Just to clarify. Do you mean ball styles (same properties as existing goo type but different appearance) or really new goo types (different properties and different appearance from existing goo types).

I think he means "new goo types", because he wants to see them in WoG edit.

WoG Editor uses folder implementations to view its values. In other words, it will be displayed as available (in WoG Editor) if the folder with the ball's images, bins, and sounds is in /res/balls/.

For example, if I create a new gooball with the folder name "newball", it would be located directory-wise as follows: /World Of Goo/res/balls/newball/ The files inside the folder would include "body.png, strand.png, balls.xml, etc.". If the location is correct, WoG Editor will allow me to type in "newball" as a ball type and it should be allowed.

So should I decrypt the files from any of the ball types like I decrypt the common ball and using Gootool to decrypt the file and edit it. It can be, or not?

No need help, I understand you guys, thanks!

<-- I'm so happy you guys helped me and my new goo balls are working!

Oh, there is no help from you guys, have to do it all by myself

Yes, inwog, making a new ball requires a LOT of decrypting/encrypting. And writing a complete new xml from nothing is hard so the best way is to edit current balls.

It's hit and try technique with goo ball making, you should have a test level for your balls, I suggest Going Up.

Here is what you should do:

Take the common.ball file, decrypt it.
Now you put your options, like goo has 5 arms and go walks this speed or whatever you want. You should really know what you are doing. Read all about it at http://goofans.com/developers/game-file-formats/balls-xml

First 30-40 lines of code are the important, those make your balls properties.
Rest is image positioning of the ball and animation and sound...

When you are finished with editing those first lines/options exit and save. Encrypt it back to .bin put it in you common ball folder(backup your original first) and run Going Up from WoG Editor. Test it to see if it works as you planed it.
Now repeat this until you have your ball options. It important that you don't have crashes here and that you can normally play Going Up.
That is the hard part. Now comes easy but long one.

Open ball.xml and change the name="common" to you ball name in first line of code, like name="inwogball"
Change everything that say like "IMAGE_BALL_COMMON_STRAND" to "IMAGE_BALL_INWOGBALL_STRAND"... where ever is common mentioned change it to your balls name. save and exit.

Open recourse.xml and do that here. Change everything that says ...COMMON... to you ball name. Watch the image path! It must point to your images that are stored at yourball folder.
now that you've finished, save exit and encrypt. Put everything in your new ball folder and put the folders in /World of Goo/rec/balls folder

Now when you run WoG Editor, you edit Going Up by changing balls to your ball. Name is the same as you put in that first line if code: name="inwogball". Save editing and run the level. If it crashes than you didn't change something from COMMON to YOUBALL... Go and fix it.

And there you have it, your very own goo ball!

I hope I helped.

Oh! But I just spent 30 min writing a tutorial!

What tutorial?

this one!

Oh, I thought inwog wrote ANOTHER tutorial...

So THAT's how.......

has anyone ever thought about a gooball editor related to WooGLE?
it would saves a lot of time for xml-ing.

edit: i´m not a programmer, otherwise i would write it by my own.

Yeah, I was thinking about creating gooball editor-maker.
And I was thinking about using programing language called "GOO" but I'm really busy this summer and didn't have the time to learn a whole new language.

Funny thing ther is a language called "GOO"
my only eperiance with programming language is in Q-basic a long time ago in school.
I willing to learn one but since i´m busy too it will take a long time till my skill is hi enough to create a Ball-Editor.

I could make one if it doesn't involve picture rendering or physics emulation. Though I'm more of a hard-modding guy than creating new contents (which means I like to deal with the engine more than the content).

Wow. Do you really think someone could make a ball editor??? That would be AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@GMMan
I wanted to ask you, are you involved with Aquaria open source modding and newsletter?

i want to make a pink goo ball with blonde hair and the goo ball also has a microphone...... all other goo balls follow this goo ball no matter what.... other "pop star" goo balls do not follow each other though
How do i make a goo ball like this

the visual stuff can be done. But Goo Balls that follow a specific Goo Ball is a behaviour that is not in the Game and can't be accomplished by simply changing the XML. You'd have to reprogram WorldOfGoo.exe for that. In other words: Not possible.

If you want the goo-ball to have hair, microphones, or other stuff, you can edit the body to look like that in GIMP or something. Or (better yet) re-create the Ivy, which has the leaves on it. Just copy the leaves part, and then make custom images to fit on the goo-ball. Switch out the leaves with the new images.

EDIT: to make them be followed, you can always put them in a different order in the list of goo-balls in Woogle. Balls higher/lower on the list appear closer/farther to the pipe than the others. In the level "Rubber Sheet theroy", the balloons were closer to the pipe, and so that made the level a bit harder. (You will know what I mean when you play it.)

THIS...IS...THEROY!!!! (So I'm not positive.)

What? obviously it's the position that matters. not where the ball is "on the list".
and um... yeah. as long as the Balls are climbing toward the pipe, they would follow the one which is nearest to it. but that's not "following a specific ball, no matter what"

The Roy, indeed. and i'm rather negatory about him.

Yea, I misspelled it. And if you want to be so specific about the balls following other balls that it hurts then fine by me. I'm trying to fine the closest thing.

@Pavke: It depends on exactly what you mean. I'm test-hosting a mod catalog, but not involved in any newsletters. I've made one mod, but it's not an engine mod (I haven't been able to get Aquaria compiled, and each compile (to object code) takes around 45 mins, regardless how small the change you've made to the source code).

On the current topic: I like it when people post their ideas, but I also wish that they had a bit of technical knowledge. Chances are if the techniques are not in the stock levels, and it isn't physics related, it would require a change in the engine.

So, what about a ball editor? Anybody got ideas?

All you really need to do is copy a ball folder. (For starters, try common_black)

Then, use gootool, or Woogle to de-crypt the balls.xml.bin, and the resources.xml.bin. They should show up as balls.xml.xml, and resources.xml.xml. Open them in note pad so you can edit them, and it should show the parts and such of a goo-ball. Re-name everything to the name of the goo-ball you will be making, and then customize something easy. (i.e. number of strands, detachable, or walkable strands.) Go to the resources.xml.xml, rename everything to your goo-ball name. (remember that the lines that are in CAPITAL should have everything writin in it in CAPITAL LETTERS, while everything lower case is lower case.) The last line should look something like:

Re-name "COMMON_BLACK" to your goo-ball name, but *IMPORTANT* leave "res/balls/common" alone. That will be where your goo-ball sounds come from.

After all that, open a picture editor, like GIMP or Photoshop, and open each of the pictures in the file. Change the color to any one you want. Then, encrypt the balls.xml.xml, and the resources.xml.xml so that they become ".bin"s.

Put the file (remember to name it after your goo-ball) in the balls folder, and then open Woogle. Create a level, put some of the balls in there, make a structure with the strand mode. Save and play. If they work out the way they were designed, then congrats on your first goo-ball! If something happens, then check the .xml for any problems, and check goofans for any other help.

Not much use for a ball editor if it's that simple.

Even if making a ball simple, making a level is simple too. But someone made a level editor for that right? making a ball editor would make it easier for newbies.

@GMMan
I thought you are making some tools for Aquaria based on it source code.
If you somehow get Aquaria to compile in Linux please let me know.(I've heard it's impossible in Windows)