SE4 Modder Ver 1.76 (updated for ver 1.91)

[Krsqk]

Currently the 'Design Type' field is set as 'Any'

AFAIK, design types would correspond to the AI_DesignCreation.txt files. Although you could probably put in any vehicle type there (useful for modders who create unique formations for their race), it would probably be best to stick to the default types. Also, the game seems to accept comma-delimited lists of types (see Dark Wing formation in TDM-modpack for example). Maybe a list box with toggle-able items would work here.

P.S.S. Any VB programers know if VB has a limit of the number of controls you can have in an app?

According to VB6 Professional Edition, limits are:
- 32,000 unique identifiers (anything named)
- no limit on objects in a project
- non-graphical controls (all but label, line, image, and shape) limited by available system resources
- 254 control names per form
- control array indexes 0 through 32767 (counts as a single control name)
- 25 levels of nested controls (frames in frames in frames...)

The biggest hurdle seems to be the control names per form, unless you like piling everything into control arrays with lots of Select Case statements.

[ September 05, 2002, 03:51: Message edited by: Krsqk ]

[Baron Munchausen]

Originally posted by DavidG:
New Version now with Formation Editor! Yes now you too can taunt your foe by arranging your ships into rude words.

Ships (up to 99) can by positioned by dragging and dropping. To delete a ship select it (selected ship turns red) and hit delete button.

Currently the 'Design Type' field is set as 'Any' for all ships mostly becuase I don't know what the vailid values are. so if someone can tell me I'll see if I can add that.

The design type can be any text string, as far as I know. But you're probably best off sticking with the default types that the AI recognizes, as Krsqk said. Attack Ship, Defense Ship, Attack Base(ship), Troop Transport, etc.

I'll have to try this out now. Oh, and one annoying thing about the default behavior of the modder: Why does it have to make all those backup files in the same directory with your data files? Can't it put them in some other specified directory? I like to be able to zip up my data files into a neat package but I have to delete or move all those backups if I use this modder. If it would keep them in another location this owuld be much more convenient.

[ September 05, 2002, 03:59: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

[DavidG]

Originally posted by Baron Munchausen:
Why does it have to make all those backup files in the same directory with your data files? Can't it put them in some other specified directory?

hehe no reason other than I never realized it was a problem before. I guess I could make a "data_backup" directory under the mod directory and put them in there. Thanks for the feedback.

Thanks for the info Krsqk!!

[Nebraskan]

DavidG, Sorry false alarm.

[ September 06, 2002, 18:36: Message edited by: Nebraskan ]

[DavidG]

Originally posted by Nebraskan:
DavidG, Sorry false alarm.

Huh?? I kind of wish you'd left your message up. I already read it and there is a bug there although I found things a bit different than what you described. I actaully had a response mostly written but had to go to work before I posted it:

Yup bit of a problem here.
As a heads up to anyone using the program here is what's happening.
When you edit a component name then save it as a new component it is saved after the component you edited. This is obviously usefull for say adding one more level to a group but not if it is a brand new component. (although I'm thinking SE4 may not be too picky about the order as longs as I is before II, perhaps even if another component is in between) I'm going to create an option to specify were you want the new component insterted.

The Create Family command put all the new items at the end of the list but only named them correctly to level 5 (Ooop! ) (after level 5 they all got the same name )

Also the due to the nature of the Treeview the order things are listed is not necessarily the same order as in the .txt file.

I should have a fix done pretty soon and I guess I should finally get around to writing that Order components bit.

[ September 06, 2002, 22:13: Message edited by: DavidG ]

[Nebraskan]

DavidG, I am sorry. I thought that most of what happened to me was because I was changing 2 different tech level requirements in each level of the weapon. I could see part of what you described though. Makes me feel better anyhow to know I wasn't totally losing my mind. What you describe as happening when you modify a current component to make a new similar component was definetly part of the problem, and the Family Group putting the rest of the family on the bottom of the .txt file but not showing that in the Tree really had me confused.

I hope you are able to do something about this. It is so much easier to use your SE4Modder to make a mod. I straightened out the problems, in my mod that this caused, manually. It only took about 3 hours whereas it only took about 10 minutes to do using the modder.

Keep refining the program. It has excellent potential. Thank you.

[TerranC]

This is off the mark, out of the box, shot up in your face

Thank you for putting your time and life so that you could make us lowlives who do not know what the data files do make mods.

I am eternaly grateful.