[CUSTOM ART] THE TILEDATE.MUL (A MUST FOR CUSTOM ART)

[dragon slayer]

Tiledate.mul Tutorial 03/092011

Foreward: The tiledate.mul a must for custom art. What does it do? It defines how items are treated in the game. It makes a wall, act like a wall, and a floor act like a floor. Without editing this .mul for your customs you will just have a ghost of an image that does not function. UO Fiddler allows us to see and edit this .mul

TileData.png


"AnimID" holds the number to a slot in anim.mul and only makes sense if this item represents a "wearable" or kinda "memory item" for mounts. In the first place, the number in AnimID points to the animation to show if the item is equipped (and this number + 0xC350 will be the gump id of the item to show in the paperdoll then - if the char is male; or +0xEA60 for female chars. If the latter gump does not exist the male one will be used instead).Anim ID (The Body ID the animatation. Add 50,000 and 60,000 respectivefully to get the two gump indicies assocaited with this tile) For wearables
"Name" This is the name of the item used in searching by name in Inside-UO and UO-Fiddler
"Weight" set at 255 means the item is immovable. This is used for world building items like walls, floors ect.
The meaning of "Quality" depends on item type: If it's a wearable, it holds the layer the item is to equip to; if it is a lightsource it's the type of light (corresponding to lights.mul).
"Quantity" means "Weapon class" if the item is a weapon, and armor class if it's an armor.
"Height" means exactly this - but also "capacity" if used with a container type item IE: floors 0, stairs 5, walls 20.
"Hue" shall give the item a default color different from what's originally in the artwork.
"Unknown4" in conjunction with the switch "Generic" holds the offset in pixel the second item will be displayed if an item is stackable (usually a value of 2 will be sufficient).
"Generic" most times means "stackable" and is used in conjunction with the value "Unknown4".
"NoShoot" is just this: An item probably impassable, but you can't cast or shoot through.
If you have some kind of glass, or blood , "Transparent" and "Translucent" will make : transparent (it influences the default rendermode).
"Damaging" is fire and such, like the well known brambles.
"Surface" is something you can step on.
"Bridge" is like surface but stops all effects from items below, even if they are very near.
"Foliage" makes leaves of trees 40% transparent when walked behind
"Wet" This is used for all water tiles and I don't fully understand if it has any other applications. -Bloodtiles are also marked wet I believe? Why?
"Partialhue" is exceptionally useful for weapons; if you give a color to a sword ingame you usually don't want to color the whole thing, just the blade. Well, that's what partialhue is for. Requires the art with this flag to be greyscaled. Only greyscale the part you want hued. Like the blade of the sword.
"Door" is obvious - unfortunately it will not work (doors handled client side)

The rest is either obvious - or unknown


When creating new art you should always compare your new item to a similar item already found in game of that type. Use a pencil and write down all the info for a wall, when creating a new wall. Make them match. Never just guess at flags. When comparing, compare basic common items. If the wall or item isn't typical don't use that as a reference for your new item.


In UO Fiddler under settings there is option for Save Directly On Changes. This will allow you to make multiple edits. If not used you have to click save changes at the bottom each time you make an edit.If you don't your previous edit will go poof. Once you have completed all your changes or saves you click save tiledata. A new copy of the tiledata.mul will be made and exported to your UO Fiddler program file. At any point you feel you have made mistakes or can't remember what you have done you can simply close UO Fiddler and drop all your edits at anytime you want before you have clicked the Save Tiledata button. However the save directly on changes option doesn't write directly into your tiledat.mul

[dragon slayer]

Introduction

The tiledata.mul file is crucial for custom art in Ultima Online. It defines how items behave in-game, ensuring walls act like walls, floors act like floors, and so on. Without proper configuration, custom art will appear as a static image without functionality.

This tutorial explains how to use UOFiddler to view and edit the tiledata.mul file for your custom artwork.

Key Properties in tiledata.mul

AnimID:

Holds the animation ID for wearables or mounts.

Points to a slot in anim.mul for equippable items.

To find the corresponding paperdoll gump ID:

Add 50000 for male characters.

Add 60000 for female characters (if absent, the male version will be used).

Name:

The name of the item, used for searches in InsideUO or UOFiddler.

Weight:

Setting this to 255 makes the item immovable (e.g., walls, floors).

Quality:

For wearables: Defines the equipment layer.

For light sources: Specifies the light type (see lights.mul).

Quantity:

Specifies weapon class (for weapons) or armor class (for armor).

Height:

Determines the item's height (e.g., floors: 0, stairs: 5, walls: 20).

For containers, it indicates capacity.

Hue:

Sets a default color for the item.

Unknown4:

Works with the Generic flag to define pixel offsets for stackable items.

Generic:

Indicates stackability, used with Unknown4.

NoShoot:

Prevents projectiles and spells from passing through the item.

Transparent/Translucent:

Adds transparency or partial visibility (e.g., for glass or blood).

Damaging:

Makes the item harmful (e.g., fire or brambles).

Surface:

Designates walkable surfaces.

Bridge:

Similar to Surface, but blocks effects from below.

Foliage:

Makes tree leaves 40% transparent when walked behind.

Wet:

Applied to water tiles and blood tiles.

PartialHue:

Useful for weapons, allowing partial coloring (e.g., only the blade).

Requires grayscale art for the hued portion.

Door:

Flags the item as a door (client-side functionality is required).

General Tips for Editing

Compare Before Editing:

Always compare your custom item with similar existing items in-game.

Use basic, common items as references to ensure accurate flag settings.

Saving Changes:

In UOFiddler, enable Save Directly on Changes under Settings to streamline edits.

If not enabled, click Save Changes after each edit to avoid losing progress.

When finished, click Save Tiledata to generate a new tiledata.mul file in the UOFiddler program directory.

Undo Mistakes:

If you make a mistake, close UOFiddler before saving to discard unsaved changes.

Step-by-Step Editing Guide

Open UOFiddler:

Navigate to the Tiledata tab.

Find Your Item:

Locate the custom art slot you wish to edit.

Edit Properties:

Adjust relevant flags and fields based on your item's functionality (see Key Properties).

Save Changes:

If Save Directly on Changes is disabled, click Save Changes after each edit.

Save Tiledata File:

Click Save Tiledata to create an updated tiledata.mul.

Copy Files to Client Directory:

Move the updated tiledata.mul to your client folder.

Advanced Editing: AnimID for Wearables

For wearable items:

Use AnimID to specify the animation ID.

Add 50000 for the male gump index.

Add 60000 for the female gump index.

Example: For AnimID = 400, the male gump index is 50400, and the female gump index is 60400.

Troubleshooting

Stackable Items Appear Misaligned:

Adjust Unknown4 and Generic flags to fix offsets.

Items Don’t Block Movement or Spells:

Ensure NoShoot and Impassable flags are correctly set.

Items Lack Transparency:

Use Transparent or Translucent flags and ensure the artwork supports these effects.

By properly configuring tiledata.mul, you can bring your custom art to life, ensuring it not only looks great but also behaves as intended in-game.