I have, for some unknown reason, been gifted with what I believe is an unfinished Vassal module…but the file does not have a .vmod extension. I’ve got an XML file, and when I open it up it appears to be a Vassal module file of sorts. For example:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<VASSAL.launch.BasicModule VassalVersion=“3.1.16”
This is the first 2 lines of the XML file. Now, I searched and searched in the tutorials, but nothing is in there regarding XML files. So I’m not sure what I need to do in order to get this readable in Vassal or not. I have tried importing and editing, and both generate an error that this is not a valid Vassal module.
Is there a way to import this or convert it? Is this a build file behind the module? Am I way off base on this? Anyone?
What you have sounds very much like a build file.
A VASSAL module is a zip file (with a .vmod extension instead of .zip). Inside that zip file is the build file, a module data file (which is small and fairly easy to recreate) and a folder called ‘images’ with all of the image files that make up the module.
If you have the image files it would be possible to recreate the module - if you don’t have the image files then I would say you’re sunk. The build file contains the names of all the images in the module but that’s it.
I’ve got all 3 of those, but when I create the .vmod zip file, I get the message that the module isn’t a valid Vassal module. Which I’m guessing means I’m SOL and will have to recreate the whole thing. Which is going to take some serious time as I’ve not created a module before (only edited one because I found exactly where I had to enter a single entry).
Guess I’m off to figure out how to do this stuff. Thanks for the help!
Try creating a new module with no content, then edit the created .vmod file and replace the buildfile in it with your XML file and copy any images you have into the images sub-folder.
This sounds suspiciously like you are creating a zip file at the wrong level of your filesystem (e.g., zipping the parent folder instead of its contents). At the root of your zip archive should be the items listed previously (buildfile, images folder). When you open your zip file if see a single folder…say, the name of your working directory…that means your zip file is not organized correctly.
I don’t think this was said previously:
The file you thought was a vassal module, and have been told it is probably a buildfile, must be named “buildfile”.
So, the contents of the zip file you create (and rename xxx.vmod) should be:
folder named “images”
file named “buildfile”
Tom
Yeah, the file was named buildfile, but nothing I’ve tried has worked. I asked the person I got it from what the story was, and their answers were…cryptic. I know the game it’s supposed to be for, so I’m just going to try rebuilding the game from scratch. And, if nothing else, I’ll get invaluable experience with the editor.
Are you able to post a link to the file that is reporting it isn’t a valid module?
Thus spake Popestar:
Yeah, the file was named buildfile, but nothing I’ve tried has worked.
I asked the person I got it from what the story was, and their answers
were…cryptic. I know the game it’s supposed to be for, so I’m just
going to try rebuilding the game from scratch. And, if nothing else,
I’ll get invaluable experience with the editor.
Maybe post the files you have here (or upload them somewhere) so we can
see them?
–
J.
While it’s not critical, and I’ve started working on this from scratch, I can post the file if you guys really want it. Just let me know!