CORE.LVL - Builder's discussion

[giftheck]

I want to get rid of the "0x" non-localization for my mod, is it possible to make a tool in the same vein as the Mission.lvl editor and Interface Editor by BattleBelk? I noticed BattleBelk had found pre-munged files for the Interface Tool (files seemingly not included with the mod tool), I was wondering if something similar can be done to make a custom core.lvl.

I've thought that this should be the thread to discuss ways of making changes to the main game's localization. BattleBelk has made a core.lvl utility that allows you to make new localizations possible. It's in early stages, so you're free to download and modify it to work.

http://files.filefront.com/corelvlzip/; ... einfo.html

How to use this:

-This makes a new core.lvl FOR USE AS A REPLACEMENT TO THE ORIGINAL GAME'S CORE.LVL. Backup the original core.lvl.
-To make new localizations, you will need to make a new ModID folder. Edit the localization in this modto whatever you want.
-Munge it. When it's done, enter your _BUILD_PC folder, go into "Common", "munged", and find all files with the extension ".loc".
-Copy these files into the "munged" folder of BattleBelk's core.lvl tool.
-Munge a new core.lvl. Replace the one in "GameData/Data/_LVL_PC" folder woith this new one.

[BattleBelk]

I treid it but didn't get exactly same "Locl" chunks and my game crashed

So currently you can edit localisation only by hex edit. Bellow link how its possible:

http://www.gametoast.com/forums/viewtop ... =1&t=13681

[giftheck]

I'm wondering if perhaps the BF2 Mod Tools could be manipulated into doing it.

[giftheck]

I've gotten one step closer, but we still do not know what is inside "core.lvl" exactly. The new one I made is 5.06MB and the game almost-works with it. The only problem is no font or loading ring, and no logo screens. The main menu is also dark, so I would assume there is still stuff missing from there.

[ANDEWEGET]

you could look in http://starwarsbattlefront.filefront.co ... rial;46828 this tut, there are somwhere all localization keys of the game

[giftheck]

I got the localizations, I have worked on a new tool to make a new core.lvl but it's incomplete. Thankks for the tut though, I could always use help. If we got this cracked it means we can actually localize mods meant for the whole game.

[giftheck]

I've ALMOST got a new core.lvl into the game. However, the screen is black. But I can still move the mouse, hear the sounds etc, but the menu and logos (as well as the loading bar) do not show at all. I BELIEVE it may be the fonts at fault since everything else I have is untouched (Psych0Fred said something about renaming fonts, perhaps he meant changing the fonts from the BF2 fonts back to the BF1 "AmarilloUSAF" fonts?)

Thanks to Psych0Fred (I think) for providing the original munged global SFX files for the core.lvl.

[Teancum]

Did you build a shell.lvl too? In SWBF2 all the menu UI was actually handled by the shell aside from fonts, localization and sounds.

[giftheck]

No, I don't have much of the contents of shell.lvl (only scripts and textures), so I did not attempt to build a new shell.lvl.

Right now, i got the fonts right for core.lvl but the screen stays black still. I am thinking it perhaps has something to do with the actual munge rather than the font (Psych0fred told me the FontEdit/FontMunge tools are the same as what would have been used in BF1). It does say it cannot find a file it needs, but not which file (it might be core.req, which I have copied to a dummy _BUILD_PC folder as well). I did reupload the file to Filefront, if you wanted to take a look:

http://postdownload.filefront.com/13514 ... 030e5ecb7a

Nevertheless, it doesn't crash the game, so it is a big step in the right direction. if we can get this finished, it might be useful for your XBox BF2 mod, no?

[BattleBelk]

Textures for fonts inside "font" chunks.

I think there wasnt req files for fonts. FontEdit.exe uses tga for generates "Bitmap Font Files (.fff)" and then FontMunge.exe munge it in ".font" files.

But problem is these tools FontEdit.exe or FontMunge.exe or both isn't compatible with swbf1.

In your tool I see fonts and shaders from swbf2, both isn't compatible and localisation chunks isnt same.

Bellow tool for build core.lvl from munged chunks (only LevelPack)
http://files.filefront.com/corelvlzip/; ... einfo.html

I have extracted textures from font chunks but didnt inlude in this tool

[giftheck]

Just tested my localizations in-game. That "localization strings" I found once will be very helpful in completing my localization (my current loc. doesn't have some menu objects). I've added to the core.lvl tool the _source_pc folder and Localize Edit tools.

EDIT: So, what's next? This leaves only "shell.lvl" untouched!

[Teancum]

@ BattleBelk -- can you share your 010 Editor scripts? I use 010 Editor too and would like to use it to extract SWBF2 Xbox's core.lvl and rebuild it.

[Maveritchell]

@ BattleBelk -- can you share your 010 Editor scripts? I use 010 Editor too and would like to use it to extract SWBF2 Xbox's core.lvl and rebuild it.

Not to derail or anything, but if you've got a way to decompile scripts into an actual readable .lua format, I'd love to get that. I lost some files recently and would love to recover some old scripts.

[BattleBelk]

not decompile but get munged lua chunks from lvl file

Below my scripts:
http://www.mediafire.com/?rqmm6liri3h1ma9

not for all chunks, only for texture, class, script, shader, font

[Teancum]

Thanks, BattleBelk. Hopefully I can figure out how to extract global.bnk from core.lvl.

@ Mav -- There's a command line tool out there called luadec.exe. That might do what you need it to.

[giftheck]

I should imagine some of BF2's shell LUAs work with BF1.

[Teancum]

Yeah, but the hard part is implementing them all in. Lua is pretty much the same across the board if it used the same version (4.0 for SWBF1, dunno about SWBF2). I'm sure some things won't work, but I was told that the menus were mostly lua driven like in SWBF2, so maybe you'll get lucky.

[giftheck]

But problem is these tools FontEdit.exe or FontMunge.exe or both isn't compatible with swbf1.

It might be "FontMunge". I doubt they needed to alter FontEdit at all. But considering Psych0Fred had the fonts, he must have had a way to munge them properly...

In your tool I see fonts and shaders from swbf2, both isn't compatible and localisation chunks isnt same.

I think there were two shipped localizations with the mod tool, one looks like it was for consoles and one for munging with the mod maps. Can't recall which one was which though. My localizations work but are incomplete (Noticeable on the options menus only, but that comes up with "[NULL]" instead of telling me what I need to add IE "ifs.controls.example"), but it works, no black screens and no game crashes otherwise. Perhaps I was using localization meant for the console versions...

[Teancum]

You can copy SWBF2's unmunged localizations as a start. That will cover a lot of stuff. Not everything by any stretch, but a lot.

[giftheck]

Thaks for the tip, I'll see what I can use from BF2's Localizations.