What are LOD files?
Now we will learn what are LOD files. LOD file - is a complicated archive file consists of two parts - header and body. For simlisity - header include all file names that archived in LOD and body include that files. Unfortunetly header and body could be different and include files that not really exists - so we can get unused files and more spaces in LOD archive.
Too complicated for you? Wanna the easiest way? Luckily we can use alot of programms that will make our life easier! With that programms you do not have to know what are LOD files are - you just can start to create and produce your own modifications!
LOD archives used in "Heroes" & "Might and Magic" series. Their structure is identical but files inside them could be different.
How to open LOD archive?
There are many ways how to open such files but the easiest way is a very usefull tool by Sergei Rojenko - MM Archive:
Programm got very simple interface. You can see all resources in real time mode - Heroes or Might and Magic. You can extract files, replace files, add your own files - all the moves programm will do automatically. Also you can create your own archives for your future modifications.
There are very intersting function in this programm "Optimize". This function will rebuild LOd archive, compare header with the body, will delete unused data and missing files - so it will make LOD archive smaller. Just experiment and try to optimize some standart LOD archives - you will notice that their size will became smaller! This option is very usefull for mod-making! You can create you own LOD archives, optimize them and make the as smaller as possible.
How to create my own LOD archives?
Now you know how to open LOD files and you should know how to create you own LOD files for your future modifications. You can use MM archive for that or another tools from Sergei Rojenko - MM compare & MM merge. One programm analyse two files and copy only modified data. Unmodified data won't be included in LOD. Another programm merge two files copying data into original LOD archive. But beware - programm will fuse two files together! So if you have mistaken - this toll could merge two different files!
How to work with LOD Merge?
This programm works inside command line. To run it you will have to create simple "BAT" file. We will make it with simple "notepad".
Create similar TXT file:
LodMerge.exe Icons.lod nico.lod goto done
LODMerge.exe - with this function every your file should start. This is executable programm.
Icons.lod - this is targeted file, the one you wish to be merged and modified. This is original pure file
nico.lod - this is our new file that we created. We wish that archive to be fused with original file. It include modified data inside.
goto done - this is a procedure of exit. With this function all your files shoul end.
After you have created this simple line - save your TXT file with BAT extension - it will transform into BAT executable file!
Now you should gather all your data - your created LOD archive, сLOD merge itself, BAT file - now you can upload your work.
You can use many EXE-builders to fuse all your 3 files together into one EXE file. For that porpose you can use many free EXE builders that can be found in internet.
Now you should know the ways of creating and modifying LOD archives and you could try to create you own modifications.
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