Fake Const. Yard Icon

[Lightning Hunter]

Does anyone know how to change the build icon for the fake construction yard?  In a mission I am converting using Funky's mission converter, it uses the C&C1 MCV instead of the RA1 MCV, and the fake construction yard icon is not appearing. I tried many different combinations, but no matter what I do - the icon is still blank.  Here is what I have in the mission file:

[FACF]
Image=FACT
Owner=allies
TechLevel=-1
Strength=30
Cost=50
Sight=4
Power=-2
Points=15
Bib=yes
Capturable=true
BaseNormal=no

I then placed the official "facticon.shp" file in the folder (fact.shp is already in there), but with no luck.  I also tried changing image=facf instead, and placed a file called facf.shp and facficon.shp to the folder, but this did not work either.  No matter what I seem to do, the build icon for the fake const. yard is blank.  I attached the campaign in question to this post.  Mission #2: Glacial Mountains allows you to build a fake const. yard if anyone wants to test it (you have to drive the MCV past the flame tower in order to start a base in that mission).

sc-682-fline.zip

[Allen262]

Fake buildings have probs loading icons during single missions. Think it has something to do with the TechLevel but it has been years since I have seen it. If the game is loading the old RA1 icon. Your facticon.shp need to be in a EXPAND#.MIX

Edited April 21, 2017 by Allen262

[Lightning Hunter]

Thanks Allen, I think the bug cannot be fixed.  You may be right about it being some sort of techlevel bug.  I don't think the game wants to show an icon no matter what, even if I revert the MCV to the default. 

Btw, I am not sure if you have been following the other threads or not, but maybe you can help with another bug.  In a lot of custom campaigns, the ants are replaced with new units.  However, the death animation and death sound is still the ant death.  For example, when a flame tank replacing [Ant1] is killed in-game, it shows the Ant death animation.  I noticed there is a file called "antdie.shp" and "antdie.aud" in Expand2.mix, but I am not sure if it's possible to replace these files only for specific missions.  Is there any way to hack the .exe to stop this bug from happening?  My Mega compilation is using it's own exe file called RA95_sp.exe, so it does not conflict with online play.

ra95_SP.zip

[Allen262]

If your using a custom .exe you should be able to hex edit the .exe. You can edit all antdie and change them to antdiz. This will tell the game to play antdiz but with no antdiz .shp and .aud in any mix files nothing should be played. This may also cause random crashes. I think the game would be just fine but I'm not really sure.

Edited April 22, 2017 by Allen262

[Lightning Hunter]

Hmm, I think the solution might be to just include an optional "Expand5.mix" file that replaces antdie.shp and antdie.aud with generic explosions & sounds. People can swap this file out if they want to play the Ant missions. Otherwise, for people who are playing the Mega Compilation, they can leave the file in the Red Alert folder. I am also doing something similar with  a file that replaces the ore with Tiberium...

By the way, is there any filename that has a higher priority than Expand.mix? I know that sc-xxxx has a lower priority. Are there any other file names I can use?

[Allen262]

I'm not sure about the load order now. I think the patches changed how and what SC-xxxx and  Expand##.mix can load. With the Expand##.mix going up to 99 now I think the SC-xxxx is pretty useless and the Expand##.mix should be able to load more types of files than the SC-xxx could. I do know that with the stock game using a SC-xxxx has probs with changing Ore. It will work fine to start a mission but if you reload the mission it will load scrambled Ore graphics and may crash.