Pandora's Box - Custom Deco Subcategories How-to?

[Safera]

I am wondering if anyone knows where the DECO tab categories are stored?

I know the Custom Deco category is kept inside of CustomDeco.xml.
I understand that inside of CustomDeco.xml I can create subcategories of the Custom Deco category, but how do I create additional "main" Categories?

By "main" categories, I mean "Custom Deco", "Animations", "Boulders and Rocks", etc.?

You cannot use CustomDeco.xml to create "Custom Deco" and "Custom Deco 2", for instance. You can only create subcategories of Custom Deco (eg Subcategory 1).

Please see the attached image for a screenshot of the PB categorical hierarchy.

 

[Safera]

The answer to this question is in the Data.dll inside the Data folder in the main Pandora's Box folder.

So I tried to decompile the Data.dll, which decompiles to include a Data.Deco.xml, which is the XML file I want to use to change my categories. So, I change the "Animations" category to "Animations Test" in Data.Deco.xml. That is the only thing I change.

I open my project in Microsoft Visual Studio Express 2010 and "Rebuild". Take the newly made Data.dll and overwrite the one in my Pandora's Box data folder.

BUT....it doesn't work. Nothing shows in the window now. I broke it (see attachment).

Can anyone help me figure this out, please?

 

[HellRazor]

Try placing the Deco.xml in your data directory and run Pandora's Box, does Pandora's Box rebuild the Data.DLL if you do this?

 

[HellRazor]

If that doesn't work, you may need to go to the Pandora's Box source code, replace the Data/Deco.xml with your new one, and then re-compile Pandora's Box so it will build the Data.DLL based on your new Deco.xml.

(I can see you tried that but did you name the file Data.Deco.xml or just Deco.xml? It should be Deco.xml).

 

[Safera]

Thanks Hellrazor. I got it and I'll say what I think it was, but I'm not positive.

Try placing the Deco.xml in your data directory and run Pandora's Box, does Pandora's Box rebuild the Data.DLL if you do this?

No dice. Pandora's Box 3.0.0.5 does not rebuild Data.xml on the fly in the same way it does CustomDeco.xml.

So, then I tried....

If that doesn't work, you may need to go to the Pandora's Box source code, replace the Data/Deco.xml with your new one, and then re-compile Pandora's Box so it will build the Data.DLL based on your new Deco.xml.

(I can see you tried that but did you name the file Data.Deco.xml or just Deco.xml? It should be Deco.xml).

I couldn't change the file names as then the Project couldn't find it in Visual C#. However, it got me thinking....

I got in touch with Kons, who made this edit of Pandora's Box and he supplied me with the original source files for all of Pandora's Box 3.0.0.5. I used that to rebuild the edits and it is working fine now.

So, either 1. my decompile was corrupt/incorrect or 2. I needed to decompile/have the original source for the entire Pandora's Box project.

I'm just happy that I can now make my own categories. <---see BIG smiles!