Tutorial:RPFM For Dummies - Revision history

Grimmys: Add more formatting, some ressources links and update for more recent versions of RPFM

2024-03-14T17:11:23Z

Add more formatting, some ressources links and update for more recent versions of RPFM

Grimmys: Fix typos, be more inclusive for WH3, update regarding new name of executable

2024-03-11T22:09:45Z

Fix typos, be more inclusive for WH3, update regarding new name of executable

Zeldrake: huh, apparently mediawiki doesn't like you linking to images that don't exist yet

2021-07-17T08:26:52Z

huh, apparently mediawiki doesn't like you linking to images that don't exist yet

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:26, 17 July 2021
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	= Chapter 3 - Script =		= Chapter 4 - Script =

	''To Be Continued...''		''To Be Continued...''

Zeldrake: introduction question marks oops

2021-07-17T08:22:58Z

introduction question marks oops

Show changes

Zeldrake: Continuing guide

2021-07-17T07:14:00Z

Continuing guide

Show changes

Zeldrake: Zeldrake (on Discord) edited this page, please don't delete me I am not a spambot D:

2021-07-17T05:04:26Z

Zeldrake (on Discord) edited this page, please don't delete me I am not a spambot D:

New page

Subtitle: ''A Reasonably Lengthy And Not-At-All Short Guide to Modding with RPFM – Without Pictures Until I Learn Mediawiki A Bit Better''

Hello, some text goes here, please don't eat me up I am not a spambot

= Chapter 0 - Introduction =

What are WH2 mods and what can they do?

Broadly speaking, mods are .pack files which contain basically every piece of WH2 data you’ll need – models, stats, text, animations, spells, scripts, numbers. RPFM, Rusted Pack File Manager, is a tool to edit pack files. Therefore, you need to use RPFM for basically every WH2 mod you'll make. This guide will be aimed at WH2, but the ideas are the same for the other games.

It’s also possible to edit pack files with PFM (Pack File Manager) or the TW: Assembly Kit (fondly called asskit), but neither of these are recommended: the former is just old and has a habit of eating your entire mod up, and the second just doesn’t work well for modders. If a guide references PFM a lot it’s quite outdated and you should probably search around for a more updated one.

Also, before you begin, I recommend setting up a folder somewhere to stash your mods, RPFM, and other stuff. We’ll need it later. Mine is
C:\REDACTED\OtherGameStuff\Warhammer2ExceptNeat

= Chapter 1 - Getting RPFM =

The best place to get your hands on RPFM is by checking the #rpfm channel on ''Da Modding Den'' Discord server. Chances are the latest version is pinned in the pinned. However, you should also be able to get it from [https://github.com/Frodo45127/rpfm/releases/latest this] link (hello did mediawiki link embed work?) Which, at the moment, looks a bit like this:

screenshot.jpg (no that's not an actual screenshot I'll work out how to do pictures later)

At the time of writing (which is outdated already), the current version is v2.3.2. RPFM will doubtlessly have more additions and changes as time goes on (the change from RPFM v1 to v2 was quite something), but the idea should still be the same: it does things with Pack Files. The buttons might move about, but they should do the same stuff.

As for downloading it: assuming you’re on Windows, it’s the download that has ‘rpfm-something-something-windows’ in it:

screenshot.jpg

At the moment, RPFM is nicely packaged into a .zip folder, which you can extract with almost anything, but previous versions were packaged into a .7z folder. I reccomend unpacking these with [https://www.7-zip.org/download.html 7zip]. 7zip is pretty straightforward to download and install: just grab any of the ones that say "windows" and, if it doesn’t seem to work, try the next one. In any case, 7-zip is beyond the scope of this guide.

Anyway, extract RPFM into your mod folder and you should end up with something like this:

screenshot.jpg

It’s not truly neccessary, but we’ll make a shortcut to RPFM so we don’t have to get lost down this rabbithole of folders each time we want to open it (and you’ll want to open it a lot). Find rpfm.exe (that’s the program – I don't know what the other ones do. In earlier, or perhaps later, versions of RPFM the executable name might change. Try running things until it works), right-click, and Create Shortcut:

screenshot.jpg

Select that and move it to somewhere memorable. Desktop works fine – at the moment mine is in my WH2 mods folder:

screenshot.jpg

That’s RPFM! Open it up and – for this version, in any case – it should look at least a little like:

screenshot.jpg

(though the icon in the middle of the screen might be different).

= Chapter 2 - Setting RPFM Up =

''I will return to continue this!''

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:09, 11 March 2024
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	= Chapter 0 - Introduction =		= Chapter 0 - Introduction =

	What are WH2 mods and what can they do?		What are WH2 (or WH3) mods and what can they do?

	Broadly speaking, mods are .pack files which contain basically every piece of WH2 data you’ll need – models, stats, text, animations, spells, scripts, numbers. RPFM, Rusted Pack File Manager, is a tool to edit pack files. Therefore, you need to use RPFM for basically every WH2 mod you'll make. This guide will be aimed at WH2, but the ideas are the same for the other games.		Broadly speaking, mods are .pack files which contain basically every piece of WH2 (or WH3) data you’ll need – models, stats, text, animations, spells, scripts, numbers. RPFM, Rusted Pack File Manager, is a tool to edit pack files. Therefore, you need to use RPFM for basically every WH2 (or WH3) mod you'll make. This guide will be aimed at WH2, but the ideas are the same for the other games (it has been tested for WH3 as well).

	It’s also possible to edit pack files with PFM (Pack File Manager) or the TW: Assembly Kit (fondly called asskit), but neither of these are recommended: the former is just old and has a habit of eating your entire mod up, and the second just doesn’t work well for modders. If a guide references PFM a lot it’s quite outdated and you should probably search around for a more updated one.		It’s also possible to edit pack files with PFM (Pack File Manager) or the TW: Assembly Kit (fondly called asskit), but neither of these are recommended: the former is just old and has a habit of eating your entire mod up, and the second just doesn’t work well for modders. If a guide references PFM a lot it’s quite outdated and you should probably search around for a more updated one.
Line 27:		Line 27:
	[[File:RPFMForDummiesImage 02.png\|350px]]		[[File:RPFMForDummiesImage 02.png\|350px]]

	At the moment, RPFM is nicely packaged into a .zip folder, which you can extract with almost anything, but previous versions were packaged into a .7z folder. I ~~reccomend~~ unpacking these with [https://www.7-zip.org/download.html 7zip]. 7zip is pretty straightforward to download and install: just grab any of the ones that say "windows" and, if it doesn’t seem to work, try the next one. In any case, 7-zip is beyond the scope of this guide.		At the moment, RPFM is nicely packaged into a .zip folder, which you can extract with almost anything, but previous versions were packaged into a .7z folder. I recommend unpacking these with [https://www.7-zip.org/download.html 7zip]. 7zip is pretty straightforward to download and install: just grab any of the ones that say "windows" and, if it doesn’t seem to work, try the next one. In any case, 7-zip is beyond the scope of this guide.

	Anyway, extract RPFM into your mod folder and you should end up with something like this:		Anyway, extract RPFM into your mod folder and you should end up with something like this:
Line 33:		Line 33:
	[[File:RPFMForDummiesImage 03.png\|700px]]		[[File:RPFMForDummiesImage 03.png\|700px]]

	It’s not truly ~~neccessary~~, but we’ll make a shortcut to RPFM so we don’t have to get lost down this ~~rabbithole~~ of folders each time we want to open it (and you’ll want to open it a lot). Find rpfm.exe (that’s the program – I don't know what the other ones do. In earlier, or perhaps later, versions of RPFM the executable name might change. Try running things until it works), right-click, and Create Shortcut:		It’s not truly necessary, but we’ll make a shortcut to RPFM so we don’t have to get lost down this rabbit hole of folders each time we want to open it (and you’ll want to open it a lot). Find rpfm.exe (that’s the program – I don't know what the other ones do. In earlier, or perhaps later, versions of RPFM the executable name might change. Try running things until it works), right-click, and Create Shortcut:

	[[File:RPFMForDummiesImage 04.png\|600px]]		[[File:RPFMForDummiesImage 04.png\|600px]]

			'''Update: on some newer version, the executable has been renamed rpfm_ui.exe'''

	Select that and move it to somewhere memorable. Desktop works fine – at the moment mine is in my WH2 mods folder:		Select that and move it to somewhere memorable. Desktop works fine – at the moment mine is in my WH2 mods folder:
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	[[File:RPFMForDummiesImage 08.png\|700px]]		[[File:RPFMForDummiesImage 08.png\|700px]]

	It’s critically important to fill out the boxes I’ve outlined in red. The first points RPFM to WH2’s mod directory: it’s just the folder where the .exe is (as the handy tooltip demonstrates!) The second points to a fancy shmancy “MyMod” folder. You’ll need to create this and put it somewhere safe - it can be anywhere that isn’t in Program Files. Making a nice big WH2 folder under Documents or somewhere to put everything WH2-related is a good idea.		It’s critically important to fill out the boxes I’ve outlined in red. The first points RPFM to WH2’s mod directory: it’s just the folder where the .exe is (as the handy tooltip demonstrates!) The second points to a fancy shmancy “MyMod” folder. You’ll need to create this and put it somewhere safe - it can be anywhere that isn’t in Program Files. Making a nice big WH2/WH3 folder under Documents or somewhere to put everything WH2/WH3-related is a good idea.

	The blue box isn’t critical, but it’ll save you a bit of effort: defaulting RPFM to WH2 (it’s probably on Three Kingdoms) means less clicks when we start up. The remaining settings can be left at defaults, you don’t need them. From here, everything else is optional. As you can see, I also filled out my path for Troy, because I like to mod that a little, but it’s not needed – we’re modding WH2 so only WH2 needs to be set up! There’s also “Use Dark Theme” hiding in the checkbox list on the left, which is good for modding at 3am when you’re feeling vampiric and bright light destroys you.		The blue box isn’t critical, but it’ll save you a bit of effort: defaulting RPFM to WH2 or WH3 (it’s probably on Three Kingdoms) means less clicks when we start up. The remaining settings can be left at defaults, you don’t need them. From here, everything else is optional. As you can see, I also filled out my path for Troy, because I like to mod that a little, but it’s not needed – we’re modding WH2/WH3 so only WH2/WH3 needs to be set up! There’s also “Use Dark Theme” hiding in the checkbox list on the left, which is good for modding at 3am when you’re feeling vampiric and bright light destroys you.

	Close RPFM and restart it again, just for good measure. (It’s not actually needed for these settings, contrary to the red warning text, but saves us a little bit of clicking).		Close RPFM and restart it again, just for good measure. (It’s not actually needed for these settings, contrary to the red warning text, but saves us a little bit of clicking).

	There’s one more thing we’ll need to do to get RPFM working properly and that is install the Total War: Warhammer 2 Assembly Kit. There’s a neat guide on how to do this by CA [https://www.totalwar.com/blog/total-war-warhammer-assembly-kit-terry-quick-start-guide/ here] but in short, Steam -> Library -> Tools then install the TW: Assembly Kit.		There’s one more thing we’ll need to do to get RPFM working properly and that is install the Total War: Warhammer 2 Assembly Kit (same for Warhammer 3). There’s a neat guide on how to do this by CA [https://www.totalwar.com/blog/total-war-warhammer-assembly-kit-terry-quick-start-guide/ here] but in short, Steam -> Library -> Tools then install the TW: Assembly Kit.

	[[File:RPFMForDummiesImage 09.png\|400px]]		[[File:RPFMForDummiesImage 09.png\|400px]]

	It’s important (for RPFM) that the Assembly Kit is installed on the same drive as WH2. Once it’s downloaded, boot up RPFM again and hit Special Stuff -> Warhammer 2 -> Generate Dependencies Cache. (If the button’s greyed out, just open any WH2 packfile you care to name; easily done with Open From Data and clicking on whatever you like).		It’s important (for RPFM) that the Assembly Kit is installed on the same drive as WH2/WH3. Once it’s downloaded, boot up RPFM again and hit Special Stuff -> Warhammer 2 / Warhammer 3 -> Generate Dependencies Cache. (If the button’s greyed out, just open any WH2/WH3 packfile you care to name; easily done with Open From Data and clicking on whatever you like).

	[[File:RPFMForDummiesImage 10.png\|615px]]		[[File:RPFMForDummiesImage 10.png\|615px]]
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	It’ll take a minute, but this is really helpful for RPFM’s diagnostic tool that tells you when your keys don’t match up (in short, it lets you know where you goofed up).		It’ll take a minute, but this is really helpful for RPFM’s diagnostic tool that tells you when your keys don’t match up (in short, it lets you know where you goofed up).



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	''To Be Continued...''		''To Be Continued...''

			[[Category: Tools & Resources]]