For Those Interested in Learning the Toolkit

[Administrator]

Here are a few resources to help you get started.

- For an overview of how the toolset works, I recommend this tutorial. its what I used to teach myself how to use the NWN2 toolset.

Don't Panic: The hitch hikers guide to NWN2

- To get into scripting, the NWN Lexicon is the way to go. It is a database of existing codes.

NWN Lexicon

-mar3usmc: In addition to this, this website is another great resource for answering all your "how to" questions in the toolset. The tutorial section covers most everything you need to know to help out the server in development.


http://www.nwn2toolset.dayjo.org/index.html

[c2k]

I found some of the best ways to learn is to open OC mods(using copies of course, never open up the original mods) or the good vault content, and just browse around to get an understanding of how they did it. This may not work 100% for NWN2 area building, but it sure can help you understand how the game works if you are new to the toolset.

[IAmDeathComeForThee]

Sorry to say but ive noticed you've gotten frustrated on a few of your posts, which i totally understand believe me, but, the key is to get past his frustration and just go with what you got(a buggy toolset ). There is a way behind the problems with the toolset and chances are many others have had the same problems. Doing a google search or a search/post on the official nwn2 forums really helps a lot when ive come a cross a problem. Or ask here, but ive found the best place to find answers is the official nwn2 forums as there are much more builders there then here and the site is dedicated to helping each other out. But back to my point, for me frustration only hampers progress and doesnt make things any fun. Remember to have fun with it and dont be afraid to experiment. If something doesnt work, oh well, theres a way and somone else somwhere has probably figured it out and posted it somewhere, if not ask.
My two cents anyway *shrugs*

[Luna]

Sorry to say but ive noticed you've gotten frustrated on a few of your posts, which i totally understand believe me, but, the key is to get past his frustration and just go with what you got(a buggy toolset ). There is a way behind the problems with the toolset and chances are many others have had the same problems. Doing a google search or a search/post on the official nwn2 forums really helps a lot when ive come a cross a problem. Or ask here, but ive found the best place to find answers is the official nwn2 forums as there are much more builders there then here and the site is dedicated to helping each other out. But back to my point, for me frustration only hampers progress and doesnt make things any fun. Remember to have fun with it and dont be afraid to experiment. If something doesnt work, oh well, theres a way and somone else somwhere has probably figured it out and posted it somewhere, if not ask.
My two cents anyway *shrugs*

OMG.. I've nearly thrown my PC out the window a few times due to all the bugs in the toolkit and the bugs I find with some of the functions they provide for scripting.

You definately need patience.

And ask for help on the Bioware forums like DeathComeForThee suggested, google what you are trying to do, or seatch the NWN2 Vault for something similar to what you are trying to do.
There are lots of good examples to look at and work from.

[jmbrosendo]

Lilac Soul's script Generator works for NWN2. You will get trouble with VFX's, Sounds, and other things, compared to NWN1, but nothing that is a script breaker.

Some of the globals are imports from NWN1 and do not work. Be carefull with those. Other things were work in progress and never got finished. Such as a few of the animations.

Brrr, when it comes to scripting, only experience can teach you.


Lilac Soul's was how I learned to do scripts. Since then I grew out of it, but it's still a great tool to have.


My only auto-script generator I use now, are the 100+ scripts I wrote so far since I began tinkering with them (mostly for personal fun), and copy pasting.


Get the Powerbar Plugin from NWVault, if you plan to play sounds or visual effects(broswe what's available and ge the name). Helps alot, but also induces more crashing, especially when you browse the sounds.

[mar3usmc]

Updated 20110320

Added another resource to the OP and cleaned up the thread leaving only important pieces of information.

[breteas]

Removed.

[Azmodeth]

My toolset never crashed in 3 day of being open..

anyways, I have a few questions..

how can I rework the textures for some Items I find needing them...
I mean I can find the items and mix and match them all I want in the toolset, you know the individual parts and such..

Like I want to find the P_**M/F_CL_Helm97/98.MDB and TGA and such, and like rework some embroidery into it...

some MDB's I open in the UV ripper I'm using don't show anything, some do..

Been trying to understand how to do some of this stuff for days and I'm getting abit frustrated, I can open and access the content from the official game, but nothing I download from the vault, nor can I even find the custom content on this server..

Is there a easy way to navigate to what pieces of armor your looking at, when in the toolset .. I TAG /ReRef.... but I can't really find that stuff...

Like say I go to the Jegs module, and look at clothing, and theres the garb of shadows..
tag is 34_shadow_clothes wheres the part that points to the individual pieces that make it up..

or do I have to go to Armor Set, and then make note of the Number of things like

left/rightshoulder
left/right bracer . . etc

in this case its all 0 and like pretty default clothing just tinted black..

any help would be appreciated... the tutorials I'm finding don't seem to give clear instructions... unless I take a stab at stuff I find in the OC


how do I get the file I want into gimp to color it and play with it...
can't even get the friggin dds plugin to work..or install..

should I be using photoshop instead?

[Azmodeth]

BUMP* some of you wanted threads on using toolset**

[gedweyignasia]

The Lexicon is down, has it moved?

[Rasael]

http://www.nwnlexicon.com/index.php?title=Main_Page

[TeoDeathDealer]

I've been playing with the toolset to create armors and have an interesting problem. When I attempt to preview the armor, I get a stick figure...no model. Anyone know how to fix this?

[gedweyignasia]

Lexicon seems to have been written for the original NWN, is there a version for NWN2?

[IAmDeathComeForThee]

Lexicon seems to have been written for the original NWN, is there a version for NWN2?

I think the scripting is more or less the same no? Rasael, help me out..

[Rasael]

It is, there's just a few new functions you can use. But if you can do NWN1 scripting you ought to be able to do NWN2 scripting just as easily.