Mac Question: moving save game/mod directory?

[peterb12]

Hi.

The Mac port of Dominions 3 puts a directory, "dominions3", directly in the user's home directory. This isn't super mac-like, and I don't love having it clutter up my user dir. The 'more proper' place for this directory to live would be in ~username/Library/Application Support. Is there any way to change the dominions3 configuration to look there, and if not, is it possible to get this fixed in a future patch?

Thanks!

-peterb

[Johan K]

You can control that by setting this environment variable: DOM3_SAVE . Make it point to whatever directory you want your save files in.

[peterb12]

I tried this, but have had no luck: when I start the game after setting that environment variable, the game asks for my CD key, and then recreates the dominions3 directory in my home directory.

[Evil Dave]

Try setting DOM3_CONF to where you want Dom3 to put its directory.

I ran the following test:

evil> mv dominions3 foo
evil> setenv DOM3_CONF /Users/evil/foo/
evil> ./Dominions3 -dddd

-------------------------
----- DOMINIONS ---------
-------------------------

Version version 3.06 (306)dbglevel 4 m68k_endian
datapath='.'
confpath='/Users/evil/foo'
savepath='/Users/evil/foo/savedgames'
modpath='/Users/evil/foo/mods'


and was then able to open an existing game. That seems to say that's the right variable.

[Gandalf Parker]

peterb12 said:
I tried this, but have had no luck: when I start the game after setting that environment variable, the game asks for my CD key, and then recreates the dominions3 directory in my home directory.

That sounds like the standard linux thing. As if Dom3 had been installed on a server for everyone to use, and individual users can create mini-versions to play from.

On my server if I start Dom3 into a new users directory then it creates a few directories (dominions3, dominions3/mods, dominions3/maps, dominions3/savedgames, dominions3/savedgames/newlords) and asks for a key.

The bulk of the files remain in the system-wide shared directory. And I can create my own maps and such. If I say to use a map it looks in my maps directory first then if its not there it looks in the systems map directory.

Even though you are one user and own both, it sounds like its doing it that way. Creating some personal use directories and making them the "first check" location.
Just guessing.

[peterb12]

OK, I have this figured out. Evil Dave is right that DOM3_CONF is the key. But there's a bit more than that for Mac users.

if you'll recall, Mac applications are actually bundles (a directory with various support files and the binary somewhere inside it). So setting the environment in your shell isn't going to help you when you double-click from the Finder, which is the common way to launch files.

I stand by my original claim that the game should be putting things in ~/Library/Application Support/dominion3 by default. But as a workaround, Mac users can do this:

(1) Before running the game for the first time, start Terminal.
(2) Type: mkdir ~/.MacOSX
(3) Create a file called "environment.plist" that contains the keys you need. The safest way to do this is with the Property List Editor which ships with the developer tools. But since most users don't have that, you can copy and paste the text below into your favorite text editor, and then save it as environment.plist in the ~/.MacOSX directory:
Code:

---

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">

<plist version="1.0">

<dict>

        <key>DOM3_CONF</key>

        <string>/Users/peterb/Library/Application Support/dominions3</string>

        <key>DOM3_SAVE</key>

        <string>/Users/peterb/Library/Application Support/dominions3/save</string>

</dict>

</plist>

---

(obviously, substitute your own username for "peterb". It's probably OK to leave off DOM3_SAVE -- I think it will just stick things in the DOM3_CONF/savegame directory, then. But I like the name 'save'.)
(4) Log out and log back in. Now when you double click, the app will find the directories in the right place.

[Gandalf Parker]

Wow, good work!
That should be kept handy. Maybe in the FAQ file or the dominions wiki