Help me Installing mods (Dasher42's foundation Plugins.py)

[Jernej]

Okay, i'm trying to make a proper bc install with the most popular mods i picked for myself, i've got foundation installed, and nano fx 2.0 beta, i installed a bunch of ships in bcmod format with no problem whatsoever, but the problem is these older ships which instruct editing a file of the foundation mod which just simply isn't there! (Plugins.py), I installed foundation properly and the bcmod ships work normally, but i cannot figure out how to install these since the foundation plugin has no such plugins.py file that i can find!
 
I asked on bcu forum and i was told i'm supposed to use bcmp or make a ship plugin manually and i was then told to ask on this forum (I'd rather make them manually than to use BCMP, that program is one big mess.)
 
Here's a example of such a mod readme i'm having trouble installing:
 

Cardassian Hutet:


Installation:
-------------

Unzip the files into a temp directory on your hard disk, copy the files to your root Star Trek Bridge Commander directory.
 
Use BCMP version 4.4 or:

Edit Dasher42?s Plugins.py and add the following:

import Hutet

NOTE: Above line is CASE SENSITIVE, and make sure to ADD NO EXTRA SPACES BEFORE OR AFTER!

 
Here's another set of mods with a different problem, they instruct importing the ship in BCMP, i've got and installed bcmp 4.4 beta and there is no import ship option, can somebody explain how is this supposed to work?
 

Unzip the files into a temp directory on your hard disk, open up the contents of the newly unzipped folder "BC_Achilles_USSLennox" copy the files inside that folder to your root Star Trek Bridge Commander directory.  When asked to overwrite select OK.  Open up BCMP(I use Beta 4.4) import the ship and enjoy!

 
Here's a topic i found about missing plugins.py files, it says that the file is simply not needed anymore (wtf?? ) i tried installing without editing it (just copying files) and as expected none of the mods work:
http://bridgecommander.3dactionplanet.gamespy.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=235261&highlight=plugins+py&sid=2d06f3877d231603bd4d1dad5641a882#235261
 
Could someone please explain me and the rest of confused people how install these mods properly?
 
Also, what's all this stuff with TGL files in "ShipTGLs" folder?
 

[MLeo]

Ok, I currently don't have a lot of time, so I'm speed typing (expect a lot of typo's).

The Plugins.py is a way old version of Foundation (older 3 to 4 years).
The reason why it's not needed anymore is that we have found ways of dynamicly detecting new modules and how to import them (much nicer).

I believe it already uses ShipDef for ships, so if you copy the file it refers to (that you supposedly need to put in Plugins.py) in scripts/Custom/Ships it might just work.
I suspect you will find the file in the scripts directory of the mod.

Also, can you provide a link to the mod? That way I can provide you with clearer instructions.
If it's a Enterprise-A then I may already have provided instructions for it on BCU.


The import part of BCMP refers to the Ship's TGL's. I'm afraid I don't really know how to use that.

[Jernej]

here's the file i was trying to install:
 
http://bridgecommander.filefront.com/file/BC_Hutet;9499
 

[MLeo]

Right, move the file from "scripts/Plugins/Custom/" to "scripts/Custom/Ships/" and if you installed the rest of scripts and data correctly, the Hutet will automagicly appear in your ship list.

[Jernej]

But is there a proper way of figuring these out? i mean i can't ask you for each ship i'm trying to install...
 

[MLeo]

Well, a quick browse showed that the file in scripts/Plugins/Custom was a proper Ship Plugin file.
So if you have another one that says to change something in a plugins.py, just look for that directory.
Open the file you find in notepad (don't save) and see if it has the following:

Code: [Select]

ShipDef(If it has, then it mostlikely is a proper ship plugin.
If you get a BSOD afterwards, then you can just remove the file.