Fifa.fat clarification

[carlfordnathan]

Hi guys, I'm a newbie whose been trying to figure all this editing stuff out on my own, but I've finally hit a wall. Actually, I think I've figured it out, but I wanted to clarify it with more experienced people before I go messing with my zdata files.

I'm trying to reduce my fifa.fat file after making a lot of changes (borrowing somebody else's fifa.db file and then adding an mls update, as well as a couple of stadiums). From searching these forums, it seems that the common solution is to copy the .fsh files for logos, banners, and adboards into the main folder (it seems all my GK kits are already at 1gk b/c of the borrowed db).

I'm new to handling files like this, and I have Filepro 07 downloaded, but I just wanted to clarify that I'm dragging and dropping everything that says "banner" or "adboard" from inside each zdata folder and over into the main FIFA 07 folder at the top of the tree on the left...correct? Or not? Do I need to compress anything, or do all those loose files just drop into the main FIFA 07 file? And then I just leave the zdata file with whatever else was in it in the first place, minus the banners, adboards, etc.?

In addition, it seems like I haven't really done a lot considering the massive amount of cmp files available online, yet my fifa.fat folder is already over the limit. Am I missing something? How does everyone import all those stadiums and stay under the limit? Do you basically have to choose between stadiums and leagues, or is there a trick?

If anyone could help me out, I'd appreciate it. I played FIFA 07 on the Xbox for the longest time, even though I had it for PC as well. The other day I just decided to see if there were any patches out for the game, and I stumbled upon this site, which blew me away. I really appreciate the work everybody puts into this site.

Thanks,
Nathan

 

[bacchus99]

you can put stadium files in the main folder as well. I think the kits and banners and logos can go in the main folder as well, all unzipped. I would use Creation Master 07 if I were you, it is much better to import and then FIle Master to export the files you want into the main folder. The Fifa.fat file has to correspond to to the number of files and types still in the zdatas. I empty as much as I can into my main folder then import with CM one more addboard with a fresh fifa.fat so that it is up to date. Note, you will then need to add a new addboard to each new zdata you have created already so that the fresh fifa.fat has a chance to pick up the new files in those other new zdatas. I say addboards cos I dont think they are picked up if they are in the main folder. The fifa.fat limit is 443 kb. If your game is crahing it is probably because you havent given the fresh fifa.fat file a chance with CM to register all the new zdatas you have created. Thats why I mentioned imported an addboard or two into each new zdata you have already created with the old fifa.fat. Good luck.

 

[carlfordnathan]

follow-up

Thanks for the ideas, man. I've been playing with it, but I still haven't been able to reduce the fat file any (from 481). I moved all my banners and Team logos into the main folder, and removed them from the original zdatas. Now, when you say move the stadiums in there, which files are we talking about? The 3d model ones? Also, one zdata was entirely full of banners, so if I moved them all out, do I just delete that whole zdata file?

I didn't quite follow on the adboards thing. When you say I haven't given CM the chance to register the new zdatas, do you mean regenerating the fat from inside CM? 'Cause I've done that. I do it each time I update something. When you talk about importing new adboards, where would I find those? Are they separate cmp patches, or are they included in stadium cmps, or is it something else entirely?

If you or anyone else can help clarify some of this, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks,
Nathan

UPDATE: I've been working on this thing for a couple of hours now, trying moving and deleting various files recommended by various people in past threads, as well as going in and actually removing a league or two and a tournament or two, but this thing isn't budging from 481, no matter what I do. I see many other people have had this problem before, but none of the answers given them are helping me any. I should say though, the db I borrowed was already at 431 before I even started messing with it, but I can't figure out why. There's no added stadiums or leagues in the db, just updated rosters. Any ideas anyone?

 

[carlfordnathan]

CM problem

Hopefully someone will take a second to answer this one: it seems my fifa.fat problem lies with CM 07 itself. I reinstalled the actual game as well as CM, and regenerated the fat and bh without making any changes at all--no patches or db changes period--and my fat file jumped from 381 to 481 right off the bat.

Any ideas?

 

[AlJesus]

Fifa.Fat, decrease size?

Thanks for the ideas, man. I've been playing with it, but I still haven't been able to reduce the fat file any (from 481). I moved all my banners and Team logos into the main folder, and removed them from the original zdatas. Now, when you say move the stadiums in there, which files are we talking about? The 3d model ones? Also, one zdata was entirely full of banners, so if I moved them all out, do I just delete that whole zdata file?

I didn't quite follow on the adboards thing. When you say I haven't given CM the chance to register the new zdatas, do you mean regenerating the fat from inside CM? 'Cause I've done that. I do it each time I update something. When you talk about importing new adboards, where would I find those? Are they separate cmp patches, or are they included in stadium cmps, or is it something else entirely?

If you or anyone else can help clarify some of this, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks,
Nathan

UPDATE: I've been working on this thing for a couple of hours now, trying moving and deleting various files recommended by various people in past threads, as well as going in and actually removing a league or two and a tournament or two, but this thing isn't budging from 481, no matter what I do. I see many other people have had this problem before, but none of the answers given them are helping me any. I should say though, the db I borrowed was already at 431 before I even started messing with it, but I can't figure out why. There's no added stadiums or leagues in the db, just updated rosters. Any ideas anyone?

I have the same situation, any knows if i can put some new faces files somewhere, like main folder? because my fifa.fat is over the limit and i have a bunch of face files that i want to play.

Thanks in advance

 

[Zefilio]

Seems to me you are moving files around but not deleting them in the zdatas to make space in other words you are having dlots of uplicate files in your zdatas and you have to remove the oldest ones.

To make sure that this is the case take a backup of your data folder and then run the FATGUI utility from Fifa ECP, if you have duplicate files it will bombard you with error messages.

 

[10Ruud]

Is there any simple way of deleting duplicate files?
The only way I know is by going into filemaster and deleting them one by one..the real time consumer is finding them..as you mentioned FATGUI will find them, but after that..do you have to write all the files names down, search them in filemaster and then delete the old ones one at a time?

 

[Zefilio]

Is there any simple way of deleting duplicate files?
The only way I know is by going into filemaster and deleting them one by one..the real time consumer is finding them..as you mentioned FATGUI will find them, but after that..do you have to write all the files names down, search them in filemaster and then delete the old ones one at a time?

Yep, the way to go is to write down every file FATGUI mentions and then remove the duplicated files in the first zdata they appear, for example if you have a file m228_10500.o in zdata_4.big and the same in zdata_8.big then remove the one in zdata_4.big as Fifa will load the one in the last zdata anyway so the one in the smaller number zdata is there eating up space for nothing.

P.S. : One exception is the t_24.fsh file, you may absolutely not remove it, even if it appears more than once, because else your ingame turfs will appear as red and green fluo texture missing horrors and there is no way to repair that other than restoring a backup copy of the zdata you removed it from and rebuilding the fat file, even re-importing the deleted t24_.fsh file with filemaster won't work. (I lost some hair experiencing that lol)

 

[10Ruud]

Thanks Billy....after reading this thread I realized I have alot of duplicates.
Also thanks for the heads up on the t24_.fsh....I'll avoid the nightmare and keep the duplicate.

 

[AlJesus]

Any More File To Extract?????

Hi, do you know if i can put other kind of files in the fifa main folder?, i have extract from zdata`s all kits, banners and logos, but i need more space for more faces files.

Thanks in advance.