TOAWxml Editor

[76mm]

NEXT is the next unit in the stack in a hex. AFAIK CHARACTERISTICS is a the "status" of the unit in terms of various conditions (entrenchment, actual supply status, etc.), but I'm not sure about this and don't expect to ever figure it out completely. I basically just leave that field alone...

[cathar1244]

One use of the .gam file I found is to find undeployed units. Search on STATUS="0" .

Cheers

[Lobster]

I have to thank you again for making this. It's so much easier finding a unit or formation in a list of 5500 units. TOAW has zero search function. At least yours indents formations and makes looking for something much easier. [8D]

And drop down menus. Love em. How TOAW could benefit from those. Maybe someday a programmer from the 20th century who listens to users about the simple things will arrive. [:D]

[76mm]

I'm actually working on a massive update that will simplify modifying save game files and simplify integration with tactical level games. Still not complete and not sure how/if I'll be able to integrate everything into one coherent app, but I'm making good progress. Very possible I'll be the only one to use these functions, but I think it will be pretty cool!

Let me know if you have additional suggestions, Zovs has suggested some additional features which I'll try to work in (stuff like showing total number of items per equipment type). I've got some print-outs from the old scenario editor that someone made and will try to replicate some of these features.

I wrote to Ralph a while ago asking that all of the upcoming updates relating to commanders, etc be integrated into the XML exports so that I could include that stuff in this tool as well, but I never heard back... So, sadly, for now I'm assuming that the next patch (whenever it comes) will not update the XML to include these features, because, you know, "precious coding time"...

[cathar1244]

I noticed that at least some of the global variables like "use old supply rules" don't appear to be written to the .gam file, and get reset to default if the .gam file is loaded into the scenario editor.

Cheers

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: cathar1244
I noticed that at least some of the global variables like "use old supply rules" don't appear to be written to the .gam file, and get reset to default if the .gam file is loaded into the scenario editor.

Yes, if something is not written to the gam file there is nothing I can do with it, since I work from the gam file's XML. IIRC the older scenario editor worked directly from the sce file, but I have no idea how to do that, and moreover I'm not sure how much is in the sce file that is not exported--maybe stuff like the "old supply rules" is saved somewhere else entirely (although that would seem strange).

One approach, I suppose, would be to write an AutoHotKeys function which would go into TOAW and turn on the desired options, but I doubt I'll mess around with that, at least for the foreseeable future.

[cathar1244]

One approach, I suppose, would be to write an AutoHotKeys function which would go into TOAW and turn on the desired options, but I doubt I'll mess around with that, at least for the foreseeable future.

Yeah, too much extra work. If an option to save to an XML file is available, it should save all of the information pertaining to the scenario.

Cheers

[Lobster]

ORIGINAL: cathar1244

Yeah, too much extra work. If an option to save to an XML file is available, it should save all of the information pertaining to the scenario.

Cheers

Yes that would be highly desirable.

[Lobster]

I wish I could tell you your program will be totally useful in the future but, well. Maybe you remember ODD. It was very useful back in the day. Now it's just a lump of code. Only useful part is the hex grid. Bob has already mentioned hierarchy. And supply. And more naval changes. Let's see, how do they say it in the infomercials? But wait, there's more. If it's all part of the xml game file then you can just add stuff as you go. Big if at this point. Paranoia precludes adding anyone else to the coding 'team' so the 'precious coding time' might not allow for an expanded xml file.

[76mm]

I wish I could tell you your program will be totally useful in the future but, well. Maybe you remember ODD. It was very useful back in the day. Now it's just a lump of code. Only useful part is the hex grid. Bob has already mentioned hierarchy. And supply. And more naval changes. Let's see, how do they say it in the infomercials? But wait, there's more. If it's all part of the xml game file then you can just add stuff as you go. Big if at this point. Paranoia precludes adding anyone else to the coding 'team' so the 'precious coding time' might not allow for an expanded xml file.

Well, it's hard to say without seeing specific changes, but I'm pretty confident that if the changes are reflected in an XML file, I would be able to (and would) update this program without any particular difficulty. Remember, I'm just manipulating of static values, not coding the logic behind the values--it's really not that hard. Of course it would be a different story if the whole structure of the XML changes, but that would seem unlikely--I'm not sure, but suspect that the XML export just serializes the data from the game's classes, so the XML shouldn't change a whole lot unless they substantially re-write the code.

Obviously if Bob doesn't bother to update the XML export to reflect any changes, then that's that. But in that case I'll just keep playing this version of the game, although I'm sure that's not a solution for everyone. I don't know how much precious coding time it would take to do so--conceivably it wouldn't take any effort at all if the XML export simply exports what's in the code, but I'm sure it could be much more complicated as well. I'll follow up with Ralph, see if I get a response this time.

[larryfulkerson]

Best of luck to you getting ahold of Ralph.

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson
Best of luck to you getting ahold of Ralph.

Well, I spent 2 minutes sending him an e-mail, so not much downside I guess...

[Lobster]

How difficult would it be to add a search function? Not so much for equipment as for formations and units in a formation? For scenario with a few formations no big deal. But I'm finding with over 900+ it takes awhile. [:D]

I must be crazy.

[76mm]

Actually a search function is already on my list. I don't think it would be particularly difficult, but haven't really looked at it yet in great detail...the hardest part might be figuring out where to put the search box!

In any event, I agree that it would be useful, so I'll almost certainly get to it sooner or later.

[rhinobones]

Any chance that in the future you can format the application as a spreadsheet? Specifically, the force editor function. There are certainly things we can do in your application which are far easier than in the TOAW editor, but while editing forces we still need to go unit by unit. Tedious and time consuming. The TOAW editor goes unit by unit so in that regard the XML editor is no help.

However, with all that said, thank you and appreciate the all the effort you have given.

Best Regards, RhinoBones

[biddrafter2]

ORIGINAL: rhinobones
Any chance that in the future you can format the application as a spreadsheet? Specifically, the force editor function.

I don't want to speak for 76mm or their excellent work but, in .net, batch edits are straightforward via the DataGridView control.

It has been awhile since I've used the program but I think I remember it being treeview driven??? Since the data is in the "flat" xml style, unrolling this to a grid is definitely possible.

[Lobster]

Regarding the Calendar editor. I changed the turn length from 12 hours to 24 hours. So I had to change the number of turns from 400 to 200. I got an out of bounds error message. No idea as to why. [;)]

[Lobster]

I'm at the point where I'm going to use your program a lot. Are there any bugs you are aware of that I should know about? I know the cautionary notes, thanks for those. [;)]

[lion_of_judah]

this is off point for this thread, but isn't there a OOD application that was made for map making.

[Lobster]

http://yves.lr.pagesperso-orange.fr/ODD/ODD.htm