Alright, here we go, how to make a creature a hero?

Stage 1
Make it so that the creature ceases to be a creature...

So, I downloaded a mod for a creature from Heroes 7, opened it, inside the folder

bin
Cameras
GameMechanics
MapObjects
new_creatures
Sounds

The red folders affect creatures

1) In the Cameras folder, there is a file that changes the camera in the recruitment window; ideally, you should keep this file and rename it to use the camera for the hero

Go to \Cameras\Interface\HireCreatures - inside there's a file Vampire.xdb - rename it to VampireHero.xdb

2) The GameMechanics folder can be deleted; it has a file connecting the creature and the model, one could say it's the root

3) MapObjects can be deleted immediately, because it contains a file for the map editor (it's very likely broken)

Stage 2
You need to link the model to the hero

Most likely, you need to replace some Necromancer
You need to take it from data.pak

In the \MapObjects\Necropolis folder, all Necromancers, Necropolis creatures, and buildings are located; Necromancers have the marker .(AdvMapHeroShared)

The names mostly don't match the titles. Aberrar.(AdvMapHeroShared) is Zoltan, Berein.(AdvMapHeroShared) - Markel, Effig.(AdvMapHeroShared) - Raven...

The structure of the file using Zoltan as an example; I'll write about everything, but highlight what we need in red

Aberrar

    - this is not used
    - this line is usually not used
   
   
   
       
            0
            0
       
   
   
   
        0
        0
   
   
   
   
    false
    true
   
   
   
    false
    true
   
   
   
    Aberrar - under no circumstances change the name in this line, otherwise scripts in campaigns might break
    HERO_CLASS_NECROMANCER - this is the hero class
    HERO_SPEC_MIND_CLEANER - this is the specialization (affects ONLY the effect, does not affect the icon and description of the specialization)
   
        MASTERY_BASIC - skill level
        HERO_SKILL_NECROMANCY - racial ability
   
    - specialization name
    - specialization description
    - specialization icon //actually this is nice, you can give the same specialization to different races with different names and icons, I did that, for example, made a dwarf with the suzerain specialization, but due to the lack of 'retraining' he just brought in money, I called him a treasurer, such heroes were in Heroes 3
    - this is the icon
    <facetexturesmall href="/Textures/Icons/Heroes/Necropolis/Necropolis_Zoltan_128x128_64.(Texture).xdb#xpointe r(/Texture)"> this is the small icon, in the last expansion they were abandoned, you can just write in this line
   
   
   
   
   
    TOWN_NECROMANCY - this is the hero's race
   
        - hero name
        - hero biography
        0 - attack
        1 - defense
        3 - spell power
        1 - knowledge
        - skills
           
                MASTERY_BASIC - mastery (basic)
                HERO_SKILL_LEARNING - learning skill
           
       
        - secondary skills
            HERO_SKILL_EAGLE_EYE - eagle eye
       
        - spells
            SPELL_ANIMATE_DEAD - animate dead
       
        false - ballista
        false - first aid tent
        false - ammo cart
        - sworn enemy
   
    0 - idk
    - idk
    - circle under the hero
    - large army trail
    - idk
    - idk
    false - this blocks the hero for multiplayer maps, here he is unlocked
    - hero's musical theme, almost all campaign heroes have one
    false - idk, better not touch

Lines important to us
- this is the battle model, for example, for a Knight it's a rider with a standard bearer
    - this is the melee attack model, not everyone has it, there's none here... we won't need it either, because there's no animation
    - this is the model for the adventure map

First, for these three lines, you need to write the path to the character file of the creature from the mod, it will look like this

    <herocharacterarena href="/new_creatures/Necro/Vamplord/creature.(Character).xdb#xpointer(/Character)"/>
   
    <herocharacteradventure href="/new_creatures/Necro/Vamplord/creature.(Character).xdb#xpointer(/Character)"/>

All creatures from Heroes 7 have one template, so the path will only differ in the unit name and faction

Now about the remaining lines
    - this is a unique camera, such as Agrael, Biara, the Lord have... we have one too, we need to write it
    <> href="/Cameras/Interface/HireCreatures/VampireHero.xdb#xpointer(/Camera)"/>

The next line is responsible for the projectile, we won't touch it, because the vampire has no projectile
   

HALF THE JOB IS DONE
The hero is displayed, BUT IN T-POSE

Stage 3
Fixing the hero
The structure of creature files is slightly different from the structure of hero files, we need to fix that
You need to start with that file we specified for the appearance - /new_creatures/Necro/Vamplord/creature.(Character).xdb
Open it, and you'll see

creature.(Character)

   
   
   
   

- animations for the adventure map, nothing is written here!
Fortunately, just above there is a line with animations for battle, copy the piece href="animset/creature.(AnimSet).xdb#xpointer(/AnimSet)"/> and paste it into the adventure map line like this
href="animset/creature.(AnimSet).xdb#xpointer(/AnimSet)"/>

THE HERO IS NO LONGER IN T-POSE

But he doesn't know how to shoot....
Get into the animations file - that one animset/creature.(AnimSet).xdb

creature.(AnimSet)

   
        - these are animations, this one for example is death
            death
           
       
       
            hit
           
       
       
            idle00
           
       
       
            move
           
           
       
            attack00
           
                       
       
            specability
           
       
       
            happy
           
       
       
            stir00
           
       
   
   
   
    Global

As you can see, this is a list of animations, copy some and change the "kind", for example replace attack with ranged attack, and ability with cast
   
       
            rangeattack
           
                       
       
            cast
           
       

This way the hero will learn to shoot and cast spells

That's it) I'm going to sleep