Equipment Categories in Editor?

[76mm]

I'm starting to work on Equipment for TOAWxml but could use some help with something: does anyone know which flag or field is used to divide equipment into the categories shown in the in-game editor (ie, "Infantry & Support Troops", "Guns & Mortars", "Tanks", etc.? I'd like to make use of these categories but don't see how/where the different categories of equipment are distinguished?

[cathar1244]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

I'm starting to work on Equipment for TOAWxml but could use some help with something: does anyone know which flag or field is used to divide equipment into the categories shown in the in-game editor (ie, "Infantry & Support Troops", "Guns & Mortars", "Tanks", etc.? I'd like to make use of these categories but don't see how/where the different categories of equipment are distinguished?

Hi 76mm,

FLAG0 is set to a value of "1" for the category labels. My guess on how equipment type is "detected" by the game -- it looks at certain characteristics (is it armored, is it a ranged weapon, is it a low altitude aircraft etc.)

Cheers

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: cathar1244
FLAG0 is set to a value of "1" for the category labels. My guess on how equipment type is "detected" by the game -- it looks at certain characteristics (is it armored, is it a ranged weapon, is it a low altitude aircraft etc.)

Great, thanks for the info...I guess I'll have to mess around and guess about which/how other flags or other factors are used...

[cathar1244]

Code: Select all

 Flags-value of 1
 0 Identifies group header (guns, tanks, etc.)
 1 Can transport other equipment
 2 Heavy naval vessel
 3 night or all-weather capability
 4 composite armor	
 5 airborne equipment
 6 reactive armor
 7 standoff
 
 Flags-value of 2
 0 armored
 1 Moves slowly without transport
 2 Aircraft carrier
 3 anti-shipping
 4 laminate armor
 5 optics 1
 6 police
 7 shock cavalry
 
 Flags-value of 4
 0 active defender
 1 Motorized
 2 Aircraft attacks at low altitude
 3 fast horse
 4 NBC protection
 5 optics 2
 6 light transport helo
 7 rail repair
 

Code: Select all

 Flags-value of 8
 0 reconnaissance
 1 Helicopter Movement
 2 Aircraft attacks at high altitude
 3 major fording capability
 4 nuclear capable
 5 optics 3
 6 med transport helo
 7 infantry
 
 Flags-value of 16
 0 needs transport to move
 1 High altitude AA weapon
 2 Amphibious equipment
 3 rail movement only
 4 uses kinetic projectiles
 5 optics 4
 6 hvy transport helo
 7 poor form factor
 
 Flags-value of 32
 0 engineer
 1 long range equipment
 2 aircraft that can operate from aircraft carriers
 3 anti-shipping attacks only
 4 precision guided
 5 support equipment
 6 agile
 7 fair form factor
 

Code: Select all

 Flags-value of 64
 0 Horses
 1 light naval vessel
 2 riverrine equipment
 3 slow motorized equipment
 4 In Flight Re-Fueling
 5 command equipment
 6 roadbound
 7 dual purpose missiles
 
 Flags-value of 128
 0 immobile units
 1 medium naval vessel
 2 high/low altitude anti-air
 3 fast motorized equipment
 4 lightweight equipment
 5 smoke equipment
 6 rocket assisted projectiles (extreme range equipment)
 7 torpedo
 

Cheers

[76mm]

Thanks, I've seen that in the eqp file, but wasn't sure how to use it...For instance, one of the categories is "Tanks", and another is "Anti-Tank Vehicles". But a cursory look at the vehicles in both categories haven't revealed which factor(s) make one a tank and another an Anti-Tank Vehicle, and some of the "Anti-Tank Vehicles" are in fact "Tanks" (Type 62, M-24, etc).

No big deal I guess, I suppose I'll figure something out.

[cathar1244]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

Thanks, I've seen that in the eqp file, but wasn't sure how to use it...For instance, one of the categories is "Tanks", and another is "Anti-Tank Vehicles". But a cursory look at the vehicles in both categories haven't revealed which factor(s) make one a tank and another an Anti-Tank Vehicle, and some of the "Anti-Tank Vehicles" are in fact "Tanks" (Type 62, M-24, etc).

No big deal I guess, I suppose I'll figure something out.

I would have to look closer at it, but the game may not distinguish between those two in terms of game mechanics. That distinction in the equipment file may be there solely for the convenience of scenario designers. They are both collections of (typically) armored vehicles that employ direct fire.

Cheers

[76mm]

Having looked at this some more, I wanted to report back here that as far as I can tell, equipment is allocated to the various categories by the simple expedient of placing it between the beginning and ending tags for the relevant categories. I can't say that I confirmed this with every single piece of equipment, but I did a fair bit of spot-checking, and this is how it seems to work.

[sPzAbt653]

Not sure if I understand the question but if I do, then I would answer that the program has no idea what is what, the categories are for user organizational purposes. See the categories for the 19th Century Database below - you can name them what you want and include whatever you want in a category, makes no difference.

One thing that does seem to create problems is deleting stuff. Better to leave entries 'Empty'. Also keep in mind that there are not only several custom databases out there, but users can create their own resulting in the possibility of numerous databases with different categories and equipment. Therefore, XML Editor needs to be completely flexible [:)]

[sPzAbt653]

Here is another example of a custom database. It does look like this one eliminated some of the category slots, and it works just fine.

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653
]One thing that does seem to create problems is deleting stuff. Better to leave entries 'Empty'.

Yes, I encountered this problem when I tried to create a custom database, when I deleted entries things got all screwy. But can anyone clarify what this means? In other words, it seems that you can delete things within categories, or change categories, but the total number of entries in the database should not get smaller? Frankly kind of an odd way to do it...

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653Therefore, XML Editor needs to be completely flexible

That's the plan, although for it to be flexible, I need to understand how things work. Could you send me that last eqp file yo posted about, or tell me where it is? Between that one, the Napoleonic one, and the D21 one, I should be able to test things.

[sPzAbt653]

when I deleted entries things got all screwy. But can anyone clarify what this means?

I can't, I've never gotten very deep into the eqp files, I've only made minor changes.

FitE2 has a more extensively modified eqp file than D21's, so it might be better to use FitE2 for tests.

Attached is what I call the 3rd Database [the one pictured in post #9], and my notes say that it is designed by: Bill Wilson (cathar1244) !! I had forgotten that, so thanks again for this Eqp file Bill [&o]

[cathar1244]

Hey, you're welcome! But the DB was mainly plugging and chugging. My hat goes off to the guys like you who can craft the huge and intricately detailed scenarios. [&o] I tried that once a long time ago with "Goetterdaemmerung". Thank goodness Sylvanski took that one over.

Cheers

[76mm]

Thanks for the file Steve and Bill, and thanks for the tip on the FitE eqp file, will check it out!

[sPzAbt653]

the DB was mainly plugging and chugging.

I thought your organization was impressive in that it really makes it easy. We usually don't have conflicts by equipment category, we have them by country! And within each country you put 'spacers' in between the category's to make it easier to navigate once familiar with it.

[cathar1244]

It would be an interesting exercise to try to make "national" categories for the world of today. The idea for using nations came from my experience editing the OOB files for Steel Panthers -- a little bit of game cross-breeding [:)]

76mm, one item to consider regarding then number of categories. I wonder if too many categories would cause the list to have 'invisible' items if the maximum size of that display window was exceeded. I doubt the window would "whip out" a scroll bar, but I may be wrong.

Cheers

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653

the DB was mainly plugging and chugging.

I thought your organization was impressive in that it really makes it easy. We usually don't have conflicts by equipment category, we have them by country! And within each country you put 'spacers' in between the category's to make it easier to navigate once familiar with it.

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: cathar1244
76mm, one item to consider regarding then number of categories. I wonder if too many categories would cause the list to have 'invisible' items if the maximum size of that display window was exceeded. I doubt the window would "whip out" a scroll bar, but I may be wrong.

Not sure that I understand, but currently I plan to just rely on whatever categories were included in the eqp file by its creator. There shouldn't be any invisible items, because the dropdown box should be scrollable. Plus I'll make it "tall" enough to accommodate the original number of categories without scrolling.

[cathar1244]

76mm, <sigh> I'm confusing myself now. I was thinking of the box displayed by the editor native to TOAW. Sorry!

Cheers

ORIGINAL: 76mm

ORIGINAL: cathar1244
76mm, one item to consider regarding then number of categories. I wonder if too many categories would cause the list to have 'invisible' items if the maximum size of that display window was exceeded. I doubt the window would "whip out" a scroll bar, but I may be wrong.

Not sure that I understand, but currently I plan to just rely on whatever categories were included in the eqp file by its creator. There shouldn't be any invisible items, because the dropdown box should be scrollable. Plus I'll make it "tall" enough to accommodate the original number of categories without scrolling.