Modifying Equipment Database

[76mm]

I wanted to see if one thing has changed since prior versions of TOAW: the fact that you could not delete entries from the equipment database, because the game expects to see a certain number of database entries.

While it is great that the DB icludes lots of troop types from multiple eras and nations, for now i only intend to work on WWII East Front games, so the massive number of units is more of a nuisance than anything else. In TOAW Iii I tried to delete all of the non-WWII East Front entries, but it broke the database for the reason described above...

Any change on this in ToAW IV? If i cant delete items, can i chage their ID number, icon, or something else so that they are ahuffled off into a part of the DB that i can then ignore (eg, ATGMs...)?

Thanks in advance for any advice on this.

[Oberst_Klink]

Use Andy's old TOAW III equipment editor; there might be a view mismatches with the old equipment graphics, but that you can change/modify in the inbuilt editor of TOAW IV.

Klink, Oberst

[76mm]

Thanks, but IIRC I used Andy’s tool to delete DB entries in TOAW III, but as I said deleting items broke the database because the game expected a certain number of DB entries. There were very weird results—something like instead of the tank I expected to see, there was a battleship, or a jet fighter, or something like that. I posted a thread on the topic in the TOAW III forum a few years sgo now.

So in TOAW IV does the DB still have to have the originsl number of entries? I’d be happy to use Andy’s tool if it will work!

[Oberst_Klink]

TOAW III had a limit of 2019, TOAW IV a limit of 5001; but that shouldn't be an issue; the main thing is, that it's easier to create equipment with Andy's and some graphic mismatches can be easily corrected in the inbuilt editor. You have to do tests, so far it worked fine for me. What ain't work (and it ain't bothers me) are the naval assets; but heck... if I wanna play ships I play WitP AE

Klink, Oberst

[76mm]

Ok, thanks, will try and seehow it works, hopefully i still have andy’s program somewhere.

[Oberst_Klink]

http://www.theedmistons.co.uk/toawiii/e ... ditor.html

Klink, Oberst

[76mm]

Thanks, but more problems. I installed the equipment editor and tried to open TOAWEquipment.eqp file but got an unhandled exception with these details, and the file would not open:

*******************************************************************
See the end of this message for details on invoking
just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.

************** Exception Text **************
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
at TOAWIII.EquipmentDatabase.AddEquipment(XmlReader rdr, Int32 id)
at TOAWIII.EquipmentDatabase.Load()
at TOAWIIIEqpEditor.EquipmentEditor.LoadFile(String file)
at TOAWIIIEqpEditor.EquipmentEditor.toolStripLoad_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.RaiseEvent(Object key, EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripButton.OnClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.HandleClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.HandleMouseUp(MouseEventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.FireEventInteractive(EventArgs e, ToolStripItemEventType met)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.FireEvent(EventArgs e, ToolStripItemEventType met)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mea)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ScrollableControl.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)


************** Loaded Assemblies **************
mscorlib
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.8794 (WinRelRS2.050727-8700)
CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v2.0.50727/mscorlib.dll
----------------------------------------
TOAWIIIEqpEditor
Assembly Version: 1.2.0.0
Win32 Version: 1.2.0.0
CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/TOAW%20III%20Equipment%20Editor/TOAWIIIEqpEditor.exe
----------------------------------------
System.Windows.Forms
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.8784 (WinRel.050727-8700)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll
----------------------------------------
System
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.8800 (WinRelRS2.050727-8800)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Drawing
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.8784 (WinRel.050727-8700)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Configuration
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.8784 (WinRel.050727-8700)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Configuration/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Configuration.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Xml
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.8784 (WinRel.050727-8700)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xml/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Xml.dll
----------------------------------------

************** JIT Debugging **************
To enable just-in-time (JIT) debugging, the .config file for this
application or computer (machine.config) must have the
jitDebugging value set in the system.windows.forms section.
The application must also be compiled with debugging
enabled.

For example:

<configuration>
<system.windows.forms jitDebugging="true" />
</configuration>

When JIT debugging is enabled, any unhandled exception
will be sent to the JIT debugger registered on the computer
rather than be handled by this dialog box.
*****************************************************

[76mm]

OK, so I'm trying here. I took one of the TOAW III equipment .eqp files (don't know if that works?) and then:
--loaded it into Andy's equipment DB editor;
--deleted all the helicopters (as a test);
--renamed it to "x.eqp" (x being the name of my scenario) and copied it into the x subfolder in the Graphics Override folder; and
--loaded scenario X in the TOAW4 scenario editor, opened the Force Editor, looked at the helicopter section, and found that all of the helicopters are still there...

Just to make sure, I opened the x.eqp file again in the DB editor and the helicopters are not there...

So can anyone tell me what am I doing wrong, why DB edits made in the editor are not "sticking" in the scenario?

[Oberst_Klink]

Post the .eqp here for somebody (me?) to have a look.

Klink, Oberst

[76mm]

Thanks much. I've uploaded the file (I think!), although I've changed the .eqp extension to .txt to do so, so you'll have to change it back. I just checked the file again in Andy's editor, and there are no helicopters, but they appear in the scenario.

[Oberst_Klink]

I know your mistake... You should have copied the original [+]Helicopters parent folder in Andy's editor first; then modify the equipment in there. Now you just got a non-parent unit called Helicopters. Was that intentionally or bugged? In any case. You have to keep in mind the limitations of the available slots; remember, they were limited. What do you want to achieve anyway, e.g. your improved .eqp for modern equipment or so? Drop me an email and I can try to explain it in our native tongue

Klink, Oberst

[76mm]

heh, I don't understand...will e-mail you with a better explanation and then post here so that everyone can benefit from your assistance.

[76mm]

I've sent an e-mail to Herr Oberst, but have been playing around with the editor while waiting for a response and drew two conclusions:
1) For some reason, the changes I made to the DB did not show up in an old scenario (created under TOAW III) but DID show up in a new scenario created under TOAW IV. Yea, success!
2) But then I realized that I have the same problem in TOAW IV as in TOAW III--when I deleted DB entries, it had weird results. For instance, after deleting the helicopters and some of the fixed wing aircraft, I got the problem shown below:


Two helo and two fixed wing categories, one with the changes, one without. Very frustrating...

[Oberst_Klink]

Well... There's always the option to delete/modify the .eqp file with Notepad++. Maybe that's the solution. Alas, I'd work with existing mods of .eqp; such as the FitE 2, etc. Note: If one does that or intends to, always nice to drop the designers a note and ask for it.

Klink, Oberst

[76mm]

The FitE DB looks fine, thanks for the suggestion. I see the designer's e-mail in the one of the notes, I'll ping him over the weekend.