Is there a tutorial on merging .dats?

Dreaded Porcupine · February 16, 2014, 02:52:12 AM

My old computer crashed a few years ago and I just quit playing FFvsTTR. I'm trying to get back into it. I managed to recover all my meshes, mods, files and so forth. I'm trying to set it up just like I had it. I went to AlexFF and loaded everything in the right order. I need to merge some files using FFedit and I can't remember how to do it. I got Fx and voice packs that I need to merge. I have my old .dat files from my previous computer and I just need to merge them after installing ffx 3.3. Is there a tutorial out there? Any help would be appreciated it. I've been trying to figure this out for two hours now and if anything I've corrupted files and will probably have to start all over again. My buddy retrieved everything from my old hard drive. I just need to put it all back together the way it was.

Cyber Burn · February 16, 2014, 03:13:03 AM

http://frp.unlimited2.net/how-to-merge-dats/#more-1555

Dreaded Porcupine · February 16, 2014, 03:35:48 AM

You are awesome! I'm to tired to do it tonight but tommorrow I hope I'm back in business. Thanks!

Cyber Burn · February 16, 2014, 04:17:40 AM

Not a problem, the pics are missing, but it should still be helpful.

Dreaded Porcupine · February 19, 2014, 02:03:30 AM

OK frustration has totally set in. I got the dat files merged but when i go to create a new character none of them are there to choose from. I see them in the editor in the fx tab. I loaded ffvsttr then i skipped ezfx, then ffx 3.2, then ffx 3.3, then all the custom fx to the folders. Then I merged the dat files. Sound and ffx. My FFEdit now will not open. Something with a .dll file. I had to load the original game just to get the editor. I am on my third time of uninstalling and reinstalling everything. Do I need ezfx? I have all the files in one folder with more fx, sounds, etc and dat files combined including all the ezfx stuff from years ago. What am I doing wrong? I still have to install all the voice packs. All my custom meshes. Hero files. I can't get past phase 1.

Cyber Burn · February 19, 2014, 03:27:57 AM

I'm not really a tech guy, but maybe it's the order that you installed things in. I recently had to do a re-install, and here is the order that I did things in. I haven't had any issues yet, so maybe this will help you out.

1. Base game
2. FFvt3R Mod Tools
3. Super Hero TV
4. EZFX 6.0
5. FFX 3.3
6. PFX 1.2
7. DotNetFx (.NET Framework Version 1.1.4322) *If Neeeded/May Have Compatibility Issues*
8. EZ Nif_V20

Dreaded Porcupine · February 19, 2014, 04:05:12 PM

I've been out of the loop. Wasn't aware of Pfx 1.2 of EZ Nif_V20. I will try and find these and start all over. I guess I should surf the board and see what else has come out since i've been gone. Thanks again. Hopefully I can find this stuff and try again.

Cyber Burn · February 20, 2014, 04:11:24 AM

The EZ NIF is the NIF Converter that converts Meshes for use with FFvt3R. It is located here: http://www.alexff.com/eznif.php

You may also want Alex's Hero Tool: http://www.alexff.com/ezhero.php

But when I was doing my re-install, I forgot to write down where this went on the list.

spydermann93 · February 20, 2014, 04:50:43 AM

EZ Tools can be installed at any point, really.

The only EZ item that needs to be installed at a specific time is EZ FX, but you've already included that

Dreaded Porcupine · February 20, 2014, 11:57:36 PM

I have it all installed. I just have to find all my hero files. I need the pathway to where they get installed. I used to keep a short cut on my desk top. That short cut was saved but no longer works. I don't know if i still have these. I still have everything else. M25. Other mods, etc. I'm hoping to find the hero files so I dont have to custmize hundreds of characters. Also i had an Fx for the porcupine. Cone fx I believe for shooting quills. I can't find that anywhere. That was the last fx I installed on my old computer. I thought I saved a copy but didn't. All my other fx was in a separate folder I kept for back ups in case the game files got corrupted. I used two different hero tools to customize characters. Its all a blur but it's slowly coming back to me.

Dreaded Porcupine · February 21, 2014, 02:06:58 AM

I'm frustrated now. I loaded all my fx and sounds into both the ffvsttr data folder and ffx folders. Couldn't remember which to load to. Merged the .dats to both folders as well and nothing. I know they merged someplace because it took a few seconds. I go to create a custom character and no custom powers. Not even Alex's EZfx. Just the generic powers. I did notice there are locks on the sound and fx.dats in the ffvsttr folder. The dats on my desktop are much larger files. I look at the ffvsttr dats and they are smaller after I merge. I merge to the ffvsttr dats and then write from my desktop dats second. What am I doing wrong? And I know have hero files. I just can't find the damn things in my storage drive. Any help would be appreciated. I'm not a computer whiz.

Cyber Burn · February 21, 2014, 09:39:08 PM

I haven't set up any Hero Files on my new PC yet, mainly because I am still waiting to get my files back from my old PC, and I want to see if they were able to salvage my Hero Files. However, I did find these Paths pasted onto a word document. I believe that this was from my Vista, so I don't know about Windows 7 or 8.

C:\Users\(user_name)\AppData\Local\Irrational Games\Freedom Force vs the 3rd Reich\Custom\Heroes

C:\Documents and Settings\(user_name)\Local Settings\Application Data\Irrational Games\Freedom Force vs the 3rd Reich\Custom\Heroes

As for your Dat problem, Benton's DCUG Mod and his Marvel Adventures Mod (I believe) should have tons of Powers, FX, Sounds, etc., maybe check those out to see if you could replace your original Dat files with those. But as always, back up your original files first.

I may not have my files from my old PC, but I do have some back up disks, I'll try to check this weekend to see if I have a porcupine FX.

spydermann93 · February 21, 2014, 09:49:23 PM

If you'd like, I can upload all of the FX and sounds that I have for my personal mod.

It is all of the FX that I've collected over the years from dozens of sources, and I'd like to think that I've collected quite a decently sized library.

All it will require for you to install it is a simple drag-and-drop.

EDIT: It does include quite a good number of the FX from FRP2 as well as EZFX6.0, among a number of other things.

Dreaded Porcupine · February 22, 2014, 12:23:01 AM

My fx and sound files are fine. It must be my dat files. I must have saved the wrong dat files. I put everything in one large back up that I kept separate on my old hard drive. I have to have the right dat files in there. I have to open up what I have and see what is in there. I saved everything. Mods, skins, meshes, maps, etc. Let me look further and if no luck I will take up your offers and suggestilons. I still have to find my hero files. I had hundreds customized. There is no way I'm starting from scatch. That took me years to do all that. Fortunately I have every mesh, skin and fx I collected. I'll give it another whirl this weekend and see what happens.

Cyber Burn · February 22, 2014, 04:13:30 PM

Quote from: Dreaded Porcupine on February 22, 2014, 12:23:01 AM
I still have to find my hero files. I had hundreds customized. There is no way I'm starting from scatch. That took me years to do all that. Fortunately I have every mesh, skin and fx I collected.

I definitely feel for you there, I had hundreds of Hero Files, and I really don't want to start from scratch. Since I had multiple custom characters folders, having to start over would be such a pain to set them back up and redirect the Mesh/Skin paths to all the different folders I had.

Dreaded Porcupine · February 22, 2014, 08:25:03 PM

The FX is installed. I just took out the fx and sound dat files from the Data and Fx folders and replaced them with my old dat files and it worked. All my old Fx are restored. I cannot find a custom hero file folder though to install all my collected meshes and skins. I have windows 7. I wish I had my old computer. I know my old hero files are hidden somewhere and I'm going to find the damn things. Where do I load all my custom meshes at again? I don't remember that part either. I'm trying to navigate to where the custom slowball guy is. I get the meshes in and the voice packs installed then all I have to do is find my custom hero files and I'm good to go. I have all my old M25AI files somewhere as well. Saw them somewhere earlier in the week and now I can't find those either. I should have taken a computer class years ago. All this hidden hard to navigate stuff.

Dreaded Porcupine · February 22, 2014, 08:38:02 PM

Figured out where the custom meshes go. Going to start loading those. Next will be the voice packs. I still have all of USAgents and Taskmasters hero files. I guess I'll start from scratch. I don't have the hero tool like I thought. I'll have to track that down. I remember using that a lot when I created hero files.

Cyber Burn · February 22, 2014, 11:02:19 PM

I'm not sure which Hero Tool you were using, but there are 3 that I know of:

Alex's which I already posted a link for.

Mic's: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/mic_ffstuff/info

Mr. Bordo's: I don't know if it's located online anywhere, it would probably have to be E-Mailed your way.

spydermann93 · February 23, 2014, 02:00:15 AM

Quote from: Cyber Burn on February 22, 2014, 11:02:19 PM
I'm not sure which Hero Tool you were using, but there are 3 that I know of:

Alex's which I already posted a link for.

Mic's: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/mic_ffstuff/info

Mr. Bordo's: I don't know if it's located online anywhere, it would probably have to be E-Mailed your way.

Yeah, if you want Mr.Brdo's tool, just drop me an e-mail and I can send it your way.

I prefer Mr.Brdo's tool due to the greater customization that it has (I mean no disrespect to Abenavides' EZHero Tool; that's great, too).

Dreaded Porcupine · February 23, 2014, 02:59:20 AM

I found Mr Bordo's tool. That's the one I used. I'm just going silver age for now. I don't have a classic Human Torch. Just Ink's mesh. Anyone know where I can find a silver age classic torch? I thought I had a VX_torch or something like that but there is no clear link to those VX meshes. And did anyone ever mesh the original Crimson Dynamo? Always wanted that mesh. I have the modern one. He just doesn't fit the silver age theme.

Cyber Burn · February 23, 2014, 03:45:50 AM

I had set up some Yahoo Groups for Vertex's VX Meshes a while back after NPI went down, but I don't remember which group the Torch Meshes are in. In addition to the regular Torch Meshes, he also Meshed some that were FFvt3R specific.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Vertex_Meshes_01/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Vertex_Meshes_02/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Vertex_Meshes_03/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Vertex_Meshes_04/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Vertex_Meshes_05/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Vertex_Meshes_06/

As for the Crimson Dynamo, I'd need to see a Pic as a reminder as to what the Silver Age version looked like.

Dreaded Porcupine · February 23, 2014, 03:57:20 AM

Thanks for the links Cyber.[/img][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Crimson_Dynamo_Armor_MK_I.jpg][/img]. Trying to get you an image on my kindle.

Cyber Burn · February 23, 2014, 04:09:18 AM

Yeah, to my knowledge, that version has never been created for FF.

Dreaded Porcupine · February 23, 2014, 07:08:24 PM

Damn windows 7. Now I can't get FF, FFvs TTR or FFX to run. Now it is saying incompatible and it goes online to search for problem. What the hell? It was working fine last night.

Dreaded Porcupine · February 23, 2014, 09:12:57 PM

Got it working again. I downloaded the Tommyboy Masters of Evil Black Knight and horse but it's not all showing up. Only parts of him. I remember this from years ago. Just don't remember how to correct it. I converted the character nif and keyframe. Any suggestions?

spydermann93 · February 27, 2014, 12:11:20 AM

Quote from: Dreaded Porcupine on February 23, 2014, 09:12:57 PM
Got it working again. I downloaded the Tommyboy Masters of Evil Black Knight and horse but it's not all showing up. Only parts of him. I remember this from years ago. Just don't remember how to correct it. I converted the character nif and keyframe. Any suggestions?

What parts aren't showing up, exactly?

Cyber Burn · February 27, 2014, 12:48:25 AM

I don't have all my FF stuff set up yet, so I don't have the Mesh loaded, but possibilities are: Alpha Issues, TGA files may need to be converted to DDS, or a bad download/corrupt file.

Could you post a screenshot of what you're seeing, that might help.

spydermann93 · February 27, 2014, 01:01:53 AM

Quote from: Cyber Burn on February 27, 2014, 12:48:25 AM
I don't have all my FF stuff set up yet, so I don't have the Mesh loaded, but possibilities are: Alpha Issues, TGA files may need to be converted to DDS, or a bad download/corrupt file.

Could you post a screenshot of what you're seeing, that might help.

That is a very good possibility.

If you need me to, Porcupine, I can upload the one that I have and send it to you. It's converted for FFvtTR and all of that good stuff.

Dreaded Porcupine · February 27, 2014, 01:40:54 AM

I'd appreciate it spydermann. I'll PM you my email address.

News:

Is there a tutorial on merging .dats?