12 replies to this topic

[Caedwyr]

I've got a fairly large collection of old .iap files, and I'd like to be able to easily access their contents. While I can import them into my game using DLTCEP, I'd prefer to just open up the .iap container and manually pull out the .spl, .2da, .bam, etc files contained within. It'd also be great if I could manage to extract the text found within the .iap. The problem I find with DLTCEP is that while it does import the .iap, it throws it all in the override folder and I haven't a clue as to what files were in the .iap to begin with.


So, if anyone knows how to easily access the source files that are contained within an .iap, please let me know.

[hlidskialf]

While even IEEP would let you look at what files were in the IAP, none can display the strref. You could make a request to Avenger over at DLTC to add this functionality to DLTCEP. What I do for my resurrection projects is set up a dummy folder. Mine's called my "Cauldron". Throw an override, a dialog.tlk and chitin.key into that folder. Set the directory for IEEP or DLTECP (A new setup.) and import the files. You can see what goodies the IAP has, the associated strref, and etc... there. If you add a weidu package to that folder, you can easily --automate and build new versions of the old, IAP bastard-pack.

[Caedwyr]

Nice trick. It works well enough for what I have in mind. Thanks.

[Potencius]

You might also find Igi's IAPU (IAP Unpacker) program useful. I've attached version 01, which I happen to have lying around.

[hlidskialf]

I forgot about that one! *Slides Igi an appologetic ale.*

[Caedwyr]

Downloaded. I'll take a look at this.

[Avenger_teambg]

DLTCEP's iap editor lets you list the contents of the file too.

[Caedwyr]

Ah, tricky. That tool is hidden in the Create Iap function. I hadn't thought of looking there.


By any chance is it possible to add a feature that would allow the user to extract the contents of the .iap file into a folder, ala winzip/winrar, and to dump the added text into a .txt or .tra similar to how weidu deals with it.


Eg. I'd extract MYMOD.spl, MYMOD.itm, and MYMOD.cre

a .tra or .txt file would be created with the lines

MYMOD.spl
NAME1~The name1 of the spell~
NAME2~The name2 of the spell~
UNIDENTIFIED_DESC ~the text for the unidentified description~
DESC ~the text for the description~

MYMOD.cre
NAME1~The name1 of the Creature~
NAME2~The name2 of the Creature~

MYMOD.itm
NAME1~The name1 of the item~
NAME2~The name2 of the item~
UNIDENTIFIED_DESC ~the text for the unidentified description~
DESC ~the text for the description~


and whatever other sections people could think of. This isn't absolutely urgent, but it'd be a nice time saving feature, especially if you want to go through large numbers of old .iap files. It'd also make it much easier to convert these old mods to a weidu format so they can be enjoyed by more people.

Edited by Caedwyr, 19 October 2004 - 10:27 AM.

[hlidskialf]

DLTCEP's iap editor lets you list the contents of the file too.

I knew that! That's why I said even IEEP lets you do this.

[Caedwyr]

Actually I was looking for a way to decomile an .iap. I don't necessarily know what is in the .iap before hand, and I definately don't know what text is there. Its easy enough to make a .iap, but harder to extract the contents. Not too hard though, as hlidskialf pointed out above.

[igi]

Dumping text from an IAP is on the to-do list for IAPU.
As this request has doubled the number of people who have asked for it, it's priority has been increased accordingly.

[SimDing0]

Ooh, ooh, was I the other?!