Modding Tools

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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.


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


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


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 resources

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