Modding Tools

Modding tools are there to help and guide you in your modding endeavours. The official tools available for Nexus allow you to convert 3d models and textures for use in-game, to create new solar systems to set your missions in and to aid you in creating and debugging your mission scripts. Several fan-made tools also enable you un- and repack the game's archive files, which is pretty useful to inspect the game's scripts and game structure. Finally you've also got a bunch of helpful tools making managing your tacticstypes.ini less cumbersome and a small selection of modding ressources you can incorporate into your mod, e.g. to improve its visual quality.

Source(s): Modding Tools

Official Tools

Nexus Mod Tools by Mithis Entertainment

- also supplied with the game

- includes modding manual, a model viewer, a model and texture converter, a solar system editor and mission editor

-also includes Excel spreadsheets to make tacticstypes.ini and efx.ini editing easier

Source(s): Modding Tools

File extraction and/or packing

datool by ElFarto

- able to extract and create Nexus' .dat- and .dap-archives, except the movie files (nexus_01.dat, nexus_02.dat, etc)

nexus tool by Socarr

- able to decrypt Nexus' movie files to bink format (nexus_01.dat, nexus_02.dat, etc.)

DatXTract by Arparso

- GUI-enabled tool for extracting .dat and .dap-archives, except the movie files

Source(s): Modding Tools

File conversion

model converter by Arparso

- converts Nexus' models (.msh) to Wavefront .obj format

texture converter by Arparso

- converts Nexus' textures (.tex) to Targa .tga format

Importer

Milkshape 3D importer plugin by Rainman

- imports Nexus' models (.msh) in Milkshape 3D

Miscellaneous

Tacticstype tool by Mularac

- detects free shipclass/devicetype/shiptype IDs and can also assign each item a new number in numerical order

OpenOffice spreadsheets for tacticstypes.ini and efx.ini by Arparso

- spreadsheets with attached macros to make creating/editing tacticstypes.ini and efx.ini easier (scroll down for the efx.ini sheet)

- this is mainly a conversion of the Excel sheets included with the official modding tools, but with new macros to make it work in OpenOffice

Modding ressources

dynamic lighting by jstubbles/Arparso/GeoModder/Mularac

- describes a method to achieve dynamic lighting in your mod (e.g. from weapon fire), also including a sample patch for the vanilla Nexus campagin

Pack of suns by DreamorCZ

- contains blue, red, white and yellow stars for use in Nexus mods

HD Asteroids pack by DreamorCZ

- new asteroid models with much higher detail