Can't save mods PLEASE HELP!!! (1 Viewer)

[Pama]

So I don't know what to do now, I've looked at all the tutorial threads when it comes to saving mods and I always run into the same issue.

When I hit the save character button under the modding tab and the second screen pops up I don't get the file path option in the top box which is apparently essential for saving mods.

Below is what I get regardless of whether I use vanilla changes or mods that I like.

Can someone tell me what to do? I originally downloaded the game with the loader and all but no matter what I can't seem to do anything.

 

[stuntcock]

Hello P Pama . Welcome to the Undertow forum.

So I don't know what to do now, I've looked at all the tutorial threads when it comes to saving mods and I always run into the same issue.

One option is to bypass the vanilla character-saving system entirely. The Newbie Guide describes Character Folders -- what they are and how to use them. They're less convenient than the vanilla mechanism (because you cut-and-paste files between subfolders instead of clicking buttons in-game) but this form of character definition is more flexible.

If you feel uncomfortable with this approach then that's okay; you're not required to use it. We'll try to resolve the vanilla character-saving problem.

When I hit the save character button under the modding tab and the second screen pops up I don't get the file path option in the top box which is apparently essential for saving mods.

That option appears when:

• you have imported an external file (such as a PNG hairstyle, JPG background image, or SWF mod) during the current gameplay session
  
• the external file is still in-effect (i.e. you haven't removed it; you haven't clicked the Reset button)
• the external file was loaded via the in-game button (such as "Swf mod...")
  
• you are trying to save the character using the standard Save Character button
• the game cannot find your external file within any of its pre-defined folders

If all of these criteria are true, then you'll be prompted to supply the missing filepath(s). I think that it will also appear during character loading, if you have renamed or removed some of the external files which your character relied upon.

There are a few important counter-examples:

• if the item which you imported was a Loader mod (such as X-Ray) then it will not be included in your saved character definition. Hence, you won't be asked to fill in its filepath.
• if the external file was loaded indirectly (e.g. because it's managed by moreClothing) then you won't be prompted for a filepath.
• if the file is found inside a folder which SDT already knows about (e.g. because you've previously added that folder to the list) then you won't be prompted to specify its folder.

-------------------​

Your screenshot suggests that your character is fairly "default". You're using a vanilla hairstyle and background image, without any obvious mods. If that's the case then there's no need for you to specify any filepaths, because there aren't any external files for the game to worry about.

Below is what I get regardless of whether I use vanilla changes or mods that I like.

Can you focus on the second option (using mods that you like instead of vanilla stuff) and then walk us through the procedure? Which buttons did you click, which mods did you load, what are the filenames (and filepaths) of the mods which you loaded, etc...

Please take a screenshot before saving your character. Then save your character, exit the game completely, start the game again, load your character, and take another screenshot. Post both images, and try to identify any items which have been omitted.

Can someone tell me what to do? I originally downloaded the game with the loader and all but no matter what I can't seem to do anything.

If you're feeling frustrated then there's an additional option (which was mentioned obliquely above): the moreclothing mod by @sby. This mod simplifies the handling of external files by forcibly loading a large collection of SWF files when the game starts up. During the rest of your gameplay session, the player and the game can both "pretend" that all of those mods are simply vanilla content. When you want a Lacy Bra, you don't need to browse for the LacyBra.swf file (and the game doesn't need to worry about its filepath). Instead you'll scroll down through in-game menu until you reach the Bra category, and then you'll click the ◄► selector buttons until the "Lacy Bra" option appears.

The major downsides of this mod are that it increases the game's startup time, and that its configuration file uses somewhat tricky syntax. But if you can deal with those challenges then you'll find that the in-game features (customization and character saving) become much more powerful.

 

[Pama]

Hello P Pama . Welcome to the Undertow forum.

One option is to bypass the vanilla character-saving system entirely. The Newbie Guide describes Character Folders -- what they are and how to use them. They're less convenient than the vanilla mechanism (because you cut-and-paste files between subfolders instead of clicking buttons in-game) but this form of character definition is more flexible.

If you feel uncomfortable with this approach then that's okay; you're not required to use it. We'll try to resolve the vanilla character-saving problem.

When I hit the save character button under the modding tab and the second screen pops up I don't get the file path option in the top box which is apparently essential for saving mods.

That option appears when:

• you have imported an external file (such as a PNG hairstyle, JPG background image, or SWF mod) during the current gameplay session
  
• the external file is still in-effect (i.e. you haven't removed it; you haven't clicked the Reset button)
• the external file was loaded via the in-game button (such as "Swf mod...")
  
• you are trying to save the character using the standard Save Character button
• the game cannot find your external file within any of its pre-defined folders

If all of these criteria are true, then you'll be prompted to supply the missing filepath(s). I think that it will also appear during character loading, if you have renamed or removed some of the external files which your character relied upon.

There are a few important counter-examples:

• if the item which you imported was a Loader mod (such as X-Ray) then it will not be included in your saved character definition. Hence, you won't be asked to fill in its filepath.
• if the external file was loaded indirectly (e.g. because it's managed by moreClothing) then you won't be prompted for a filepath.
• if the file is found inside a folder which SDT already knows about (e.g. because you've previously added that folder to the list) then you won't be prompted to specify its folder.

-------------------​

Your screenshot suggests that your character is fairly "default". You're using a vanilla hairstyle and background image, without any obvious mods. If that's the case then there's no need for you to specify any filepaths, because there aren't any external files for the game to worry about.

Can you focus on the second option (using mods that you like instead of vanilla stuff) and then walk us through the procedure? Which buttons did you click, which mods did you load, what are the filenames (and filepaths) of the mods which you loaded, etc...

Please take a screenshot before saving your character. Then save your character, exit the game completely, start the game again, load your character, and take another screenshot. Post both images, and try to identify any items which have been omitted.

If you're feeling frustrated then there's an additional option (which was mentioned obliquely above): the moreclothing mod by @sby. This mod simplifies the handling of external files by forcibly loading a large collection of SWF files when the game starts up. During the rest of your gameplay session, the player and the game can both "pretend" that all of those mods are simply vanilla content. When you want a Lacy Bra, you don't need to browse for the LacyBra.swf file (and the game doesn't need to worry about its filepath). Instead you'll scroll down through in-game menu until you reach the Bra category, and then you'll click the ◄► selector buttons until the "Lacy Bra" option appears.

The major downsides of this mod are that it increases the game's startup time, and that its configuration file uses somewhat tricky syntax. But if you can deal with those challenges then you'll find that the in-game features (customization and character saving) become much more powerful.

Thank you for replying so here are all the steps I take in order with pictures.

1. I open my standalone flash application

2. I open either the loader SWF or the SDT SWF through the application, (I typically pick the "loader" option). Also, as you might be able to discern I've tried opening mods directly through this method which I'm sure isn't the right thing to do now.

3. I load the game.

4. From the forums, I have a few mods already in my own Downloads folder. I also believe I followed the instructions properly and put the downloads folder into the mods folder.

5. I hit the modding button in-game.

6. I hit swf mod to load a mod (in this case I load a Wonder Woman swf)

7. I get the result.

8. My next step is to use the save character option as you saw before.

So those are all the steps I follow and it never seems to work, I'm currently looking into the guide you linked to and am a little confused just by the constant usage of the suffixes .swf or .png etc. I'm still trying to figure this out.

 

[Pama]

Hello P Pama . Welcome to the Undertow forum.

One option is to bypass the vanilla character-saving system entirely. The Newbie Guide describes Character Folders -- what they are and how to use them. They're less convenient than the vanilla mechanism (because you cut-and-paste files between subfolders instead of clicking buttons in-game) but this form of character definition is more flexible.

If you feel uncomfortable with this approach then that's okay; you're not required to use it. We'll try to resolve the vanilla character-saving problem.

When I hit the save character button under the modding tab and the second screen pops up I don't get the file path option in the top box which is apparently essential for saving mods.

That option appears when:

• you have imported an external file (such as a PNG hairstyle, JPG background image, or SWF mod) during the current gameplay session
  
• the external file is still in-effect (i.e. you haven't removed it; you haven't clicked the Reset button)
• the external file was loaded via the in-game button (such as "Swf mod...")
  
• you are trying to save the character using the standard Save Character button
• the game cannot find your external file within any of its pre-defined folders

If all of these criteria are true, then you'll be prompted to supply the missing filepath(s). I think that it will also appear during character loading, if you have renamed or removed some of the external files which your character relied upon.

There are a few important counter-examples:

• if the item which you imported was a Loader mod (such as X-Ray) then it will not be included in your saved character definition. Hence, you won't be asked to fill in its filepath.
• if the external file was loaded indirectly (e.g. because it's managed by moreClothing) then you won't be prompted for a filepath.
• if the file is found inside a folder which SDT already knows about (e.g. because you've previously added that folder to the list) then you won't be prompted to specify its folder.

-------------------​

Your screenshot suggests that your character is fairly "default". You're using a vanilla hairstyle and background image, without any obvious mods. If that's the case then there's no need for you to specify any filepaths, because there aren't any external files for the game to worry about.

Can you focus on the second option (using mods that you like instead of vanilla stuff) and then walk us through the procedure? Which buttons did you click, which mods did you load, what are the filenames (and filepaths) of the mods which you loaded, etc...

Please take a screenshot before saving your character. Then save your character, exit the game completely, start the game again, load your character, and take another screenshot. Post both images, and try to identify any items which have been omitted.

If you're feeling frustrated then there's an additional option (which was mentioned obliquely above): the moreclothing mod by @sby. This mod simplifies the handling of external files by forcibly loading a large collection of SWF files when the game starts up. During the rest of your gameplay session, the player and the game can both "pretend" that all of those mods are simply vanilla content. When you want a Lacy Bra, you don't need to browse for the LacyBra.swf file (and the game doesn't need to worry about its filepath). Instead you'll scroll down through in-game menu until you reach the Bra category, and then you'll click the ◄► selector buttons until the "Lacy Bra" option appears.

The major downsides of this mod are that it increases the game's startup time, and that its configuration file uses somewhat tricky syntax. But if you can deal with those challenges then you'll find that the in-game features (customization and character saving) become much more powerful.

Also, for the moreclothing mod, I use the same method of loading it but I can't seem to get it to work. Unless I load the whole package by Sby then I don't get the moreclothing mod in there.

 

[stuntcock]

I'm currently looking into the guide you linked to and am a little confused just by the constant usage of the suffixes .swf or .png etc.

Those are filename extensions. You may not be able to see them when you're browsing through the files on your local disk. Fortunately, it's easy to change the visibility settings.

Filename extensions serve as a very basic filter on input choices. When the game expects a static image fiile (such as a JPEG), it will show a Browse dialog box which has been configured to show only the applicable file types. You might have SWF files in the same folder, but they won't appear in the Browse dialog (and hence, you're less likely to make a mistake).

It's conceivable that a person could possess several files whose names are identical, all of which are stored within a common folder. This could lead to confusion and ambiguity -- but it's still possible to distinguish the files by comparing their extensions. You might have WonderWoman.txt (a customized dialogue) and WonderWoman.jpg (a custom background image) and WonderWoman.swf (a clothing mod) and WonderWoman.png (a preview thumbnail) and etc.

The newbie guide consistently mentions file extensions because SDT users ought to be aware of them.

I also believe I followed the instructions properly and put the downloads folder into the mods folder.

That's a prudent choice, but it isn't actually necessary. Please feel free to organize your files however you wish. For example: you could try to setup a Mods\Anime subfolder and a Mods\Comic Books subfolder.

If you'd prefer to keep all of your files within a single Mods\Downloads folder then the game should be able to find everything easily ... but you might get overwhelmed when you open the subfolder and find 100+ assorted files :)

Also, for the moreclothing mod, I use the same method of loading it but I can't seem to get it to work. Unless I load the whole package by Sby then I don't get the moreclothing mod in there.

moreclothing is distributed as a collection of files. The "core" of the mod is indeed a SWF file, but you can't just extract that single file and load it into the game.

The moreclothing mod can't do anything useful unless it's accompanied by a configuration file and a subfolder containing its payload (i.e. a large collection of SDT imports). In order for the mod to work correctly, you must follow the instructions written by @sby. Please take a look at the guide.txt file which you'll find inside the moreclothing package.

Using @sby's Loader Pack is also an option. It gives you a pre-configured copy of moreclothing which should work without any need for setup or customization.

So those are all the steps I follow and it never seems to work

You haven't done anything wrong. The relevant sections of code seem to have been removed. The behavior is consistent across all versions of the Loader that I can find, so the change was presumably made fairly early on (e.g. when adding support for Character Folders). I could re-implement it ... but @ModGuy presumably had a good reason for removing it (and I'd prefer not to distribute any unofficial Loader patches). So let's try to find a workaround instead.

Please note that you can still load a character whose definition includes the swfMod parameter. The SDT Loader simply won't include that parameter when saving a character.

Here are a few options. These options are not exclusive. If you have difficulty with one then please feel free to try another option. If you successfully complete one of the options (but find it to be inconvenient or unsatisfactory) then you can abandon it and try another approach.

• use the moreclothing mod.
  1. Install moreclothing (or install the sby Loader Pack and use that instead of your current copy of SDT).
  2. Register the Wonder Woman costume in moreclothing.
  3. Start the game.
  4. Use the in-game menu selector buttons (◄►) to activate the Wonder Woman costume. Do not use the "Swf mod..." button.
  5. Customize any additional details (skin tone, penis size, etc).
  6. Click the Save Character button on the Modding tab.
  7. You will not be prompted to fill in any file paths.
  8. Give the character a custom name and click "Save Character" to confirm.
• use Character Folders.
  1. Read through the Newbie Guide.
  2. Follow the instructions for setting up an introductory Character Folder (i.e. complete the walkthrough).
  3. Create a new Character Folder which will contain the Wonder Woman mod(s). Give it a name such as Mods\WonderWoman.
     
  4. Place a copy of the costume mod (WonderWoman Defeated Apocalypse.swf) inside your new folder.
  5. Create the file Mods\WonderWoman\Mods.txt.
  6. Open this new file using a text editor. Add a line of text which lists the filename of the adjacent SWF file (i.e. WonderWoman Defeated Apocalypse.swf). Save and close the text file.
     
  7. Open the Mods\CharacterFolders.txt file using a text editor.
  8. Add a line of text which lists the filename of your new folder and its alias (i.e. WonderWoman:Wonder Woman).
  9. Save and close the text file.
  10. (optional) Add a preview image.
      
  11. Launch the SDT Loader. Your new character should be usable in-game.
• use vanilla SDT.
  1. If the SDT Loader is currently running then please close it.
  2. Launch the vanilla game -- run SDT.swf instead of Loader.swf.
  3. Open the in-game menu and switch to the Modding tab.
  4. Click the "Swf mod..." button. When the Browse dialog appears, choose the Wonder Woman file.
  5. The mod should appear as usual.
  6. Return to the Modding tab of the in-game menu and click the "Save Character" button.
  7. The character saving menu will appear. It will include a path for the SWF file.
  8. If the game is unable to resolve the path to the SWF file then please submit the necessary filepath information. The UI will automatically update when the game is able to find the files that it's seeking.
  9. Give the character a custom name and click "Save Character" to confirm.
  10. You can now close SDT.swf (vanilla game) and re-launch Loader.swf.
  11. Your saved character will appear in the Loader's character roster. If you choose this character then her costume mod will be loaded automatically.

 

[Pama]

Those are filename extensions. You may not be able to see them when you're browsing through the files on your local disk. Fortunately, it's easy to change the visibility settings.

Filename extensions serve as a very basic filter on input choices. When the game expects a static image fiile (such as a JPEG), it will show a Browse dialog box which has been configured to show only the applicable file types. You might have SWF files in the same folder, but they won't appear in the Browse dialog (and hence, you're less likely to make a mistake).

It's conceivable that a person could possess several files whose names are identical, all of which are stored within a common folder. This could lead to confusion and ambiguity -- but it's still possible to distinguish the files by comparing their extensions. You might have WonderWoman.txt (a customized dialogue) and WonderWoman.jpg (a custom background image) and WonderWoman.swf (a clothing mod) and WonderWoman.png (a preview thumbnail) and etc.

The newbie guide consistently mentions file extensions because SDT users ought to be aware of them.

That's a prudent choice, but it isn't actually necessary. Please feel free to organize your files however you wish. For example: you could try to setup a Mods\Anime subfolder and a Mods\Comic Books subfolder.

If you'd prefer to keep all of your files within a single Mods\Downloads folder then the game should be able to find everything easily ... but you might get overwhelmed when you open the subfolder and find 100+ assorted files :)

moreclothing is distributed as a collection of files. The "core" of the mod is indeed a SWF file, but you can't just extract that single file and load it into the game.

The moreclothing mod can't do anything useful unless it's accompanied by a configuration file and a subfolder containing its payload (i.e. a large collection of SDT imports). In order for the mod to work correctly, you must follow the instructions written by @sby. Please take a look at the guide.txt file which you'll find inside the moreclothing package.

Using @sby's Loader Pack is also an option. It gives you a pre-configured copy of moreclothing which should work without any need for setup or customization.

You haven't done anything wrong. The relevant sections of code seem to have been removed. The behavior is consistent across all versions of the Loader that I can find, so the change was presumably made fairly early on (e.g. when adding support for Character Folders). I could re-implement it ... but @ModGuy presumably had a good reason for removing it (and I'd prefer not to distribute any unofficial Loader patches). So let's try to find a workaround instead.

Please note that you can still load a character whose definition includes the swfMod parameter. The SDT Loader simply won't include that parameter when saving a character.

Here are a few options. These options are not exclusive. If you have difficulty with one then please feel free to try another option. If you successfully complete one of the options (but find it to be inconvenient or unsatisfactory) then you can abandon it and try another approach.

• use the moreclothing mod.
  1. Install moreclothing (or install the sby Loader Pack and use that instead of your current copy of SDT).
  2. Register the Wonder Woman costume in moreclothing.
  3. Start the game.
  4. Use the in-game menu selector buttons (◄►) to activate the Wonder Woman costume. Do not use the "Swf mod..." button.
  5. Customize any additional details (skin tone, penis size, etc).
  6. Click the Save Character button on the Modding tab.
  7. You will not be prompted to fill in any file paths.
  8. Give the character a custom name and click "Save Character" to confirm.
• use Character Folders.
  1. Read through the Newbie Guide.
  2. Follow the instructions for setting up an introductory Character Folder (i.e. complete the walkthrough).
  3. Create a new Character Folder which will contain the Wonder Woman mod(s). Give it a name such as Mods\WonderWoman.
     
  4. Place a copy of the costume mod (WonderWoman Defeated Apocalypse.swf) inside your new folder.
  5. Create the file Mods\WonderWoman\Mods.txt.
  6. Open this new file using a text editor. Add a line of text which lists the filename of the adjacent SWF file (i.e. WonderWoman Defeated Apocalypse.swf). Save and close the text file.
     
  7. Open the Mods\CharacterFolders.txt file using a text editor.
  8. Add a line of text which lists the filename of your new folder and its alias (i.e. WonderWoman:Wonder Woman).
  9. Save and close the text file.
  10. (optional) Add a preview image.
      
  11. Launch the SDT Loader. Your new character should be usable in-game.
• use vanilla SDT.
  1. If the SDT Loader is currently running then please close it.
  2. Launch the vanilla game -- run SDT.swf instead of Loader.swf.
  3. Open the in-game menu and switch to the Modding tab.
  4. Click the "Swf mod..." button. When the Browse dialog appears, choose the Wonder Woman file.
  5. The mod should appear as usual.
  6. Return to the Modding tab of the in-game menu and click the "Save Character" button.
  7. The character saving menu will appear. It will include a path for the SWF file.
  8. If the game is unable to resolve the path to the SWF file then please submit the necessary filepath information. The UI will automatically update when the game is able to find the files that it's seeking.
  9. Give the character a custom name and click "Save Character" to confirm.
  10. You can now close SDT.swf (vanilla game) and re-launch Loader.swf.
  11. Your saved character will appear in the Loader's character roster. If you choose this character then her costume mod will be loaded automatically.

Thank you for the help, between these replies and the other newbie guide you provided earlier I was able to add the moreclothing and Wonder Woman mods into the game and have them stay there. I'm still learning this process, and I'm probably going to need some time to figure out where to put all the mods I'm really interested in but nevertheless I did figure out how to do it, thank you again.