Hi all,
 
I've been fighting with a bunch of errors and problems for months now, specifically just trying to add a single burning fire fx to a map I'm working on.
The map compiles and plays fine until I attempt to add a script_struct with fx kvp's. Immediately the map starts giving the "400 FX exceeded" error. I have been trying to find solutions to this issue to no avail. One previous "solution" caused my hellhounds (in that and every new map I attempted to make) to lose their explosion fx and all sounds, to which I ended up having to delete the map entirely and re-download the UGX mod tools pack to fix it, but we're back at square one.
I've seen a couple of people on ancient forum posts suggesting using T4M, but in those same forum posts I've seen plenty of people complaining that T4M is a weak solution to a problem that a map maker should learn to avoid in other ways. One particular poster said that mappers should "learn to manage their assets" instead of relying on T4M. I can't say I understand the hostility towards T4M, but if there's a lesson I should be learning on how to manage FX without T4M, then I would like to learn it. However, I have not been able to find any useful tutorials on the matter.
 
TL;DR Does anyone have any resources I can read or video tutorials I can watch that can help me learn to avoid the 400 FX error and get some simple fires in my maps without using T4M (and without nuking my source files)?
Thanks in advance.
- Silence

 
Hi,
 
I thought there were tutorials written about this but I couldn't find them at the moment.
When I have time I will write a full tutorial about this but for now I am gonna make a short one.
 
There are four ways from where the FX is loaded:

• Patch files (.iwd/.ff files)
• Via it's map compiler (Compile FF) - Launcher --> This builds asset references from your MAPNAME.csv in the zone_source folder.
• Via it's modbuilder - Launcher --> This builds asset references from your mod.csv in your mods/MODNAME folder.
• Main game

How does fx load?

• Every entry in the .csv: fx,PATH_NAME_HERE
• Every script call to loadfx like: level._effect["snow_thick"] = LoadFx ( "env/weather/fx_snow_blizzard_intense" );

To make room for your own fx you need to comment/remove these you won't need.
 
This third party application can help you keep track but it isn't 100% accurate but it gives some indication about how many assets you're using.
 
https://www.ugx-mods.com/forum/3rd-party-applications-and-tools/48/world-at-war-mod-tools-v1-1-pwned-w-linkerpc-fix/10245/
 
I hope this will help.
 
P.S. You can always use T4M if you have too much trouble figure it out.
 

Thank you so much for taking the time to help out! Did not expect a response from Gympie6 himself, I've switched to using your script placer recently while trying to fix all the issues I've been having with my maps. I'll eagerly await your longer tutorial, and I will check out that version of the mod launcher as well, thank you again I'm only worried about messing around with the .csv files because last time I tried to edit them to add in fx, I somehow damaged the whole mod to the point where it wouldn't even load in-game and I had to start the whole project from scratch.