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darkpadawan on 23/11/2012 at 19:54

Hi,

it is possible changing the original maps of the game? I would like to make a spanish translation, and I need translate the objectives and the conversations ingame (the other texts are in 'book' section). I am using the 'conversation editor', but ingame texts remains in english.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong but, ¿what?

Thanks in advance.

Beleg Cúthalion on 25/11/2012 at 11:20

Hi, I remember having found a set of files already translated into Spanish. I think you know these...? Basically everything you can read in the game is contained in schema files (*.sch). There are the basic readables which you find in books\English\... and some technical stuff (user interface, descriptions on hand-drawn maps, object names etc.) in the string_tags subfolder. Mission objectives and everything that is spoken (aside from movie subtitles which can be found in string_tags as well) is contained in the folder Sounds\schemas\... but you may not access all of them when they're baked into the large csc archive files. I'm not even sure if all of these are unpacked in the editor release and if they can be edited using T3Ed's schema editor.

Glossary: A schema here is basically a text file accompanying a sound file in which all technical information about the sound file (name, volume, looping style, but also text/subtitle). Both must be present since the game/editor uses the schema file to play the sound in a proper way.

Judith on 25/11/2012 at 12:02

Quote Posted by Beleg Cúthalion

The Thief modding supply is currently larger than the demand I fear. Thief 2 got a huge boost recently with an out-of-the-blue fan-made patch which breaks almost all existing limits. The Dark Mod has a new version out and both of them have much better publicity than T3Ed, which exists nevertheless (with us stubborn followers). So sure, you might make a good impression with "something real spectacular", but it's unfortunately not like people are waiting for it. Plus, with Thief IV coming at some point, there might even be another level editor. Good luck, though, I just don't want you to be disappointed afterwards.

By the way, snobel, where's our (next) T3Ed 1.19? :p

That reminds me we're in a kind of a limbo here, lack of people, technology that is a bit against us: it's hard as it is to create a stunning environment, and to make it playable as well. Lack of lightmapping and restrictions on dynamic lightning make it difficult to create organic looking maps and PSC limit makes it hard to even prototype a map: you know, make it all out of boxes and BSP to test the gameplay and then to fill it with SMs and props? The usual workflow. Ideally you should have everything done in max or on paper and you need separate maps for any experiments and problem solving, in order not to use any additional properties. That's why I usually have to put projects on hold, even if I have something visually gorgeous and pleasing in terms of gameplay in mind. When I realise I'll need a year or two to make it work...

darkpadawan on 26/11/2012 at 00:34

Quote Posted by Beleg Cúthalion

Thanks for your reply.

Problem is, apparently the game doesn't use the contents of 'sounds\schemas' subfolder if the css files are present, so the translation in the 'sounds\schemas' files doesn't appear ingame. Only the translation in the sch files from books\english works fine. For this reason I'm trying to modify the maps.
The changes are stored correctly in the unr files, but when I use the "export map to game" option, and the editor builds the gmp files, nothing changes in-game. In fact, even deleting the ibt files, the game works (a slower loading, maybe?) but the changes using the conversation editor are not present in the game, only in the unr file if I open it with the editor again.

Thanks anyway.

snobel on 26/11/2012 at 08:31

Quote Posted by darkpadawan

Problem is, apparently the game doesn't use the contents of 'sounds\schemas' subfolder if the css files are present, so the translation in the 'sounds\schemas' files doesn't appear ingame.

As I recall, according to some old threads here, it is possible to recreate the csc files using the compile_schemas.pl script. But because lip sync data was not included with the editor you're going to lose that.

Hopefully you're using the official but originally unused Spanish locale, i.e. lang_spanish tags? :)

Beleg Cúthalion on 26/11/2012 at 14:23

Actually this reminds me that the DXIW SoundDrone was supposed to be shipped with an "add" function in a never-released future version. How difficult would it be to actually hack the csc archives, leaving the lip sync data untouched?

The archives are, as you found out, the reason why changing the maps doesn't work. I cannot think of any work-around unfortunately. :(

@Judith: When we leave it at that stage we're not smarter than T3Edders five years ago. I think the beauty of a mission is not simply about great custom stuff, so sticking to maps à la TDS (just without loading zones if we're talking about the same size), we're really fine. And there's still a lot of new stuff we can do (IF my FM is ready and the combined TDS levels are done, I'll try to mess with patrols, like a changing of the guard... there's lots of small but smart stuff one can still do without raping T3Ed).

Tiens on 26/11/2012 at 23:21

Quote Posted by snobel

As I recall, according to some old threads here, it is possible to recreate the csc files using the compile_schemas.pl script...

As far as I remember, also it could be done with a little program called "Thief 3 Sound Add On". It's here - (http://darkfate.ru/view/details/files/editors/t3ed/tools)

ABOUT:
Scott Haag developed this program to make custom conversations work. Just extract to CONTENT\T3\Sounds, run Thief3SoundAddOn.exe, delete or cut & paste SchemaMetafile_HardDrive.csc, then rename SchemaMetafile_HardDrive_new.csc to SchemaMetafile_HardDrive.csc.

snobel on 27/11/2012 at 10:36

Anybody know if Scott Haag is still around, or can be contacted?

darkpadawan on 28/11/2012 at 15:22

Quote Posted by snobel

Hopefully you're using the official but originally unused Spanish locale, i.e. lang_spanish tags? :)

Yes, but although I can translate the contents of "book" folder, unfortunately the problem with conversations and mission objectives remains,.

Quote Posted by Tiens

Ah, excellent, thanks. I'll try it.

Beleg Cúthalion on 29/11/2012 at 09:25

I think this will not work because the SoundAddOn only hacks this HardDrive archive, which is the smallest of all and probably leaves the rest unaffected. There might be the issue that it has an overriding priority, so that you can add everything from the other files (which would be a lot) and the game uses the HardDrive archive instead of the others, but then I've never heard about that.