ÆSTHETICAL CUSTOMISATION
The customisation slots in FFX Control Centre often use the following types of entries. This section explains what exactly these entries are and how to add custom entries to them.
Commands
Commands are used to add custom names to the characters menu to trigger various power effects. There are a variety of these available already in FFX, but you can add your own ones quite easily using FFEdit.
The command editor allows you to select from a group of presets or type your own command in. For example, say you're creating a character with enhanced senses, and want to trigger it with the command name TRACKING SCENT. Typing TRACKING SCENT into the command entry for Enhanced senses will do just this - when the character then opens their menu you'll see *TRACKING SCENT, and selecting the menu item will cause *TRACKING SCENT_DESC in the status bar.
For a slicker look, add entries to Data/Lang/English/strings.txt along these lines:
TRACKING SCENT_01, tracking scent
TRACKING SCENT_DESC_01, use your superior sense of smell to hunt down enemies
And recompile the language files using FFEDit by pressing the Generate Language Files button on the front.
Note also, that a command can consist of a character's name or power name and the text for that character or power will appear in the menu. This is sometimes appropriate, say for SUMMONER or LIVING LASER respectively.
Effects
The effects drop lists in FFX Control Centre list every entry in the resources file (res.dat) that begins with the word 'effect_'. This list can be viewed in FFEdit in the Resources Tab.
Note that these are distinct from power FX, which typically have a start, core and end effect - resource FX are simpler and just play one animated NIF file from the effects directory.
Adding an entry to the Resources Tab is easy. Select an existing 'effect_' entry and rename it, then Browse for the NIF file you want, and save. It'll then reappear in FFX Control Centre's list next time you run it.
Say you want an energy shield that looks like Man O' War's Magnetic Harbour.
Create a new Resource FX called, say effect_magshield, and select library/fx/man_o_war/magnetic_field/core.nif in the Source: field and press save. Note that the file dialog that opens looks for TGA files (textures) by default - you have to change it to look for NIF files.
Dummy Powers
Dummy powers are a convenient way of tying together an animation and multipart FX. They generally have no effect on game mechanics, ie dont do any damage.
You may want to make up your own dummy powers in FFEdit to make use of non-standard FX installed, or to use special animations in a mesh you're working with.
The easiest way to do this is to select an existing dummy power in the Powers Tab of FFEdit, say 'ffx_tk_lift', change the name, modify the entries and save it. The two entries that matter here are the Animation and the Attached FX.
Its best to start with a dummy effect of the same type. Say you want a green beam for a PLasma Sculptor character, using the green beam FX that no doubt exists in EZFX, you could make a copy of ffx_tk_lift_beam instead, change the FX, call it green_beam_dummy or something like that and save it.
And then select that dummy power for your characters TK, Plasma Sculptor or Summoning powers in the Control Centre.