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Warcraft III
How to customize it?
With the help of this tutorial, you will learn how to effectively and simply replace existing files in Warcraft databases, without having to mess up the MPQ packs. This will enable you to have your favorite resources in any map you play!
Content of tutorial:
I - Allowing Custom FilesII - Finding Resources
III - Replacing Files
IIIa - Skins
IIIb - Icons
IIIc - Models
IIId - Sounds
IV - Main Menu Background
I - Allowing Custom Files
First of all, to get this started, you will need to edit Warcraft's registry, in order to allow your files to be applied. To do this, simply follow these steps:
1. Hit the "Start" button.
2. Open the "Run" sub-program.
3. Type in "regedit" (Without punctuation) and click on "OK"
4. When the Registry Editor opens, find the Main Folder called "HKEY_CURRENT_USER", and open it.
5. Open the "Software" sub-folder.
6. Search for "Blizzard Entertainment" sub-folder, and open it.
7. Click only once on "Warcraft III" sub-folder.
8. Now, you will see a list on the right side of the screen. Find the registry that says "Allow Local Files", and open it (Double click).
9. In the field of "Value Data", replace the zero (0) with number one (1). Make sure that the "Hexadecimal" flag is checked.
10. Hit okay. The registry you edited should display this in Data category: 0.00000001 (1).
You're finished with this part of the job. If your files are not being replaced, check again if you have edited the registry correctly.
 Hint: You can't replace files that are already in maps you play, and this mainly concentrates on Imported resources. Map's MPQ has higher priority than your files. Also, files you replace are only visible to you. |
II - Finding Resources
I won't discuss this much, since on this site, The Hiveworkshop, you will find plenty of Models, Skins and Icons to use.
But there is one thing you should keep an eye for: some models use custom skins, and some skins are made in two or more parts. Icons do not suffer from any problems, with an exception that you can find units in most maps that use same icons for their skills, which can look weird if the themes are not same.
III - Replacing Files
This is the most important part, yet the easiest. All you will need to do is to find the resources you like, and seek the path. The easiest way to find the correct path for the resource you would like to display is to use the http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/tools-560/war3-model-editor-62876/, or the harder way with http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/tools-560/warcraft-iii-viewer-62878/. The process is simple now.
With Magos' Warcraft III Model Editor, just open the "Windows" and then "MPQ Browser", "File" afterwards, and select the MPQ you would like to open. "war3.mpq" contains files before the Frozen Throne, and vice verse for the "war3x.mpq".
With Warcraft III Viewer, just hit "Ctrl + F" and type first few letters of what you seek. Note that you will might have to open the right MPQ before you seek what you want. I still suggest Magos' Editor, since it's simpler, easier and a lot more functional.
Please see the example in skins so that you can understand all this better.
IIIa - Skins
I will use this skin of Jaina, by 67chrome. I opened Magos' Editor, and found the Jaina files in War3.mpq database, under "Units -> Human -> Jaina".
To successively replace Jaina's skin, enter your Warcraft III folder, which is usually found at "C:\Program Files\Warcraft III". Now create a new folder in it, called "Units". In newly created folder, create another one called "Human". Then, another one in it, called "Jaina". You see what I did there, and why I told you to use Magos' Editor? With it, the files you want to replace have the exact same path as their parent folders. If you look at your Editor, you will notice that the Jaina Resources are found under the path made of parent folders "Units\Human\Jaina". Each dash, or new folder, is one part of the path. Easy, huh?
To replace skins, just place the skin file in your main folder, which would be "Jaina" this time. You will have to rename the file to the same name which it uses in war3.mpq/war3x.mpq. I renamed my downloaded skin, the "BloodElfEnchantress" to "Jaina". The skin should be replaced now.
IIIb - Icons
Icons are the simplest one to replace. Find the icons you would like to use, and just make one new folder called "ReplaceableTextures". In it, go ahead and create two new folders, called "CommandButtons" and "CommandButtonsDisabled". Place the BTNYourIcon in the first folder, and DISBTNYourIcon in the second one. Remember to change names of the icons to what you want to replace, like "BTNJaina" and "DISBTNJaina".
IIIc - Models
Replace the models by paths. If the model uses custom textures, you should place the textures in exact folders as the models request, with same names, like "Textures\Princess_v2.blp"
IIId - Sounds
Just find the paths, and replace the sounds. Note that the sounds have to be the same format which Warcraft III uses, and that would be .wav type.
IV - Main Menu Background
So you want that awesome Night Elf Archer to watch you in the main menus, rather than old and boring Frozen Throne? It is simple as this: all you need to do is to find what you want to replace. The usual path of campaign screens, in both Regular and Expansion MPQs is: UI\Glues\SinglePlayerFind the one you want, extract it, and replace the parent folders in your Warcraft III folder in the way I explained up there. The only thing you will need is the .mdx file. The textures can be replaced if you wish to customize the Menu even more. The path (with parent folders) should be:
UI\Glues\MainMenu\MainMenu3d_exp\MainMenu3d_exp.mdx
We're done! I hope that, with the help this tutorial provided you, you will have some fun while creating your own Warcraft!
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