02-04-2002 23:57									#1
	Installing custom units Full PM-box? Change here!

Installing new units is a right royal pain in the a*se.
It just is. Either that, or I'm just being stupid. Anyone who's read my two other threads in the Help section will know that I've been messing around with pcx files, civlopedia icons and whatnot in order to add other people's custom units. Since my game had been modded already (new leaderheads, rules changes, etc.) I decided to go back to basics and reinstall Civ3. So, I now had a fresh install and I could start again.

I used the Multi-Tool to copy the Marine unit and rename it to Grunt. I then opened Civmod.bic and lo and behold there was the new unit complete with Marine icon. So far so good. I changed the attack & defense attributes to 10 & 6 and gave it Hidden Nationality. The new unit had no requirments so as to be able to build it from the off ( in order to test it).

Now, the Multi-Tool had automatically created a new unit folder (Art\Units\Grunt), complete with it's own Grunt.ini - which referenced all the appropriate .flcs and.wavs from the marine. That's al I did, I swear. No messing around with the civlopedia, civlopedia icons or pcx files. Nor did I copy any files to that folder. But, as soon as I build my first city -

"Civilization3.e.exe has generated errors and will be closed by windows"

And then I tore some of my hair out. Somebody help me please.

Last edited by zulu9812 on 11-04-2002 at 21:37

	03-04-2002 00:44									#2
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

Did you restart the re-installed game before you added the unit? When I get into these kind of problems (in general) I try to get back to where I started from (thats why I suggested the re-install). Adding the unit in that way should definitely not have caused any crashes.

Did you totally uninstall civ prior to installing or did you re-install (I dont know that it makes a difference, I'm just throwing out a thought for you to consider).

I was thinking (but didnt want to say before) that it sounds like windows is having the problem. I've had a variety of "minor" civ3 rejections but I never saw the windows reference. As a matter of fact CIV3 doesnt run in windows why would it have a problem? What windows version are you running?

	07-04-2002 14:49									#3
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Ok - SpencerH, my version of Windows is Windows 2000 with full updates. The game ran fine when I deketed the custom unit, so the changes I made by adding a unit caused the game to crash as soon as I built my first city.

I wasn't really getting anywhere, so I tried a different method. The Alien Legacy Mod uses MS-DOS batch files to install custom units, civlopedias, etc. into tour civ3 directory. When I played this mod, all the new units worked fine and the game did not crash. So it must have been me doing something wrong.

Since these units obviously work, I tried taking one of these units and putting it in a normal game. I backed up everything I could think of that had something do with Mobile Infantry ( a kind of futuristic battle-mech thingy) - the civlopedia.txt, pediaicons.txt, large and small civlopedia unit icons, units_32.pcx, the units folder itself. I then uninstalled Civ3, restarted, deleted the Infogrames Interactive folder and restarted again.

I then did a full install of Civ3 and updated it with the two patches. I then put all the relevant Mobile Infantry files back to where they are supposed to go in the civ3 directory, confirming overwrites. I used the add-delete feature of Civ3 to add the Mobile Infantry, checking the Offense flag and using a custom icon ( taken from the new units_32). Started the game, built the first city and...guess what?

"Civilization3.e.exe has generated errors and will be closed down"

Damn.

Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

	08-04-2002 00:06									#4
	Support Apolyton

I feel your pain It took me a few tries to get my first to work too.

Well at least we know that there isnt some weird win2000 interaction with any mod files. I take it that the mod that worked for you had more than one file? So the civilopedia, pediaicons etc would have had a bunch of files that were missing when you re-started. That may be the problem this time.

Again, lets try to simplify whats going wrong. I have to do this kind of troubleshooting everyday with my work (not necessarily on a PC but its the same principle).

Get back to a version of the game that works. If that means re-installing again then do it. Ensure yourself that everything works. Then add one unit with the civ copy tool. Just make 1 copy of the spearman and re-name it to BronzeSpearman. NO spaces in the name, that can be important. Look in the art units to make sure its there. At this point there should only be an ini file "BronzeSpearman" with this data in the folder

quote: ; Edited by Civ3CopyTool 3/23/02 8:05:53 AM ;Spearman-->BronzeSpearman [Speed] Normal Speed=225 Fast Speed=225 [Animations] BLANK= DEFAULT=..\Spearman\SpearmanDefault.flc WALK= RUN=..\Spearman\SpearmanRun.flc ATTACK1=..\Spearman\SpearmanAttackA.flc ATTACK2=..\Spearman\SpearmanAttackB.flc ATTACK3= DEFEND= DEATH=..\Spearman\SpearmanDeath.flc DEAD= FORTIFY=..\Spearman\SpearmanFortify.flc FORTIFYHOLD= FIDGET=..\Spearman\SpearmanFidget.flc VICTORY=..\Spearman\SpearmanVictory.flc TURNLEFT= TURNRIGHT= BUILD= ROAD= MINE= IRRIGATE= FORTRESS= CAPTURE= STOP_AT_LAST_FRAME= PauseROAD= PauseMINE= PauseIRRIGATE= [Timing] BLANK=0.500000 DEFAULT=0.500000 WALK=0.500000 RUN=0.500000 ATTACK1=0.500000 ATTACK2=0.500000 ATTACK3=0.500000 DEFEND=0.500000 DEATH=0.500000 DEAD=0.500000 FORTIFY=0.500000 FORTIFYHOLD=0.500000 FIDGET=0.500000 VICTORY=0.500000 TURNLEFT=0.500000 TURNRIGHT=0.500000 BUILD=0.500000 ROAD=0.500000 MINE=0.500000 IRRIGATE=0.500000 FORTRESS=0.500000 CAPTURE=0.500000 STOP_AT_LAST_FRAME=0.500000 PauseROAD=0.500000 PauseMINE=0.500000 PauseIRRIGATE=0.500000 [Sound Effects] BLANK= DEFAULT= WALK= RUN=..\Spearman\SpearmanRun.amb ATTACK1=..\Spearman\SpearmanAttackA.amb ATTACK2=..\Spearman\SpearmanAttackB.amb ATTACK3= DEFEND= DEATH=..\Spearman\SpearmanDeath.wav DEAD= FORTIFY=..\Spearman\SpearmanFortify.wav FORTIFYHOLD= FIDGET=..\Spearman\SpearmanFidget.wav VICTORY=..\Spearman\SpearmanVictory.wav TURNLEFT= TURNRIGHT= BUILD= ROAD= MINE= IRRIGATE= FORTRESS= CAPTURE= STOP_AT_LAST_FRAME= PauseROAD= PauseMINE= PauseIRRIGATE= [Version] VERSION=1 [Palette] PALETTE=

Go to your editor and see if it is editable. Make sure it has an icon etc and set the unit parameters so that it will be built immediately. Start the game. That should work. If it works, you know you can add units its just a matter of playing with the details (and there are a bunch). But get to this point first. If that works, add a different flc file to the BronzeSpearman folder and edit the ini file to "point to" your new file. Try starting another game. Go one step at a time!

	10-04-2002 23:27									#5
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

Thanks, SpencerH - you've been a great help. However, I think that the real problem lies with adding icons to the units_32.pcx file.

I discovered that I can add ANY unit successfully, and if I leave the units_32.pcx alone and just use a duplicate icon, the game doesn't crash. Messing around with this file does cause the game to crash. The only reaon for this I can think of is that extra lines have to be added to the units_32.pcx before the Leader icons ( so that Modern Worker is the last icon). Unfortunately, my art-editing skills ain't great. I tried, but I made a horrible mess. It's somewhat inconvenient, but I guess I can live with it.

Last edited by zulu9812 on 11-04-2002 at 11:16

	11-04-2002 01:12									#6
	Remove this text

quote: Originally posted by zulu9812 Thanks, SpencerH - you've been a great help. However, I think that the real problem lies with adding icons to the units_32.pcx file. I discovered that I can add ANY unit successfully, and if I leave the units_32.pcx alone and just use a duplicate icon, the game doesn't crash. Messing around with this file does cause the game to crash. The only reaon for this I can think of is that extra lines have to be added to the units_32.pcx before the Leader icons ( so that Modern Worker is the last icon). Unfortunately, my art-editing skills ain't great. I tried, but I made a horrible mess. It's somewhat iconvenient, but I guess I can live with it.

Well that's a good start! Its more likely that maintaining the colour indexes are the problem. If you can get the new icon(s) to me I can add them (it only takes a few minutes to do once you have it down).

	11-04-2002 12:15									#7
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

Thanks, SpencerH - that'd be great (if it's not too much trouble). Colour indexes do my head in. Here's an already-modified units_32.pcx (from the Alien Legacy mod) as well as 6 new icons. There would be one more, but I couldn't figure out how to use Photodraw to make the background pink.

Attachment: new units_32.rar
This has been downloaded 8 time(s).

Last edited by zulu9812 on 11-04-2002 at 12:21

	11-04-2002 19:49									#8
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

I tried to unrar your file but it got stuck with the horse archer unit and crashed. That may have been the problem! Anyway email me the individual files. I may have some already done (like the horse archer).

	11-04-2002 21:36									#9
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

"Sorry! That user has specified that they do not wish to receive emails through this board. If you still wish to send an email to this user, please contact the administrator and they may be able to help."

That was the message I got when I tried to email you. You say you've already got the Horse Archer icon? Well, here are the rest, minus horse archer, in a zip file this time.

btw - it could be a problem with your setup; they extract ok on my computer. Anyway, thanks for your help. I also added you to my buddy list (if that's alright with you).

Attachment: new units_32.zip
This has been downloaded 20 time(s).

	11-04-2002 22:07									#10
	Increase Your PM Length

This one extracted OK but the horsearcher was corrupted. As I said I have that unit anyway so thats no problem. I'll do them when I'm home tonight. Assuming there's no major problems I'll post it around 7pm tonight (my time).

	12-04-2002 02:17									#11
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

Here it is. I can see all unit icons with the editor so it should be OK. There was an error in your template drawing that I've fixed. I added the units you sent plus the horsearcher, a chinese junk, and and the neo-something or other that I use (the flcs etc are at civfanatics, but you dont need to add them).

cheers

Attachment: unit32spencer.zip
This has been downloaded 29 time(s).

	12-04-2002 04:23									#12
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

Brilliant! I've not actually tested it yet, but that should work out great. Thank you, SpencerH!

	12-04-2002 04:24									#13
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

Brilliant! I've not actually tested it yet, but that should work out great. Thank you, SpencerH! Actually, I also use the NeOmega Assassin!

	12-04-2002 04:42									#14
	Tired of ads?

Let me know if there's a problem.

	12-04-2002 22:02									#15
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

quote: Originally posted by SpencerH Let me know if there's a problem.

I love many of these unit we can see. Where have you found them? Is it a mod or your own work?

I think some would know as me.

Thanks to your work. I test it now.

	12-04-2002 22:30									#16
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

YEAH! Great work! thanks! It works prefectly so I suggest to all to take this!

Many thanks to u.

	12-04-2002 22:36									#17
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

I just put together the unit_32 file. My own unit animations just use the same icons as are in the game. The extra icons are from a variety of excellent sources here and at civfanatics.

	17-04-2002 03:01									#18
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

Damn. I had been using SpencerH's units_32.pcx file in conjunction with the Alien legacy mod, and it worked fine - until I tried to build units that used the Apache Longbow and Stormtrooper icons. I thought that this might just be a clash with the mod so I uninstalled Civ3, restarted and then deleted the Infogrames Interactive folder. I then reinstalled, restarted and applied the two patches. I also replace the regular units_32.pcx with the one from this thread. I wanted to see if SpencerH's icon sheet would work with your standard civ3 (as i imagined it would do).

I used the Civ Multi-Tool (0.90) to copy Mech Infantry and renamed it to APC. I referenced the unit in CivEdit with the APC icon (#87) and made it buildable from the start of the game. I was able to build my first city but as soon as I tried to open the build queue, the game crashed. God damn it!

I know that it is a problem with the new icon sheet because the game does not crash if I use the Mech Infantry icon for the APC. I also know that it is the new icons causing the problem because the APC unit works fine if I use the Radar Artillery icon. I don't get this - i was able to use this units_32.pcx fine, and now I can't. I'm left thinking "You what?"

	17-04-2002 05:40									#19
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

It may be something I just learned from a recent game that I bothered to play a little longer. Some of the icons (leaders, industrial settlers etc) are hard-wired into the game in some way. They didnt cause my game to crash but they did look funny in the build queue. Your new unit may have been on one of those icon places so there was a conflict. I've re-done the pcx so you'll have to respecify the icon locations for your added units with the editor. I started a game with the new pcx and it works but I didnt try adding a new unit (I will asap).

Attachment: new32pcx.zip
This has been downloaded 17 time(s).

	17-04-2002 07:45									#20
	Tired of ads?

zulu9812

I added a new unit with copytool added a new icon to the next open space on the new pcx (#100). Booted her up after the editor tweaks and voila there it was. So I dont think its the new file. Actually icon space 87 isnt hard coded for anything either! In the original pcx file there isnt a space 87

Were there any changes to the tech tree in these mods you used? I've found that adding techs can cause the type of crash you mentioned if not properly set up.

	17-04-2002 13:17									#21
	Full PM-box? Change here!

SpencerH - the zip files is actually corrupt. Also, the problems I've been having lately is that the game crashes when I use the new icons on a fresh install - no mods, not even any changes to the rules, except for the new unit. There is actually a dedicated APC unit with it's own flcs, I'll try using that with the APC icon from your icon sheet.

	17-04-2002 18:02									#22
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

You seem to have some terrible luck. Apolyton has some weird problem with attached files thats why everybody posts units and graphics at civfanatics. I could email it to you if I had your address.

As I was playing with the file this morning I ended up with a problem that sounds similar to yours. I was testing whether some of the icons I added for you were faulty in some way since I couldnt see them in the city screen but could in the editor. They were the icons at the very end (99-100).

After repeated starting the editor changing the icons then starting the game (etc) I found that the game would crash when entering the city screen. I thought it might be due to the ordering of the units relative to the icons (ie the last added unit cant have a lower icon number) but that isnt right.

I got the game back by re-setting the icons for the two last (new) units beside each other (76 and 77). Restarted everything was fine. Re-set crossbowman to 78 (so now theres a gap with an unused icon) I thought it would crash but it didnt! WTF!

So I'm still at a loss its kind of like the bic and pcx can get crosswired if you fiddle with them too much, but since functionality came back it cant be an unfixable corruption in the file.

Anyway let me know what you need. I'll continue testing.

	17-04-2002 18:31									#23
	Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

OK it definitely looks like there is a limit to the number of icons (82). If I try to use 83 the game crashes!!! I guess what I had yesterday (with the blank icon in the city screen) was some kind of "hanging on by a thread" stage. Having the extra icons there doesnt hurt anything but if you try to use them things get funky.

What number is your apc (I cut and pasted the new pcx and didnt rename it) ? In the new version the apc is #82 and it is the last one to work without causing a crash.

With this in mind you may need your icons set in a different order (since you can only use a limited number).

	17-04-2002 21:28									#24
	Increase Your PM Length

Zulu

Quite a coincidence we stumbled across a problem this morning that firaxis seems to have fixed with the new patch :LOL:

	17-04-2002 22:05									#25
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

God damn it! You're kidding me? We can't actually add unit icons - we can only replace them? No wonder I've had had so much hassle! I've been running around trying to fix this for a month now and all of a sudden Firaxis come out and say "Oh, by the way, it's all fixed in the next patch". It's all very nice of them, but you'd think they could've thought of that for the original release!?!

Couple of things I don't quite understand:

1. How come the icons worked before and now don't? Computers aren't that random.
2. Surely other people have come acroos this problem when trying to use new units together with new icons? i can't believe I'm the first person to bring this out into the open.

btw - SpencerH, with the icon sheet that I actually managed to get from you, the icon for the APC was #87 in the editor, which, apparently is what is causing the crash (coz it's over 82).
I'd really like to get hold of whatever icon sheet you're using so I can play about with it before the new patch comes out. If you could email it to me at zulu9812@hotmail.com ? That'd be great, thanks.

	17-04-2002 23:45									#26
	Remove this text

quote: Originally posted by zulu9812 Couple of things I don't quite understand: 1. How come the icons worked before and now don't? Computers aren't that random. 2. Surely other people have come acroos this problem when trying to use new units together with new icons? i can't believe I'm the first person to bring this out into the open. btw - SpencerH, with the icon sheet that I actually managed to get from you, the icon for the APC was #87 in the editor, which, apparently is what is causing the crash (coz it's over 82). I'd really like to get hold of whatever icon sheet you're using so I can play about with it before the new patch comes out. If you could email it to me at zulu9812@hotmail.com ? That'd be great, thanks.

What I noticed last night was that the icon for the new unit I added was strange (it was from the default flc :confused It seemed to work though, so I posted thatit did. When I started to fiddle with it though, it went from strange to invisible to crash. I finally worked it out this morning but I think that more than #82 works sometimes but depending on some variable it could cause a crash. I have no other way to explain what I saw.

I'm not sure if we were the first to see this, Gramphos hadnt heard of it but firaxis sure knew. I think a lot of people added units but used the same units_32 icons (I've got three spearmen).

For now we can have 83 icons 0-82 which means there is room for about 9 non-default icons till friday. I'll send a pcx file with the apc at 82 and the attack helo at 81.

	18-04-2002 02:01									#27
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

Thanx, SpencerH - i got your email with the brand-spanking new units_32.pcx. Unfortunately, it didn't work. At all. First I put the art folder for the APC unit from CivFanatics in the units folder. I then used the add feature in CivEdit and used the new APC icon (#82). However, the game crashed as soon as I tried to enter the build queue (same as before). I assumed that it must be a problem with the unit itself, so I deleted that and used the CopyTool to copy Mech Infantry, renamed it to APC and used the APC icon (#82). Same thing happens; the game crashes the first time I try to change what the city is building.

I can only think that the problem all along has been something else entirely and we've been barking up the wrong tree all this time. The fact that you were able to use icon#82 for a crossbowman unit suggest that the problem lies with something I'm doing. If you like, I'll post my civ3mod.bic and .ini for the CopyTooled mech infantry/apc.

A note to Ralendil and anyone else who downloaded SpencerH's original icon sheet - have you guys had any problems, or is it just me?

	18-04-2002 02:31									#28
	Got spare money?

Post your bic. I can see if it works here.

	18-04-2002 12:21									#29
	Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

here it is

Last edited by zulu9812 on 22-04-2002 at 00:29

	18-04-2002 16:27									#30
	Suffering from ads?

Zulu9812

I cant get it to work either. I took your bic and removed the APC. Then I used the copy tool to make an APC (so I would have the folders etc). I played with the icon position, I used different pcx's no luck. It doesnt crash for me but I dont see the icon in the build queue. Do you use 1.17?

The only thing I can think of is that our versions of the 1.07 program are slightly different. Maybe this was what firaxis noticed. I really dont know what to tell you except wait for friday.