Overview
The Attribute Editor is the main interface for working with Tuning Packs and is similar in most ways to the standard content editor interface with a few important differences.
This guide covers the layout of the Attribute Editor as well as its main functions.
Attribute Editor Video
For a full introduction video to the Attribute Editor and tuning packs, see: Tuning Packs
What the Editor Can and Cannot Do
The Attribute Editor allows you to change a large number of elements within Age of Empires IV, although it is still limited in what it can affect.
The Attribute Editor Can:
- Change unit stats
- Modify unit behavior
- Adjust resource amounts
- Change unit scale
- Adjust villager gather rates
- Change the effect and behavior of upgrades
- Adjust elements of maps such as tree density, resource distribution, and animal herd sizes
- Manipulate the build menu
The Attribute Editor Cannot:
- Create new civilizations
- Create new functionality
- Create new upgrades
- Add new abilities
With Extra Work, the Attribute Editor Can:
- Create new units
Launching the Attribute Editor
To open the Attribute Editor, create a new Tuning Pack mod.
This will automatically open the Attribute Editor and ready it to begin making changes.
The Attribute Editor Interface
When you first open the editor, it will appear something like the image below, close to the standard Content Editor UI, but not quite the same.
The various numbered areas are detailed below.
1) Main Viewport
The Main Viewport is where you will be performing most of your work. The content displayed here is contextual, and will change depending on what you currently have selected.
This area can support multiple tabs, allowing you to have several areas open at once.
2) Scenario Panel
Similar to the standard Content Editor, the Scenario Panel allows you to manually search content to find what you are looking for.
This area will also display all content currently added to your tuning pack as you create it.
Information is displayed here in either a Tree View or a List View. See the Tree View vs List View section below for details on using these different navigation modes.
3) Asset Explorer
Similar to the standard Content Editor, the Asset Explorer contains all files that are created by your mod.
Double Clicking on an item in this list will open it in the Main Viewport.
4) Attributes
Located in the Main Menu, the Attributes drop-down menu contains all the possible types of data you can display in the Attribute Editor.
Selecting any main item from this list will display that information in the Main Viewport.
5) Find Results
When you first open the editor, the Find Results panel will not appear and must be manually opened by navigating to: Main Menu > Attributes > Find in Attributes
Once open, this interface allows you to quickly search all game data in Age of Empires IV to find anything you need.
Double-Clicking on an item in this interface will open it.
Find in Attributes
One of the most useful tools for working within the editor is the Find in Attributes function.
This tool allows you to search all the game data within Age of Empires IV to find what you are looking for, without having to manually search for it.
To open the search tool, from the Main Menu navigate to: Attributes > Find in Attributes
Alternatively, you can also open this tool by pressing: Ctrl + Shift + A
When you open the tool, the search interface will appear.
Use the Name field to enter what you are looking for and press OK, Don't worry about being too precise, you will get back multiple results related to your search term.
You can also use the Variable Value field to search for a type of asset to further narrow the search results.
The search results related to your term will appear at the bottom of the interface, containing all the results for your term.
There will likely be many possible results for your term, so you will likely have to scroll to find what you are looking for.
When looking through the search results, the data type of the entry will be displayed under Template, These types and their meanings are:
- EBPS: Short for "entity blueprint." This type of file dictates unit statistics.
- SBPS: Short for "squad blueprint." This type of file governs unit behavior.
- Attachments: This type of file consists of the types of equipment a unit can use, such as shield, spear, or sword.
- Upgrade: This type of file governs unit and technology upgrades.
- Ability: This type of file controls unit and building abilities.
- Weapon: This type of file changes the stats of a weapon that attaches to a unit's hardpoint.
- Hotkeys: This data controls a pre-existing hotkey in game.
- Statemodel_schema: This type of data governs specific player and civilization parameters.
Tree View vs List View
The Scenario Panel can display data in either a Tree View or a List View.
These options each offer a different way of searching for data within the Attribute Editor.
Tree View
The Tree View allows you to search data within a tree structure.
This is useful for exploring the data in a natural way if you do not know exactly what you are looking for.
List View
The List View allows you to search all data alphabetically.
This is more useful if you know what you are looking for and want to find all related content in a single place. You can add a search term in the top search bar to narrow the content to that particular type.
Spacebar Drilldown
When navigating the data in a tuning pack, you can press Spacebar to quickly open up and "drill down" into data you currently have selected.
Depending on the context in which the Spacebar is pressed, this will either dig deeper into the current data, or open a new window in the editor containing the new type of data selected.
This is a universal function and works on most items that you can select within the editor.
Categories of Content
The attribute editor contains a large number of data types, each tied to specific aspects of game data.
These most commonly-used categories are listed below, including the type of data they contain.
EBPS
- Hardpoints
- Health/armor
- Cost
- Holds
- Spawner extension
- Move speed and levels
- Gather Rate
- Upgrades
SBPS
- Requirements to produce unit
- Abilities
- Tooltip info
Weapons
- Attack speed
- Damage and falloff
- Area of effect behavior
- Bonus damage modifiers
Army
- Starting resources/units/buildings
State Model Schema
- Key global values for players
- Important building values like repair cost and relic limits
- Inheritance of defs
- Impactful civ specific values
Upgrades
- Requirements
- Filter Conditions (apply to unit classes)
- Local Max Limit
- Icon