3.4 Editing GameText.XML for changing date formats and menus
Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 9:51 pm
3.4 has a file called GameText.XML that is loaded in on startup. It contains most of the strings in the game.
When you select the language, it copies the xxxxGameText.XML file on top of GameText.XML.
You can also create custom text for your scenarios, but that's for a different post. The procedure is similar to what was needed for 3.2, but you don't need to include ALL the strings, only the ones that you're actually changing.
Editing is simple.
Open with any program that supports utf-8. I am pretty sure that this even includes Notepad, as long as you're editing western languages. I use NotePad++ myself.
You can set up custom date formats by changing these lines. Right now, they're set up for US formats (Month, Day, Year). The choices are DMY dMY and MDY. I think that the difference is that DMY will display 1st January 2010 and dMY will display 1 January 2010. I assume dMY is better for non-English languages.
<s_17 t="DATEFORMAT" v="MDY"/>
<s_18 t="DATESEPARATOR" v="/"/>
Changing the menu is just as simple.
The section labeled GAME_MENU is the main play game menu.
<MENU s="GAME_MENU">
If you then take a part of it and copy it to the bottom. of the 'section' like so...
--COPY THESE THREE LINES
<I id="40246" t="0" s="Plan Moves (\)" />
<I id="40247" t="0" s="Execute Moves (|)" />
<I id="40253" t="0" s="Move One Formation" />
--PUT THEM AT THE END OF THE GAME_MENU SECTION, RIGHT BEFORE THESE 2 LINES
</MENU>
<MENU s="LOADGAME_MENU">
Now, these three lines will appear at the end of the menu.
You can do this with anything on the menu including something like the 2d/3d views. You can create sub-menus and do just about anything you want to do with them.
Someone mentioned that the 3D supply view is broken. You could put these to lines there instead and be able to switch views with one click.
<I id="40064" t="0" s="2d &Large" />
<I id="40066" t="0" s="3d L&arge" />
Enjoy, please make a backup, and share any creative ideas!
Ralph
When you select the language, it copies the xxxxGameText.XML file on top of GameText.XML.
You can also create custom text for your scenarios, but that's for a different post. The procedure is similar to what was needed for 3.2, but you don't need to include ALL the strings, only the ones that you're actually changing.
Editing is simple.
Open with any program that supports utf-8. I am pretty sure that this even includes Notepad, as long as you're editing western languages. I use NotePad++ myself.
You can set up custom date formats by changing these lines. Right now, they're set up for US formats (Month, Day, Year). The choices are DMY dMY and MDY. I think that the difference is that DMY will display 1st January 2010 and dMY will display 1 January 2010. I assume dMY is better for non-English languages.
<s_17 t="DATEFORMAT" v="MDY"/>
<s_18 t="DATESEPARATOR" v="/"/>
Changing the menu is just as simple.
The section labeled GAME_MENU is the main play game menu.
<MENU s="GAME_MENU">
If you then take a part of it and copy it to the bottom. of the 'section' like so...
--COPY THESE THREE LINES
<I id="40246" t="0" s="Plan Moves (\)" />
<I id="40247" t="0" s="Execute Moves (|)" />
<I id="40253" t="0" s="Move One Formation" />
--PUT THEM AT THE END OF THE GAME_MENU SECTION, RIGHT BEFORE THESE 2 LINES
</MENU>
<MENU s="LOADGAME_MENU">
Now, these three lines will appear at the end of the menu.
You can do this with anything on the menu including something like the 2d/3d views. You can create sub-menus and do just about anything you want to do with them.
Someone mentioned that the 3D supply view is broken. You could put these to lines there instead and be able to switch views with one click.
<I id="40064" t="0" s="2d &Large" />
<I id="40066" t="0" s="3d L&arge" />
Enjoy, please make a backup, and share any creative ideas!
Ralph



