It is necessary to extract a copy of the ALH base file to a folder so you have a template from which to work with, whether it's making a mod or adding a stand-alone truck or other stuff, because we really don't want to mess with the default base file in the main game folder.
First, create a new folder somewhere (i use My Docs) and name it something like "ALH base". Next, go to your ALH main folder in C:/Programs and right-click on "
base.scs". Select
Open with Winzip. From the Winzip dialog box, select
Extract from the buttons on top. In the next dialog box, make sure that
All files/ folders in archive and
Use folder names are checked. Use the drop-down menu to point to where you made the new base folder. Once you've found it, click once to highlight it and select
Extract.
After a few minutes, you will have all the original base folders opened and copied to your new folder.
This will serve as a template for any changes you want to make in the future.
When we use the term "stand-alone", we are referring to trucks which were made by modelers which are additions to the game and have their own stand-alone files, as opposed to "replacement" trucks which use the same files as a default truck.
Installing replacement trucks is easy, as all one has to do is place the .scs file into the mod folder. Because it uses the default game files, the game thinks it's one of the default trucks.
However, installing stand-alones is a bit trickier and requires that we know how to:
- create an .scs file
- extract an .scs file
- add the modified file back into the original .scs file
Open the base folder you made and click on the
vehicle folder...next, click on the
truck folder...there you will find the all-elusive and mystical
truck_storage.sii file! Now, make a copy of the truck storage file and close the base folder.
In a new empty folder, create a folder named
vehicle...open that folder and create another new folder named
truck...open that folder and paste the copy of the
truck_storage.sii file there...next, back out to the
vehicle folder...
What we just did was basically create the same file path the game uses when reading the files...
vehicle --> truck --> truck_storage.sii
Right-click the
vehicle folder and select
Winzip --> Add to zipfile...in the dialog box, select
Open...next, use the drop-down menu to find your My Documents ALH mod folder...once you're there, name the new file in the text box (maybe "truck_storage.scs"), making sure you give it the
.scs file extension...below that, make sure you have selected
All files and also make sure you have selected the
No Compression option...now, select
Open...answer
Yes when prompted to create a new file...finally, select
Add.
You have just created an .scs file.
Now you have a truck storage file in your mod folder to use when adding stand-alone trucks.
So, let's say you have a new stand-alone truck you want to add to the game...okay...first, make another new folder somewhere to use for extracting stuff like the storage file, next, go into your ALH mod folder, right-click the truck storage file, select
Open with Winzip...then select
Extract from the buttons above...from the next dialog box, point to the new folder you made and select
Extract, again making sure that
All files/folders in archive and
Use folder names are checked...
Now, go to the folder where you extracted the file and click through the folders until you get to the truck_storage.sii file.
The truck storage .sii file, which opens with Notepad, is now ready for you to add the appropriate line, which should look like this:
@include "definition/truck-line-here.sii"..."But, Phantom, where do i find
that
" It's usually included in the ReadMe file which came with the truck's .scs file inside the zipfile you downloaded. Copy the line from the ReadMe file. If no truck line has been included, the line will be the same as the name in the definition .sii file.
In the extracted truck storage file, paste the line directly under the last line in the file, save the file and close it.
Now, back up through the folders until you're back to the
vehicle folder. Right-click it and select
Winzip --> Add to zipfile...point to your ALH mod folder and click once on the truck storage .scs file in the mod folder...make sure the compression is set to
None...next, select
Add...after a few moments, you're done! You may now delete everything in the temporary folder so it's empty when you want to use it again.
Easy as pie!
LOL
" It's usually included in the ReadMe file which came with the truck's .scs file inside the zipfile you downloaded. Copy the line from the ReadMe file. If no truck line has been included, the line will be the same as the name in the definition .sii file.