Object Creation Tutorial

This guide is for objects such as trash cans, benches, tables etc. This guide can help, but is not meant for plants.

Step 1: The entities folder

Part 1: Gathering the files

To begin, go to C:Program Files/Microsoft Games/Zoo Tycoon 2. If the object you would like to make is based off an Endangered Species object, then you must use the x100_000 file. If it is not, then use the entities file.

Open the file using WinRar or WinZip. Then in either one go to entities/objects/scenery.

This guide is only for scenery objects which include benches, trash cans, donation boxes, tables, arches, fountains, and viewing canopies. I have not tested it on other scenery such as bouncy rides, lamps, etc, but you can always try.

Now in that scenery folder find the object you are basing it off of. You have to try and figure out which one is yours. When it ends in _df, it’s a normal object, when it end in _jt, its jungle theme, and _st is safari theme. Other endings mean various things that you can try to figure out.

Once you have found the correct folder, copy all files into your files. Copy them into entities/objects/scenery/codename. Then go back to the scenery folder in the game files. Go into ai and in there find the file which corresponds with your object. It should have the same name as the folder containing the files. Copy the xml file and paste it into the corresponding location in your files, entities/objects/scenery/ai. Now you have all the files you need for now, so close the extracting program.

Part 2: Changing the Skins

Now select a codename for your project. Make the codename all lowercase letters, but make sure it corresponds to what you want. For instance if I want to make a green bench, make the codename benchgreen. Rename the folder called codename to your codename.

Now go into that folder (which is where you put some files) and rename the icon and .nif file by replaceing the old codename with yours. For instance, the icon will be named something like benchgreen_icon, and the .nif just benchgreen. Then you can recolor the icon however you want. Now open the .nif with a hex editor. Then search for .dds. Anytime you find .dds it is referring to a skin covering the object.

What you can do is, in the game files, go to entities/objects/shared and find all the .dds files that the .nif refers to. Then copy them and paste them into the shared folder. Now in the .nif change the name of the .dds file to whatever you want, but know that you CANNOT change the number of letters in the name. Then change the .dds file’s name to the same thing so it corresponds to what you want. Now recolor all the .dds files however you want!

Part 3: Changing the ai

Now go to the ai folder. There should be a file in it that you placed earlier. Open it with notepad and then go to edit > replace. From there replace the old codename (for the green bench, bench_df). So for my green bench I would replace bench_df with benchgreen. Then save and close the file. Then rename it to your codename.

Step 2: The Lang Folder

Go to lang/1033 and rename the file to your codename. From there open it and say replace codename with yours. So I would do: replace codename with benchgreen. Then say replace -name- with your name. For instance I would do replace -name- with Green Bench. This should be whatever you want to show up as the name when you select it. Now scroll through the lang file and replace anything surrounded by parenthesis to whatever it says. Make sure to delete the parenthesis.

Step 3: The ui Folder:

Go to ui/zoopedia/entries and rename the file to your codename. Open the file and replace codename with yours. I would do replace codename with benchgreen. That’s it! What an easy step.

Congratulations! You have finished coding. Now using some sort of zip program zip the main folders together into a .z2f file and test it in the game.