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Getting Shadowkeeper to work with BGEE

CuvCuv Member, Developer Posts: 2,535
edited February 2013 in General Modding
*** Just a common sense warning: As with any modifications to your game, make a backup before proceeding with any use of mods or tweaks. These modifications are posted here by the community and modders to help with compatibility for old tools. As new tools are developed, hopefully these workarounds will not be necessary. Also, use of commandline and system altering tools can do damage to your system if used inproperly. Use caution. When in doubt ask or give it a pass.

This just in: @Troodon80 has been doing some work on an EE Keeper. You can follow the progress starting on page 3 here: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/7205/getting-shadowkeeper-to-work-with-bgee/p3

Creating Symbolic Links to SK install

@CamDawg has been using me as a guinea pig for the last few hours to get this working. It is a new .bat file that you run once from inside your 00766 install folder that will create links to your dialog.tlk, save, portraits, characters and baldur.ini into your main Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition folder that can be used by Shadowkeeper.

You can find the .bat file here BGEE Run Once Mklink.bat

Some people have oddball setups (like me). I am running an SSD so I have my User profile on another drive to keep my drive clean. So I have specific paths. If you have something similar, holler and I will paste in my .bat commands for an example for you to create your own. You could also try this: http://schinagl.priv.at/nt/hardlinkshellext/hardlinkshellext.html

Requirements

A BG2 install 'somewhere' and Shadowkeep installed there. I am actually running Shadowkeeper from a very old backup of BG2:SoA/ToB install on an external drive. I have created a desktop shortcut to it there. Open up SK and go to Settings... point to your 00766 folder after running the .bat. You should be good to go!

As an added bonus, getting the Baldur.ini link into your main 00766 directory also enables InfExp to work.

Here is the manual method which works fine, will keep it here in case people can't use the new symbolic links.
[spoiler=Manual Method]
Here is the manual method to make ShadowKeeper work with BGEE.
- Download and extract Shadowkeeper to its own folder somewhere you can find it. Such as (Users\-name-\Documents\ShadowKeeper)
-Copy your dialog.tlk from language directory (Program Files (x86)\Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition\Data\00766\lang\en_US) to your 00766 directory (Program Files (x86)\Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition\Data\00766)
-Copy your Baldur.ini from Documents (Users\-name-\Documents\Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition) to your 00766 directory (Program Files (x86)\Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition\Data\00766). (This will also allow for InfExp to work)
-Copy your portraits folder from Documents (Users\-name-\Documents\Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition) to your 00766 directory (Program Files (x86)\Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition\Data\00766) to see them displayed.
-Run ShadowKeeper.exe (Users\-name-\Documents\ShadowKeeper) but change your settings to 00766 folder. It will holler at you, but still do it.
-Move/copy your save games (Users\-name-\Documents\Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition\save) and/or characters (Users\PinkRose\Documents\Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition\characters) to the 00766 (Program Files (x86)\Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition\Data\00766) folder.
-Edit and move back to documents (Users\-name-\Documents\Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition).
-Start up game and either load your edited save game or import your edited character.
-Have fun!

Fairly simple actually... just a bit of juggling. Didn't seem to corrupt my game... a bit overkill for Candlekeep, but here is my character to see if it could be done.

An Alternate method would be to copy your baldur.exe and rename it to BGMain.exe and copy it back into your 00766 folder. Then install SK directly to your 00766 folder, and follow the rest of the steps minus the moving.
[/spoiler]

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Post edited by Dee on
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Comments

  • TanthalasTanthalas Member Posts: 6,738
    This info could go to the public boards (though without the BGEE pic until release).
  • CuvCuv Member, Developer Posts: 2,535
    @Tanthalas If you like:D Or we could just wait until tomorrow to let them know. It's not that pressing. Don't know about the internal folder name though... is it still 0764 in the release version? Or do we even know yet.
  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
    edited December 2012
    The process didn't work for me. Are you doing anything different? This is what I did:

    1: Copy Saves and Characters folders into 00766 directory
    2: Open SK, and target the 00766 directory
    3: Restart SK
    4: ???

    It says it can't read the text resources.

    EDIT: @Cuv
    :)
    Post edited by Cuv on
  • CuvCuv Member, Developer Posts: 2,535
    edited December 2012
    @Aosaw Forgot to mention the other parts that are necessary for NI to read the dlg tlk. Will update the top thread.

    -Copy your dialog.tlk from language directory to your 00766 directory (ie: \lang\en_US)
    -Copy your Baldur.ini from Documents to your 00766 directory. (This will also allow for InfExp to work)
    Post edited by Cuv on
  • CuvCuv Member, Developer Posts: 2,535
    edited December 2012
    Yes, confirmed still works with build 2007 Public Release
    image
    Post edited by Cuv on
  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
    I've typed up the steps to get it to work in the Mod compatibility thread.

    Don't worry; I made sure it worked on my system first. ;)
  • CamDawgCamDawg Member, Developer Posts: 3,438
    @Cuv, @Aosaw
    Wouldn't you have to copy your saves back to their original folder to get the changes to show up in game? It may be better just to build hardlinks and be done with it.
  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
    edited November 2012
    Oh, good point. I'd better clarify that.

    How would you build those links? Just with shortcuts?

    EDIT: Never mind, read the post in General.
  • CuvCuv Member, Developer Posts: 2,535
    I think this information has gotten around now, but tomorrow will post it in the customize thread.
  • TeflonTeflon Member, Translator (NDA) Posts: 515
    Aha! so WITHOUT BG2 shadowkeeper won't work for BG:EE. Now I gotta test it out.
  • AndreaColomboAndreaColombo Member Posts: 5,530
    So ... aren't we going to bribe the author of SK into developing a BG:EE version? I'll offer a free copy of BG:EE.
  • CuvCuv Member, Developer Posts: 2,535
    @AndreaColombo I have been guinea-pigging a new .bat by @CamDawg that will create the symbolic links... editing the OP now actually :)
  • AndreaColomboAndreaColombo Member Posts: 5,530
    @Cuv - Love the verb "to guinea-pig" :D
  • DeucetipherDeucetipher Member Posts: 521
    If anyone is having trouble setting up hard links, y'all should point them to http://schinagl.priv.at/nt/hardlinkshellext/hardlinkshellext.html \

    It's a little utility that lets you set up hardlinks just by right-clicking.
  • CuvCuv Member, Developer Posts: 2,535
    @Deucetipher Thanks... I think this bat might be easier for most players. All they have to do is run it once and it will setup all their links. But definitely something for people who dont have typical installs. Will add that to the top post.
  • CamDawgCamDawg Member, Developer Posts: 3,438
    Note also that this bat file will also set up the link to dialog.tlk as well, so you can skip step three in the thread about getting mods to work on BGEE.
  • CuvCuv Member, Developer Posts: 2,535
    Ah right..will update the top post!
  • MansenMansen Member Posts: 82
    CamDawg said:

    Note also that this bat file will also set up the link to dialog.tlk as well, so you can skip step three in the thread about getting mods to work on BGEE.

    I'm disappointed that you didn't put a warning alongside with the mklink commands - they're not exactly beginner friendly.

  • CuvCuv Member, Developer Posts: 2,535
    @Mansen What problems are you having? Do you have an odd-ball comp setup like I indicated? The .bat should work with all default windows vista/7/8 setups where you have your main install and either a Documents or My Documents in your User folder.
  • MansenMansen Member Posts: 82
    I don't have any problems - I was merely commenting on the fact telling people to use rather risky NTFS filesystem commands is not the way to do things without at least warning people of the issues that can pop up when you start moving things around like that.
  • CuvCuv Member, Developer Posts: 2,535
    @Mansen Ah okay, fair enough. I updated the topic post with a general warning at the beginning. Probably could have been said much simpler. Look better?

    Sorry, I guess we all assume that people know what they are doing who come to modding sites where many of us originated. Most of those people already have an idea what they want to do and why. I am guilty of that. Will try to be more mindful going forward.
  • DeucetipherDeucetipher Member Posts: 521
    Oh yeah, the bat will be way easier. I must have flat missed that update to the OP. My bad :). I just knew that some people have trouble with anything involving cmd, and thought this was more user friendly, though not nearly as good as what y'all have put together.
  • CuvCuv Member, Developer Posts: 2,535
    Hehe, no worries... a warning is still good. People should be backing up their games before doing any tweaks or mods to be on the safe side.
  • MornmagorMornmagor Member Posts: 1,160
    Isn't it possible to just "transfer" the save files between the 00766 and the documents folders? And then transfer them back after the edit?

    Together with the dialog.tlk and whatever other file is needed.
  • CuvCuv Member, Developer Posts: 2,535
    @Mornmagor Of course, that is in the Old Method which you can expand at the top where you can move them manually:D You still need to have an install of BG2 and Shadowkeeper installed there. Just point SK to your 00766 directory.
  • PinkRosePinkRose Member Posts: 102
    I was able to make it all work without having BG2 installed. Followed all the steps. Works fine.
  • cbarchukcbarchuk Member Posts: 322
    So you don't need BG2 installed? Where does SK need to be installed?
  • ermoermo Member Posts: 81
    edited December 2012
    @Cuv:

    You might like this slightly abstracted (and completely untested!) version using FOR loops: 

    REM BEGIN

    :: designed to be run as administrator from the BG:EE installation folder

    @setlocal enableextensions
    @cd /d "%~dp0"

    :: replace the en_US part of this command with the appropriate folder for non-English installs
    IF NOT EXIST .\dialog.tlk (mklink /H .\dialog.tlk .\lang\en_US\dialog.tlk)

    :: create override foler
    IF NOT EXIST .\override (mkdir .\override)

    IF EXIST "%userprofile%\Documents\Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition" (goto yours)
    IF EXIST "%userprofile%\My Documents\Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition" (goto mine)
    goto none

    :yours

    :: set up user data folder variable (note that we're quoting it here)
    SET BGEE_USERDATA="%userprofile%\Documents\Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition"

    goto setup

    :mine

    :: set up user data folder variable (note that we're quoting it here)
    SET BGEE_USERDATA="%userprofile%\My Documents\Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition"

    goto setup


    :setup

    @echo "Using %BGEE_USERDATA% as user data folder..."
    @echo ""

    :: check for and create folders only if they don't exist already

    FOR %%F IN ( save characters Portraits ) DO (
      IF NOT EXIST %BGEE_USERDATA%\%%F (
        mkdir %BGEE_USERDATA%\%%F
      )
    )

    :: now that those folders are created, create links if they're not present already

    FOR %%F IN ( save characters Portraits ) DO (
      IF NOT EXIST .\%%F (
        mklink /D .\%%F %BGEE_USERDATA%\%%F
      )
    )

    :: .. and ensure that we have an .ini file symlink as well
    IF NOT EXIST .\baldur.ini (mklink /H .\baldur.ini "%BGEE_USERDATA%\baldur.ini")

    goto end

    :none
    ECHO "Can't find Documents folder, not making links"

    :end
    pause

    REM END
  • CamDawgCamDawg Member, Developer Posts: 3,438
    Thanks @ermo. My bat coding days are long behind me, but I knew there was a more efficient way to do all that. Couldn't you combine those two for loops though into something like 
    FOR %%F IN ( save characters Portraits ) DO (
      IF NOT EXIST %BGEE_USERDATA%\%%F (
        mkdir %BGEE_USERDATA%\%%F
      )
      IF NOT EXIST .\%%F (
        mklink /D .\%%F %BGEE_USERDATA%\%%F
      )
    )
    ?
  • CuvCuv Member, Developer Posts: 2,535
    @ermo Looks nice! Yeah, @CamDawg coded that .bat for us because I suck at that. I can certainly give it a go when I have the time.
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