Overriding and merging config files in mods. (DEPRECATED)

Is it possible to use the "Merge" function on a different kind of Config file besides player.config?

 

Normally yes. Theres few exceptions but i forgot with which one i had problems before. Should still somewhere in this thread.

 

Snip

 

I tried upping the damage of a pickaxe and following http://starbounder.org/Basic_Property_Modification did with coal but apparently all that did was turn my pick into a generic item and the recipe dissappeared from the crafting menu. can someone help me with modifying a tool?

 

Step 1: take the tool's config file and pull its contents, as a whole, through http://jsonlint.com/ to check for silly errors like missing or extraneous commas and such.
Step 2: if the config file does not validate, use the error given by the webpage to fix it.
Step 3: if you still can't figure it out, paste the file's contents here, preferably in a code block for readability.

 

The site said its valid but the pick in my hand and the one in the crafting menu have both become perfectly generic items.

Code:

{
  "__merge" : [],
  "itemName" : "stonepickaxe",
  "inventoryIcon" : "stonepickaxeicon.png",
  "dropCollision" : [-4.0, -3.0, 4.0, 3.0],
  "maxStack" : 1,
  "rarity" : "common",
  "inspectionKind" : "tool",
  "description" : "Pickaxes are so last millennium!",
  "shortdescription" : "Stone Pickaxe",
  "largeImage" : "stonepickaxebig.png",
  "image" : "stonepickaxe.png",
  "handPosition" : [-3, -4],
  "fireTime" : 0.3,
  "swingStart" : -40,
  "swingFinish" : 60,
  "blockRadius" : 3,
  "altBlockRadius" : 1,
  "twoHanded" : true,
  "strikeSound" : "/sfx/tools/pickaxe_hit.wav",
  "durability" : 7500,
  "durabilityPerUse" : 1,
  "durabilityRegenChart" : [
    [ [ "copperore" ], 750], [ [ "silverore" ], 1125], [ [ "goldore" ], 1500], [ [ "platinumore" ], 1875], [ [ "diamond" ], 2250]
  ],
  "tileDamage" : 5.8,
  "tileDamageBlunted" : 1.3
}

 

If you are merely altering the existing item, you don't need to merge the entire contents of the file.

Only include the things you are actually editing. Make sure the filename is IDENTICAL to the original filename, as well. And located in the same place, folder structure wise.

So, if you are editing the stone pickaxe so that its durability is greater you ONLY need

Code:

{
"__merge": [],
"durability" : 12515122521
}

There's no need to incorporate anything you haven't changed.
Especially the "itemName" property, since that never needs to change unless it is a new item that does not currently exist. It's not a huge deal, so long as it is located in the exact same place, directory wise.

Otherwise it will think you have a duplicate item name.


In any case, a starbound.log check will usually point out what the issue at hand is. Any attempt to load an item that results in a PGI should automatically be on the starbound log once you attempt to access said item (be it via menu, or on loading , what have you)

 

Oddly deleting everything that i didnt change this time actually helped which is odd because i tried that before, which resulted in me not seeing the pickaxe in the crafting menu.
But at the time i didnt know about that jsonlint site

 

you probably missed a , or a " somewhere. That's hands-down the most common mistake