A few more questions - ATF

[TDR]

At this point I am not sure if I should scream "AHhhhhh Real Monsters!!" or not..

Well with ATF, v1.06, I seem to be having some slight problems.

In the Scenario builder when I do:
View->Hierarchy Tree -> Friendly->”select a unit”-> Edit
I get the Hierarchy Element Data Window.

It is in this window that things seem wrong.
In this window ther are 4 buttons as:
NATO Piece
Graphic Piece
Destroyed NATO Piece
Destroyed Graphic Piece

Each button brings up the same pop up menu selection.
Unless I am wrong the Graphic Piece button should bring up a list of the BMP file names.
I have tried this with the standard database and also the ‘kbDataModern database’

Should these buttons be working in the same way as they do in the ‘ATF Power Toolkit’ program’s Vehicle Window?
I ask as they do not seem to do the same thing.

Also the ‘ATF Power Toolkit’ program when you load a database and decide to edit the Pieces, by doing the following:

Databases->Pieces->Open…
A dialog pops up saying “This will destroy the current sound list”. But I am in the Pieces section.

Ok so this was a bit of cut and paste of code, I hope. If not then I am confused.

I have only come across these as I decided I would try to look at modifying a few units as an experiment in how the game works while using the ‘kbDeath_Valley_Attack’ scenario. I can understand ASLAV-25s and ASLAV-PCs and scout teams for Recon hence the attempt to do a bit of tinkering.

The other big thing is which is the "main" forum for this, here or at strategy zone online?

Thanks

Nick

[Patrick Proctor]

Should these buttons be working in the same way as they do in the ‘ATF Power Toolkit’ program’s Vehicle Window?
I ask as they do not seem to do the same thing.

When editing individual vehicles and teams, the NATO piece value is the only value that is used. The other values are "place holders" for possible future functionality. The "NATO piece" value allows you to override the icon that is shown in the hierarchy tree and on the screen for the vehicle or team. The BASE value that is used is set using the Power Toolkit and the "Edit Vehicle" function. To set the vehicle picture icon or the BASE NATO icon (that will be used if no value is specified in the "edit element" dialog you are looking at).

For platoons and companies, the "Graphic Piece" value refers to the "flag" that appears when both the platoons or companies AND vehicles and teams are shown on the map at the same time.

A dialog pops up saying “This will destroy the current sound list”. But I am in the Pieces section.

Ok so this was a bit of cut and paste of code, I hope. If not then I am confused.

Oops We will fix that. It should read "PIECE LIST". But you shouldn't need this function. All of the pieces are loaded when you load a database. The way it works is that the database includes all of the vehicles and weapons in the game. It also includes a list of all of the pictures (pieces) and sounds in the game, with "aliases" to translate between their friendly name and the bitmap that defines them. This allows you to create different piece lists for different scenarios with, otherwise, the same database (such as if you wanted desert and woodland camo patterns for the same database).

The other big thing is which is the "main" forum for this, here or at strategy zone online?

I wish THIS were the main forum, but we had an issue a year or so ago which forced us to "wipe" these forums. So, now, there is a much bigger repository of info at StrategyZoneOnline. It is also much more active. You will probably find most of your scenario building answers there.