Ultimate Editor Basics

Ultimate Editor

Basics

Introduction

Ultimate Editor is a Java based program designed by DCER. UE will edit most values within Birth of the Federation.

This will be a basic tutorial to explain what file UE will edit and how to navigate though the program.

Java

Java software is required before using Ultimate Editor, Java is a free application And can be found HERE

Java software is property of Sun Microsystems

getting started

Settings

stbof.res

trek.exe

alt.res

English.snd/German.snd

Music.snd

Sfx.snd

TOOLS

HELP


Getting Started

After You have Java installed and up to date you can get started.

Create a new folder and Extract all files from the downloaded UE zip into new folder. New folder should look something like this after extraction;

Note; "UE.jar" may be shown as "UE" if system is set to not show known file extensions.

Double click on UE.jar to open UE interface.

Once open select file tab and then open.

Default path for UE is set for C:/botf and you should have window like this;

select stbof.res and open. You now have an open file (stbof.res) in UE ready to edit.

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Setting

With UE still open select edit tab and settings.

 

You may select language to be used by UE
You may select type of font used by UE (not in game font)
 The next 2 areas are set by default to this location. If a mod is loaded (stbof.res or trek.exe) the mod path will auto set to new path of mod files. You should never need to set this but if problem arise should be checked to see if paths matches and are correct.
Select "Save snd (sound) descriptions to working directory" if you want a text file of sound description when files are edited and saved.
Select "Check for Updates" if you want UE to check for if UE has been updated.
Keep "Load secondary files" always checked. If uncheck, needed changes will not be made and game will be unstable.
"Maximum number of backups" this can be your best friend select the number of backups you want to have. Just a warning each backup can be up to 100mb or more.

 

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Open stbof.res with UE as shown before.

This section will cover the "Edit" tab with stbof.res loaded. And a brief description of most common uses for sub-categories.

The stbof.res is a compressed file holding over 6013 different files. And is the main file Birth of the Federation uses During game play along with the trek.exe

Most of the files that are compressed inside the stbof.res are images that are displayed during game play. Other file in stbof.res control ships used, text, buildings, and many more. So this is main file edited while modding BOTF.

  • AI

     

    • AI building requirements

       

      • Used to adjust building requirements to allow AI to build systems more effectively
    • Colony values

       

      • Edits colony values for all major races.
    • Major empire tolerance

       

      • Edits Major empire tolerance for all major races.
    • Minor race attitudes

       

      • Edits minor races attitudes toward each major races, if ships move on map, minor race personalities.
  • Buildings

     

    • Building stats

       

      • Edit building cost, energy needed, population needed, bonus output, bonus type, ect
    • Building overview

       

      • this will allow you to create a html document with stats of building in game.
    • Group edit of building stats

       

      • Edit groups of building by using formula by bonus, cost, race, ect.
  • Galaxy

     

    • Environments

       

      • Edit the % of each planet type seen in-game
    • Maximum planet population

       

      • Edit planets population bonuses for all types and sizes
    • Planet Bonuses

       

      • Edit planets universal bonuses for all types and sizes
    • Planets

       

      • Edit planets names, types, bonuses, atmosphere, size, animation.
    • Star names

       

      • Edit star systems names.
    • Stellar objects

       

      • Edit anomalies % seen in-game and graphic file used
  • Graphics

     

    • Add/remove ship models  TUTORIAL

       

      • Add new ship model from ship packs, create ship packs, edit scale of models, change prefix used by ship models
    • Animations

       

      • View animations and extract frame images
    • HOB files

       

      • Edit texture used by hob file, combat/placement of model.
    • Textures TUTORIAL

       

      • Register textures, adjust palettes, trim palette list
  • Others

     

    • Check integrity

       

      • Check integrity of all files loaded
    • Files

       

      • Add files to stbof.res, extract copies of files in stbof.res,
    • List of modified files

       

      • This will allow extraction of file UE has edited and or any file you have added to to list of modified files. Add file names to list when file are edited manually. extract all edited files, extract single edited file.
  • Race

     

    • Morale penalties

       

      • Edit morale penalty point for major races
    • Races info

       

      • Displays races images used, race names, home planets, combat multiplier, if race is space faring (has dilth), starting population of minors,
  • Ships

     

    • Group edit of ship stats

       

      • Editing multiple ships and set stats of ships selected
    • Ship names

       

      • Edit ship names
    • Ship stats

       

      • Edit, add, remove, move change stats and types, speed, range, production, ect
  • Starting conditions

     

    •  Major empire home systems

       

      • Edit home system Owners, systems used, and if planets are terraformed/colonized.
    • Starting buildings

       

      • Allows setting of starting building for each tech start for all races and amounts of each building or orbitals.
    • Starting technology

       

      • Allows for adjustments for edited or changed buildings for correct techs
  • Technology

     

    •  Technology fields

       

      • Allows adjustment of tech tree to speed up or slow down advancements
  •  Text

     

    • In-Game text

       

      • Edit 22 different text files used in game for minors, Intel, treaties, ect
    • Lexicon

       

      • Main most common text, Must edit when changing race names for minors and majors

 

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Open trek.exe with UE as shown before.

This section will cover the "Edit" tab with trek.exe loaded. And a brief description of most common uses for sub-categories.

The trek.exe is the executable that runs botf. There are many things that can be hex edited. But here is a few things UE can do.

  • AI

     

    • AI ship building sets

       

      • Used to adjust AI ship building requirements to allow AI to build ships more effectively
  • Game

     

    • Galaxy generation  TUTORIAL

       

      • Used to edit galaxy size and shape when games are started.
      • Also can edit amount of minors at start of game
      • Edit Average amount of space objects
    • Ship Building

       

      • This will edit trek.exe to allow building of minor ships

         

        • Basic setting no change to trek.exe
        • simple modification to allow build of minors with restrictions of every minor must have at least one ship available to build
        •  major code modification allows building minor ships only if minor is a member.
    •  Ship Map Range

       

      • Allows editing ship map range at all tech levels
    • Starting conditions

       

      • Used to edit credit given at start of games and starting population for all tech starts.
  • Other

     

    • CD protection

       

      • Allows to remove or add cd protection to trek.exe. Also edit cd path and install path within stbof.ini
    • Check integrity

       

      • Checks integrity of trek.exe

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Open alt.res with UE as shown before.

This section will cover the "Edit" tab with alt.res loaded. And a brief description of most common uses for sub-categories.

 

  • Other

     

    • Check integrity

       

      • Checks integrity of alt res
    • Files

       

      • Add or extract files for alt.res
    • List of modified files

       

      • List of file user has changed or added to alt res.

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Open english/german.snd with UE as shown before.

This section will cover the "Edit" tab with english/german.snd loaded. And a brief description of most common uses for sub-categories.

The english/german.snd is a compressed file with 1363 different sound files used during game play. The files are wav format

  • Other

     

    • Check integrity

       

      • Checks integrity of english/german.snd
    • List of modified files

       

      • List of file user has changed or added to english/german.snd
  • Sounds

     

    • .Switch race voices

       

      • Allow switching of major races in-game voices
    • Voices

       

      • Extract, add, get descriptions of voices in  english/german.snd

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Open music.snd or sfx.snd with UE as shown before.

This section will cover the "Edit" tab with music.snd or sfx.snd loaded. And a brief description of most common uses for sub-categories.

both files are edited with same type of interface.

  • Other

     

    • Check integrity

       

      • Checks integrity of music.snd or sfx.snd
    • List of modified files

       

      • List of file user has changed or added to music.snd or sfx.snd
  • Sounds

     

    • .Game sounds or music

       

      • Allow changing by adding new files to snd files

 

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 The tool tab has many useful tool you may use while editing with a hex editor or to calculate values for map generation among other uses.

  • Graphics

     

    • Convert image to 16-bit tga

       

      • Used to convert images to be used in game
  • Network

     

    • Supervise a multi player game

       

      • Once all IP addresses are entered multi player game may be supervised though UE
  • Other

     

    • Calculator

       

      • This is a simple tool to convert decimal to hex
    • Convert Address

       

      • This is used to convert assembly code to hex within trek.exe

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 The help tab can give information on UE, Page help when available and general help.