Total MODder V1.2 Released (Build 120.15 - Aug 29th)
New All-in-one MODding solution for IL-2
We have been using the JSGME for a long time for MODding the IL-2. It is a pretty basic tool, basically a File Copier with Backup and nothing else. It is something generic, not made specifically for our game, it overwrites files that could make you lost something you don't have in any other place, etc. Basically every big MOD was hold at least twice in our disks, and in a conscious analysis it is quite inefficient.
To make it really useful, I integrated to it the functions that the Il-2 Selector designed by Storebror provided, as you can see above. So now from a single program console we can:
-MOD your game, adding or removing MODs by dragging and dropping.
-Select the order of loading them (this is a big improvement respect of JSGME and direct MODS, etc, folders)
-Adjust the memory settings of your Il-2 program
-Edit directly configuration files from a single folder (see instructions for it), no complex tree with splited configuration files, everything now can be concentrated.
V1.2 corrects some bugs found by some users regarding il2fb.exe and il2fbPAL.dll creation. In page 4 of this thread are detailed new multi-profile external launching options since this version (and new Shortcut creation feature).
In (Build 120.15 - Aug 29th) some small bugs were corrected and improved functions in the management of the profiles. Now they are wutomatically sorted anytime.
First the beginning:
-This Total MODder requires to work with a wrapper for the game which ONLY READS CACHED INFORMATION. I mean: you cannot load the game in any other way that with the wrapper (called il2fbPAL.dll) it needs to operate. None of the Files, MODs, #DBW, #UP# contents will be loaded directly except you specifically add those contents as MODs through the Total MODder.
-I think that the most reasonable way of using it is placing the il2fbMODder.exe program in the Main Il-2 folder. With the activation it will made (except you exclude it) a backup of your previous il2fb.exe and will write the proper changes to the il2fb.exe and create a wrapper called il2fbPAL.dll required for the program to work.
-All the information for the Total MODder is stored in its il2fbMODder.ini.
In the picture you are seeing a typical setting for a flawless configuration of the DBW. There are no buttons (I don't mean buttons files, I'm speaking about Windows Buttons in the GUI), so everything is managed by drags and drops now (there are too many things in the screen, that's why). First you have to configure your MODs folder (which is the place where you are supposed to have all your MODding stuff). I made the program to be 100% compatible with previous jsgme folders, as you can see in the picture.
Now you can set the order of the folders in the right view. That's very important! You can see the last folder chosen which is the contents of the MOD Activator for the DBW. I mean: the DBW_MODAct folder I created is where I placed all the #DBW directory of the distribution package of the Dark Blue World. Exactly the same should be done for UP3.
And as you can see I left this DBW_MODAct folder in the last position, because it's the base over what all the rest of the MODs will be loaded. You can Add descriptions by double clicking over the description cell!
So later you add all the rest of the MODs you want. Once finished, you have to click on Activate Profile button. It will create an il2fb.mods file in the root of the Il-2 game (if you have properly set the Root Folder), and if you have the corresponding wrapper (il2fbPAL.dll) this program, you can load your game from inside or just using the typical Icon in your desktop. You only need the MODder to establish the configuration, later you don't need to open it anymore (like JSGME let's say).
Another important thing is what you see in this second screen. There is a fundamental checkbox, which is default active and says "Auto Recognize Files / MODs... (JSGME style)". It's to make possible to just read your JSGME folder without having to copy a single file or reordering anything.
Going to the menu Tools / Special Folders, you see what you are seeing in the second screen. You can modify those setting for the session, but the program still doesn't preserve them in the .ini. I hope you will understand what everything means. Basically the idea is:
-There are 1st level contents: a Folder you downloaded from SAS and you place now in your MODding directory of the Total MODder.
-There are 2nd level contents: a Folder belonging to a JSGME installation that had a Files folder to be copied over your original one.
-There are 3rd level contents: a MODs, #DBW, #UP# which have inside other folders that contains MODs.
And finally this is my preference, I made an exclusion list of things that will not be loaded even present (typical example are the documentation folders of the JSGME MODs).
At the top of the Main Screen you see the profiles, that you can Add (kind of copy with a new name), Rename or Delete. The last one used is the next will be opened.
What it doesn't do: copy anything. Yes, it doesn't copy any contents by brute force method, it will never be the responsible of you having overwritten anything important. It's a gentleman!
What could be a problem as a consequence of the last: some MODs that have the custom of overwriting contents in the Root folder, i.e. change standard .SFSs by other ones. They are not so common and it isn't a good practice, but in that case you have to proceed the manual way.For the future: the idea is implementing the rest of the things you can see at the Tools menu.
Please: I took a long time writing the ReadMe.pdf that you will find in the .rar. It covers all the important topics about the features of the program and how to configure it. Please read it. The last page has a very important Step by Step on how to make DBW to work and be activated with this.Let me know how it works for you.
Regards,
Pablo
Author
Topic: New MODding Tool: Total MODder V1.2 (Build 120.15 - Aug 29th) (Read 59375 times)
