line up. For instance, F-4B.LOD and a entry of f-4b in the .INI will keep it from showing. If using Upper Case Letters, Use Upper Case and vice versa... Unicode .INI aren't nessary, But do help with loading. It'll make sense to You if the Game Engine doesen't have to read two different Encoding as opposed to one....But the Engine will read both.

 

The Naming Convention also applies to the "Pilot Method" of adding Pylons and Anionics Humps and such....Effects Ground Objects also.....Really, anything with an .LOD assigned....

 

 

331KillerBee

[+Dave 2,322]

Yes naming conventions are more important than ever. KB speaks the gospel.

 

Example:

 

AGM-130C_IR is no good. The wep editor will reject it (and not tell you). However this works fine, AGM-130CIR. It will recognize that.

[+331Killerbee 840]

Dave brings up a good Point.....The Game Engine doesn't like the "_" Entry anymore.....

 

Quick Edit: It'll use the "_" for some Aircraft Names, But that's about it.....

Edited May 20, 2009 by 331Killerbee

[Wrench 9,816]

I"m on XP, if that's any help...

 

but this keeps happening too... (1st screenie)

 

every time I save an ini.... and even with deleting the 'adjusted' MiG15bis and just dropping in the other, it crashes. (see 2nd shot) -- I just took these, it's current.

 

I'm absolutely clueless as what happening here...

 

wrench

kevin stein

[+331Killerbee 840]

Sure sign that You are missing something related to the Mig-15bis_NK. If it's of any help, I used to get a Message Box stating a problem with "MissileObject.dll" when working with Weapons. It was the Pod Weapons. I had to add the Rocket/Submunition first, before the Pod to make the Message Box go away.....

 

As for the nt.dll Message......That one has Me stumped....

Edited May 20, 2009 by 331Killerbee

[MigBuster 2,884]

this happens with any ini?

 

What program are you using? - does it crash in Notepad, Word and Wordpad? -

[GwynO 16]

I thought I recognised this error message from before my HD crash... not wanting to alarm you BUT BACK THE F UP NOW!!!!!!!!!!! Reasons for this error message

[Wrench 9,816]

yah, the nt one pops up fairly rarely ... mostly get a crash due to 'explorer.exe', as I leave the damn thing open all the time ... I'm pretty sure this maching needs a striping and reinstall of the OS (maybe???) but it's stable everywhere else. And yes, I'm always alarmed -- Natural Jewish Paranoia ™

 

Using genric notepad, like I always have. BTW, just before the nt crash, I was able to save the Mig17F ini pointing to the A-4Bs cockpit, and it does work. Albeit far misplaced...

 

But I don't see any reason why Ordway's pits, inis, etc DON'T ... if others are getting them to work. Other than simply missing something...

 

maybe XP sp2 just don't like unicode??? Or at least my machine.

 

wrench

kevin stein

[+331Killerbee 840]

But I don't see any reason why Ordway's pits, inis, etc DON'T ... if others are getting them to work. Other than simply missing something...

 

If Ordway's Pit is using 1st Generation .LOD's and Textures from the WOX Series, You'll need a copy of all related Files in the Mig's Cockpit Folder. A SF2 A-4 Pit .LOD won't work unless all of it's Files is being used.

[Wrench 9,816]

Exactly what I did ... copied the ENTIRE cockpit folder for the Fagot ( ), with all the bits inside -- bmps, tgas,lods, etc.

 

still no go.

 

I'm going to extract all the Phantom bits, and see what happens with the F-4N...just for gigles. Like l'm not getting frustrated enough...

 

wrench

kevin stein

[GwynO 16]

yah, the nt one pops up fairly rarely ... mostly get a crash due to 'explorer.exe', as I leave the damn thing open all the time ... I'm pretty sure this maching needs a striping and reinstall of the OS (maybe???) but it's stable everywhere else. And yes, I'm always alarmed -- Natural Jewish Paranoia

 

Using genric notepad, like I always have. BTW, just before the nt crash, I was able to save the Mig17F ini pointing to the A-4Bs cockpit, and it does work. Albeit far misplaced...

 

But I don't see any reason why Ordway's pits, inis, etc DON'T ... if others are getting them to work. Other than simply missing something...

 

maybe XP sp2 just don't like unicode??? Or at least my machine.

 

wrench

kevin stein

 

Ah sp2.. now that might be something to look at, there was a problem with ntdll.dll between sp1 and sp2, I had a look and several forum threads mentioned it around that time, apparently it wasn't entirely fixed by the early beta sp2, so maybe you need to get sp3?

 

When you say misplaced, like how? I found the ARN-101 pit was back to front and on zooming in slightly, turns upside down. Very strange, that the one exceptional case I found so far that I couldn't get to work. I will have a try with ordways pit later tonight or early morning (00:00 here), there must be a solution somewhere.

[Wrench 9,816]

I should have clarifed ... by 'misplaced' I should have said 'displaced'...the pilot position dosn't match with the external model. In using the Scooter pit, you have this for the position:

 

Position=0.0,4.437,0.658

 

when it should be this:

 

Position=0.0,2.50, 0.73

 

been trying to edit the ini, but it keeps crashing out.

 

so, i've been spening ALLL day zipping and backing s**t up, just in case I want to try a 'repair OS install' or some other insane action Mabye I should start pricing a larger, newer HD....just in case.... 1 terabyte should be ok for a week or 2...

 

btw, other than the decals not showing on the F-4N (and crashing when I try to edit the decals ini and move the decals to a folder it won't let me create --crash--), it work perfectly with all the WoE extracted bits for the cockpti and aircraft lods.

I"m gonna try to edit it OUTSIDE the folder, then move it back in. Flys great, too!

 

wrench

kevin stein

[GwynO 16]

Your symptoms there are bringing back some awful memories, this is exactly the kind of behaviour (explorer not letting me copy to folder, move to folder etc) that occurred on my previous laptop with the ntdll.dll fault first followed by ntldr is missing error message by which time the click had already started. Knowing what I know now from that experience, I can only advise that you back up everything and anything you need from that hard drive to other media. That laptop ended up meeting Mr. Ground at high velocity and thereby busting the screen from sheer desperation and frustration (almost half my gf's masters dissertation was lost) I repaired the screen on the cheap but the drive itself was to blame, after reinstalling the OS, only a matter of months later the click returned and I faced the same problem all over again thus loosing all my work files, mods and pictures. Luckily that time I was prepared and began to back up sooner.