How to add DataCubes, books, and newspapers

Prerequisites:
The Basics
How to add custom packages
Download the latest version of the SDK

Overview:
DataCubes, books, and newspapers are all set up the same way. If you've already followed the Adding a personal computer or Adding a public computer tutorials, you'll already be familiar with most of these steps.

NOTE: Though setting up all three of these objects works the same way, in the game DataCubes have one additional feature. Any text in a DataCube is automatically added to the player's notes when it is read.

ANOTHER NOTE: As as March 2, 2001, you can build text into your own packages, rather than overwriting DeusExText.u. You must use the latest (and probably final) version of the Deus Ex SDK for that to work. You can get it here as of this writing.

1. Create a folder called "Text"

First of all, this tutorial will describe how to build the text you write into your *own* package. If you aren't familiar with setting up your own packages, please follow How to add custom packages.

You will create the text for each of your DataCubes, books, and newspapers in separate text files. A decent convention to follow is to create a folder called "Text" under your package folder for keeping these, so go ahead and do that. You can also get fancier, such as creating subfolders under that and so on.

For this tutorial, whenever you see "MyPackage" just substitute the name of your package.

2. Create text files

You can create as many books, newspapers, and DataCube messages as you'd like. You'll create each one as a separate text file.

To create a DataCube message, pull up Notepad and type (or copy & paste) this text in or something similar:

2501. That can be our secret password.

Major Kusanagi

Save the file as 16_DataCube01.txt into your \DeusEx\MyPackage\Text folder. The naming convention for the filename is the mission number, followed by "DataCube", and then a sequential number, as mentioned in the SDK docs.

To create text for a book, create a file called 16_Book01.txt and put this text in (or whatever), and save it in the same folder as above:

`Please, then,' said Alice, `how am I to get in?'

`There might be some sense in your knocking,' the Footman went on without attending to her, `if we had the door between us. For instance, if you were INSIDE, you might knock, and I could let you out, you know.' He was looking up into the sky all the time he was speaking, and this Alice thought decidedly uncivil. `But perhaps he can't help it,' she said to herself; `his eyes are so VERY nearly at the top of his head. But at any rate he might answer questions.--How am I to get in?' she repeated, aloud.

To create text for a newspaper, create a file called 16_Newspaper01.txt and put this text in (or whatever), and save it in the same folder as above:

<DC=255,0,0>
<JC>G7 Says Growth on Track</JC>

The Group of Seven rich nations on Saturday shrugged off a dimming outlook for world growth, and new U.S. Treasury Secretary Samuel Armstrong fought off speculation his country might end its "strong dollar" policy.

Though, like e-mail messages and public bulletins, the , , and tags seem to have no effect, in the case of DataCubes, books, and newspapers, the <DC> and <JC> tags are actually functional.

Here are the different HTML-like tags that you can use:

The tag works sort of like a paragraph tag in HTML. Each section after the will be grouped together. A line with just a on it will be a blank line.

The <DC> tag is used to change the text color of the next line. (maybe it stands for "draw color"?) The values after DC= are the red, green, and blue values, which together define the final color. For instance, <DC=255,255,0> will cause the next line of text to be yellow. Personally, I would avoid using this, since colored text looks sort of cheesy in my opinion.

The <JC> tag is for centering text. (maybe it stands for "justify center"?)

The <COMMENT> tag lets you put comments to yourself in your message that the player won't see. You probably won't need that unless you start losing track of which e-mail messages go where. To add a comment, put a <COMMENT> tag in front of the comment, and a </COMMENT> tag after it. For example, this would not show up in the game:

<COMMENT>Remember to pick up eggs on the way home from work.</COMMENT>

3. Create an import file

Here's part of where the "fixed" SDK comes into play.

Pull up Notepad and type (or copy & paste) this text in:

class TextImport expands Object
abstract;

// Import Text Files
#exec DEUSEXTEXT IMPORT FILE=text\16_Datacube01.txt
#exec DEUSEXTEXT IMPORT FILE=text\16_Book01.txt
#exec DEUSEXTEXT IMPORT FILE=text\16_Newspaper01.txt

(follow this same pattern for any additional text files you create)

Save this file as TextImport.uc in your \DeusEx\MyPackage\Classes folder. You can call your class something else as long as the class name and filename match. Your import statements for e-mails and bulletins can also go in this file.

4. Build your package

Now you'll need to build a new MyPackage.u file. Get out of UnrealEd if you're in it and then pull up a MS-DOS command prompt and CD to your \DeusEx\System folder. If you've built your package before, go ahead and delete MyPackage.u. Now type in "ucc make". When it's done, you should have a new version of MyPackage.u. If you did it right, the text files you created will now be embedded into your MyPackage.u file.

5. Add the DataCube, book, and/or newpaper items to your map

Now it's time to actually add the items to your map. These are available under Decoration -> DeusExDecoration -> InformationDevices. Right-click on them and set their textTag values under InformationDevices to the name of the appropriate text file (without the .txt) and set their TextPackage values to MyPackage (or whatever you called your package):

You can also fill in the name of a DataVault image to give to the player when the information device is read by setting the imageClass value. Though you would normally create your own DataVault images for your own maps, if you want to see how it works, expand Inventory -> DataVaultImage and click on one of the items. Then click in the imageClass value in one of your information devices and press the Use button.

That should do it! Give it a try.

Back to main page