Gimboid's Component Modding Program V 0.89

[Gimboid]

Major program update - Latest is Version 0.89

- ADDED - Multiple component extension feature, now you can create a family of components at the same time. EG. creating PDC 6-17 is done in 1 step instead of using the copy button 11 times

NOTE - the multiple component extension feature is working properly for non-weapon components and for weapon components where you extend the weapon range value by a maximum of 1 per component added, range extensions 2 or 3 per component do not work correctly at this time.

For the data fields, mineral cost, rad cost, etc, if you enter a negative value, the component you are extending it from will be decremented by that amount for every component added. Once the value reaches zero, or less then zero (it can only go < 0 during the addition process not when it is recording the values) the value is set to 0 for all the components created in the series after the value reaches zero.

(To any experienced modders out there, is it acceptable by seiv to have supply cost, tonnage, damage resistance for the component to be zero or should i change it to the arbitrary value of 1 instead?)

- The COPY button now works, so from the main screen you select the component you wish to copy and then it will display the copied component (so that you may modify the values slightly from the original) then the component is added to the component list exactly after the component that it was copied from.

Using the copy button means that you will manually have to change the fields (such as name, etc) to be different to the original. If you used the component extension feature instead it automatically incorporates the changed data fields AND updates the name so that the component name ends in the correct roman numeral EG. If you created Space Yards 4-20 then the component names for the series you create will end in the characters IV-XX inclusive.

***Please note as above, do not use the multiple component extension feature to create a series of weapon based components that extend the damage range by more then 1 square of range per component ***

-- Undocumented feature --

Double clicking a component from the component list is the same as pressing the edit button.

Next update should include

- Picture preview for component pic
- Ability to play the sound that is selected for that component

I would appreciate any comments, suggestions, bug reports, etc on this program Version.

Program size - 70.1KB zipped, 128KB Unzipped.
Gimboid's component Modding Program Version 0.89

Gimboid

[DavidG]

Originally posted by Gimboid:

(To any experienced modders out there, is it acceptable by seiv to have supply cost, tonnage, damage resistance for the component to be zero or should i change it to the arbitrary value of 1 instead?)
Gimboid

Supply cost can definatly be zero since many existing components have that. I've tested things with a tonnage and damage resistance of zero and it seem to work. hehe Could make some real kick *** ships with components of 0 tonnage.

[geoschmo]

Supply cost definetly as David says.

Tonnage. Currently I know of know mods assigning a zero tonnage to a component, however, it is certainly doable. I have heard some ideas bandied about suggesting zero tonnage components. You would have to use some other method of restricting the number used, such as the "one per" restrictions.

Not sure what effect having zero damage resistance would have. Never tried that.

Geoschmo

[Captain Kwok]

Gimboid:

I get one of those Windows illegal operation errors when I go to run your program. I'm running Win98 regular...it's strange though...I never got that error with previous incarnations of the editor.

[Gimboid]

The probable reason for the mess up is that the abilities.txt, techareas.txt and components.txt files are not in the same directory as the program itself.

just copy the program to whatever mod directory u want to use and make sure the other data files are there and it should load.

If thats not the cause, then email me and i will help u out

[Captain Kwok]

Thanks. Problem solved. Perhaps next time I will take the time to read the readme, eh?

[Nebraskan]

Gimboid,
Sounds like a great update, I will try it as soon as I log off the internet.

One suggestion, can you make the window that your Component Modder comes up in re-sizeable. I would like to seem more of the components list visible in the window, it makes finding something easier. Also how about a search function to find the component you are looking for.

Keep up the great work.

[Gimboid]

Hmm, resizable you say. I'll look into it

There is a temporary solution though, i will make a larger screen Version of the main screen.

Here is the larger screen Version, just fits onto an 800X600 resolution, but should be fine at higher resolutions.

It increases the screen size by 20% approx (vertical axis), so that should help u out for now...

Larger screen Version

Search funtion, yes that should be doable. Will probably get to it later after i wake up (its 3am here and im off to bed )

[Gimboid]

Program Version 0.90 now available

ADDED - Search ability so Users can look for a specific component from the list of components.

Code tweaks to improve efficiency and reduce filesize.

New program size - 108KB Unzipped

Main program screen size is the larger Version posted previously.

Gimboid

[ July 02, 2002, 11:01: Message edited by: Gimboid ]