Replacing models for 4.0.3.13329

[VX2]

model is a only one of a files. if you want to modify any of client files, you must know some things:
- at first: file structure used by client (i.e. where must files be located and for what uses).
- at second: how files stores in archives and how client extract files from archives for using.
- at third: you must know how client verify integrity and authenticity of this files.
without this things, you are like in the dark room with tied hands.
I can try to explain you about this things in my knowledge limits. but you must tell me, what you do not understand or do not know.

[Xel]

Is there a way anyone can make a more simple laid out guide, or am I one of the only ones who does not understand this? I know nothing about model editing, so I wouldn't doubt it if i'm the only one.

No flames please!

If I understood VX2 right here's how to do get Model Edits to work for 4.0.3.

For retail you need to do this:
1. Create an MPQ with Ladik's MPQ Editor (pick the version 2.0 MPQ when creating), name it "wow-update-13328"
2. Create a folder named base and insert the files like you normally would inside them (e.g. TILESET\Elwynn\ would become base\TILESET\ELWYNN\)
3. Open the "wow-update-13329" next to the window where you're dealing with your own MPQ
4. Make sure that you don't have any of the files from "wow-update-13392 in your own MPQ, if you do .. edit them out (delete).
5. Close boths MPQs and run WoW.

For private servers:
1. Download this file and place it in same folder with WoW.exe (would be wise to backup the original WoW.exe)
2. Do the steps 1,2 and 5 from the previous guide.

[Shinen]

Awesome work. Since I've tried the method with old MPQ's (I don't know how to create one) and it haven't worked, I'm waiting for any of you to upload a working race to race MPQ to test

[brake28]

I know absolutely nothing about all the technical stuff involved here, i've got my mpq made and renamed to wow-update-13328, but i'm unsure where to go from here. Where do i create the base folder and what files am i putting into it? Its human female to blood elf female if that helps at all :confused:

[Phoen!x]

Sounds great.
Awesome find!

[VX2]

...For retail you need to do this:
...
4. Make sure that you don't have any of the files from "wow-update-13392 in your own MPQ, if you do .. edit them out (delete)...

if you try to delete/add (or most probably just repack) files in "wow-update-13392" - the hash of it would be modified. i.e. you can't pass "wow.mfil" protection, and "wow-update-13392" would be redownloaded (may be in background). for similar manipulations, you must disable at least "wow.mfil" protection. and if your files in "signaturefile" this protection too.

it's really too many restrictions for safety changes.

2 brake28
I try to post some about files/archives structure, and patch with separated "fixes" tomorrow during the day.

[Xel]

I tried to do some very basic DBC editing (with the modified client) but it seems that the wow-update-13392.MPQ still overwrote my changes.
As a note, I think DBCs should be added under the root enGB instead of base. I could be wrong here though.

Going to try DBC editing with the injector just to see if it's about something else.

[VX2]

I tried to do some very basic DBC editing (with the modified client) but it seems that the wow-update-13392.MPQ still overwrote my changes...

last patch contain 40 dbc files, but it locate in locale-root (non base) folder. I will write about archives file structure some late today.

I share patcher with separated fixes here:
http://www.mmowned.com/forums/world-...n-remover.html

[VX2]

ok. all below is only from my practice. I may mistake somewhere, but you can correct my assertion any time.

at first, what I would explain, what I means by a some words:
- client: actually game "World of Warcraft" (exactly client part of it).
- root folder: topmost folder for some files (for sample, if your client located in "C:\Programm files\World of Warcraft\", for "wow.exe" it would be root folder.).

root folders and client vision of it.
basically, client root folder is folder where located your "wow.exe". but for client root folder is like virtual, and is a result of a combining of a three root folders:
- main-root: where located "wow.exe";
- data-root: "\\Data\" (where physically located main archives and patches);
- locale-root: for sample "\\Data\enGB\" this folder located in data-root folder, have four-lettered abbreviated name ("deDE", "enGB", "esES", "frFR" and "ruRU" for EU clients). this folders contain files only for appropriate localization and that's folders can be used only one of it at once (i.e. if you use "enGB" localization, client never see files from any other).

for client, all of three root folders virtually as one. for sample, if you have same structure:

\\wow\
    |-Folder1\
    |    '-Folder2\
    |-Data\
    |    |-Folder3\
    |    |-enGB\
    |    |    '-Folder4\
    |    |         '-Folder5\
    |    '-ruRU\
    |         '-Folder6\
    '-Folder7\

for enGB client, this structure as:

\\wow\
    |-Folder1\
    |    '-Folder2\
    |-Folder3\
    |-Folder4\
    |    '-Folder5\
    '-Folder7\

here are full root folderlist for client vision:

Cameras\
Character\
CREATURE\
DBFilesClient\
DUNGEONS\
ENVIRONMENTS\
Fonts\
Interface\
ITEM\
PARTICLES\
shaders\
SOUND\
SPELLS\
spell\
TEST\
Textures\
TILESET\
TrialLists\
World\
WTF\
XTEXTURES\

root folder also contain some files, but about part of it some late.
if you browse folders in your client folder, you can see some of this, but most part of folders are packed in MPQ archives.

n.b. If different root folders contain identical files, client use only latest loaded. you can test sequence of loading, by placing of different files as identical named in different root folders (I test it by putting "\\GlueXML\GlueStrings.lua" with different 525 string "LOGIN = 'Login';" (it's text on "Login" button) in all "root\Interface\" folders). my tests give me this sequence: data-root, locale-root, main-root. i.e. files from data root are loaded at first, and if same named file exist in locale-root, client would be use file from locale-root, but if identical file would be exist in main-root too, client would be use file from main-root folder. this rule must work for all files include archives.

file structure of archives.
as I already said, most folders packed in archives. different archives, may contain full folders and part of folders. i.e. one folder or part of it may exist in different archives. for sample, folder "Sound\" exist in "\\Data\sound.MPQ\" and in "\\Data\enGB\speech-enGB.MPQ" this archives contain different files, but together they are form full folder "Sound\".
archives besides root-folder "last loaded" rule, have same rule self. I don't know full sequence of archives loading, but at first load main archives ("art.MPQ", "sound.MPQ", "world.MPQ", "locale-enGB.MPQ", "speech-enGB.MPQ"), then load expansion archives with they numbers sequence ("expansion1.MPQ", "expansion1-locale-enGB.MPQ", "expansion1-speech-enGB.MPQ", "expansion2.MPQ", "expansion2-locale-enGB.MPQ", "expansion2-speech-enGB.MPQ" and "expansion3.MPQ", "expansion3-locale-enGB.MPQ", "expansion3-speech-enGB.MPQ"). then load patch archives with they numbers sequence (I think example already not need).

besides basic archives, new patch archives have simple different structure (before 4.x it had identical structure with basic). basic archives begin already from root folder, but patch archives contain list of root-folders at firs. i.e. "basic" as "\\Data\" folder, and four-letter named locale-root folders. I test sequence of loading in one patch - base folder (data-root) are wins. i.e. besides of non packed files, for packed at one archive, locale files load at first.

files of patch archives.
also patch archives differ from basic archives that patch archives primary contain only patch-data for already existed files. also it may contain full files, especially if a files not exist before. you can detect patch-data by specific header inside a file - it's a "PTCH". just try to view file "as text" and if you see "PTCH" as first letters - it's patch-data (not a full file).
You must not allow loading of a patch-data after your files, or you can get any corrupt results.

Patches & Cache.
before 4.x your client updating looks as:
- download patch (contain only patch-data and new files) in temporary folder
- patch client files (extracting latest files for patching by patch-data, then pack it back in new patch archives, or may be full repack latest patch with updated files).
- after, you could delete downloaded patcher.
as result, you had client what contain only full files (old and new)
now we have different patch system:
- download patch (contain only patch-data and new files) in "\\Data\" folder
- ... actually that's all

launcher may prepare files in "\\Data\Cache\" folder for client, by repacking and patching files what it have in data and locale folders. or you may skip this procedure.

I have no idea when client use cached files and when it would "recache" it. in this reason I never interesting in this folder [* I must correct this assertion. I'm not interesting in locate my files in this folder, but cache greatly useful for extracting latest version of files.].

caching looks simple easy:
on demand of any file, client extract it. if this file exist in next loaded archive, client use latest loaded. then client check patch archives step by step. if patch contain patch-data for this file, file would be patched, if patch contain full file, client would be use this file from patch. this repeat until latest patch, equal client version. then prepared file would be pack in cache folder.

I think, basically it's all, but if you have a questions, I can try to answer.

[kropek4]

I guess your WoW Patcher isnt safe for retail? :<

//Nvm, just noticed u wrote to not use it on retail <,< sry.

[Xel]

as I already said, most folders packed in archives. different archives, may contain full folders and part of folders

I wonder whether they use, or have started using partial files (e.g. little fixes to models without adding the whole of it into a new update MPQ)

Nice work on combining the information about MPQs and how the client loads them.

[VX2]

I wonder whether they use, or have started using partial files (e.g. little fixes to models without adding the whole of it into a new update MPQ)...

they are all used. at first extracted basic file, then this file would be patched by patch-data from "wow-update-13164.MPQ", then result of this patching would be patched by patch-data from "wow-update-13287.MPQ" ("wow-update-13205.MPQ" is empty) and step by step till the last patch. final result would be repacked in cache.

[Xel]

Originally Posted by Xel

I wonder whether they use, or have started using partial files (e.g. little fixes to models without adding the whole of it into a new update MPQ)...

they are all used. at first extracted basic file, then this file would be patched by patch-data from "wow-update-13164.MPQ", then result of this patching would be patched by patch-data from "wow-update-13287.MPQ" ("wow-update-13205.MPQ" is empty) and step by step till the last patch. final result would be repacked in cache.

So the files included in the wow-update-XXXX.MPQs do not contain full files?

[VX2]

So the files included in the wow-update-XXXX.MPQs do not contain full files?

only if that's files not exist earlier (in basic archives, or previous patches) i.e. new files. al other - only patch-data.

2 all
good news guys. I found check what don't allow use patches with more version than client. fixed x)
you can get new version of my patcher here http://www.mmowned.com/forums/world-...n-remover.html

[joeyshinobi88]

only if that's files not exist earlier (in basic archives, or previous patches) i.e. new files. al other - only patch-data.

2 all
good news guys. I found check what don't allow use patches with more version than client. fixed x)
you can get new version of my patcher here http://www.mmowned.com/forums/world-...n-remover.html

i'll give this a shot.

i'm actually running into a strange issue and i'm not sure if it's just my computer, the models or animations on the models i put in, or something strange with the patcher's method of injection...

what i'm experiencing is after patching a certain visually enhancing set of female .m2's via your method my females now explode at the vertex to the 4 corners of Azeroth anytime they perform an emote action (i.e. /wave, /dance etc) and then my wow client crashes giving me this error message:



any ideas what's going on? i'm going to give the new patcher a shot and see what happens!

cheers!

--edit-- got the new patcher working and successfully applied. same problem though. i'm going to try and remove the patch and see if they still explode.