Taking units out of one addon and putting them in another

[Sharpshooter221 1]

First of all, apologies if this is in the wrong section or has been asked and answered before, but a search yielded one result that might help me, but the poor fellow was never answered.

So basically I'm a fan of DayZ (though I'd been heavily into ARMA before I even knew DayZ existed) and I've been wanting to use DayZ units in mission editing for a long time now. What I've tried so far is to depbo the dayz.pbo which contains the units and then take the ones I need and place them into another PBO, but this obviously didn't work as I couldn't find the units anywhere in the editor.

Afterwards I tried to open the mission I wished to use these units in with the editor while running the @DayZ addon and though the mission did open, most units that were placed were coming up as big question marks, apparently locked out by the addon itself.

So I guess my question is this:

Is there a way to take units from one addon, put them into another and then run the addon and use the units in missions also involving other ARMA II content such as USMC units and so on? And if not, is there an addon floating around somewhere with these units on their own already that I haven't been able to find?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

- Sharpshooter.

[sorophx 25]

from what I remember the zombies were in the Animals category in the editor

[Sharpshooter221 1]

The zombies aren't what I'm trying to use. I'm looking to put the different survivor/bandit skins in a mission.

[sorophx 25]

they used to be the PMC and KSK models from Combined Operations. I didn't know they were replaced

[MissileMoose 10]

I would just like to point out to you, and anybody else searching for a similar thread, that what you're actually asking to do is illegal. Unless the addon comes with a license specifically stating that you're allowed to modify, reverse engineer or repackage.

[Sharpshooter221 1]

DayZ has been modified and repackaged about twenty times over already. I figure if anyone was going to kick up a stink legally it would have happened by now.

[max power 21]

These actions are forbidden by the EULA. Publishing an addon or missions that use other peoples' work without permission is bannable on the forums. The appropriate action would be to ask the content owners for permission, or to be supplied with the files you require.

[Sharpshooter221 1]

I never planned on or said that I'd be publishing anything anywhere. I'm simply trying to use the units in such a way that they won't lock out other content so I can make missions for personal use. If that is not possible or no one is willing to discuss such a thing, that's fine. If what I'm trying to do is in fact illegal, go ahead and lock the thread. I won't bring it up again.

[Delta Hawk 1829]

Just a thought, why don't you learn how to make your own addons instead of taking apart someone else's hard work?

[max power 21]

I never planned on or said that I'd be publishing anything anywhere. I'm simply trying to use the units in such a way that they won't lock out other content so I can make missions for personal use. If that is not possible or no one is willing to discuss such a thing, that's fine. If what I'm trying to do is in fact illegal, go ahead and lock the thread. I won't bring it up again.

Specifically, what is against the EULA is altering a product without permission to do so.

In order to use several mods, you need some compatibility. Usually, if addons are built to be used in arma, and are designed properly, you can use several of them together. Addons designed to be used with the core game can also sometimes work in other Mods. Since DayZ is a total conversion mod, and no doubt alters several things on a fundamental level, likely there is no way to make it and arma 2 work together. Without knowing much of anything about DayZ itself, I think the approach you would need is to develop a mod for DayZ, not for Arma 2. Since DayZ is a mod for Arma 2, Arma 2's content is already included even if it's not used. The idea here is that you would make configs for the Arma 2 content already present.

[Dark6-6 10]

Just a thought, why don't you learn how to make your own addons instead of taking apart someone else's hard work?

In his defense, it's a lot easier to lot at someone else's code to understand how they accomplished something and modify it to your use than start from scratch.

[max power 21]

Then you ask to look at the files, ask for help on the forums, or seek out samples or other references.

[Dark6-6 10]

Eliteness will extract the files to get a better look at the individual components.

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[R0adki11 3949]

Eliteness will extract the files to get a better look at the individual components.

That maybe so, however asking for permission before you do so is the polite and correct thing to do.

[Dark6-6 10]

That maybe so, however asking for permission before you do so is the polite and correct thing to do.

I'm not suggesting that he releases a variant of someone else's mission without crediting the original creators *cough* 404Wasteland *cough*, but since he has said that

I'm simply trying to use the units in such a way that they won't lock out other content so I can make missions for personal use.

If you aren't just copying and pasting content especially, this is the best way to learn new tools. I have done this to all the BI showcases just to learn how they script things, AW's excellent domination, and a few others. I haven't copied their code, but I don't see the harm in just looking at how they got one system or another to work, and especially here where he is not planning on releasing it elsewhere.

[m1lkm8n 411]

It doesn't matter if he's planning on releasing it or not. Asking permission is the correct route to take.

I'm sure most addon makers wouldn't mind if he was just looking to see how things where done however they may have a problem with him altering their work.

Addon makers spend countless hours of their own time making content for the game. It's only respectable to ask permission first

[Dark6-6 10]

And he's been advised of that five times now. I'm just trying to help actually answer his question. I've asked everyone I've looked at and they are all cool with that and I've credited them even if they didn't care. I've also credited everyone on the forum who answered questions i have and every tutorial I've watched on YouTube...but his question was how to look at assets.

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[FallujahMedic -FM- 867]

...but his question was how to look at assets.

Unfortunately, that's NOT what he asked. What he asked was

"So I guess my question is this:

Is there a way to take units from one addon, put them into another and then run the addon and use the units in missions also involving other ARMA II content such as USMC units and so on? And if not, is there an addon floating around somewhere with these units on their own already that I haven't been able to find?".

The Mod already answered his question, which to paraphrase was "No, not without permission" (quoting myself there)

[Dark6-6 10]

Right and to do that he needs to extract the files. Again not condoning stealing work but if you aren't distributing the files them even that really doesn't matter if you get permission. Its not polite but if you have an old file and can't reach the author are you supposed to just not open it?

I'm not following the logic here, especially for learning purposes.

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[FallujahMedic -FM- 867]

Permission makes most everything in life "OK"

I would never open someones front door if I knocked and no one answered.

Its not polite but if you have an old file and can't reach the author are you supposed to just not open it?

Exactly

Edited June 24, 2013 by Stang69
added more

[Dark6-6 10]

Permission makes most everything in life "OK"

I would never open someones front door if I knocked and no one answered.

Exactly

I feel that releasing a mission the the public allows them to look at it in the editor at least. Not to use assets, but just to see how things are being done.

I don't see it as going into someones house uninvited, more like looking at a painting and trying to figure out which brushes and paints they used, which techniques they used.

That's not the same as just changing a few lines and reissuing a mission as your own.

[FallujahMedic -FM- 867]

If an add-on, unit, island, whatever, is available in the editor "as is" when loaded, sure. But, if you have to un-pbo someone elses work then reconfigure their add-on to view in the editor, then thats a whole other can of worms. I believe that falls under reverse engineering (I think)

[Dark6-6 10]

If an add-on, unit, island, whatever, is available in the editor "as is" when loaded, sure. But, if you have to un-pbo someone elses work then reconfigure their add-on to view in the editor, then thats a whole other can of worms. I believe that falls under reverse engineering (I think)

Fair enough. You have to unpbo just about everything to use it though. I'm also assuming people release these things hoping people will use them.

I guess I'm just not getting the resistance towards people viewing assets if he has said that he isn't releasing it for public use.

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[FallujahMedic -FM- 867]

If its not being released for public use, then most definitely leave it be.

If tutorials are whats being sought, check out www.ofpec.com, or Snake Man's awesome editing wiki http://tactical.nekromantix.com/wiki/doku.php?id=arma2

[kaix12 10]

inb4lock