Technical Issues & Questions

[Le Celticant]

Is there a way to merge several files (Sounds & skins) into one .en file?
The multi files annoy me more than anything.

[Undel]

I believe so, but it's still being worked on. You can use any other uncompressed .asr file as a template for your mods tho, most of them have several editable chunks you can use. Beams.asr is just the smallest one.

[Le Celticant]

It's still such a weird system. There's this 'Multiplayer.asr' file into 'Characters' (into main AVP folder) but it has all the sources there ready for compiling I guess.
The problem is that you probably don't want to modify everything but you can't either create new entry via Asura extractor which is more or less annoying since you've to find a file that has approximately the same amount of file that you want modify to edit.
Anyway thank you for the answer.

I myself, made a folder for my mod and I put all the .en file one by one. I think it's the easiest way.

--------------------------------------------

I took a look at the skins and GIMP show the whole thing as an Alpha channel like the skins are empty.
I converted it to .bmp file and everythign appear but as a result I lost the alpha channel.
Is it a problem in this game to remove the alpha or not... like AVP2.

[Steve C]

I just tried to change some of the sound files...no f**king idea what I'm doing.  I have the files in .wav format I want to use and I got QuickBMS, but the rest of the directions make no sense to me.

[Undel]

I just tried to change some of the sound files...no f**king idea what I'm doing.  I have the files in .wav format I want to use and I got QuickBMS, but the rest of the directions make no sense to me.

You need the QuickBMS script and Asura Engine Extractor as well. You can download them from the guide. Then get started with point two, and export the game resources.

[Steve C]

Thanks, but I need to do more research.  I've never done any of this before.  I don't even know wtf a script is, or what point two is actually telling me to do.

[yaji]

I took a look at the skins and GIMP show the whole thing as an Alpha channel like the skins are empty.
I converted it to .bmp file and everythign appear but as a result I lost the alpha channel.
Is it a problem in this game to remove the alpha or not... like AVP2.

I thing I found the way how to fix it. Duplicate the Alpha Channel and make it invisible. Then paint original one all white, you should end with something like that:

Now you can edit the texture. When you finish select the copy of the alpha channel (nothing else), and click on red square. Then go to "Select" menu and click on "Inverse". Now grab an eraser, and erase white color from the original alpha channel. In the end, delete the copy of an alpha.

tl;dr

GIMP sucks and if MS Paint could open .dds files I would use it instead.

[Mozer]

OK, here's my issue...

I understand perfectly how to extract game resources, sounds, and chunks. I even have some wav files to replace certain sounds with. What I don't understand is how to pack the new sounds into an en file.

All I really need to know is how to replace sounds; how to get them in-game.

[Undel]

OK, here's my issue...

I understand perfectly how to extract game resources, sounds, and chunks. I even have some wav files to replace certain sounds with. What I don't understand is how to pack the new sounds into an en file.

All I really need to know is how to replace sounds; how to get them in-game.

Same as you would do with textures. Are you having trouble with any step in particular?

    * Open the following file: /Steam\steamapps\common\aliens vs predator/Graphics\beam.asr with the Asura Engine Extractor.
    * Select the /Graphics/beams.dds line from the list and click on Import Chunk.
    * Browse for the BLOCK.XXX.bin file you previously saved. Load it. Now the line should have been replaced with the name of the file you want to modify.
    * Click on Load from File (Materials). Browse for the .dds texture or .wav file you created and click on Open.
    * Click on Save to File. Accept and name your file XXX.en, for eg: Avpgalaxy.en. Click Save. You are done.

[Mozer]

What .bin file? That's the step where I get stuck.

[Undel]

What .bin file? That's the step where I get stuck.

The .bin file is the chunk of information you extracted in the point nº6 of the guide. Each sound or texture has its own chunk/.bin file.

For e.g: If you want to replace the following sound: Multiplayer\sounds\character\alien\gib\Alien_explode_05.wav. Then you would need to extract its chunk of info, which is called BLOCK.7.bin by the extractor.

[Mozer]

Ok, figured that out. But now I can't find the block file. I exported it and where it told me it saved it, but the folders not there.

EDIT: Issue solved, Thanks!

[xboxdisc]

Hey guys, I just got into the whole AvP thing. I read through the tut in the sticky, but it seems only the sounds and textures could be pulled out. Do you guys know of a way to grab the models?

[Mozer]

New issue.

When trying to load a wav file into the chunk I get this error.

"Access violation at address 00404A23 in module 'AsuraEngineExtractor.exe'. Read of address FD7ECCB7."

Anyone know what this is?

[Undel]

New issue.

When trying to load a wav file into the chunk I get this error.

"Access violation at address 00404A23 in module 'AsuraEngineExtractor.exe'. Read of address FD7ECCB7."

Anyone know what this is?

The ".wav" format you're using is not compatible. Use the settings mentioned on the guide and it should be fine.