What can you do with the editor?
Moderators: Slitherine Core, BA Moderators, WH40K Armageddon moderators
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- Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
- Posts: 36
- Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:18 am
What can you do with the editor?
Could someone please explain in detail what exactly I can do with the editor? So far, I only seem to be able to make my own scenarios (which is not bad) but I heard you could make your own armies and even weapons!
Re: What can you do with the editor?
Always back up any files you change or replace or you may damage your ability to play the game!
With that out of the way I'll see if I can't explain some of the basics. The best way to learn how the system works is to look at how units currently work, and then reverse engineer custom armies and weapons from there.
Unit creation has several dependencies. Unit stats, Weapon stats, and unit appearances. For steam, the directory looks like:
Steam\steamapps\common\Warhammer 40,000 Armageddon\Graphics\Units
That location above is where the unit cards. When you look, you can see every unit graphically exists as a 256x256 PNG file posed in six directions. Be sure to pay attention to the numbered naming conventions! Once you make some custom unit art, this is where you'd put it.
For unit stats, you need to look in
Steam\steamapps\common\Warhammer 40,000 Armageddon\data
for a file called
unittypes.whdat
I strongly recommend opening this file with Microsoft Excel, because it will preserve the structure of the file and present it in a somewhat organized fashion. From here, you add, remove, or modify the game units, their stats, and their weaponry. Again, I highly recommend at just looking at this file and comparing it to units as they exist in game so you have a better understanding of what every field does and is responsible for.
Column Q through S is for weapons, here you assign weapons, but to set up weapons you need to dive into another file in the same directory.
weapons.whdat
Again, viewing and working with this file is best through Microsoft Excel. I highly recommend at just looking at this file and comparing it to units as they exist in game so you have a better understanding of what every field does and is responsible for.
There is also another step for weapon configuration that is weapon alignment, but that is a good deal more complex and the editor has functionality to help here (functionality currently offline though, but stay tuned for that!).
This is only a very basic explanation of what would be required to create entire custom units, weapons, and armies, but I hope it's a helpful start to get you pointed in the right direction.
With that out of the way I'll see if I can't explain some of the basics. The best way to learn how the system works is to look at how units currently work, and then reverse engineer custom armies and weapons from there.
Unit creation has several dependencies. Unit stats, Weapon stats, and unit appearances. For steam, the directory looks like:
Steam\steamapps\common\Warhammer 40,000 Armageddon\Graphics\Units
That location above is where the unit cards. When you look, you can see every unit graphically exists as a 256x256 PNG file posed in six directions. Be sure to pay attention to the numbered naming conventions! Once you make some custom unit art, this is where you'd put it.
For unit stats, you need to look in
Steam\steamapps\common\Warhammer 40,000 Armageddon\data
for a file called
unittypes.whdat
I strongly recommend opening this file with Microsoft Excel, because it will preserve the structure of the file and present it in a somewhat organized fashion. From here, you add, remove, or modify the game units, their stats, and their weaponry. Again, I highly recommend at just looking at this file and comparing it to units as they exist in game so you have a better understanding of what every field does and is responsible for.
Column Q through S is for weapons, here you assign weapons, but to set up weapons you need to dive into another file in the same directory.
weapons.whdat
Again, viewing and working with this file is best through Microsoft Excel. I highly recommend at just looking at this file and comparing it to units as they exist in game so you have a better understanding of what every field does and is responsible for.
There is also another step for weapon configuration that is weapon alignment, but that is a good deal more complex and the editor has functionality to help here (functionality currently offline though, but stay tuned for that!).
This is only a very basic explanation of what would be required to create entire custom units, weapons, and armies, but I hope it's a helpful start to get you pointed in the right direction.

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- Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
- Posts: 36
- Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:18 am
Re: What can you do with the editor?
Thank you!
Re: What can you do with the editor?
I thought about using the game editor for weapons and equipment ; the tabs there are really nice.
What is the advantage of using these files then? what do they address?
I suppose they fix the missing link between units and unit sprites, that the editor doesn't display or allow.
As far a I can tell, the game editor allows you to create maps, weapons and units, but not unit sprites.
But I hope Kerensky's post would allow to link new units with sprites.
I fail to see:
- how to create a faction
- how to create a campaign
... these are two other things the editor does not display.
If you can help with that Kerensky,that would be awesome
What is the advantage of using these files then? what do they address?
I suppose they fix the missing link between units and unit sprites, that the editor doesn't display or allow.
As far a I can tell, the game editor allows you to create maps, weapons and units, but not unit sprites.
But I hope Kerensky's post would allow to link new units with sprites.
I fail to see:
- how to create a faction
- how to create a campaign
... these are two other things the editor does not display.
If you can help with that Kerensky,that would be awesome

Re: What can you do with the editor?
Easy - go to:Aekar wrote: - how to create a faction
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Warhammer 40,000 Armageddon\data and open factions.whdat with Excel and add a faction

Supposing you have the steam-version, otherwise first part of the path can vary

Adding campaigns will be harder, you will have to do some pages for mission briefings and all. But it has been done widely for Panzer Corps by the modding community, so it will be possible here to.
Re: What can you do with the editor?
Thank you Caveman. 
So, I guess I only now need clear steps about how to make a campaign ready.

So, I guess I only now need clear steps about how to make a campaign ready.

Re: What can you do with the editor?
Hi all! Where do I save the maps I create? Also, where do they show up in game? I created one and saved in the data file but don't see it in Scenarios or MP when im in game.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Re: What can you do with the editor?
Hi Jester !
imho, we should redirect that to the Modding section
imho, we should redirect that to the Modding section

Re: What can you do with the editor?
I have this same issue, lain said they are looking into it. Doesn't seem to recognize your created scenarios in game, totally sucks.Jester09 wrote:Hi all! Where do I save the maps I create? Also, where do they show up in game? I created one and saved in the data file but don't see it in Scenarios or MP when im in game.
Thanks!
Re: What can you do with the editor?
me toophilstat wrote:I have this same issue....Jester09 wrote:Hi all! Where do I save the maps I create? Also, where do they show up in game? I created one and saved in the data file but don't see it in Scenarios or MP when im in game.
Thanks!

and selecting 'Help' in the Editor-menue don't load and show a document (i hoped to look up the right path to save my map there)
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- Senior Corporal - Ju 87G
- Posts: 78
- Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2011 11:03 am
- Location: the Netherlands
Re: What can you do with the editor?
I have the same prob. i would love to play my own created MP games.
Re: What can you do with the editor?
We need to Validate the scenario but it is not working.
Re: What can you do with the editor?
Quite a few editor features underwent some last minute changes prior to release, for better or for worse. Thanks for your report and patience in this matter, I'm sure we'll have something for you sooner than later regarding editor issues!
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- Senior Corporal - Ju 87G
- Posts: 78
- Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2011 11:03 am
- Location: the Netherlands
Re: What can you do with the editor?
I knew how to create maps in Panzser Corps so I hope it will be as easy as that. I hope it will be sorted soon.