K, so I am REALLY new to modding (i got the stuff just a couple of days ago) so bear with me if my question is retarded.
I was messing around in firegraft and did some fun stuff in it, then i saved my files as the .exe thing. but every time i have tried to run my file, starcraft is messed up! like the machine shop is a crashed battlecruiser and the siege tank is just the top of a goliath! and when i try to put my goliath-top into siege mode, the game crashes! what am i doing wrong?

SEN's wiki: http://www.staredit.net/wiki.php
Modding Reference articles: http://www.staredit.net/wiki.php?cata=5
Modding Tutorials: http://www.staredit.net/wiki.php?cata=6
Modding related: http://www.staredit.net/wiki.php?cata=7
http://www.staredit.net/topic/440/
http://www.staredit.net/topic/110/

Give up on FireGraft for the moment. Stick with the DAT file editors. Familiarize yourself with the DAT tools first. Then TBL editors. Then iscript editors. Then graphics usage/editing (optional*). Then FireGraft*.

*: Graphics is a must when you actually start doing heavier modding. So is FireGraft.

I did DAT file editing and TBL file editing (dont know what iscript editing is yet, guess ill check that out) and had some fun, but now in firegraft i wanted to make a button in the factory to make a unit i made (i followed this tutorial http://www.staredit.net/wiki/Making_a_Civilian_Trainable) but firegraft messed up my mod. Do u know anyway to help?

P.S. on a side note, Datedit crashes whenever i try to get into some tabs (but this is less important)

I remember I used to have the DATEdit problem, but I can't remember how I solved that.
The only suggestion I can give is: DATEdit official download page (1.5d), direct download - delete DATEdit and redownload it from either link (they're the same except that the second is a direct link to the file that would be downloaded).

FireGraft: Make sure your StarCraft version is 1.15.1, if your FireGraft is of v0.93 (works with 1.15.0 and 1.15.1).

That Datedit thing worked! thanks! (probably because i had DATedit1.5b before)
i do have sc 1.15.1 (kinda, i had 1.16.1 before and used that downgrader to get to 1.15.1)

Create a new EXE file with FireGraft.
Go to the Barracks button set.
Copy and paste the Marine button. Put the new button in a different position. Change the trained unit to the Civilian. Go to the DAT Requirements for the Civilian. Change those to be the same as the Marine. Leave everything else the same. Save as EXE file. Don't import an archive.

That should work. However, don't take my word for it - I'm too lazy to actually do this myself to describe the process better.

There's a 1.16.1 version of FireGraft. I'm running it.

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Yeah, that works. Too bad it doesn't have EXE Edits. I still mod for 1.15.1 purely because of the EXE Edits, although I don't think I'll be using them. Hahahaha.

So creating civillians worked just fine, but machine shops are still appearing as crashed battlecruisers. I attached a screenshot so u can see what i mean.

Attachments:

In DATEdit, check to make sure that the Machine Shop uses the correct graphics. Also, check the graphic's flingy, sprite, and image entries to make sure they are all pointing to the correct files.

If that doesn't work, it probably means you have managed to screw up your StarDat.MPQ.

EDIT:
There is an EDIT button. Use it or die, unless there is something of importance to speak of.

so i re-installed starcraft and it still doesnt work. oh well. But can you give me a link to that firegraft 1.16.1? that might be my only hope of getting firegraft to work

http://scu.samods.org/f/uploads/FG1161.zip

There you go!

It doesn't sound like FireGraft is the cause. You said you were trying to make a button to build a unit you made, so the bugs sound like a *.dat issue. Did you only follow that tutorial you linked, to the letter? You might have accidentally changed the wrong thing(s). What are all the files you have in your mod's MPQ?

You could always attach the .mpq si we could figure out what's wrong with it...

It worked! once i got the 1.16.1 firgraft and remade it in that, it worked perfectly! thanks for all your help guys!

You welcome.

Something must have happened when you first made your FireGraft patch that screwed up the unit ID that those buttons made.