Adding Your Own Skins to Maps:
This tutorial assumes you know how to use the BLP converter and are able to make custom skins. The purpose of this tutorial is to inform you how to add your custom skins into a map file. This tutorial will likely become obsolete when/if Blizzard decides to incorporate their own support for custom skins.
You need Notepad, or any old text editor (WordPad, TextPad, are also recommended, but chances are you'll be using Notepad). If you use a word processor like Microsoft Word make sure you're saving in plain text format.
You will require the beta version of MPQ2K. Since this is the beta version such features as scripting is not available, therefore you will need to add files the old fashioned way. However, in order to make your life simple, writing a batch file (.bat) will be the simplest solution. A batch file is simply a text file with a .bat extension rather than a .txt extension, which allows it to run any commands contained within it.
A sample is given here (assuming you copied the MPQ's directory structure. If not see below):
| Line 1 | c: |
| Line 2 | cd\games\mpq2k\ |
| Line 3 | mpq2k a %1 textures\arthas.blp |
Line 1 is the drive where MPQ2K resides on.
Line 2 is the explicit path from the root directory to MPQ2K's current directory. This will differ from computer to computer, so if you just copied this code into a text file and it doesn't work, you now know why. Basically, if you can't get past lines 1 and 2 you don't deserve what you're attempting. The required portion is cd\ (the cd stands for 'change directory,' if that helps you remember it) and the rest of it is variable.
Line 3 is the important part. The command follows a structure like this:
mpq2k a %1 (file to be added) [destination of file to be added]
The first three sections should not be changed. 'mpq2k' calls the program, 'a' tells it to add a file, and %1 is a wildcard that is to be your map. Don't change these things. The section in parentheses () is the relative path to the file you want to add. If from the MPQ2K directory you left your file in a folder called 'textures' then that is where your .blp lies. The section in brackets [] is optional, but is necessary if you did not preserve the game MPQ's directory structure. If, for instance, you left arthas.blp in the same folder as MPQ2K, then the bracket entry would be textures\arthas.blp
Save your batch file. Now, all you have to do to add your custom skin is to drag your map file and drop it on the batch file. That's it.
If you wish to add multiple files at once, simply add another line to your batch file in the same form as Line 3. Your batch file could look like this:
c:
cd\games\mpq2k\
mpq2k a %1 textures\arthas.blp
mpq2k a %1 units\creeps\assassin\assassin.blp
mpq2k a %1 units\creeps\sylvanuswindrunner\sylvanuswindrunner.blp
mpq2k a %1 units\human\jaina\jaina.blp
-------------------------------------------------------------
Of course, you would note, you could add any number of files of different formats in this manner. You could even import .slk tables this way. However, if you open up the map in WorldEdit and save it, all of your extra files will be deleted by WorldEdit, and you will have to add them again. This method makes adding the files quick and painless.
-- Razorclaw X (7/25/2002)
