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Need a bit of help deleting a file from a BIF file!

suterususuterusu Member Posts: 9
in Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
I want to remove the pregenerated default characters that show up in the import character list. I have successfully removed all of the PreGen characters in Misc.bif using WinBiff v1.2.2 in advanced mode without any issues. Now there's only one left and that is the orc shaman named grok which goes by the name 0ASHAMAN.chr under PATCH25.bif and this damned orc scum refuses to die because when attempting to remove his file from PATCH25.bif using WinBiff v1.2.2 Advanced Mode it seemingly hangs indefinitely attempting to remove it and keeps putting information into a Tempfile in the bif data folder until I force kill the program. Normally I'd just let the thing keep going but it has gotten up to 70GB in that temp file before killing the WinBiff program.

I've seen a different solution to delete these from Bif using a weidu.exe and .txt file in a folder and renaming them and executing but this method refuses to work giving permission errors everytime and the folder in question with the text file refuses to add full control permissions under "CREATOR OWNER" which I believe might be the hang up with this method but every time I hit apply with the new permissions it removes the permissions I just set.

It's too bad NearInfinity doesn't allow you to delete files or at least have some sort of option to enable it for advanced users that aren't afraid to get their hands dirty and keep backups.

At least right now the import list isn't so cluttered but the OrcShaman template still being there makes my inner OCD lose its mind like a mentally ill barbarian speaks to critters.

Anyone got any ideas? Whoever succeeds in helping me gets a pair of platinum pantaloons!

Comments

  • TressetTresset Member, Moderator Posts: 8,268
    @suterusu Your post was caught by the forum's spam filter. I have restored it and verified you so that this should not happen again.

    Being somewhat familiar with things of this sort I will now look into seeing if I can help you.
  • suterususuterusu Member Posts: 9
    Hey thanks! (:
  • TressetTresset Member, Moderator Posts: 8,268
    edited December 2018
    I found a very simple way to remove this orc for you. See, if his file is corrupted somehow, then the game cant read it and he will not appear on the list! All you have to do is create a blank text file in your override folder and name it 0ASHAMAN.CHR (windows may warn you not to do this, just ignore it) and, hey presto, the data is overwritten by a blank file that is unreadable by the game and thus he cannot appear on the list!
  • suterususuterusu Member Posts: 9
    Strangely enough he is still showing up in the import list despite trying this out. I'm on steam if that changes anything.
  • TressetTresset Member, Moderator Posts: 8,268
    Hmm... It worked for me... Did you name the blank text file 0ASHAMAN.CHR.txt or just 0ASHAMAN.CHR? It has to be 0ASHAMAN.CHR without the .txt suffix. You would also have to restart the game to notice any changes.
  • suterususuterusu Member Posts: 9
    I think I just fixed it, I used NearInfinity to make a bogus .CHR in the override folder then i took that real CHR file in the override and edited the text, ripped out all the text now he doesn't show up!!!
  • suterususuterusu Member Posts: 9
    Strangely enough I actually had the idea of using a .txt file earlier in the day but I quickly shrugged off the idea with the notion that it "couldn't possibly" be that easy. Thanks to your suggestion and after failing it still gave me the idea to generate a proper override and corrupt it.
  • suterususuterusu Member Posts: 9
    Thanks a lot!
  • TressetTresset Member, Moderator Posts: 8,268
    We both did the same thing, but by a different process.
  • suterususuterusu Member Posts: 9
    Oh I think the problem was that I never unticked "Hide extensions for known file types" on this computer. So I wasn't able to see that the real file name was in fact 0ASHAMAN.CHR.txt hahaha!
  • suterususuterusu Member Posts: 9
    Well if anyone ever wants to get rid of PreGen characters and doesn't know how to fix hidden extensions they will multiple versions of the solution.
  • suterususuterusu Member Posts: 9
    I suppose I should restore the original files and just use a bogus override instead. Can't believe how much I was overcomplicating this.
  • ParasolsyndicateParasolsyndicate Member Posts: 54
    edited May 2019
    I am much slower, and less technically astute than the OP, but I wish to perform a similar feat. I'd like to get Grok's portrait into the default ones I can pick when making a char, and changing appearance.

    Can anyone with a good sense of filepaths guide me?
  • GusindaGusinda Member Posts: 1,917
    Hi @Parasolsyndicate, the images for Grok are 'NHORCL.BMP' 'NHORCM.BMP' ad NHORCS.BMP'. You wont need the S version of the portraits. You can get them using NI but if you are not familiar using it, I have extracted them for you. Just unpack these into you 'portraits' folder. Not sure which OS you are playing on but I will assume Windows. The path for the portraits folder is:
    ..\Documents\Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition\portraits
    If the portraits folder doesn't exist, just create it in your games folder. If yo look to taking the portrait into BG2, you will also need to copy the portrait there as well. Same folder except in the BG2EE.

    I am unsure what you mean when you say you want to change the appearance. Did you want to edit the image as well?

    If I have confused you, let me know and I will try to explain better...

    Gus
    Grok.zip 304.7K
  • ParasolsyndicateParasolsyndicate Member Posts: 54
    edited May 2019
    Hey, thanks, @Gusinda! I'm on a Mac, which complicates things somewhat. Adding portraits to that folder doesn't seem to have an effect.

    >changing appearance
    Customization options allow you to swap portraits, but of course, you can't swap portraits that aren't placed, so even if you play Grok, if you switch his portrait, you're SOL for the remainder of the game.

    I'm pretty sure that portrait is already in BG2, so no further work needed there.
    Post edited by Parasolsyndicate on
  • ParasolsyndicateParasolsyndicate Member Posts: 54
    I do, however still need to find a folder that actually works. Where are the default portraits kept?
  • GusindaGusinda Member Posts: 1,917
    @Parasolsyndicate, sorry, I am unsure with the Mac. All I can do is provide a suggestion...

    - Find where your saved games are stored. These should be in your documents folder, not where the game executable is.
    - Move one folder back and you should find your 'baldur.lua' config file located here (you could also do a search for that file as another means). You are likely to have some other folders there apart from '\save' such as '\crash', and possibly '\sodsave' if you have BGSOD as well.
    - If the '\portraits' folder doesn't exist here, then you can create the 'portraits' folder and place the custom portraits into. They then should turn up in game.

    There is another method we can try if this doesn't work assuming you are familiar where the 'override' folder is (which would be in your game's executable folder).

    Gus
  • ParasolsyndicateParasolsyndicate Member Posts: 54
    edited May 2019
    Yeah, that's the folder where I moved the 2 Grok images. (They are presently all that is contained therin)

    Still nothing doing.

    Ya know, there's a portraits folder at /Library/containers/.beamdogbgee/data/documents/BG-EE/Portraits
    And I even have some custom portraits in there, indicating that that path did work at one point.

    Of course, they don't work anymore. Beamdog's wizardry grew too powerful.
    Post edited by Parasolsyndicate on
  • ParasolsyndicateParasolsyndicate Member Posts: 54
    What FINALLY fixed it was to delete the portraits folder and let the game create a new one... :p
    Then move the custom portraits in.

    I can now Grok out to my hearts content.
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