Benefits of unpacking the CAT files?

[atuhalpa 0]

Why would a person unpack the CAT files?

 

 

[Guest rscsjsuso5]

my answer is - to either tweak or edit data for a loadout of some sort or to make a certain plane better or more advanced , example if you fly a red baron plane and it only has guns but you also want to use bombs to hit ground targets then you need to unpack the cat to edit and repack and thus the testing and experimenting.

[+Tailspin 3]

Without the ability to unpack the .CAT files you wouldn't be able to mod the sim.

[Guest Raden]

Why would a person unpack the CAT files?

 

 

 

In my case, this was what I did long ago only AFTER I READ the KB, and got some explanation of a senior member/modder here, who said that there is no way we can make any change to the CAT files. It serves just like a huge tools box where we can find some particular objects (or "sub-objects" I would say) or files/"sub-files".

 

 

For example, again this is in MY case and what I did in either WOI or WOE last time when I wanted to know what ARE inside of some STOCK planes/jets.

 

In either WOE or WOI, and I refer to the games in my CDs (I did not DL them), all of the AIRCRAFTs in it do not contain essential (for light mod, for example after we DL some add-ons/weapons from third parties, to LOAD which NEW weapons/ missiles or guided bombs to which aircraft) files, like the aircraft_LOADOUT(s).

 

For instance, check it out by urself IF u like me also had been using WOE/WOI in CDs, the F-4E Phantom or the F-16 NETZ belong to the Israelis DO NOT contain LOADOUTS for weapons.

 

Hence, my extracting the CAT (ObjectData dot CAT). The extracted files are HUGE that I was compelled to DELETE it after I copied some really essential dot INIs files for some jets/planes I used.

 

The new knowledge I gained, is "snow-balling" tho.

 

Next, I did several WHAT IF(s) that now I am able to really tweaked some of my favorite missiles for far enhanced capability.***

 

May I repeat, this is what I DID as a Newbie. So, I just wish to SHARE it with u.

 

I had been thinking that we can make any CHANGE to the dot CAT file to our liking. We CANNOT do that. What we tweaked in some files in it will NOT affect the "Original" CAT files.

 

And I am here referring only to one single CAT file, namely, the ObjectData.CAT

 

***

The Skies the limit -- to me. 

For instance, as a newbie I know nothing about serious modding. Yet, for the past three or four months, I have ARM missiles that is in fact for strictly Air-to-Ground targets -- to be used to drop some planes that were flying not supersonic. 

 

I can now have also near-Nuke effect in some of my LGB smart bombs, i.e. by CHANGING one of the statements in the Weapondata dot ini. -- from the default MediumBombEffect to VeryLargeBombEffect, and INCREASING the value in its EXPLOSIVE.

 

One of the results:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 3, 2010 by Raden

[jomni 6]

Without the ability to unpack the .CAT files you wouldn't be able to mod the sim.

 

For series 2 Thirdwire sims, you don't need to extract the .cat files.

Just keep on adding mod files in the mod folders.

 

But for hardcore modders if you really want to look at what's under the hood and tweak them or use as a reference, then that's another story.

Edited March 3, 2010 by jomni

[+Tailspin 3]

Well, without an .ini file to go by you have no idea of the format or terminology needed to create a new modified one. The only way to get an original is to extract one. If you are using already modded files then of course you don't need to extract the originals but somewhere down the line someone did.

[jomni 6]

Well, without an .ini file to go by you have no idea of the format or terminology needed to create a new modified one. The only way to get an original is to extract one. If you are using already modded files then of course you don't need to extract the originals but somewhere down the line someone did.

 

Yup that's the "other story" that I'm talking about.