I have made a bunch of unique skill using the Excel spreadsheets Larian provided for us but getting the names and descriptions into the game was an issue. Luckily they allow us to import string keys using csv files. So I modified their macros they use to generate the stats data files to generate a names and descriptions csv (taken from the cells) to import directly into the Translated String Key Editor.
NOTE: You cannot have the old skills in the excel files, because names (and String Keys) have already been made for them.
NOTE: NO commas in names or descriptions! CSV = Comma Separated Values, so commas indicate next value, not what you want.
NOTE: there is an extra new line at the end of the file delete it manually (using a text editor) to avoid a minor error (still works if u don't - just barfs that u can't have a null string as a String Key).
'Generate data to csv-file
Sub GenerateCSV()
'Open file
File = 1
Open ActiveWorkbook.Path & "\Generated\SkillDataNames.csv" For Output As File
'Generate skill data
GenerateSkillDataNames File
Close File
End Sub
Private Sub GenerateSkillDataNames(ByVal File As Integer)
Sheets("SkillData").Select
' Change the bounds of the array to indicate the columns used for the name of the skill
' Currently they are 1 to 3: Type, Subtype and Rank
' The data fields start from the next column
Dim Skill(1 To 3) As String
Row = 1
TitleRow = 1
While Cells(Row, 1).Text <> "EOF"
For i = LBound(Skill) To UBound(Skill)
If Cells(Row, i).Text <> "" Then
Skill(i) = Cells(Row, i).Text
UsingName = ""
SkillName = Skill(LBound(Skill))
For j = LBound(Skill) + 1 To i
If i = UBound(Skill) And j = i Then
UsingName = SkillName
End If
SkillName = SkillName & "_" & Skill(j)
Next j
If i = LBound(Skill) Then
TitleRow = Row - 1
Else
Col = UBound(Skill) + 1
While Cells(TitleRow, Col).Text <> ""
ColumnName = Cells(TitleRow, Col).Text
If Cells(Row, Col).Text <> "" Then
If ColumnName = "DisplayName" Or ColumnName = "Description" Or ColumnName = "StatsDescription" Then
Print #File, SkillName & "_" & ColumnName & "," & Cells(Row, Col).Text & ""
End If
End If
Col = Col + 1
Wend
End If
Exit For
End If
Next i
Row = Row + 1
Wend
End Sub
How to install macros:
http://www.excel-easy.com/vba/create-a-macro.html
