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If you recall, the other day I had mentioned that I was working on altering the Model Viewer to accomadate recent updates, but, as it turns out, Phabin already did so (Sorry about that Phabin, everyone always links to Folye's site...). So, that gave me an idea: what if there was a Model Viewer that was designed to view the files in the DAT Collection? It would cut down on the file size of the DAT Collection, because pictures wouldn't have to be provided in the Collection; the only downside is that the collection would have to be reorganized.
The Model Viewer works by placing each of the seperate sections (Normal Elvaan♀, Adult 18+ Tarutaru, Avatars & Monsters, etc.) into a numbered folder, numbered 300-330. These folders can be easily unpacked and installed into the Final Fantasy XI DATs folder. Each of the files contained in the folder is then assigned a number, just like the game's core files. The Viewer is designed so that it only opens files 300 and over, and since the game itself has no files with numbers this high, it has no effect on the way the game plays.
The downsides to this new organization system are that the DATs have to be crossreferenced through the viewer instead of being clearly labeled. Sadly, labeling the files with practical names seems to prevent the Model Viewer from reading them properly. Although I'm sure that people who alter FFXI files regularly are used to having to use the Model Viewer as a go-between.
There are a few questions I would like to ask about the design of it, assuming that anyone's willing to use it: Should the Custom DAT Model Viewer use the original Model Viewer lists and add on the Custom DATs at the end, or should the Custom Model Viewer only display the the DATs from the DAT Collection? Being able to use it as a normal Model Viewer and a custom one has obvious advantages, as you can alter any existing model with the same program, but it has the downside of requiring the player to scroll through every existing model that they could have merely viewed with the original before getting to the custom material. Another problem is with the Adult material - should there be a seperate program without it for people who don't want to look through it whenever making adjustments? I currently have it set up so that the nonobjectionable material appears at the topand the Adult material is clearly marked, but there's still the chance of horrible accidents...
Double Post Edited:
Sorry for the double post, but I've noticed the majority of you wanted the original lists combined with the new lists; the question is, which one do you want listed first?
The Model Viewer works by placing each of the seperate sections (Normal Elvaan♀, Adult 18+ Tarutaru, Avatars & Monsters, etc.) into a numbered folder, numbered 300-330. These folders can be easily unpacked and installed into the Final Fantasy XI DATs folder. Each of the files contained in the folder is then assigned a number, just like the game's core files. The Viewer is designed so that it only opens files 300 and over, and since the game itself has no files with numbers this high, it has no effect on the way the game plays.
The downsides to this new organization system are that the DATs have to be crossreferenced through the viewer instead of being clearly labeled. Sadly, labeling the files with practical names seems to prevent the Model Viewer from reading them properly. Although I'm sure that people who alter FFXI files regularly are used to having to use the Model Viewer as a go-between.
There are a few questions I would like to ask about the design of it, assuming that anyone's willing to use it: Should the Custom DAT Model Viewer use the original Model Viewer lists and add on the Custom DATs at the end, or should the Custom Model Viewer only display the the DATs from the DAT Collection? Being able to use it as a normal Model Viewer and a custom one has obvious advantages, as you can alter any existing model with the same program, but it has the downside of requiring the player to scroll through every existing model that they could have merely viewed with the original before getting to the custom material. Another problem is with the Adult material - should there be a seperate program without it for people who don't want to look through it whenever making adjustments? I currently have it set up so that the nonobjectionable material appears at the topand the Adult material is clearly marked, but there's still the chance of horrible accidents...
Double Post Edited:
Sorry for the double post, but I've noticed the majority of you wanted the original lists combined with the new lists; the question is, which one do you want listed first?
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