Difference between revisions of "Getting Started"

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== Overview of the Toolset ==
 
== Overview of the Toolset ==
  
*[[Overview of the toolset|Overview of the toolset:]] A quite good overview of layout and toolset resource management.
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*[[Overview of the toolset|Overview of the toolset:]] A quite good overview of interface layout and toolset resource management.
  
 
*[[Comparisons with other toolkits|Comparisons with other toolkits:]] A brief feature overview of the Dragon Age toolset for users familiar with similar software (e.g., the NWN Aurora Toolset).
 
*[[Comparisons with other toolkits|Comparisons with other toolkits:]] A brief feature overview of the Dragon Age toolset for users familiar with similar software (e.g., the NWN Aurora Toolset).

Revision as of 02:33, 4 February 2010

Installing the Toolset

  • Install the game. Ensure Dragon Age is installed before dabbling in the toolset, as it relies on the game's resources and engine, and cannot function without them.
  • Create an account. In order to contribute to pages on the DA Builder Wiki or participate on the BioWare Social Network, you will need to create an online user account.
  • Register the game. In addition, you will need to register your copy of Dragon Age before gaining access to game-owner only content, including the toolset.
  • Download the toolset. The Dragon Age toolset contains the same functionality used by BioWare to craft the official campaign, and provides the power and flexibility to create your own custom content and adventures.
  • Install the toolset. Refer to this page for general information and step-by-step instructions to installing the toolset.
  • Troubleshooting. Refer to this page for specific information on how to resolve issues in the event that toolset installation goes awry.
  • Known issues. Refer to this page for a currently documented list of known issues and bugs in the current version of the toolset.

Overview of the Toolset

Starting the Toolset

How to determine which module is currently open
Warning-information.png Do not edit Single Player or Core Resources with custom content!

Before using the Toolset it is important to take note of the module the toolset has open. A module is a "container" that game resources are stored in; you will only be able to see the resources for the currently-open module (and any modules that it is marked as depending on). The default module when first starting the Toolset is the "Demo" module, which is a very small and simple module intended to show several common resource types in a basic pre-built adventure you can experiment with safely.

The main Dragon Age: Origins campaign resources are stored in a module named "Single Player". If you're just starting out with the toolset it can be dangerous to edit these, as you could inadvertantly corrupt your main campaign. Take care when exploring not to edit any of those resources without knowing what you're doing.

The first basic steps in the Toolset shall be to create your own Module. The only possible type of Module is "Addin", but note that this name is somewhat misleading; it is possible to have "standalone addins" that are completely separate from any other module (such as the main campaign).

  • See: Module - For a general overview of how a Module works, and what awaits you.

Using the Toolset

As described in the overview linked to above, the game uses a wide variety of resource types. A "resource" is something that you can create, such as a script or a creature, and you will often need to combine many different resources together to accomplish a particular design goal. The toolset consists of many independent tools for working with these different types of resources. These tools can be well discussed separately.

The next best step for learning the toolset would be to look into the categories on the Main Page, which link deeper into each topic and the tools involved with them. If you are having questions at a specific part of the toolset give this Wiki a search for it. This can be very specific, and always worth a try. You may also find the toolset forums to be useful in solving specific problems the documentation here may not cover.

A list of certain Interest, and the 3 Resource types:

  • Design - Talks mainly about Designer Resources, in question is Items, Monsters, NPC's, Vendors, etcetc
  • Art - Talks mainly about Art Resources, in question Models, Textures, Facemorphs, etcetc
  • 2DA - Talks about the 2DA Resourcetype, which is sets of Gamewide usable variables and references.
  • etc

Tips and tricks

  • Shortcuts - Assorted toolset shortcuts.
  • Common Problems - Little things that most people will need to know but that are not necessarily obvious.

Specials

Deleting a module - This is currently not possible by normal means.

If you run into a problem that the documentation doesn't cover and that you can't fix, contact toolsetsupport@bioware.com