CTPEd v0.2beta Release

[J Bytheway]

I was sure I'd fixed that problem with the { - I'll look into it.

[J Bytheway]

I think this fixes both your concerns.
Update at:
http://ctpmodmakers.250free.com/JBTW/CTPEd031.zip

New in this version:

Updated tileimpTerrainEffect.ces
Added support for lack of space before the { in files
To support this in your own existing projects add a '{' charachter to the end of the line %125

And the list of things to do gets ever longer...

[Pedrunn]

Got it working
I did not looke mass changes. I am trying th GL.
Comments:
What about full screen for GL changes. Things look a little tiny in that small screen.
And also i would like to change the prereqs, the statistics, the historical, and the gameplay at the same time. Looking how those entries are going to look like all at once.
This will for sure require full screen.

I will download the new version now.

[J Bytheway]

Originally posted by Pedrunn
The CtP2 FAQ: COMMON QUESTIONS/COMPLAINTS/ARGUMENTS and their ANSWERS

Question 7

Huh?

[Pedrunn]

I was going to start a post and saw the other thread and mixed those. Sorry, i have edited now with the suggestion i was going to make to you.

[J Bytheway]

Originally posted by Pedrunn
I did not looke mass changes. I am trying th GL.

You didn't like it or you didn't look at it?

Comments:
What about full screen for GL changes. Things look a little tiny in that small screen.
And also i would like to change the prereqs, the statistics, the historical, and the gameplay at the same time. Looking how those entries are going to look like all at once.
This will for sure require full screen.

For a start I'm working on 800x600, but even so I could make the window larger... I puzzled over how to present that, it'll take some work to enlarge it and/or show multiple things but I'll think about it. Interfaces are always annoying to design. Do you just want to be able to view the existing entries for the different GL sections, or see/edit/preview more than one all at once?

Martin - a while ago you said you'd have some thoughts about the GL for me later - have they surfaced yet?

[Pedrunn]

Originally posted by J Bytheway
You didn't like it or you didn't look at it?

I did not looked at it yet. As soon as i do i will post the comments.

Originally posted by J Bytheway
For a start I'm working on 800x600, but even so I could make the window larger... I puzzled over how to present that, it'll take some work to enlarge it and/or show multiple things but I'll think about it. Interfaces are always annoying to design. Do you just want to be able to view the existing entries for the different GL sections, or see/edit/preview more than one all at once?

I want to be able to have a screen where i can edit all the four GL entries at the same time. Once i finish all the entries i press ok and voi la. The lines are all written out in the *_greatlibrary.txt.

[J Bytheway]

I have a cunning plan! But it won't be quick...

[Pedrunn]

Originally posted by J Bytheway
I have a cunning plan! But it won't be quick...

Cant wait to see it. I am sure it is a good one.


I dont know if it is a good idea. Or if it is as good as your cunning plan. But what do you think if the CTPed GL modification created modifications right out of the *_uniticon.txt.
a generate uniticon tool that creates a new *_uniticon.txt by scanning the advance.txt, building.txt, concept.txt, govern.tx, terrain.txt, tileimp.txt, unit.txt, and wonder.txt. Looking for the line

Icon	                ICON_TERRAIN_FORESTS

or

DefaultIcon	ICON_IMPROVE_ACADEMY

And writing what is afterward of it. Then creating all the GL entries by writting the name without the ICON prefix plus the sufix for the GL entry.

like

Gameplay "IMPROVE_ACADEMY_GAMEPLAY" 
Historical "IMPROVE_ACADEMY_HISTORICAL" 
Prereq "IMPROVE_ACADEMY_PREREQ" 
Vari "IMPROVE_ACADEMY_STATISTICS"
StatText "IMPROVE_ACADEMY_STATISTICS"

for the pics and movies it woul write"Null". Since the modder is going to define wich movie or picture he wants.
But we must remember that the entries of the original uniticon.txt has to be loaded to this new *_uniticon.txt. After all nobody wants to write all again.(And it doesnt matter if you have extra and useless uniticons entries, the game just doenst read them).

Afert we have the *_uniticon.txt generated the GL modifier tool reads the icon verifies if there insnt already this entry in the *_great_library. It must already contain the original game data when created after all nobody wants to write all over again too. If it has CTPed shows it in the screen. If there isnt this entry it just show a blank scree ready to be edited.
I hope i was clear. So what do you think? Is it going to be too hard?

i made a little pic so that you can use as a template suggestion.

[Martin Gühmann]

For the Great Library I think the best graphical user interface could only be, somethink like in the attached image, the Great Library itsself. Of course it is not necessary to use the CTP2 graphics even if it would be .

You have put the Great Library entries on the top, I think it would be better to have buttons for the entry files instead on the left. Then the GL entries for every text file entry in the list. Then the three buttons for gameplay, historics and tech tree maybe tech tree later, prereq and vari on the upper right and at the place of the picture you could put fields like FirstFrame, Movie, Icon, LargeIcon and SmallIcon there. Another thought is that you could replace the tech tree button by a StatText button. At the place of the entry name you could put there the string name of the advance and the content of the string. For the list it should be possible to have a button that shows the string names of advances, buildings and so on or just the content of the strings the in game name.

-Martin

[J Bytheway]

Originally posted by Pedrunn
I dont know if it is a good idea. Or if it is as good as your cunning plan.

I hope i was clear. So what do you think? Is it going to be too hard?

That's pretty much what it does already - have you actually tried generating a field by template? It uns through all the entries in the file, sets their Icon field if necessary, creates an entry in *_uniticon.txt if necessary, and then creates or modifies the field in *_Great_Library.txt.

The problem with your interface is that it's very specific, and not generic. I have a vague hope that as little as possible is set in stone, and as much as possible imported from the text files (a lesson I learnt from CTP itself). The idea is that this can be extended to work with CTP1 as well with little work, and I've kept that in the back of my mind whilst programming (hence the name CTPEd, rather than CTP2Ed).

I will, however, revise my ideas in the light of your suggestions, and we'll meet halfway .

Martin: It's interesting to see the GL screen in German - it makes me realise how much German I've forgotten from when I did it at GCSE ... Personally I don't really like the CTP2 GL interface, so I don't think I'll try to emulate it too closely. Buttons instead of a list take up more space and make it harder to add/remove items easily, and other problems of practicality arise.

I'll have a play around and see what I can do, thanks for all your suggestions - if you think of anything else then let me know.

[J Bytheway]

OK, I attach a copy of CTPEdit.exe - this is not a final or stable version so don't overwrite your existing one - I would just like someone who has 1024x768 resolution to fire it up, open the Great Library tool, maximise it, increase the 'Number of fields to view' to 4 and then post a screenshot here. I just want an idea of how it looks. Thanks.

(The big empty space on the form will have the pictures/movie fields).

[Martin Gühmann]

OK, I downloaded it and here is the result. I hope it doesn't matter that I shrunk it down in order to be abler to attch it here. (Otherwise I have to use my own page for it). By the way I hope you don't use it as a base for the final version, because it contains the problem with } again.

-Martin

[J Bytheway]

Originally posted by Martin Gühmann
OK, I downloaded it and here is the result.

Thanks . It looks very green...

I hope it doesn't matter that I shrunk it down in order to be abler to attch it here.

Not at all.

By the way I hope you don't use it as a base for the final version, because it contains the problem with } again.

Huh? - I'll check that out.

Thanks again. Those text boxes still look rather thin... I can either arrange them like that or in two columns... (First column current entry, second column preview/template - one row for each field). Any preference?

[child of Thor]

Good work.
Thanks for all the screenshots - it helps those of us who haven't downloaded it yet get a better feel for what is being done(well, it does for me anyway.), so thanks for those.

[Martin Gühmann]

Originally posted by J Bytheway
It looks very green...

Yes, if it is late and I should better go to bed then it isn't so eye hurting as this bright white. And it is always better to use some costumizations, not only in games but also in combination with OS. We know there are some default Windoze settings that suck.

Originally posted by J Bytheway
Thanks again. Those text boxes still look rather thin... I can either arrange them like that or in two columns... (First column current entry, second column preview/template - one row for each field). Any preference?

I am not shure which one is better. The best think would be to make it optional. BTW it is a nice option to select the number of fields to be viewed. For translation purposes it would be good if you could make it so that I can open to windows one for instance for the English version and the other one for the German version. I think it is possible to write into the project file number of languages of the project and the accoring language parth.

-Martin

[J Bytheway]

Originally posted by Martin Gühmann
I am not shure which one is better. The best think would be to make it optional.

More options... At this rate I'm going to have to start some place for storing preferences. Do you think such preferences should be associated with a project or just with CTPEd as a whole? Or do you want that to be optional as well .

BTW it is a nice option to select the number of fields to be viewed.

I thought it was a good idea because you might want to focus on just the historical field and have lots of space, or something like that.

For translation purposes it would be good if you could make it so that I can open to windows one for instance for the English version and the other one for the German version. I think it is possible to write into the project file number of languages of the project and the accoring language parth.

Ambitious... Possible, but not simple... What about the names of the entries (as in gl_str) - at the moment these get half the width at the top of the entries editing window (the other half for the internal name) - would you want this split into ever more smaller text boxes, or toggle between languages...

[Martin Gühmann]

Originally posted by J Bytheway
Do you think such preferences should be associated with a project or just with CTPEd as a whole?

If I start another project I will use the same preferences as in my old project, therefore it should be associated with CTPEd as a whole.

Originally posted by J Bytheway
Ambitious... Possible, but not simple... What about the names of the entries (as in gl_str) - at the moment these get half the width at the top of the entries editing window (the other half for the internal name) - would you want this split into ever more smaller text boxes, or toggle between languages...

At least it should be possible to have two languages on one screen, it must be possible to see what is be translated and what still has to be translated. For me it is enough to split the two text boxes into three, actual I don't know anyone who would translate a project into more than one language simultaniously. Of course it should be possible to remove the extra box if you don't need it.

Another problem I have is this row scrolling: In my Opinion it is better to have all the entries in one column instead of rows. That's the reason why I prefer the CTp2 Great Library over the CTP1 Great Library. I have a better overview if I only have to scroll one column instead of many columns and rows.

-Martin

[J Bytheway]

Originally posted by Martin Gühmann
Another problem I have is this row scrolling: In my Opinion it is better to have all the entries in one column instead of rows. That's the reason why I prefer the CTp2 Great Library over the CTP1 Great Library. I have a better overview if I only have to scroll one column instead of many columns and rows.

Are you referring to the fields in the entries editing window? e.g. whn editing advance.txt. It's on my list of things to do...

[Martin Gühmann]

Originally posted by J Bytheway
Are you referring to the fields in the entries editing window? e.g. whn editing advance.txt. It's on my list of things to do...

Yes and good to know it is on your list.

-Martin

[J Bytheway]

Originally posted by Martin Gühmann
Yes and good to know it is on your list.

You can see the list at the bottom of CTPEd.txt - just above the version history. As I said, though, it seems to get longer, not shorter as time goes on... I never get round to doing those things, I'm always distracted by other stuff...

[J Bytheway]

Just to keep you posted - I'm still making slow progress. Should speed up now that my exams are over.

[azalae]

So.... to have the latest version I need to install the very first (full setup) version 0.2b and then extract all the milestone-improvements (sounds better than patches ) up to 0.31?

Or just 0.2 and 0.31?

[J Bytheway]

No - the full install (linked on the first post) is at the latest version. You don't need any patches.

Incidentally, I was wrong about things speeding up - I got dragged back into modding - now playtesting my CTP1 Mars Mod (sorry!).

[J Bytheway]

Many apologies for the complete cessation in progress. One thing after another delayed me and finally I (to my shame) lost interest. Now, as I mentioned in another thread, when I want to resume work my laptop is off for repairs, and I cannot. I will try to remember to notify you when I have it back.

[Pedrunn]

This really is sad news. But life goes on.
Thanks for everything you've done, anyway.

I really wanted that improvement in the GL modification

[J Bytheway]

I do intend to continue, you know. Projects like this come in spurts. But, as I said, I can't right now.

Incidentally, I hav found that my reply to azalae was not true - I had neglected to upgrade the full install to v0.3.1 (only 0.3.0) so you will need the last patch.

[J Bytheway]

OK, laptop is returned and I'm back on track. I believe the GL tool is pretty bug-free now but it's still overly cramped. I've still got a list of a few other bugs I've found which I'll fix before releasing the next update.

[HuangShang]

Sorry, but what's the CTPEd for?

the first post didn't say and i have no time to read 4+ page right now

thanx

[J Bytheway]

The first post did say:

Originally posted by J Bytheway
The one and only CTP2 data file editing GUI.

but now I've edited it so that it has more detail.

Martin: You might like to know that I've implimented your all-controls-in-one-column request.