Merging Multiple Map Abilities/Units

I've seen this question asked a bunch, but no simple solution exists for my situation. I have like 5 different maps I've made that all have different abilities/effects/units in them. I want to merge all this object data into one new map I'm working on, but copy and paste will probably take me weeks to do flipping between maps and copying each individual thing. I tried exporting into .w3o's, but you can only load one into any given map, all subsequent loads will erase the previous setup of custom objects.

Like if I import map1.w3o that's fine. I get everything from map1, but then if I import map2.w3o it erases all the map1 stuff.

I'm wondering if there is a program that can manipulate and merge w3o files, or read them and allow you to copy those abilities from it into WE with copy and paste and flip between those two windows instead of reloading maps back and forth. It really sucks that you can't do a multiple select copy and paste in object editor.

I tried my hand at merging some of my w3o file exports, but there's obviously conflicts arrising in the IDs of the abilities as they all have the same default starting values. All my attempts have only been successful in crashing WE.

Anyone out there have any good ideas? Thanks.

When you import object data, it uses the saved raw id of the ability. Therefore, every time you make a custom ability or modify the same base ability, you are making those two abilities un-importable into the same map, unless you manually paste them in, in which case they get the next unused raw id (just as when you paste an ability inside the same map).

It's bummer news, I know.

This is like a doctor telling you that you have cancer. I want a second opinion.

All The maps have the same triggers that use the custom abilitis?
If all the maps have the same triggers, make one map as your "base map" export the object data from it and paste it to the other map. Now copy the triggers.
If you have custom duddads and unit (at least this is what ive done when I converted single maps in to a campaign) use replace unit or doddad and associate object to the custom unit after you replaced the custom data associate the object back.

I'm not sure what you mean. It's not the triggers I want to reuse, it's all the abilities / units / and buffs&effects I've created in all the maps.

I've exported all 5 into:
map1.w3o
map2.w3o
map3.w3o
map4.w3o
map5.w3o

Well, I made this new map and imported map1.w3o and got all the abilities/units/buffs&effects from map1, but then I tried importing map2.w3o next. It erased all of map1's stuff in place of map2.

So at present the only answer I see is copying one ability at a time copy and paste style by loading back and forth slowly between maps.

I really am just looking for a way to either combine all the .w3o files into one file to import all 5 map's objects in one import, or an easy and fast way to copy and paste units back and forth.

Mmhmmm. No short way to do it (unless there's some tool out there).

It's not cancer, just a lot of work :D

i was thinking of making a w3o -> xml converter utility which would make merging much easier, i think. perhaps i'll get a move on :D

Oh I love you. I think the biggest problem with merging the files is the IDs of the objects, they have to be given unique IDs I think. Those A000 id codes, unless the actual import reassigns that information if existing IDs are present, but I assume it doesn't since it goes through and erases/resets all custom data. Probably does this to avoid ID conflicts.

try this

You are a life saver man. I didn't realize that the objects in campaign editor and object editor were independant. That saves a lot of copy paste time.

Well, WEU can also merge object data, although it fails on some maps.
It's at least worth a try. It automatically assigns new unused ids to the imported objects but I can't remember if references are updated.

are Id codes unique per object data set or per object type? In other words, can there be an item with the id '1234' and a unit with the id '1234' in the same map?

You can, but you can't do that in WE or use both items. So basicaly no ^^

They are unique I believe to the type of object. Like I'm pretty sure the first ability you create is ID'd as A000 and then the first effect you create will also be A000. If you want to check the IDs you just hit Ctrl+D in the object editor and it will list the stuff with it's IDs prefixing it's name.