Downloads Section:
First, let's make sure you have the proper programs needed to edit the Conquer Online client interface. You'll need to be able to see DDS thumbnails & edit DDS files. Some of the files are compressed into WDF files, so you'll need a WDF extractor as well. Here are a few download links you might find helpful:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] - Allows you to edit DDS Files. It's like photoshop in that it has layers and such. It's completely free but it only runs on Windows OS. You'll need [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] or better to run it.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] - Allows you to see DDS files from their thumbnails. It's really helpful for when you're editing map files because you can see each file very quickly. Even if you're looking for one file, it's really helpful to have this program. The thumbnails load quickly, but be aware that you'll need to run disk cleanups often. It saves the images to a cache and the cache can take up a lot of space.
Update: SageThumbs will work on the new Windows 8, but make sure that you only select .dds when it asks you want extensions to take over. If you install it with all of the extensions enabled, you'll find that the Windows 8 start menu will stop showing live tiles.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] - Extracts files, such as DDS and C3 files, from a WDF file. Examples of WDF files in the client are "c3.wdf" and "data.wdf", located in the main directory of the client. It's not completely necessary for small edits, but if you find that you're missing a file, it's probably in a WDF file.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]
Instructions Section:
So, you have everything you need now to edit DDS files. Let's make a simple edit. First, extract your dds files from data.wdf (don't extract them into the client). I recommend you extract them to a separate folder. Then, when you're done with the edit, you can just plant it in the client. For this example, I found a tree in Twin City near 486, 359.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]
Just for fun, let's make it look like a Minecraft tree. First, we'll need to find the tree. It's "np11.dds" in the "data\map\MapObj\newplain\plain" directory. Double click it and make sure it opens with Paint.NET. Here's what you should see:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]
Create a new layer and set the opacity of the original layer to 50%. You can edit a layer's properties by double clicking on them. Make sure you have the new layer selected. Draw a new tree or copy and paste one as a new layer. Be sure that the base of the tree lines up with your new one so the tile works properly and so you can't walk through the tree and sit in it. After you're done making your edits, hide the original layer by clicking the check box next to it and save the tree. This will flatten the image so back up your original!
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]
Now, copy the new tree's dds (which should still be called "np11.dss"). Go to "data\map\mapobj\newplain" in the client and create a new folder called "plain". Paste the new dds into it and you're done! The new dds will override the one in the WDF file. Restart your client if it's already open and test it out!
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...][Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]
That's how you edit the client's DDS Files.
Good luck and have fun!
Sincerely,
Spirited Fang
PS: My minecraft tree's perspective and scale is way off.
If you edit a scene file like I just did, make sure it matches up with its surroundings!
First, let's make sure you have the proper programs needed to edit the Conquer Online client interface. You'll need to be able to see DDS thumbnails & edit DDS files. Some of the files are compressed into WDF files, so you'll need a WDF extractor as well. Here are a few download links you might find helpful:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] - Allows you to edit DDS Files. It's like photoshop in that it has layers and such. It's completely free but it only runs on Windows OS. You'll need [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] or better to run it.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] - Allows you to see DDS files from their thumbnails. It's really helpful for when you're editing map files because you can see each file very quickly. Even if you're looking for one file, it's really helpful to have this program. The thumbnails load quickly, but be aware that you'll need to run disk cleanups often. It saves the images to a cache and the cache can take up a lot of space.
Update: SageThumbs will work on the new Windows 8, but make sure that you only select .dds when it asks you want extensions to take over. If you install it with all of the extensions enabled, you'll find that the Windows 8 start menu will stop showing live tiles.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] - Extracts files, such as DDS and C3 files, from a WDF file. Examples of WDF files in the client are "c3.wdf" and "data.wdf", located in the main directory of the client. It's not completely necessary for small edits, but if you find that you're missing a file, it's probably in a WDF file.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]
Instructions Section:
So, you have everything you need now to edit DDS files. Let's make a simple edit. First, extract your dds files from data.wdf (don't extract them into the client). I recommend you extract them to a separate folder. Then, when you're done with the edit, you can just plant it in the client. For this example, I found a tree in Twin City near 486, 359.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]
Just for fun, let's make it look like a Minecraft tree. First, we'll need to find the tree. It's "np11.dds" in the "data\map\MapObj\newplain\plain" directory. Double click it and make sure it opens with Paint.NET. Here's what you should see:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]
Create a new layer and set the opacity of the original layer to 50%. You can edit a layer's properties by double clicking on them. Make sure you have the new layer selected. Draw a new tree or copy and paste one as a new layer. Be sure that the base of the tree lines up with your new one so the tile works properly and so you can't walk through the tree and sit in it. After you're done making your edits, hide the original layer by clicking the check box next to it and save the tree. This will flatten the image so back up your original!
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]
Now, copy the new tree's dds (which should still be called "np11.dss"). Go to "data\map\mapobj\newplain" in the client and create a new folder called "plain". Paste the new dds into it and you're done! The new dds will override the one in the WDF file. Restart your client if it's already open and test it out!
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...][Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]
That's how you edit the client's DDS Files.
Good luck and have fun!
Sincerely,
Spirited Fang
PS: My minecraft tree's perspective and scale is way off.
If you edit a scene file like I just did, make sure it matches up with its surroundings!
