Adding New Content to Haks

                  ADDING NEW CONTENT TO THE ALFA NWN2 HAKS
                              9/2020 by ARRI

STEP 1 - YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING TOOLS:

A COPY OF GIT EXTENSIONS http://gitextensions.github.io/ FOR MANAGING UPLOADS/DOWNLOADS TO THE MASTER ABR ON GITHUB.

A COPY OF WinSCP https://winscp.net/eng/download.php FOR MANAGING THE HAK LZMAS.

IF YOU ARE THE TA YOU WILL ALSO NEED A COPY OF MYSQL WORKBENCH https://www.mysql.com/products/workbench/

AND

AZURE STORAGE EXPLORER https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/features/storage-explorer/.

YOU WILL ALSO NEED MICROSOFT VISUAL https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/

NWN2packer FOR OPENING HAKS /ERFS https://neverwintervault.org/project/nwn2/other/tool/nwn2packer-v19

TlkEdit2 FOR EDITING THE TLK AND 2DA FILES https://neverwintervault.org/project/nwn1/other/tool/tlkedit2-2datlkgfferf-editor

I RECOMMEND SUBLIME TEXT FOR BASIC 2DA EDITING https://www.sublimetext.com/3 YOU CAN ALSO GET A PLUG IN FOR IT THAT ALLOWS YOU TO COMPILE SCRIPTS FOR NWN2 https://neverwintervault.org/project/nwn2/other/tool/sublimetext-neverwinterscript THIS WORKS WELL IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TlkEditor2 WHICH I USE TO DOUBLE CHECK THE INTEGRITY OF MY 2DA.

OPTIONAL TOOLS DEPENDING ON YOUR TECH LEVEL AND ABILITY TO MODIFY THINGS:

https://neverwintervault.org/project/nwn2/other/tool/mdb-cloner FOR RENAMING MODELS WITH THEIR ATTACHED TEXTURES WHEN IT WOULD OTHERWISE OVERRIDE AN EXISTING MODEL. VERY IMPORTANT IF YOU ARE ADDING CLOTHING/ARMOR BECAUSE RARELY DO THESE COME NUMBERED IN A WAY COMPATIBLE WITH OUR LIST.

https://neverwintervault.org/project/nwn2/other/tool/mdb-model-viewer THIS ALLOWS YOU TO VIEW A MODEL EASILY. ESPECIALLY HELPFUL WHEN REVIEWING ITEMS.

https://www.gimp.org/downloads/ GIMP WITH A DDS PLUG IN https://code.google.com/archive/p/gimp-dds/downloads USEFUL IF YOU WANT TO ADD A TINT FILE TO A MODEL IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MDB CLONER.

STEP 2 - IF YOU DO NOT ALREADY HAVE ONE, DOWNLOAD THE ABR FOLDER FROM OUR GITHUB RESOURCE PAGE AT https://github.com/ALandFarAway/ALFA-Base-Resources . THIS WILL LIVE IN YOUR NWN2 FOLDER IN THE DOCUMENTS FOLDER . IF YOU HAVE THE SPACE KEEP A ZIPPED BACK UP COPY SOMEWHERE IN CASE OF A SCREW UP. THE ABR FOLDER HAS A FOLDER WITH THE CONTENTS OF EACH HAK AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF OTHER SCRIPTS AND THINGS USED FOR ALFA MODS.

STEP 3- DOWN LOAD THE DESIRED CONTENT FROM NWNVAULT OR NEXUS OR WHAT EVER SITE YOU FIND TO GET IT FROM. I SUGGEST HAVING A SPECIAL FOLDER SOMEWHERE DEDICATED TO YOUR HAK CONTENT DOWNLOADS. I ORGANIZED MINE BY TYPE AS WELL.

STEP 4 - UNZIP YOUR SELECTED CONTENT INTO A LABELED WORKING FOLDER. CONTENT USUALLY COMES IN ONE OF TWO WAYS EITHER A HAK OR A OVERRIDE FOLDER.

STEP 5- CHECK THE CONTENTS OF THE LAST HAK FOR THE TYPE OF CONTENT YOU WANT TO ADD. FOR INSTANCE YOU WANT TO ADD SOME NEW PLACEABLES . . . OPEN THE HIGHEST NUMBERED PLACEABLES HAK AND SELECT ALL, TO FIND OUT THE SIZE OF THE FOLDER CONTENTS. IF ITS AT OR GREATER THAN 1.5gb OF STUFF OR HAS MORE THAN 15000 FILES . . . START A NEW HAK. IF ITS GOT SPACE TAKE A COPY OF THE FOLDER AND MOVE IT TO YOUR WORKING FOLDER FOR USE DURING TESTING. I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH NOT TO USE THE ACTUAL ABR FILES UNTIL EVERYTHING IS TESTED. GRAB COPIES OF ANY 2DAS YOU WILL NEED TO BE ALTERING AS WELL FOR YOUR OVERRIDE FOLDER.

STEP 6- EVERYTHING BUT ITEMS, AND MOST FX FILES HAS A 2DA FILE ASSOCIATED WITH IT. MOST ANY HAK CONTENT YOU DOWNLOAD SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE THE 2DA FOR THOSE OBJECTS. YOU ARE ONLY ALLOWED A SINGLE 2DA FOR EACH SET, SO YOU WILL HAVE TO COMBINE THE LINES FROM THE NEW CONTENT INTO OUR 2DA FOR THAT CONTENT. WHEN POSSIBLE FIND THE LINES IN OUR 2DA THAT CORRESPOND TO THE LINES OF THE NEW CONTENT, IF THOSE LINES ARE EMPTY PLACE THE NEW ONES THERE. [THE NWN2 COMMUNITY HAS STANDARDIZED HOW 2DAS ARE LAID OUT WITH PARTICULAR NUMBERS ASSIGNED TO PARTICULAR CREATORS. BECAUSE ALFA 2DA'S ARE SO OLD THIS DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK OUT FOR US.] IF THE CORRESPONDING LINES ARE ALREADY FILLED IN OUR 2DA, THEN YOU WILL HAVE TO PASTE THEM TO ANOTHER SET OF LINES AND RENUMBER THEM TO FIT OUR NUMBERS. IF NUMBERS ARE OUT OF ORDER NOTHING BEYOND THAT POINT WILL WORK.

STEP 7- CLOTHING TYPE ITEMS WILL BE SHOWN AS SOMETHING LIKE P_HHM_MP_Body50 THIS SHOWS THAT IT IS FOR P=PC / HHM= HUMAN MALE / MP = WHAT CATEGORY IT IS LISTED UNDER IN THE armorvisualdata.2DA / Body50 = WHAT NUMBER -1 THAT IT SHOWS UP IN THE ARMORSET TAB IN THE TOOLSET. THIS WOULD SHOWS AS OUTFIT 49 IN THE DARARMOR CATEGORY. IF WE WANT TO ALTER THIS BECAUSE IT CONFLICTS WITH AN ITEM # WE ALREADY HAVE YOU WILL USE MDB CLONER TO CHANGE THE NUMBER PORTION AND PERHAPS CHANGE THE MP TO CL OR THE APPROPRIATE ARMOR CATEGORY. KEEP IN MIND THAT EACH CATEGORY TYPE CAN ONLY HOLD FROM 0-256 ITEMS FOR EACH RACE/GENDER. ALSO IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A CORRESPONDING HUMAN MALE ITEM MODEL, FOR ANYTHING THAT IS FEMALE IT WILL NOT SHOW UP IN THE ARMORSET TAB, THOUGH IT CAN BE MANUALLY INSERTED. THIS CAN EVEN BE A BLANK ITEM MODEL THAT HAS NOTHING THAT GOES WITH IT. WHEN CHANGING MODEL NUMBERS TRY TO FIND A SPOT IN THE CATEGORY THAT HAS A BLANK SPOT +1 FOR IT. IF WE WANTED TO MAKE A SECOND CLOTHING CATEGORY BECAUSE THE FIRST ONE IS FILLED THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO ALSO ALTER THE armorvisualdata.2DA FILE. IF YOU DO NOT CHANGE THE BODY# IT WILL EITHER NOT SHOW UP OR IT WILL OVERRIDE THE PREVIOUS ITEM OF THAT BODY#. ALSO ANY CLOTHING THAT COMES FOR THE HUMAN MALE CAN BE CLONED TO HAVE AN EQUIVALENT FOR THE ELVEN MALE, SAME FOR FEMALE ITEMS.

STEP 8- ONCE YOU HAVE ANY ITEMS AND/OR CREATURES , PLACEABLES ETC PLACED IN YOUR OVERRIDE FOLDER AND ALTERED ANY 2DA'S FOR THOSE OBJECTS OR FIXED THE BODY#'S FOR CLOTHING, YOU WILL THEN USE THE NWN2PACKER TO MAKE A NEW 2DA TEST HAK . OPEN THE PACKER CLICK ON NEW AND THEN DRAG THE ALTERED 2DA FILES FROM YOUR OVERRIDE FILE INTO THE PACKER AND SAVE AS A NEW HAK IN THE GOG HAK FILE. YOU WILL THEN ADD THAT HAK INTO YOUR TEST MOD AT THE VERY TOP OF THE LISTS FOR THE HAKS SO THAT IT WILL OVERRIDE THE HAK BELOW IT. SAVE THE MOD AND RELOAD.

STEP 9- OPEN YOUR TEST MODULE AND MAKE SEPARATE AREAS TO CHECK EACH AND EVERY OBJECT YOUR PLANNING TO ADD. IF YOUR USING THE FOOL'S PLUGIN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GO TO IT AND SCAN THROUGH IT TO FIND YOUR NEW CONTENT. CREATE EACH ONE FOR YOUR TEST MOD.

 CLOTHING IN YOUR OVERRIDE WILL SHOW UP IN THE ARMORSET TAB, YOU CAN SIMPLY PAINT THE ARTICLE ON THE NPC  OR YOU CAN MAKE AN ITEM AND EQUIP IT ON A NPC TO CHECK.     OCCASIONALLY ITEMS ARE NOT DESIGNED FOR OUR BODY MODELS AND LOOK WONKY.   HERE YOU CAN TEST IF YOU CAN COLOR IT OR NOT, IF NOT YOU MAY WANT TO MAKE A TINT MAP FOR IT TO INCREASE THE VERSATILITY OF THE ITEM. 

 CREATURES IN YOUR OVERRIDE WILL NEED TO BE CREATED   USE THE BASE NPC AND CHANGE THE APPEARANCE TO THE NEW ONE.  IF YOUR EFFICIENT ,  FIND THE STATS AND OTHER INFO FOR THE CREATURE VIA THE SRD OR MONSTER MANUALS.  GIVING IT APPROPRIATE RESREF AND TAGS  [SEE BUILDING CREATURES].  CHECK TO SEE IF IT HAS ANY ALTERNATE LOOKS ON THE ARMORTAB.  MAKE SURE EVERYTHING LOOKS CORRECT FOR IT AND MAKE A BLUEPRINT.   SEE IF IT HAS THE ABILITY TO BE TINTED.  IF NOT YOU MAY WANT TO MAKE A TINT MAP FOR IT.   SOMETIMES CREATURES  HAVE TAILS OR WINGS THAT NEED TO BE ADDED TO THE APPROPRIATE 2DA SO THEY CAN BE ADDED.

PLACEABLES IN YOUR OVERRIDE WILL NEED TO BE CREATED AND SORTED.  CHECK TO MAKE SURE THEY LOOK RIGHT. ( I HAVE FOUND A FEW THAT THE TEXTURES WERE ON BACKWARDS)  CAN THEY BE TINTED?   IF NOT SEE IF YOU CAN MAKE A TINT MAP FOR IT.  IF YOUR REALLY EFFICIENT, YOU CAN MAKE A BLUEPRINT AND SORT THEM INTO APPROPRIATE CATEGORIES FOR YOUR OWN BP FOLDER IN YOUR OVERRIDE. 

TILESETS WILL HAVE SEVERAL 2DAS THAT WILL NEED COPIED OVER TO OURS.    CHECK ALL THESE OUT,  OFTEN THEY INCLUDE LINES FOR TILES THEY HAVE NOT YET MADE THESE WILL READ AS A 0 (ZERO).   

TEXTURES AND GRASSES  WILL NEED TO BE ADDED TO THEIR CORRESPONDING 2DA.  IN ADDITION THEY SHOULD COME WITH  .BMP FILES THAT WILL NEED TO BE ADDED INTO EVERY BUILDERS,  NWN2TOOLSET  FOLDER IN THE MAIN GAME FOR  GRASSES OR TERRAIN.  

FX'S USUALLY JUST NEED TO BE ADDED INTO THE APPROPRIATE FOLDERS , UNLESS THEY ARE PART OF A SPELL OR EFFECT THAT IS DRAWN UPON VIA SCRIPT THEN THEY NEED TO BE ADDED TO THE  VFX_PERSISTENT.2DA.

STEP 10- ONCE YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOUR PLANNING ON ADDING FOR THIS ROUND OF UPDATES, VERIFIED, AND ALTERED IF NEEDED, THEN ADD ALL THE FILES INTO THE APPROPRIATE ABR FOLDERS. THIS ASSUMES YOU HAVE ALREADY CHECKED THEM FOR SPACE. REMEMBER TO MOVE ANY ALTERED 2DA FILES AS WELL. THEN RUN THE HAKING PROCESS OUTLINED IN THE 'UPDATING HAKS' INFORMATION. IF YOU HAVE HAD TO MAKE A NEW HAK THIS WILL HAVE TO BE ADDED INTO THE dirs FILE IN THE ABR FILE FOLDER SO IT KNOWS IT EXISTS.

STEP 11- ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR NEW SET OF HAKS RENAME THE ONES YOUR GOING TO BE UPDATING RENAME THEM WITH A " n-" OR SOMETHING SIMILAR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE HAK NAME. YOU WILL MOVE ALL THE FOLDERS WITH THE CONTENT YOU WERE WORKING ON FROM YOUR OVERRIDE TO A SECONDARY FOLDER YOU MAKE OVERRIDE2 OR SOME SUCH. MOVE YOUR RENAMED HAKS INTO THE HAK DIRECTORY OF THE NWN2 INSTALL, NOT THE DOCUMENT FOLDER ENTRY. OPEN YOUR TEST MODULE AND UPDATE THE HAKS WITH THE NEW HAKS LISTED. ANYTHING THAT IS NOT NEW GO AHEAD AND REGRAB IT. ONCE THAT IS DONE SAVE YOUR MODULE AND RELOAD IT. THEN RECHECK ALL YOUR CONTENT AREAS . THIS WAY YOU CAN DOUBLE CHECK THAT YOU GOT ALL THE DESIRED CONTENT INTO THE HAKS BEFORE YOU FINALIZE IT. IF EVERYTHING IS ACCOUNTED FOR AND NOTHING IS MISSING ITS MODELS/TEXTURES ETC THEN YOU CAN MOVE ON TO THE HAK UPDATING PROCESS.

AS A NOTE EVERYTHING IN THE PALLETE TAKES UP MODULE DIRECTORY SPACE. IN GAME THE DM ONLY NEEDS A SMATTERING OF PLACEABLES TO PULL FOR SET UPS. IDEALLY THE ONLY PLACEABLES ACTUALLY IN THE PALLETE FOR THE MODULE SHOULD BE ANYTHING THAT IS SPAWNED IN LIKE SECRET DOORS ETC OR THOSE ITEMS DMS NEED TO SET UP ENCOUNTERS LIKE CAMPFIRES, TENTS ETC. ALL ELSE WILL SHOW IN YOUR PALLETE IF ITS IN A BLUE PRINT FOLDER IN YOUR GAME OVERIDE. Bold text