Multiple MPQ files

When making a mod with custom units, doodads, or what have you, how to you specify another .mpq file to use with the editor? For example, in Quake III you just added another q3 "zip" file to the base directory and the game just loaded it. I've tried making a custom mpq file and adding to the base WC3 directory but I don't seem to be able to get that to work.

Is this even doable?

Options:
1) Use MPQDRAFT to create a SEMPQ (Self Executing MPQ) from your MPQ.
2) Rename your MPQ to "War3Patch.mpq". Please take a backup from the original "War3Patch.mpq" first.

So how are mods distributed? I assumed that a mod team would generate a custom mpq file that somehow just dropped into the game directory. Apparently that isn't the case?

Usually any major changes are patched v.i.a. war3patch.mpq. Warcraft III reads 2 mpq files, war3.mpq and war3patch.mpq. If there are 2 entries that are the same in both mpq files, war3 will use the file from war3patch.mpq first. So, if you have a lot of changes, simply back up you current version of war3patch.mpq, add all your files to a new mpq, then rename it war3patch.mpq.
You can also add files to maps, and if there are 2 similar entries in a mapfile and an mpq file, then the one in the map will be used first. So, order of precedence looks like this maps -> war3patch.mpq -> war3.mpq

I hope this helps.

So if I understand you correctly:

I've have a custom model for a custom unit (obviously). If I add it to the war3.mpq I can get access to it. I find it completely unreasonable to require a gamer to manage multiple war3patch.mpq files when they want to use my model. (If that's the only way to do it then Blizzard did some very poor architectural design in my opinion.) So the only option then is to include my model in a map itself.

Is this correct?

If so then how do I add an external file to my map in WE.

Keep in mind that Blizzard games are not that "MOD-Friendly" like other games do. The War3 will only read those 2 specific MPQs, as Tech said and also from the maps.

Well, if it is small the best idea is to add the file to a map. If you are designing a CAMPAINGN with multiple maps you should better work with the MPQs, coz this way you would only need to add the model to the MPQ, not to all maps in your campaign.

You can´t add using WE. You will need WINMPQ. There are some tutorials here that explain how to install and use WINMPQ.

You're right. I just assumed that with WE (which is probably the best modding tool I've ever used) they were turning a new leaf.


Sounds like I'll be building a war3patch.mpq.

Thanks for the help guys.

To distribute a campaign, I suggest to use Custom Campaign Installer. Basically you put you mod in a custom War3Patch.mpq (I'd use the one of the newest patch as base). With Custom Campaign Installer you can arrange your mod in a different directory so that the gamers don't have to mess around with the MPQs (this is the way ROK or NRM is done).

I wouldn't say that. You have to take into account that they use easily editable data file formats (TXT, SLK). To make things worse they could have improved the security of the MPQ format to make it impossible for us to implement stuff. I think Blizzard kept the MPQ format the way it is because the fans have tools to modify it. Another example is that they kept the lists (in Starcraft there were no internal lists).

If it is in any way possible (for a campaign it is in most cases not possible) you should avoid that. Most stuff can be put into maps (unit models and skins, unit and spell related data,...).

I'm just a modeler for a mod team and want to have a way to distribute models in game so they can be seen. The resulting method of distribution is thankfully up to someone else. I'm just looking for a way to drop all my custom stuff in a map or mpq so that I can send it around to the team for review. It sounds like it may be easier to just throw them all into a map. Maybe I'll do that instead.

Yes, if you are only using models putting them into the map is the best solution as it's easy for the viewers to make it work with Warcraft III (put it into the maps folder - done).
Actually, you only need to modify the MPQs for those reasons (this is no complete list):
- To make use of files, which are not loaded from a map
- To modify the UI of the menu of Warcraft III
- For campaigns to globally store data instead of putting into each map to save space

Yeah, but they are improving things with each game. Starcraft didn´t have a embbeded listfile, those *.dat were painfull and MPQ2K was the first MPQ editor that worked nice (yeas, I know the StormLess version, but that is somehow buggy to add files).
On D2 they have listfiles plus they started to hold the data on TXTs + CSVs, altough those CSVs turned to .bin.

They did not release any MPQ tool, did not released any MPQ spec, any BLP spec, any MDX tool....... All we have know is the fruit of the mod community. I would rather say this:
Blizzard used to be "Hostile" (forbid some tools, some mods, campaigns etc). Now they´re neutral (they do not complain but they also don´t help).
Not hostile neither frendly: they´re just neutrals.

I don't think it has anything to do with hostility or neutrality. They are simply controlling what the mod community can and cannot do. The WE is by far the most user friendly mod tool I have ever used. They obviously went out of their way to build something very powerful and yet easy for themselves and then made it available to the community. Their lack of tools for textures and models simply is a control factor. Building custom software with the triggering and custom maps is drastically different than making custom game content like textures and models. I can completely understand how they are keeping the ways to do that "under wraps".

Apparently I don't have this quite as under control as I'd like. I've got a test map loaded in W3M Map Utilities, I'm assuming I'm supposed to be on the "edit" tab where I can click "Import Units and Doodads". But it asks me to load another .w3m file. So how do I add a single .mdx and .blp pair into a map?

I would not use the W3M Map Utilities for that. Yes, I know, it has some sort of built in WinMPQ, but this is an older version, which causes trouble. I suggest to download the latest version from http://shadowflare.ancillaediting.net. Installation guide can be found inside the FAQ thread or inside a post of Scytheblade1.

You could try MPQDraft... while the SEMPQ builder does not work on all systems, I have never heard of anyone having trouble with loading them. If the SEMPQ maker does happen to work for you, it is a very quick and easy way to make mods.

Blizzard was never really anti-mods, they just never did anything to help them until WE. Although early on camsys had to get permission to release their tools, as Blizz was worried about cheating, they were never blocked. MPQs are a good format for what they are supposed to do, and while they were intended to be fairly secure, its not like blizz activly hunted down anyone who tried to crack them.