7 replies to this topic

[Corsix]

Beta 0.2.0 has been uploaded for those of you with access (source code will be uploaded tomorrow - already spent 9 hours on this today).

Changelog:
- Module files can now be fully manipulated and saved
- Menus added
- Messages added for things that haven't been coded yet
- RGD files can be viewed
- UCS files can be created, opened, edited and saved
- Various interface improvments
- Locale selector added on startup
- RGD -> XML converter added
- Load time shortened
- Loading" image improved

Things to check:
- Module files can be manipulated and saved
- RGD files can be viewed
- RGD files show the actual text when there's a UCS reference (eg. "$100" (Sometext))
- UCS files can be created, edited and saved

[Corsix]

Heh, just found a bug in the module file saving code that resulted in DoW not liking the module file.
Uploaded beta 0.2.1 to fix this; any module files that you saved with 0.2.0, open them with 0.2.1 and save them to fix the problem.

(Who knew DoW required \xD\n for newline?)

[Finaldeath]

I downloaded 0.2.0, there was no 0.2.1.

I got the same error as I got with version 0.1.0, the rainman.dll file not found!

Uh-oh.

[Corsix]

What permissions do you have on Rainman.dll?


Also, have you tried putting Rainman.dll in your C:\WINNT\system32 directory?
Have you tried extrcting all the files to your DoW directory and running them from there?

Edit:
Are you sure that Beta 0.2.1 isn't there?

Also, I'm off skiing next week and I won't be near a computer for the entire duration

Edited by Corsix, 01 February 2006 - 05:05 PM.

[Finaldeath]

Okay, beta 0.2.1 works when I extract it. Sorry for missing it.

NB: The version number is not at 0.2.1 in the titlebar.

No idea why 0.2.1 works and 0.2.0 doesn't.

I'll test it out and report back sometime.

[Corsix]

I could have sworn I put 0.2.1 in the titlebar..
.. actually, I did put it in put I didn't "burn" the VB code to an EXE when releasing 0.2.1 because I only changed the code in rainman

Very strange that 0.2.1 works while 0.2.0 didn't...
.. could be because I UPXed the rainman in 0.2.0, but forgot to in 0.2.1

Edited by Corsix, 01 February 2006 - 10:55 PM.

[compiler]

I just tested versio 0.2.1.
It installs and opens smoothly.
It loads a WA mod, although it takes quite some time to open.
It is quite surprising that it displays rgd files and not luas, but I guess these are functionalities to be implemented later.

Here are a few suggestions :

The module information window should be accessible at the start of the mod (as it is now) and should be called back by a command (I didn't find the way to call it back)

The large panel on the right should be used to display the data being edited, instead of having multiple windows.
You could use some "tabs" so that you can edit ucs, rgd or module without having new pop up windows all the time.

As for the UCS file : you could have link between different languages. Each time you add a sentence in the default language (say english) then a line would be added in all the language you'll add. This way, it wil be easy to check that you didn't forget a line when translating from one language to another.

Displaying the ucs sentence in the rgd display is a great idea.
It would be even better if just adding a ucs reference "$xxxxx" would open the ucs editor, with this line created and just the text to type in. Validation would return to rgd editing.

For the rgd edition : it could be interesting to have a choice of editing at various level : when editing a troop, you might want to edit the troop type instead of just the troop.
So it would be very useful to have the lines which belong to the higher level displayed in a different colour (or with a sign at the beginning of the line) so that you can save them in the parent rather that for each separated troop.
Of course, this would mean that you'd have to build each parent by comparing what lines are in common in each child file, which could in turn greatly increase loading time.
Still, it would be useful (the AE takes a huge time to open, anyway).

I have no idea if my suggestions are feasible or just totally banana.
They are made from a user's point of view.
Feel free to ignore them altogether if they are irrelevant.

Cheers
Compiler

Edited by compiler, 04 February 2006 - 10:16 PM.

[Corsix]

It is quite surprising that it displays rgd files and not luas, but I guess these are functionalities to be implemented later.

RGDs are easier to load (code wise) than LUAs are.

The module information window should be accessible at the start of the mod (as it is now) and should be called back by a command (I didn't find the way to call it back)

I deliberatley don't tell you how to do stuff becuase _most_ people will not read the help docs and have to do stuff by intuition. You can bring it back by main menu->Mod->Information - is there a better place to put the button or is the text a bit misleading?

As for the UCS file : you could have link between different languages. Each time you add a sentence in the default language (say english) then a line would be added in all the language you'll add. This way, it wil be easy to check that you didn't forget a line when translating from one language to another.

At the moment, only the language that you select when the mod loads is loaded. I will add tools/features relating to translation though.

Displaying the ucs sentence in the rgd display is a great idea.
It would be even better if just adding a ucs reference "$xxxxx" would open the ucs editor, with this line created and just the text to type in. Validation would return to rgd editing.

I'll add more integration between the RGD editor and UCS editor when the RGD editor can edit.

For the rgd edition : it could be interesting to have a choice of editing at various level : when editing a troop, you might want to edit the troop type instead of just the troop.
So it would be very useful to have the lines which belong to the higher level displayed in a different colour (or with a sign at the beginning of the line) so that you can save them in the parent rather that for each separated troop.
Of course, this would mean that you'd have to build each parent by comparing what lines are in common in each child file, which could in turn greatly increase loading time.

Colouring of whats what would be good; unfortunatley, RGDs dont record which file the current one was inherited from.

I have no idea if my suggestions are feasible or just totally banana.
They are made from a user's point of view.
Feel free to ignore them altogether if they are irrelevant.

Cheers
Compiler

That's what beta testers are for - feedback and suggestions.