Mods for GuitarStar

[bob78h]

Ok I'm just going to post a guick set of instructions for modding GuitarStar. Be sure to BACK UP EVERYTHING FIRST!!

New Tutorial
EDIT as of yesterday:
Modding is no longer difficult!
just get the Beta 2 and make your mods off of the included pngs. No need to convert for graphics, only for note models.

Old Tutorial:
1.a. Get Visual C# 2005 Express Edition:
go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=51411&clcid=0x409
1.b. Install SP1:
download.microsoft.com/download/7/7/3/7737290f-98e8-45bf-9075-85cc6ae34bf1/vs80sp1-kb926749-x86-intl.exe
1.c. Get XNA Game Studio Express 1.0 Refresh: www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=12ADCD12-7A7B-4413-A0AF-FF87242A78DE&displaylang=en

2. Get XNA Content Builder: www.codeplex.com/xnadevru/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ReleaseId=3579

3.a. Create a folder for your project
3.b. Put XnaDevRu.ContentBuilder.exe in the folder
Put XnaDevRu.ContentBuilderFramework.dll in the folder
Put XnaDevRu.ContentBuilderFramework.xml in the folder

4. Make graphics for your mod.

5. Resize the graphics to the sizes GuitarStar uses. Check callisto's post in the Art for GZ tread for the images and sizes. If you know of sizes for art not in the thread please say so and I'll update it.

6.a. Run XNA Content Builder and set the project options input, intermediate and output directories. e.g.: input=%project folder%, intermediate=%project folder%/obj, output=%project folder%/bin.
6.b. Add the image in XNA Content Builder.

7. Click the Build button.

8. Find the built .xnb file in the output directory defined in project options and rename it to the corresponding file in the Resources folder of GuitarStar.

9. Move it.

10. Run GuitarStar to test your mod.

EDIT: Ok several people have asked about templates. We don't know the sizes for every image and part of the game, so we have to guess. For some images, in the Art for the Guitar Zero Game thread, callisto gives images that work as templates: www.guitarzero2.proboards78.com/index.cgi?board=submissons&action=display&thread=1188998549&page=1

EDIT 2: Callisto has said that he will try to make JPEGs as part of later versions so we don't have to guess or need templates.

[1crazyboy7]

By doing this, do you also have access to make mods to the code?

[reverend]

According to the XNA Game Studio Express installer, you also need Visual C# 2005 Express Edition SP1 to install.
Direct Link: go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=51411&clcid=0x409

and VC# SP1:
download.microsoft.com/download/7/7/3/7737290f-98e8-45bf-9075-85cc6ae34bf1/vs80sp1-kb926749-x86-intl.exe

[bob78h]

yeah right sorry i had it installed already so i didn't think of it. i don't know if you can access the code, i haven't really tried.

[xorange90x]

i wouldnt imagine so. surely he didnt build the game in XNA Game Studio. like, we have paint and photoshop, but we cant edit most of the stuff in GZ. other tools are required to do that, so he likely used a handful to do it.

[bob78h]

Yeah but it would be nice if we need. Maybe he'll make it open source eventually...

[hzac]

Content builder doesnt run for me, gets pretty much same error as guitar star did. Is there a reason for this??

[bob78h]

Do you have XNA Game Studio 1.0?

[junta36]

I have XNA Game Studio Express and XNA Content builder. Content builder came up once and now it won't come up at all. It looks like what GuitarStar was doing before I got it to run

[flipsk8r1409]

still cant get the content builder to build anything

[bob78h]

Ok create a project folder e.g. GZ Mods. Inside that folder, put the XNA Content Builder.exe and the config.xml. Then set the input and output directories in project options.

[junta36]

bob78 said:

Ok create a project folder e.g. GZ Mods. Inside that folder, put the XNA Content Builder.exe and the config.xml. Then set the input and output directories in project options.

still doesn't work

[bob78h]

Ok create folder GZ2 mods. Put in XnaDevRu.ContentBuilder.exe
XnaDevRu.ContentBuilder.Framework.dll
XnaDevRu.ContentBuilder.Framework.xml
(Put in folder bin
Put in folder obj containing:
ContentPipeline.xml)
If theres no folder obj and bin in the content builder zip, ignore this.

[junta36]

bob78 said:

Ok create folder GZ2 mods. Put in XnaDevRu.ContentBuilder.exe
XnaDevRu.ContentBuilder.Framework.dll
XnaDevRu.ContentBuilder.Framework.xml
(Put in folder bin
Put in folder obj containing:
ContentPipeline.xml)
If theres no folder obj and bin in the content builder zip, ignore this.

Know what? When it actually DID work (the 1 time) I noticed there were extra folders after I got out of it. I deleted those folders and the Content Builder hasn't worked since

[hzac]

How do i get gh3 metres to work in game. Not just the base image of the metre but the mapping of the highlights of the changing numbers and amount of note streak? Is that possible yet?

[bob78h]

No, I don't think thats possible (yet). The most you can do is put in the meter and just deal with the numbers being in the wrong spot or design GH3ish meters that work. I'm going to just deal with it for now since I don't really look at the score meter and the rock meter works fine...

[hzac]

We need callisto on this asap. I want enw metres The gh3 ones poeple have made are glorious.

[bob78h]

yeah same here.

[wesler10]

i downloaded the binaries and source code but it doesnt work

[hzac]

i think you need game studio for it to work?

[bob78h]

Yeah and you need to set the right input, intermediate, and output directories.

[hzac]

Explain to us how one does that? Or was that on the first page?

[bob78h]

I think I explained it in detail to a few people but I'm too lazy to do that again... I just put it on the first post but if you don't get it ask and I'll update.

[roofie]

Good tutorial worked for me first shot thanx!!

[bob78h]

No problem. ;D

[androgeny]

Well, I had this working.. Made some new backgrounds and had to restart the PC, the ContentBuilder wouldn't run anymore. Keeps giving a "has encountered an error and needs to close" dialog.

So I uninstalled everything: Xna studio, C# express, refreshes, service packs..

Reinstalled and ContentBuilder came up, but wouldn't build anything. Says "invalid asset name" in the build report. Close the application and now it won't open anymore. Yay.

Is there any other way of getting content into GS?

[bob78h]

No, thats the only way so far. However, callisto has said that he will implement jpeg support for modders in later releases!

[reverend]

A layout builder would be handy

[bob78h]

Layout builder?

[Decoy]

bob can we get a video tutorial