HoN Avatar Manager

[RedBear 41]

Hi Fox`Tail.
Can you post an example of a honmod created by your program?
I would like to check something.

[Fox`Tail 8]

7 hours ago, RedBear said:

Hi Fox`Tail.
Can you post an example of a honmod created by your program?
I would like to check something.

Hi, it's not yet implemented, I'm just wondering if it's worth the effort creating HoN mod compatible version of the avatars. I could try to do some proof of concept next week.

[Fox`Tail 8]

On 5/21/2021 at 5:50 AM, RedBear said:

Hi Fox`Tail.
Can you post an example of a honmod created by your program?
I would like to check something.

Hi @RedBear, here is the sample created by my program - https://drive.google.com/file/d/12qcq8GtVRMbopHvOi2nki_g9PBFF_4hX/view?usp=sharing

I know it's not perfect and it contains some additional files, but it is what it is. For example, without copying .model files the model became glitched: when using 2nd skill it applies a teapot texture on the creep.

[RedBear 41]

49 minutes ago, Fox`Tail said:

Hi @RedBear, here is the sample created by my program - https://drive.google.com/file/d/12qcq8GtVRMbopHvOi2nki_g9PBFF_4hX/view?usp=sharing

I see, this is what I was afraid of.
This is a fake honmod which differs from s2z mod only by its extension.
The survivability of such a honmod is exactly the same as that of the parent s2z mod.
In true honmod changes in .entity file are made by editing the desired lines, rather than copying the entire file.
This increases the survivability of such a honmod exponentially.
I recommend downloading my honmod for the Hammerstorm (link in my previous posts) to analyze it.

[ElementUser 839]

FYI, some hero folders will have their folders relocated a bit in 4.9.3. Did a cleanup of hiro, kunas and krixi in particular so that their abilities are in folders so it's consistent with every hero in the game. 

Edited May 22, 2021 by ElementUser

[Fox`Tail 8]

On 5/22/2021 at 8:25 PM, RedBear said:

I see, this is what I was afraid of.
This is a fake honmod which differs from s2z mod only by its extension.
The survivability of such a honmod is exactly the same as that of the parent s2z mod.
In true honmod changes in .entity file are made by editing the desired lines, rather than copying the entire file.
This increases the survivability of such a honmod exponentially.
I recommend downloading my honmod for the Hammerstorm (link in my previous posts) to analyze it.

Thanks for sharing the potential issues. Could you please check out this one? https://drive.google.com/file/d/12qcq8GtVRMbopHvOi2nki_g9PBFF_4hX/view?usp=sharing

It seems to be a correct way now.

As I understood, we should only put .effect and .mdf files from the avatar to the honmod, and modify .entity files inside the mod.xml (right now I'm only modifying the hero.entity, but if it's all correct, I'll add ability.entity files here too). Also, why do we need to modify heroes_preview.xml file? What does it affect?

One more thing that catches my attention is this questionable find/replace:

<find><![CDATA[/>]]></find>

        <replace><![CDATA[>

        <modifier key="ability4" modpriority="100"

            model="pog_skin/model.mdf"

        />

    </altavatar>]]></replace>

So, in order to copy <modifier> element from <avatar> node to the root we need to do "replace the closing tag with itself + the node that we're trying to copy"? Is there a change that this will copy the modifier element into a wrong place?

Edited May 23, 2021 by Fox`Tail

[RedBear 41]

9 hours ago, Fox`Tail said:

Thanks for sharing the potential issues. Could you please check out this one? https://drive.google.com/file/d/12qcq8GtVRMbopHvOi2nki_g9PBFF_4hX/view?usp=sharing

I downloaded your honmod twice, but I still get honmod in where you copy the entire .entity files, and don't edit it.

9 hours ago, Fox`Tail said:

As I understood, we should only put .effect and .mdf files from the avatar to the honmod, and modify .entity files inside the mod.xml (right now I'm only modifying the hero.entity, but if it's all correct, I'll add ability.entity files here too).

You can copy any files (.effect, .mdl, .ogg, .tga, etc.), but the .entity files need to be edited.

9 hours ago, Fox`Tail said:

One more thing that catches my attention is this questionable find/replace:

<find><![CDATA[/>]]></find>

        <replace><![CDATA[>

        <modifier key="ability4" modpriority="100"

            model="pog_skin/model.mdf"

        />

    </altavatar>]]></replace>

So, in order to copy <modifier> element from <avatar> node to the root we need to do "replace the closing tag with itself + the node that we're trying to copy"? Is there a change that this will copy the modifier element into a wrong place?

The search here goes from top to bottom of the file. The search starts from line 1, if the search condition is not satisfied, then the search continues in line 2, and so on until the search condition is satisfied. The next search starts from the place of the last search.
In this case, the last search was <find><![CDATA[model="pog_skin/model.mdf"]]></find>. This is line 701 in the hero. entity file.
Therefore, the next search <find><![CDATA[/>]]></find> started from the line 702 and was executed on the line 732. Since there was no closing tag between lines 701 and 732 that matched the search, no errors occurred.

9 hours ago, Fox`Tail said:

 Also, why do we need to modify heroes_preview.xml file? What does it affect?

This file is responsible for displaying the avatar model in the store (replaces the default model with the avatar model). You can not use this, since it is not very important and very few people need it. I think that many players didn't even know that I was doing this in my honmods.

Edited May 24, 2021 by RedBear

[Fox`Tail 8]

2 hours ago, RedBear said:

I downloaded your honmod twice, but I still get honmod in where you copy the entire .entity files, and don't edit it.

You can copy any files (.effect, .mdl, .ogg, .tga, etc.), but the .entity files need to be edited.

The search here goes from top to bottom of the file. The search starts from line 1, if the search condition is not satisfied, then the search continues in line 2, and so on until the search condition is satisfied. The next search starts from the place of the last search.
In this case, the last search was <find><![CDATA[model="pog_skin/model.mdf"]]></find>. This is line 701 in the hero. entity file.
Therefore, the next search <find><![CDATA[/>]]></find> started from the line 702 and was executed on the line 732. Since there was no closing tag between lines 701 and 732 that matched the search, no errors occurred.

This file is responsible for displaying the avatar model in the store (replaces the default model with the avatar model). You can not use this, since it is not very important and very few people need it. I think that many players didn't even know that I was doing this in my honmods.

Whoops, sorry for the incorrect link, try this one please - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-iCbf-K6EEFm2YkSVPTODbNlesA5ayCU/view?usp=sharing

Thanks for the <find> and <replace> explanation, I will try to use this knowledge to generate the more complex avatar a bit later.

[RedBear 41]

On 5/24/2021 at 3:41 PM, Fox`Tail said:

Whoops, sorry for the incorrect link, try this one please - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-iCbf-K6EEFm2YkSVPTODbNlesA5ayCU/view?usp=sharing

Editing hero.entity file looks correct. At least for now.

However, I still don't understand why you are copying the following 2 files:

<copyfile
    name="heroes\hammerstorm\model.mdf"
    overwrite="yes" />
  <copyfile
    name="heroes\hammerstorm\preview.mdf"
    overwrite="yes" />

These files are not used because you changed the paths to them in the hero.entity file:

<find><![CDATA[model="model.mdf"]]></find>
    <replace><![CDATA[model="alt3/model.mdf"]]></replace>

<find><![CDATA[previewmodel="preview.mdf"]]></find>
    <replace><![CDATA[previewmodel="alt3/preview.mdf"]]></replace>

If you copied .effect, material, .mdl, etc. files, then you need to fix paths inside this files (sounds, models, materials, etc. paths), specifying the correct paths.

e.g.: If you used this

<copyfile
    name="heroes\hammerstorm\ability_02\effects\cast.effect"
    overwrite="yes" />

then you need to fix the sound path by changing

sample="../../sounds/vox_2.wav" to

sample="/heroes/hammerstorm/alt3/sounds/vox_2.wav" 

Same for 

<copyfile
    name="heroes\hammerstorm\effects\boost.effect"
    overwrite="yes" />

you need to fix both model paths by changing

model="boost_weapon/model.mdf" to

model="/heroes/hammerstorm/alt3/effects/boost_weapon/model.mdf"

and delete this

<copyfile
    name="heroes\hammerstorm\effects\boost_weapon\model.mdf"
    overwrite="yes" />

since this is not used in your variant of the honmod, since the model paths is listed inside boost.effect file you copied.

 

Edited May 25, 2021 by RedBear

[ecco2k 0]

Hello why there is error?

https://imgur.com/a/yPBxAyJ

[silencshadow 0]

Hello,

is it possible to have only default avatars for all chars? I dont want to see alts ingame expect of mine. Since its sometimes very confusing....

[Fox`Tail 8]

Hi, the project is no longer maintained, and probably will not be completed in any observable future (at least by me).

 

If you want to modify/continue developing/do any other funny stuff with the code, feel free to fork the project - https://github.com/Semptra/HoNAvatarManager

Could someone from the forum admins archive this post or do smth to disable the comments? Thanks.

Edited September 25, 2021 by Fox`Tail

[HanokoViolet 0]

Thank you. I’m using your mod.