MOUNT&BLADE IRON LAUNCHER

VERSION 1.2 - README FILE

COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATED BY SWYTER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

LICENSE:
IS FORBIDDEN THE COMERCIAL USE OR OTHER LUCRATIVE PROJECTS OF THIS SOFTWARE.
IF YOU INCLUDE THIS SOFTWARE IN A MODULE, PLEASE, GIVE ME A CREDIT (I HAVE WORKED A LOT).

INTRODUCTION
Thanks for download M&B Iron Launcher, which you can customize totally your Mount&Blade module (v 1.010 and
upper).
Before touching nothing is best that you read THE DOCUMENTATION first, to understand my software and
configuring it correctly.

WHAT CAN I DO WITH THIS SOFTWARE?

At present M&B does not have support to customize separately "\Data"s folder that includes important things as the Font
grid, skeletal system, skyboxes, and others.

THIS PROGRAM ADDS ESPECIFIC RUNNING MODULE'S "\DATA" FOLDER FOR EVERY MODULE THAT
INCLUDES A RUNNING IRON LAUNCHER EXECUTABLE.

YOU CAN CREATE A FONT ONLY FOR YOUR MODULE, (AMBIENT IMPROVE).

YOU CAN LAUNCH YOUR MODULE DIRECTLY, SELECTED BY DEFAULT IN THE LIST.

YOU CAN RESTRICT VISIBILITY OF THE OTHER MODULES IN THE STARTING LIST (ONLY CAN BE SELECTED
YOURS).

YOU CAN RESTRICT YOUR MODULE MAX AND MIN VERSIONS.

ALL PREVIOUS OPERATIONS ARE TEMPORARY AND DO NOT AFFECT TO THE GAME, THE NEXT TIME THAT
YOU LAUNCH GAME NORMALLY IT WILL BE AS NOTHING HAVE PASSED.

IRON LAUNCHER CAN BE UTILIZED BY ALL MODULES YOU WANT, BECAUSE ARE COMPATIBLE EACH
OTHER.

(YOU CAN MODIFY CORE RESOURCES, PUTTING YOURS IN A "CoreResource" MODULE FOLDER.
(Do not add any load_resource or load_mod_resource lines to module.ini) [Added v1.1]

YOU CAN MODIFY MB.FX, HARDCODE SHADERS, PUTTING ONE IN YOUR MODULE BASE FOLDER. [added
v1.1]

YOU CAN CONFIGURE MBIL THROUGHT A FRIENDLY GRAPHICAL WINDOW, ADDING -config PARAMETER
IN THE COMMANDLINE. [added v1.1]

ADDED EXTENDED ERROR HANDLING, IRON LAUNCHER AUTO-REPAIRS ANY INCORRECTED CLOSING
ERROR. [added v1.2] (SUGGESTED BY HOKIEBT)

HOW CAN BE INSTALLED THIS SOFTWARE?

1. Open "Mount&Blade Iron Launcher 1.2" folder (under the same folder of this readme)
2. Copy the files that you encounter into yours module folder: (Dont copy the folder) by default at
"C:\Program Files\Mount&Blade\Modules\<your module name>\"
(!) If you makes an installer, save it with the other module files.
3. Configure options in...
a) Configuration Window: create a shortcut to IronLauncher.exe adding " -config" to the end of the line.
b) "IronLauncher.ini" configuration file (Caution)
...and try to run "IronLauncher.exe" Also try to create a Shortcut in Desktop. (Without any parameter)
4. If you want to customize the launcher you can change default images (IronLauncher.bmp and
IronLauncher_Mask.bmp) by yours and rename window's title with the option "IL_WINDOW_TITLE" of
configuration file or I write it in the configuration window.

HOW CAN I ADD MY CUSTOM FILES? (SUGGEST BY HOKIEBT, thank you)

This is a strange tutorial (?) you can learn here that is not in the Winter's forum (wow, this is possible?):
1. When you have IL installed in your folder make a new \Data" folder under your module directory (or copy Data
dir from M&B root folder)
2. Modify or create new files, for example:
Ive making my custom (really cute) font with Mount&Blade Font Customiser (1.4), Ive get two files
FONT.DDS and FONT_DATA.XML.
(Note: MB Font Customiser 1.4 can export directly the created font to your Iron Launcher module.)
a) I first enable "IL_FONT_TEXTURE_GHOST" option, set "IL_FONT_TEXTURE" = Font_IL.dds, and
copy FONT.dds renamed as "Font_IL.dds" to my module Texture folder.
(Added v1.1> This options are accessible also through GUI interface adding -config parameter)
b) I copy FONT_DATA.XML to my module Data folder (created at stage 1)
c) Configured (really easy)
3. I want my own CoreResources, Ive activate this option and copy my core_textures.brf and core_ui_meshes.brf to
my module created "CoreResource" folder. (You can add more core_*.brf). (!) And do not add any extra line for
this special core resource.
4. I think that M&B shaders are too unrealistic, so I copy mb.fx to my module root folder and edit it with notepad.

5. Wow... MB physics engine (Newton) makes strange things (lol), so I copy skeleton_bodies.xml from main data's
folder to datas folder of my mod and change weight values.
6. Well, skyboxes are cool, but I want to specify my Skyboxes meshes. Also we can replace the mesh, but now we're
powerful ;) so I copy skyboxes.txt to my module folder... etc and play with some values.
7. My mod is now finished, now is your turn...

HOW THIS SOFTWARE RUNS?

If you execute your module through "IronLauncher.exe" (not "mount&blade.exe"), it modify automatically all M&B
process according the options selected, recognizes automatically the module that is located and executes a temporary
modified version of the game. It dont slow computer and is too fast, the next time that you start M&B normally
(without IL) it will be exactly the same that the last time that you start it.

I DONT LIKE IT. HOW CAN UNINSTALL THIS?

Delete the following directories: CoreResource, Data. If you add shader support delete also mb.fx (MBIL v1.1)
Delete the following files:

"IronLauncher.exe" The Font Customiser executable, you could create a desktop shortcut with an installer, as the free
NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System) of Nullsoft Software, if I remind well.
"IronLauncher.ini" The configuration file (here is saved all the options)
"IronLauncher.bmp" Splash image of the Launcher (appears 6 secs before the game is launched)
"IronLauncher.cdd" Executable Datas (the heart of my program)
"IronLauncher_mask.bmp" Mask of the Splash Image (black and white image, covers the window with transparency)

of your module folder.

-- Greetings from Swyter to you --11 July 2009-