Completely Stuck!

[Amazon Serpentis]

Okay, everyone knows when you click on a file, and hit re-name, you get the name. Such as, entities.z2f. When i try to rename or change the supported file type, I can't do it!!!:blink:  I can't make animals without this, so I'm up the creek until I get this fixed. Anyone have any ideas?

[Capraibex]

Did you try right-clicking the file and selecting properties and renaming it there.
Or pressing F2 while the file is selected. That always works for me.

And if that doesnt work, then I dont know, sorry

[penguinman]

You can't change the file type, you just have to open it the way it is. Just right click, say open with, select choose program, and pick WinRar or WinZip.

[Amazon Serpentis]

That part I get... it's just a pain because I can't save anything I recolor!!!:crying:

I'm absolutely and completely done the coding for my animal... it's just that I can't skin as of right now.

[csleesburg]

Okay, everyone knows when you click on a file, and hit re-name, you get the name. Such as, entities.z2f. When i try to rename or change the supported file type, I can't do it!!!

Okay, first thing is to make a COPY of your entities file - always make a copy.

Second, in the copied file (entities.z2f), right click with your mouse, go into Properties, and UNcheck the box that says "Read Only".

Third, use WinZip or WinRAR to open the file. Then click Extract and select a nice, safe place to extract to.

You will then have an entire unzipped, useable entities file, with which you can change anything you want. Remember, when you make new things, or alter existiing things, you only make a folder FOR the new thing. For example, say you were making a Grass Cave. You would end up having a folder called GrassCave, inside of which would be at least 3 other folders: 1) Entities\Objects\Shelters\GrassCave (which would also contain the ai file); 2) lang; 3) ui (this is the Zoopedia file.

Other things require other folders, but this is the 'basic' file setup for ANYTHING you make. Hope that helped. :original:

[Amazon Serpentis]

I think you missed what I meant.

When I save a recolored file (say a new skin) it saves, under DXTBmp as something OTHER than a .dds. If I try to save OVER the old file, it corrupts.:pinch:

SO, literally, I am COMPLETELY unable to change file types. In other words, if I tried to change a .bmp to a .dds, I can't do it.:pinch:

[Peacenote]

But...(if I'm understanding you correctly)...no one is able to do that.  You have to convert .bmp to .dds files, and vice versa.  I use dxtbmp to open up .dds files and send them to a graphic editor, and I also use it to open .bmps and save them as .dds files.

The only files that work to change type by renaming are .zip/.z2f files, because .z2f really are zip files, just as a special naming convention so Zoo Tycoon 2 knows to read them.  But .dds files and .bmp files are actually different formats, so you can't just save a .bmp file as or over a .dds file - it won't work and you'd definitely get corruption.

Sorry to jump in, but I hope that helps.  :original:

[csleesburg]

And besides what Peacenote said (which is correct), you do NOT need to convert the .dds files. Simply open them up in dxtbmp, send them to your editor, but do not close the file. Edit them in the editor, save them 'as is' (which would be a file called norm), close them in the EDITOR only, go straight back to dxtbmp and do "refresh after edit". Then, you will see your correctly edited file, which is still a .dds. THEN do File/Save As and save it as whatever dxtbmp wants to save it as (could be dxt3, could be dxt1, could be dxt 14.44). This is when you save over the existing file. It will ask "replace" and you say Yes.
(Now I'm assuming you've already named it correctly for whatever you're making).

[Amazon Serpentis]

Okay, I don't mean to sound snappy...

I have tried this, but it CORRUPTS the files. They crash the created animal. Plus, I CAN'T rename files. When I save them as how csleesburg said, it, again, corrupts the files.

I'm sorry if I sound curt or rude, I really am not trying to be.

[csleesburg]

:shocked: Then I am really, really sorry, but I do not know how else to help you. : : Are you the Owner of the computer and/or the Administrator? Maybe it's a permissions thing? That's exactly how we all do it, so I don't know what the problem could be.

Possibly someone else will come along who can better help you later this evening.

[Peacenote]

That's strange that it's not working for you.  For what it's worth, maybe it's because I use Corel Photopaint, but I was never able to get the refresh after edit to work for me.  I always save my .bmp  (well, actually I use .jpg), then go back to dxtbmp and open my .bmp by navigating to where I saved it, and then save as and save it as the .dds file.  If the last file you opened was the file you want to replace, it'll still have the right type of .dds as default.

Have you tried saving the file as a .dds in a different place (say the desktop), and then deleting the original file (or moving it to a third place for safekeeping, like a folder on the desktop called originals or something) and then moving over the .dds from the desktop to the right place?  Definitely annoying, but if for some reason saving over files is not working, that might be a workaround, since you can't have two identical file names in the same directory.

Also what program are you using to save the .bmp as .dds over the original files?  If you're not using dxtbmp, you could maybe try that, as it's free and has worked for a lot of people.

My last question is, if you save your file, and it corrupts your animal, have you ever tried to go back and open that file that you saved with dxtbmp?  In other words, is it just corrupting the animal, or is the file actually so corrupted that no graphic editor can view it?  Because if you can open the file with dxtbmp and it's just not working in ZT2 it's possible the problem might somehow be something else, like the wrong .dds format or something.  

I hope that helps at least a little!  :mellow:

[penguinman]

1. Are you sure that it is the skin causing the game to crash?
2. After you make it, check and find the dimensions of the skin.

But really, if you really are doing it exactly the way descibed here, there is nothing any of us can do.

EDIT: Peacenote (posted at the same time) also has some good ideas. But still, look at the guide I posted and make sure you are following it EXACTLY

[Cobo400]

Does anyone have Script written for APE2? Because that thing is a pain to have to do when a script could do it in like 10 seconds. If so Post it or E-Mail me at xxxx . If you do that would be sweet. (Perferably E-Mail)

Sorry, we don't put email addresses in our posts.

[Amazon Serpentis]

Once I save the file, it corrupts immideatly. When i try to open in in DXT, the dimensions are about 81880932 X 1009275 or something.

csleesburg:  Then I am really, really sorry, but I do not know how else to help you.  Are you the Owner of the computer and/or the Administrator? Maybe it's a permissions thing? That's exactly how we all do it, so I don't know what the problem could be.

Possibly someone else will come along who can better help you later this evening.

Yep. I made the CPU (well, decided what went in it) and I am the only user/admin on it.

The problem is when I try to save AFTER I refresh, it just won't save as .dds. I have 9.0c installed...