3 replies to this topic

[Argent77]

BG(2)EE has introduced the new resource type "PVRZ" which unfortunately restricts the use of modder prefixes or makes it even impossible. This is because of a fixed naming pattern, as the files have to be referenced by MOS, TIS or BAM resources (which don't provide the full name of the associated PVRZ file).

For TIS resources the PVRZ filename consists of the first and third to sixth characters of the TIS filename. Night tilesets also include the character 'N'. From the point of view of a modder, the files AB0001.TIS or XY0002.TIS result in the PVRZ files A0001nn.PVRZ or X0002nn.PVRZ (where nn is a two-digits decimal number starting at 00). A good number of them may collide with already existing PVRZ files.

It gets even worse for MOS and BAM files that reference PVRZ resources with the naming pattern MOSnnnn.PVRZ (where nnnn is a four-digits decimal number). There is no way to make sure it doesn't overwrite existing files.

The TIS related issue might be solved by repeating the last part of the modder prefix. Using the example from above, the file ABB001.TIS and XYY002.TIS would result in AB001nn.PVRZ or XY002nn.PVRZ respectively. I have no idea yet how to solve the MOS/BAM related issue.

Has this issue already been discussed or even solved? I really like to know more about it since I'd rather want to recycle existing BG2EE maps than include 20+ MB dead weight.
 

Edited by Argent77, 01 December 2013 - 07:32 AM.

[The Imp]

I say this is not going to be such a large issue for normal modders as they hardly are able to make mods that add several dozen maps that need the tis mos and bam files. Yes, the last one are used in several other things than just map making, but the two else won't.

I would say that you worry too much. The prefixes were made so that the xxxxxxxx.itm was not replaced by the very same resource from 16 other different items by various purposes. If we make a list of used resources by mods, we can make sure this won't ever happen.

[Yovaneth]

I'm not even sure that anyone outside Overhaul even knows what compression routine is used for BG2:EE pvrz and no, it's not the same as the pvrz compression routine used in BG:EE. Until we know that, we can't begin to try to 'fix' it.

 

-Y-

[Argent77]

While TIS related PVRZ files may be compatible with modder prefixes as described in my first post, MOS and BAM related PVRZ files are not.

However, from my tests I have found out that the decimal numbers in MOSnnnn.PVRZ don't have to be limited to four digits. Five digits numbers work just as well, so I think it is possible to use numbers starting at a chosen value that is unlikely to be used by the game developers, preferably in combination with a new WeiDU function to prevent overwriting existing PVRZ files.

But you are right, that should be discussed more in depth AFTER conversion tools are available.
 

I'm not even sure that anyone outside Overhaul even knows what compression routine is used for BG2:EE pvrz and no, it's not the same as the pvrz compression routine used in BG:EE. Until we know that, we can't begin to try to 'fix' it.

Actually, PVRZ files are merely compressed PVR resources, and the PVR format is well defined. A PVRZ decoder that supports both BGEE and BG2EE is already implemented in the latest development snapshot of NearInfinity. And an experimental "Image to PVRZ" converter is already in the works.