TUTORIALS and RESOURCES + Activating the Script Editor/Galaxy Editor

[Burianek]

The Script Editor

The script editor in X3 is largely unchanged from X2, with the exception of
many new useful commands that have been added. Also the way to activate the script editor has changed slightly to be a bit more easy.

The script editor aka "Manual Ship Computer Interface" (M.S.C.I.) is an in-game tool to create/modify AI behaviour rules and also allows creating/modifying objects in the game universe.
These features mean it is very powerful and when not used carefully can seriously damage your game universe.
As many of you have already found out using the Script Editor can spoil all the fun of the game!

Please note that this powerful tool is provided for your use as is. Script writing and accompanied problems are NOT supported by Egosoft or any betatesters.

If you are certain that you want to use this unsupported feature, you may activate the script editor the following way in your game:

enter the menu to change your pilot's name
type Thereshallbewings (note the capital T) and press enter
the menu will close, your player name will NOT have been changed, and a confirmation beep will sound on correct activation
you will now find the "Script Editor" menu item in the command console

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Troubleshooting if you can't open the SE
1. Have you changed your pilotname, not your ship name
2. Make sure you are not docked
3. have you used a capital T
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Note that the publication of the Script Editor access code by no means forces you to use it. The editor is an advanced and most importantly optional feature.
If you are not into script programming of any sort you are probably better off without it.

****Note****
Once opened the script editor can never be closed in your save game, A new start is required
99.9% of script & mod users care not about this but some of you may do.


The Galaxy Editor

The Galaxy Editor is an in game tool that allows you to create your own maps for the X-Universe. It has undergone significant development since X2, and should be much more powerful than before.

There is no documentation for this feature, and use remains unsupported by Egosoft.

If you are certain that you want to use this unsupported feature you may activate the galaxy editor the following way in your game:

enter the menu to change your pilot's name
type Makeanapplepiefromscratch (note the capital M) and press enter
the menu will close, your player name will NOT have been changed, and a confirmation beep will sound on correct activation
you will now find the "Galaxy Editor" menu item in the 'NEW GAME' section of the opening menu of the game

Note that the publication of the Galaxy Editor access code by no means forces you to use it. The editor is an advanced and most importantly optional feature.


Feel free to ask questions about the activation of the script editor / galaxy editor in this thread, but please save questions like 'How does it work?' and 'How do I script something?' for the appropriate tutorials threads. (Don't post them here)



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Tutorials And Help Files
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The first thing that needs to be said about scripting and modding for X3 is that it is, for the most part, generally composed of the same basic procedures as it was for X2.

Therefore, much of the information for scripting and modding X3 is already contained in the Scripting / Modding Tutorials Thread for X2. Many of the threads contained in this sticky will assume that you already have a basic fundamental understanding of how to script for the X games. This basic knowledge can be obtained by reading many of the tutorials that were written in the past for X2.

The rest of this sticky will be full of threads that will provide specific information on how to script / mod for X3.

A few general notes:
Every link in this tutorial list will be to a thread on the egosoft board. If there's a good external resource, I'll link to a thread here, on the egosoft site, which links to the external resource. This way, the issue of broken links can be dealt with by whoever is referring / maintaining the external resource. Post all dead link questions to the thread in question, I won't be able to deal with them here. Fair enough?
If you have a link/thread to some useful info that you'd like to see on this page, feel free to pm me or post it to this thread (along with what general category you think it falls under). I'll try to keep this first post organized and up to date so that people don't have to wade through 20 pages to find the link they want.

How to install mods and scripts on Mac (for technophobes)...


WTC Maintypes

[nuclear_eclipse]

Great information about TShips here (will have an exact itemized list of entries soon)
http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=101831

EDIT: Itemized list in place, as much info as we all know about TShips is there.

[Galaxy613]

We need this one added http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=106066 it has great info on making BBS News/Quests.

[Galaxy613]

This is also a must read for BBS Missions/news: How to make BBS missions using the script engine

[Burianek]

It's already the first link in the BBS section

[nuclear_eclipse]

Good info from Doubleshadow about cockpits, lasers, and the components.txt file...

http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=110933

Edit: Good Listing Info on sound files...

http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=112069

[Burianek]

added thx

[nuclear_eclipse]

Notoreity Formula:

http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=113058

[AalaarDB]

The notoriety formula is a work in progress!

Also, you have mov/00044.xml listed as being cutscenes. It is more than cutscenes, in fact it is all spoken text, including the Boardcomputer, Station Announcer, etc.

Universe.xml Decoded

[Red Spot]

something worth mensioning (dont know where else than here) ..

when making a script to connect to a command ..
and you make an 'equipment-check' script ..

make it check this with the
'get amount off ware' command ..

NOT the 'get true amount off ware' command ..
cause pre-installed upgrades wont be found by the 'true'-version ..



G

[Burianek]

Added and fixed, thanks guys.

[nuclear_eclipse]

Information about map changes since the 1.3 patch and a downloadable 'fixed' map for others to use as a starting point:

http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=114059

[AalaarDB]

Jobs, JobWings, Warelists Decoded

[random50]

The "send an incoming question" link seems to be broken. Throws me out to the forum index after searching for a topic it can't find.

[Cycrow]

copy the link and change it to forum2. instead of forum. and it will work