Alpha Centauri 2

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri & Alien Crossfire => Modding => Topic started by: Dewbacca on September 11, 2018, 03:38:05 PM

Title: File types and good programs to open them
Post by: Dewbacca on September 11, 2018, 03:38:05 PM

I had another post titled similar, but that topic focused more on Unity Supply pods.  :P

I will make a listing here in a later edit of this first post, including any information that carries over from the original post or is added by the community in this post.

What I'm looking for are lists of all of the file types used by SMAC/ SMAX, and what programs you have used to open/ edit them.

.txt and .ico are easy targets but you may have your own favorite editor for these programs, and here will be an organized way to share that with the community.

A free text editor that is VERY powerful that I use is called Notepad ++:
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/

 

Title: Re: File types and good programs to open them
Post by: bvanevery on September 11, 2018, 04:25:40 PM

Lists, no idea, but I can tell you what I actually use.

My text editor is SciTE (https://scintilla.org/SciTE.html).  I'm aware of Notepad++.  SciTE has a comparable level of pedigree and track record.

I use GIMP (https://www.gimp.org/) to fiddle with 2d game artwork.  It understands the goofy SMAC image format.  It's how I've made my forum avatars, and the PIC message icon you see on this post.  I am cheating, or recursive: there is no PIC to see except the PIC itself.   8)  Remember: Chairman Yang is watching you.

I use Paint 3D on Windows 10 to save my screenshots for my After Action Reports.  It's faster than bothering with GIMP.  GIMP is good for precise work.  For AARs, I don't do elaborate cropping anymore because it takes way too much time.  I just chuck screenshots into storage.  On rare occasions I may do some cropping, and Paint 3D is adequate for that.

The .cvr files contain the 3D voxel geometry of the units.  I don't know of any free program to edit that geometry.  There's a program for applying textures to them, I forget its name.  I'm not clear on how I'd incorporate new .cvr files into the game, I think it would take .exe patching.  I don't see any need to modify the existing 3d unit artwork, that's firmly in "why would I ever bother?" territory.  Related to this, is how I would add a new chassis to the game, like short range missiles vs. ICBMs.  They would need new settings too: an ICBM would ideally just drop out of orbit and destroy something, instead of needing to be flown to target.  This area of the game, has proven to me how important it is to not use proprietary formats or hardwired binary code, over the long haul of a game's life.

Title: Re: File types and good programs to open them
Post by: Shannonz on September 19, 2018, 04:08:06 AM

I would like to know about the knowledge within this site whether the data is actually shared or not because I want to change the information.

Title: Re: File types and good programs to open them
Post by: Maximus Thalos on November 04, 2018, 10:51:45 PM

There is an ancient set of tools I use to poke around in basic files that was originally meant for C&C Tiberian sun. Makes browsing the AC directory slightly easier. Its called XCC Mixer. You can browse pcx and text files and play wavs. and peak into some files not recognized that give little hints about whats in them.

Title: Re: File types and good programs to open them
Post by: ars_belli on June 09, 2019, 01:35:57 PM

How can I open (or better, edit) the WVE special project files?  I've tried VLC, Media Player Classic and Winamp, none of which support the file type.