Modding ENV and CSV files tutorial :)

[Mishikedman]

Modding ENV and CSV files tutorial

ENV and CSV moding tutorial
This tutorial will evolve as we work on this. I am not in position to see tabs from ENV files or CSV files and because of this i will start this tutorial based on my memory. While we progres some of you will post me screenshoot of open ENV in sarcen's mod editor.

So tutorails need to be simple and we will start simpe with tools you all need to start moding Lighting and weather files in this game.

1.W3Edit mod editor by Sarcen's https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3a...83TXRkZmM/view
2.Quick Mod Tool V6.4 Uncooking-Cooking-Merging by xTcisloVe http://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/2014/?
3.Office Excel

1.W3Edit can be used to eddit ENV files, all region in this game have number of ENV files for base lighting and weather.
I give all permision to eddit WLM files, you can use them but do know this, not all ENV files are in it, so you can find the rest of files using mod editor, it is simple
-Start new mod, Name mod
-Add file, search for definition environment for ENV files
engine for CSV files
You can add new quest env from quest folder.
I could explain this in datail but this is based on my memory, someone would need to post me screenshot of folder structure when you add files for new mod, so if someone can post screenshoot please do this.
DO KNOW I WILL UPDATE THIS LIST BECAUSE IT IS BASED ON MY MEMORY
ENV files are destibuted and are in their region folder > We have files for - Prologue - White Orchard
- Novigrad - Inside it we have ENVs for base lighting, interiors, caves, Dandelions place, Dijkstra's bathhouse and so on.
- Nomansland - For Velen > Inside Nomansland folder we have ENV for Swamp inside global folder. Also here we have ENVs for Keira Metz illusion cave, Blood baron Crow Perch, interiors...
-Skellige- number of ENVs
-Kaer Morhen- ENV for quests, battle with Wild hunt ENV, Vesemir funeral, Base env, KM interior and this one is splited in two ENV file.
-Spiral ENVs
-Winter WO
-Island of mist.
( We will cover all ENVs we just need time and we need to work together because again it is based on my Memory and i need sceenshoots for folder structure)
Quest ENVs are located in different folder, named Quest.

CSV files we use to tie all ENV files for apropriate weather condition - They are in Engine folder.

Do know Novigrad csv file is shared and it is used for Velen, Swamp and Novigrad.
I need Screenshot to tell you what is what please provide me one And please open it in Excel.

I will continue this tutorial as soon as you post me screenshots
One opend ENV files with all tabs, then one with opend tabs and one screenshot for each open tab for example open global lighting and screenshot only that tab, then open for example sunandmoon tab and screenshot it, open globalfog screenshoo it and soo on. I will wait on this and continue

Environment/definitions folder is folder with main env for base and weather ENVs

You can see folder structure here- http://imgur.com/a/a1PNK

Base ENV for regions are:
Prologue (WO)- env_prolog_colors_v1_b_sunset.env
Novigrad- env_novigrad_sunset.env
Nomansland- for Velen -env_nml_global_dark_sunset.env For swamp inside global folder- env_nml_swamps_v1_a_ps4_flat24.env
Keira_swcret_room- env_keira_secret_2.env
Skellige- env_skellige_brown.env
Spiral- all env files are for appropriate dimension Geralt visit.
Kaer Morhen- env_kaer_morhen_v09_tm.env
Wyzima- env_wyzima.env

Weather ENV i will explain with this CSV weather table:

Novigrad CSV weather file: http://imgur.com/a/ChNec

Here we can see weather table i will explain its function:

1.Name-WT_Clear,WT_Rain_Storm,WT_Light_Clouds,WT_Mid_Clouds,WT_Mid_Clouds_Dark,WT_Heavy_Clouds,WT_Heavy_Clouds_Dark,WT_q604_Snow

Name listed above are for appropriate weather file.
For example if you folow WT_Rain_Storm you can see:
-Probability- Chance for weather to happen, higher number- higher chance to happen for example if you set numbers from 0.1 to 1.0 - 1.0 is high chance for this weather to appear
-WindScale- Intesity of winds for weather type same as above for example for large storms and big waves in skellige i use 2.45 you can go even higher but you will see water cliping trought some textures and it looks strange.
-BlendTime-Blend time is time ENV needs to bleend betwean weather types
-skybox-Activate skybox 1 deactivate 0
-fakeShadow- Fake shadows for clouds
-backgroundThunder- If you want to hear audio rom thunder
-envPath- Path to were ENV is located here we use- environment\definitions\env_novigrad\env_novigrad_dark_clouds_heavy_rain_color.env
This is how we point CSV weather table to apropriate location and to apropriate ENV we want to use for this weather file
-envBlend-How much will env blend with base env
-occurenceTime- Time this weather type can ocure
-1_effect- In this row we put all kinds of things for example clouds, rain fx, fog fx, pollen fx, thunder fx and so on. I will post list off all fx you can use in game soon.
-1_priority- Priority for fx to take with all others
-1_prob- Chance for fx to happen
-1_strength- Strenght intesity of FX
-1_type- Type, for example clouds, thunder, rain and soo on.

Lets start Modding ENV file

For start we will go slow we will start with simple eddit
See this picture
http://imgur.com/a/eT5Vp
Lets try to eddit Moon or Sun size

See this picture - http://imgur.com/a/26AID
If you increase lue size off moon will increase, don't go crazy try value of lue-3
If you lower lue size off moon will decrease try 1,5 for me 1 is very small moon.

same principle goes for Sun

Now we want to change color of Sunrise Fog
See this picture - http://imgur.com/a/7mywc

You can see for example

me- 0,1405697
Time for start of sun rise

x-Red
y-Green
z-Blue
W-brightnes or in this case Fog intensity.

You can use paint to pick color- http://imgur.com/a/zBvxZ

You can use realife pictures for this- and with this you can input your color for start of sunrise

Sunset- Start with 0,7 - 7pm you can also trey to change WLM sunset

WITH THIS I WILL END LESSON, TRY IT AND POST RESULTS, WE WILL CONTINUE WITH THING YOU ALL WANT TO WORK ON NEXT.

 

[larsroar41t4]

thank you so much for this, will definitely try doing some editing

 

[K4rx20]

don't forget realtime envui! Its one of the most important tools when editing envs. You can literally save hundreds of hours

If I can somehow help with the tutorial just hit me up.

 

[Mishikedman]

K4rx20 I am much faster with this old school approach I don't use ENVUI i try it but i am much faster in edditing with this method. I know in my mind how changes will look Also Tutorial is updated and you can try to eddit your first ENV, go slow and post results

 

[Mishikedman]

If you want you can post Screenshoots of your new sunrise fog

 

[K4rx20]

I don't use ENVUI i try it but i am much faster in edditing with this method. I know in my mind how changes will look

Anyway i would use envui for finetuning.
Take for example toussaints sunrise. There are like 8 timestamps for this one ingame hour. Making the overall by guessing is fine, but you simply can't finetune it with this method. To make it fit to every other aspect you need to see the ingame change. A difference by like 5 numbers can decide if the sunrise feels smooth and natural.

Do what you want but envui is a must have imo

 

[Mishikedman]

It is good for this but it is not extreme difference, and if you for example go with good logic this will not happen, honestly in all versions i never used ENVui and all came up very good It is personal preference, you can write tutorial for people on how to set ENVui, all other things in this tutorial you can use in ENVui, it is same thing but you have live input, only downside with this tool you start with Vanilla values, and you can input all changes you wan't to se, and you can't work on only one thing. If changes you have done before are big, because some things like for example sun size, area sun size and sun infulance are connected

 

[larsroar41t4]

Mishikedman progress will probably be slow for me, i have very little experience whit moding. i am just setting everything up now and getting familiar whit everything, your tutorial is helping a lot
when i am getting results i will post pics

 

[Mishikedman]

larsroar41t4 Ok friend cool

 

[K4rx20]

only downside with this tool you start with Vanilla values

There are some tricks how you can edit layered envs as well.
But as you say its personal preference.
I think to get into modding envs the tool is pretty good since you get instant feedback. You can develop a feeling for the result you get by changing this-and-that.

 

[larsroar41t4]

Mishikedman K4rx20 are all env`s in same folder: C:\Witcher3Modding\Uncooked\environment\definitions
and where is toussaint located

does this look about right?

 

[K4rx20]

toussaint is located in the DLC folder.
Also I would use Modeditor by sarcen. You don't even have to uncook the files then.

 

[GregorWladacz]

Yeah, use modeditor. This will make most things very easy

 

[larsroar41t4]

Mishikedman K4rx20 is there any tutorials out there how to use sarcens w3edit ?

 

[GregorWladacz]

Don't know. But it is quite easy actually. You could look at marvel masters tutorial series. In #2 he explains how to change the color of fur with the modeditor.

 

[larsroar41t4]

GregorWladacz thank you friend saved me some time

 

[larsroar41t4]

Mishikedman K4rx20 GregorWladacz if i where to make changes to WLM lighting, do i edit vanila env files and merge changes whit WLM or do i directly edit WLM whit Sarcen w3edit ?

 

[GregorWladacz]

I think, it should be possible to make changes directly to WLM. Try to uncook it or use env ui to change it ingame. That should work. At least I think so; didn't try it for myself

 

[K4rx20]

if i where to make changes to WLM lighting, do i edit vanila env files and merge changes whit WLM or do i directly edit WLM whit Sarcen w3edit ?

You have to edit WLM files if you want to make changes to WLM.
If you want to replace WLM files you can edit vanilla and give your mod a higher priority. But every other change that WLM has made to this specific file is gone in that case.
You know what i mean?

Edit: Dk how mishikedman uploaded his files but maybe you have to uncook WLM to edit it with sarcen

 

[larsroar41t4]

K4rx20 GregorWladacz Mishikedman had some fun whit WLM whit EnvUI, and got some results. i will try to edit some files soon and see if i can replicate
http://imgur.com/gallery/IJPWn