CRC editing, .ale - all the weird stuff

[ChillerMiller]

Click me

@Treewyrm wrote this document a long time ago. It tells you what tools you need in order to edit .ale files.

You'll need the Freelancer XML Project (link here). Use UTFXML to convert the .ale file into an .xml file, then you can edit it with an editor such as Notepad++ or something similar.

Open the .xml file and search for BasicApp_Color. I'll show you an example:

<effect type="0x201" name="BasicApp_Color">

<rgb_header type="4" count="1">

0:

<rgb type="4" count="1">

0: 1, 1, 1

</rgb>

</rgb_header>

</effect>

Effects are usually separated into parts, each one having different properties. For example, the projectile of br_tachyon_04 has three different parts, including color entries. This, of course, means that you have to edit three colors if you want to change it.

In the example you see the numbers 0: 1, 1, 1. This means the color is white. So whenever you want to change it, check out the RGB code of the color you want. For example you want your gun to be pink, which has the RGB code 255, 192, 203. Divide those numbers by 255 and use these values to have the color pink ingame. Example:

<effect type="0x201" name="BasicApp_Color">

<rgb_header type="4" count="1">

0:

<rgb type="4" count="1">

0: 1, 0.7529411, 0.7960784

</rgb>

</rgb_header>

</effect>

The color for that effect part is now pink.

Save the edited .xml file and use the XMLUTF converter to change it back to an .ale file and c/p it into the weapon fx folder and test it out ingame.

I'm pretty terrible at explaining stuff like that, so feel free to contact me via forum PM or skype (contact details in my profile) if you have more questions etc.