Tutorial: How to install variants
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SportingNonsense |
Posted on 21-06-2012 23:16
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Written by Eyolfur. https://www.cyanide-studio.com/forumPC...mp;t=12994
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PCM12 comes with a brand new data-driven way of handling stages in both career and one-off stages and tour modes. This brings a few changes in the way the packs should be produced and installed, but it will eventually make the whole variant stage easier.
In the stage editor :
-Every stage created has to be exported with a stage name and a region. These parameters will be used later by the game.
In the database :
-Every race needs an unique and valid 'gene_sz_filename' field. Don't rename the original filenames and be careful when you add new races.
Bad behavior example : World championships
Do not name the road race top_world and the timetrial top_world_itt. As the two filenames share the same prefix, it will bring problems for the data. (the itt will be considered as a variant of the road race).
-Every Race ID has to be less than 1000, in order to fit in the stage ID nomenclature.
-STA_stage : there is no need to fill the STA_stage database with stage info anymore. Everything is data driven, so the only relevant info is the link with the calendar : IDstage/fkIDrace/gene_i_day/gene_i_month/gene_i_stage_number.
The stage ID is directly linked to the race ID. You have to respect the nomenclature : ID stage = IDrace + 1000*stage_number. So the 7th stage of the tour de France (ID 25) will be 7025.
In the filesystem :
-You should NEVER change any stage of the CM_Stages folder in the PCM12 install path. These stages are the root stages of the game.
-Any change you do in your stages has to be done in the /Mod folder in My Documents.
-Unfortunately you can't have various Mod folders. All the custom stages have to be put in /Mod/Stages.
Nomenclature :
-The variant is determined by the filename of the CDS file : [RACE PREFIX]_[NUMBER]_[VERSION].cds
[RACE PREFIX] : The race prefix is the gene_sz_filename of the Race.
[NUMBER] : Only for Stage Races. This is the stage number. First stage is always the stage '01' and the code has to be in two figures.
[VERSION] : Identifies the variant with either a year or any identifier.
-Every variant of the stage is playable in Stage/Classic/Tour Mode, so you can easily test your stages.
-On a stage race, it is recommanded to make a variant for every stages in the same [Version]. Otherwise the career will take a mix of different versions.
Rules for career :
-If a stage has variants, the game will automatically choose a variant for every season, depending on the [VERSION] of each variant.
-In year 2012, the game will automatically select the 2012 variant. First in the Mod/Stages folder, then in the /CM_Stages folder. If there is no specific stage for 2012, a random stage will be taken among the variants.
-If a stage is "overriden" in Mod/Stages. The original CM_stages file file never been taken.
-In Career mode, you can add variants anytime you want. The variant choice is done at the start of the season. e.g, if you don't have a 2013 variant on the 01/01/2013, it won't automatically update if you add a new 2013 stage. You can know which variant will be used by checking on the calendar.
Variant selection samples :
.CM_stages has c0_piemonte_2012, Mod/Stages has c0_piemonte_V1, c0_piemonte_2014,c0_piemonte_test.
=> in year 2012, c0_piemonte_2012 will be taken.
=>in year 2013, there is no 2013 version so any version (except the previous 2012) can be taken, including the c0_piemonte_2014 version.
=>in year 2014, c0_piemonte_2014 will be taken, even if it was taken in 2013 too.
=>in year 2015, any version except c0_piemonte_2014 can be taken.
.CM_stages has t1_china_01_V1,t1_china_01_V2,t1_china_01_V3 and Mod/Stages has t1_china_01_V3,t1_china_01_V4,t1_china_01_V5
=>same rule every season : t1_china_01_V3 from CM_stages will never be taken.
=> Any version from V1 to V5 can be taken, except the previous variant chosen (the same version will never happen two season in a row)
Conclusion :
It might seem a little bit complicated but with some practice the rules are quite easy and natural. Don't hesitate to ask questions, or do some tests before changing years in career to understand the variant selection. You may test every season in career by changing the GAM_config_game_i_starting_year value and init a new career.
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mb2612 |
Posted on 21-06-2012 23:23
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Team Leader
Posts: 5759
Joined: 18-05-2008
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seems good, I don't think any db has reached 1000 races recently, so that shouldn't be a problem.
[url=www.pcmdaily.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=33182] Team Santander Media Thread[/url]
Please assume I am joking unless otherwise stated
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lluuiiggii |
Posted on 21-06-2012 23:46
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8542
Joined: 30-07-2010
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The fact you can change variants in career is good, but I disagree that this way is easier
If I get it right, the same race variant will never happen 2 years in a row unless you have a year with non-specified variant and the next year with a specified version (and the random variant in the non-specified year is the same as the next year one)?
While the fact that you don't need to add stage-data in the DB anymore is good, I'm afraid this will lead to weird time gaps-settings, and stages like stage 5 of the Dauphine being classified as mountain (even if the only climb in the last 70 kms is a Cat 3 together with big descents), which makes the AI go for unrealistic attacks. And not only the mountain-flat stage example, but others as well, like stage 5 of the TDU, which the game reads as flat, but if classified as so, will have a 3 km sprint in the end which totally ruins it.
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Camacho |
Posted on 26-06-2012 11:29
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Posts: 342
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If I create a variant, could I play this variant as a single race?
I usually edited the original Tour de France to run different tours than the original one, and for now I don't know how to make that. Last years I have used the Cyanide database editor but this year it seems to be impossible. |
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Ad Bot |
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roturn |
Posted on 26-06-2012 12:20
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The stage name and region stuff at least makes it much more difficult to convert old stages.
The quick export won`t work as PCM10/11 stages don`T have it, so you need to export stage for stage I guess. |
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lluuiiggii |
Posted on 26-06-2012 16:49
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Camacho wrote:
If I create a variant, could I play this variant as a single race?
I usually edited the original Tour de France to run different tours than the original one, and for now I don't know how to make that. Last years I have used the Cyanide database editor but this year it seems to be impossible.
That's exactly the point, it should now be easier to play variants as single race. All you need to do is name the stages correctly (read the first post to see how), then add a suffix to the files (which can either be a year in which the variant will appear in career mode or whatever you want), and choose it in single play. The description in the first post should clarify it all
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Camacho |
Posted on 26-06-2012 19:28
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lluuiiggii wrote:
Camacho wrote:
If I create a variant, could I play this variant as a single race?
I usually edited the original Tour de France to run different tours than the original one, and for now I don't know how to make that. Last years I have used the Cyanide database editor but this year it seems to be impossible.
That's exactly the point, it should now be easier to play variants as single race. All you need to do is name the stages correctly (read the first post to see how), then add a suffix to the files (which can either be a year in which the variant will appear in career mode or whatever you want), and choose it in single play. The description in the first post should clarify it all
Thanks for the answer. I will try and see how it works. Thanks again. |
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thobe96 |
Posted on 26-06-2012 21:24
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Is there a way to just add races that I made?? |
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lluuiiggii |
Posted on 26-06-2012 22:08
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thobe96 wrote:
Is there a way to just add races that I made??
Yes, as last year: add race in STA_race and stages in STA_stage.
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thobe96 |
Posted on 27-06-2012 11:48
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Joined: 28-04-2011
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Thanks |
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Thomas66 |
Posted on 28-06-2012 18:20
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Posts: 176
Joined: 07-09-2009
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I know these questions aren't immedeately connected to variants editing but I want to know how to add the stages I've made.
What do I have to put in to the `stage name´ at the editor when you put in the stage info? and if you export the stage, should you give it a special name or something? or can you name it however you want it? |
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giddy69 |
Posted on 28-06-2012 18:30
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Thomas66 wrote:
What do I have to put in to the `stage name´ at the editor when you put in the stage info? and if you export the stage, should you give it a special name or something? or can you name it however you want it?
This is a LOT more specific this year.
Found this out the hard way trying to install roturn's Berlin Pro Race.
This file name MUST end in '_2012' otherwise it will not be recognized by the game. Therefore a valid name would be 'classic_2012'
All stages in a stage race must end '_"stagenumber"_2012' e.g stage 1 of the event called 'stagerace' will be 'stagerace_01_2012' and stage 2 'stagerace_02_2012' and so on
In the 'stage name' part of the editor you enter just the part before the _ therefore in the two examples above you would enter 'stagerace' and 'classic'
If your stage shows up as "Plouay-Plouay" you've done it wrong.
Hope this helps.
Edited by giddy69 on 28-06-2012 18:31
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Thomas66 |
Posted on 28-06-2012 19:15
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Stagiare
Posts: 176
Joined: 07-09-2009
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giddy69 wrote:
Thomas66 wrote:
What do I have to put in to the `stage name´ at the editor when you put in the stage info? and if you export the stage, should you give it a special name or something? or can you name it however you want it?
This is a LOT more specific this year.
Found this out the hard way trying to install roturn's Berlin Pro Race.
This file name MUST end in '_2012' otherwise it will not be recognized by the game. Therefore a valid name would be 'classic_2012'
All stages in a stage race must end '_"stagenumber"_2012' e.g stage 1 of the event called 'stagerace' will be 'stagerace_01_2012' and stage 2 'stagerace_02_2012' and so on
In the 'stage name' part of the editor you enter just the part before the _ therefore in the two examples above you would enter 'stagerace' and 'classic'
If your stage shows up as "Plouay-Plouay" you've done it wrong.
Hope this helps.
It helped a lot, thank you! I found the stage name part doesn't have to be the part before the _ but can also be the starttown and finishtown name, or something like that |
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lluuiiggii |
Posted on 28-06-2012 22:32
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8542
Joined: 30-07-2010
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giddy69 wrote:
Thomas66 wrote:
What do I have to put in to the `stage name´ at the editor when you put in the stage info? and if you export the stage, should you give it a special name or something? or can you name it however you want it?
This is a LOT more specific this year.
Found this out the hard way trying to install roturn's Berlin Pro Race.
You could have found it out the easy way by reading this thread
Are you sure that the stage name in the editor needs to be the stage file name? I thought it was the stage name itself (e.g. Treviso - Alpe di Pampeago). And then the name the game would recognize is the file name. I think it's this way, otherwise we would have several stagemakers naming their files wrong (and the names for a certain race files can change from DB to DB), and making the stage useless unless the stagemaker re-exported it with the correct name.
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giddy69 |
Posted on 29-06-2012 17:58
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Amateur
Posts: 23
Joined: 11-07-2009
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Yeah, sorry it's the way I've explained that's a bit rubbish.
The file name can be anything it wants to be as long as it ends in _2012 for a classic or for a stage race with _00_2012.
00 being replaced with the number of the stage. |
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adiouk |
Posted on 01-07-2012 08:40
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Free Agent
Posts: 105
Joined: 02-01-2008
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Thank giddy69, your comments are helpful. The name of the stages are crucial.
Another tips :
After editing the DB with PCM it seems that we should save the cds and zces files under CM_Stages folder and also in my document : Mod/stage.
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Matthew Chamberlain |
Posted on 01-07-2012 09:00
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Amateur
Posts: 9
Joined: 01-07-2012
PCM$: 200.00
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SportingNonsense wrote:
Written by Eyolfur. https://www.cyanide-studio.com/forumPC...mp;t=12994
---
PCM12 comes with a brand new data-driven way of handling stages in both career and one-off stages and tour modes. This brings a few changes in the way the packs should be produced and installed, but it will eventually make the whole variant stage easier.
In the stage editor :
-Every stage created has to be exported with a stage name and a region. These parameters will be used later by the game.
In the database :
-Every race needs an unique and valid 'gene_sz_filename' field. Don't rename the original filenames and be careful when you add new races.
Bad behavior example : World championships
Do not name the road race top_world and the timetrial top_world_itt. As the two filenames share the same prefix, it will bring problems for the data. (the itt will be considered as a variant of the road race).
-Every Race ID has to be less than 1000, in order to fit in the stage ID nomenclature.
-STA_stage : there is no need to fill the STA_stage database with stage info anymore. Everything is data driven, so the only relevant info is the link with the calendar : IDstage/fkIDrace/gene_i_day/gene_i_month/gene_i_stage_number.
The stage ID is directly linked to the race ID. You have to respect the nomenclature : ID stage = IDrace + 1000*stage_number. So the 7th stage of the tour de France (ID 25) will be 7025.
In the filesystem :
-You should NEVER change any stage of the CM_Stages folder in the PCM12 install path. These stages are the root stages of the game.
-Any change you do in your stages has to be done in the /Mod folder in My Documents.
-Unfortunately you can't have various Mod folders. All the custom stages have to be put in /Mod/Stages.
Nomenclature :
-The variant is determined by the filename of the CDS file : [RACE PREFIX]_[NUMBER]_[VERSION].cds
[RACE PREFIX] : The race prefix is the gene_sz_filename of the Race.
[NUMBER] : Only for Stage Races. This is the stage number. First stage is always the stage '01' and the code has to be in two figures.
[VERSION] : Identifies the variant with either a year or any identifier.
-Every variant of the stage is playable in Stage/Classic/Tour Mode, so you can easily test your stages.
-On a stage race, it is recommanded to make a variant for every stages in the same [Version]. Otherwise the career will take a mix of different versions.
Rules for career :
-If a stage has variants, the game will automatically choose a variant for every season, depending on the [VERSION] of each variant.
-In year 2012, the game will automatically select the 2012 variant. First in the Mod/Stages folder, then in the /CM_Stages folder. If there is no specific stage for 2012, a random stage will be taken among the variants.
-If a stage is "overriden" in Mod/Stages. The original CM_stages file file never been taken.
-In Career mode, you can add variants anytime you want. The variant choice is done at the start of the season. e.g, if you don't have a 2013 variant on the 01/01/2013, it won't automatically update if you add a new 2013 stage. You can know which variant will be used by checking on the calendar.
Variant selection samples :
.CM_stages has c0_piemonte_2012, Mod/Stages has c0_piemonte_V1, c0_piemonte_2014,c0_piemonte_test.
=> in year 2012, c0_piemonte_2012 will be taken.
=>in year 2013, there is no 2013 version so any version (except the previous 2012) can be taken, including the c0_piemonte_2014 version.
=>in year 2014, c0_piemonte_2014 will be taken, even if it was taken in 2013 too.
=>in year 2015, any version except c0_piemonte_2014 can be taken.
.CM_stages has t1_china_01_V1,t1_china_01_V2,t1_china_01_V3 and Mod/Stages has t1_china_01_V3,t1_china_01_V4,t1_china_01_V5
=>same rule every season : t1_china_01_V3 from CM_stages will never be taken.
=> Any version from V1 to V5 can be taken, except the previous variant chosen (the same version will never happen two season in a row)
Conclusion :
It might seem a little bit complicated but with some practice the rules are quite easy and natural. Don't hesitate to ask questions, or do some tests before changing years in career to understand the variant selection. You may test every season in career by changing the GAM_config_game_i_starting_year value and init a new career. |
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Matthew Chamberlain |
Posted on 01-07-2012 09:13
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Amateur
Posts: 9
Joined: 01-07-2012
PCM$: 200.00
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I read the post at the top on how to install variants, had a go, but wasn't successful. I have a hard copy of the game and was firstly, wondering whether I will still be able to play my own stages that I've made in the stage editor.
If so, it would be really helpful to know a brief step by step guide on how I can play the stages I've made. I think I might be doing the nomenclature wrong, or exporting the stages into the wrong file, not sure.
Cheers. |
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lluuiiggii |
Posted on 01-07-2012 16:18
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8542
Joined: 30-07-2010
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If you just want to test them, you can replace them with other stages (make a backup of the originals first). I've read reports that placing the stages in Documents\Mods isn't working, so you might also want to try placing them in CM_stages.
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Matthew Chamberlain |
Posted on 01-07-2012 19:15
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Amateur
Posts: 9
Joined: 01-07-2012
PCM$: 200.00
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Year, I gave that a go but still can't seem to get it to work.
Do you mind giving me a brief guide on the steps you have to take from the stage editor and then onto playing them on the game.
Thanks. |
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