The big 'how do you add new units?' question [split]

[Aerodude]

Excuse me people, but I'm a newbie in the modding industry, but I really want a program that you can use to make new units, skins and portraits (possibly abilities as well, but that isn't a must.) Anything you can recommend?

[UED77]

Hey, Welcome to WB!

First of all, constructing a new unit is impossible. You can only modify existing ones, but don't worry, there are plenty of unused units. Arsenal III changes the properties of the game units by manipulating the arr\units.dat file.

StarGraft will let you make a "memory patch" for StarCraft, and it allows you to assign command buttons and orders to your new unit.

StarCraft doesn't use skins and models. That's WarCraft III. StarCraft uses multi-page compressed bitmaps called .grp's. A program called RetroGRP will let you convert between windows bitmaps (.bmp) and grp's (.grp). In case you design a new sprite from scratch instead of replacing one, use TBLpad to edit arr\images.tbl and Arsenal III to edit arr\images.dat to enter the new file so StarCraft can use it. You should edit the tbl first, then the images.dat, then assign the sprite to your unit in Arsenal III.

Portraits work kinda like sprites, but the files are .smk (Smaker Video, click for link (http://www.radgametools.com/)), size 60x56, 256 color, 10 frames with 10 frames per sec. You can record your videos or draw the individual frames in an image program, then make a movie out of it, then convert it to Smacker. You will have to modify the arr\portdata.tbl and then arr\portdata.dat. Then you assign the portraits to your unit.

Altho I did my best to answer your questions, I'm not a modder, so you should wait until BSTRhino or StealthyDeath confirmes that what I'm saying is right.

UED77

[StealthyDeath]

Most of what you said was right UED77. Only the images.dat is used for adding overlays and underlays. Instead of using the portraits.dat you can just change in the units.dat. If you're changing an advisor portrait, then you would use portdata.dat file. Also adding graphics/sounds/portraits instead of replacing cannot be done.

[Geckat]

Can you screw up existing units, like making an Infested Kerrigan that shoots Glave Wurms and the portrait is a Cerebrate?

[StealthyDeath]

You can do that, but if you gave it an air attack without modifying the iscript.bin, then it would crash when told to attack an air unit.

[Zerg-King]

[Can i join the conversation?...Good.I am a new new new newbie and dont even know how to make anything.Could ANYONE help?

[BSTRhino]

Arghhh... http://www.starcraft.org/customs/faq_novice.asp

To add a completely new unit, you have to take the long journey of being a complete newbie to custom making to an absolute expert. That is because adding a new unit requires you to know how to use every single program available to custom makers. The process is too long to explain here.

Adding a purely new unit is not really that hard, but you've got to know your stuff, so I would estimate it's about three to six months worth of learning. If you're going to ask the people on the forums lots of questions on how to do this, one tip is to be very specific. Adding a new unit requires knowledge in about ten or eleven different custom making programs, each one with its own details. So asking questions such as 'how do I add a new unit?' is too broad and you're highly unlikely to get useful help.


You can help us help you if you're specific with your questions.

[Geckat]

o....k scratch that.

[KoldFusionn]

You can do that, but if you gave it an air attack without modifying the iscript.bin, then it would crash when told to attack an air unit.
AH HA! thats how u do that, I knew i wasnt Thinkin of somethin.... thanks man