TOAWxml Editor

[Lobster]

Here is the correct shot. Shows turn of arrival in deployment:

[rbeeler81]

May I ask what is the TOAW executable? I am having similar issues to the ones you have posted.

[Lobster]

Current one is Opart4 v4.1.0.4.

[76mm]

Thanks, very heplful, I will check these issues out. I've changed a couple of things since the last draft, might have fixed it, but I will check. With the enormous number of scenarios out there, there always seem to be issues that crop up in one scenario or another.

For instance, I've also found that scenarios with non-standard characters (eg, SS runes) crash the program (actually, it crashes XML, which then crashes the program). Dealing with all of these oddball situations will suck up some time.

[76mm]

Lobster, sorry, I don't understand your last post with the 68th Inf Div--what is the issue there? Your previous screenies show a different unit (270th Inf Div)?

[Lobster]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

Lobster, sorry, I don't understand your last post with the 68th Inf Div--what is the issue there? Your previous screenies show a different unit (270th Inf Div)?

Sorry that's what happens when your wife is nagging you to do something while trying to do things infinitely more important. Deleted that shot and rewrote the post with the proper screen shot.

What it all boils down to is your tool has a drop down with deployment states. That is not appropriate for units arriving on a turn. It needs to be able to display a turn number, not just deployment states. Also, when looking at the xml, when a unit arrives on a turn the format is a bit different. Maybe that's why it produces an error?

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: Lobster
What it all boils down to is your tool has a drop down with deployment states. That is not appropriate for units arriving on a turn. It needs to be able to display a turn number, not just deployment states. Also, when looking at the xml, when a unit arrives on a turn the format is a bit different. Maybe that's why it produces an error?

I think that I can fix most of the issues with Reinforcements; it turns out there is one "deployment" code for "Reinforcments by Turn" and a different one for "Reinforcements by Event", and the location format needs to be tweaked for reinforcements--so far so good...

The problem so far is that so far I cannot find where in the XML file (or anywhere else), the turn for reinforcements is indicated. This seems odd, and I have not yet had time for an exhaustive search, but it is definitely not in the two places where I would expect it (the XML data for the unit itself or maybe in the Events data). I need to spend more time digging through existing scenarios to see if I can figure it out, and if that doesn't work I will probably have to see if Ralph could shed any light on this.

In any event, I should be able to stop the errors, but until I find the reinforcement turn in the XML, I won't be able to incorporate that data.

I haven't dealt with Divided Units either, they have some of the same issues.

[Lobster]

A reinforcement. You can tell because it says GOINGTOX and Y. Also ENTRY="31" indicates turn of arrival.

<UNIT ID="549" NAME="19 SU AT" ICON="Antitank" ICONID="15" COLOR="90" SIZE="Brigade" EXPERIENCE="untried" CHARACTERISTICS="20000" PROFICIENCY="50" READINESS="75" SUPPLY="75" GOINGTOX="64" GOINGTOY="70" EMPHASIS="Minimize Losses" PARENT="549" STATUS="1" ENTRY="31" REPLACEMENTPRIORITY="0">

Deployed at the start of the scenario. A definite X,Y location is given and there is no ENTRY given.

<UNIT ID="544" NAME="86 SU Art" ICON="Artillery" COLOR="90" SIZE="Brigade" EXPERIENCE="untried" CHARACTERISTICS="20008" PROFICIENCY="55" READINESS="60" SUPPLY="65" X="64" Y="70" EMPHASIS="Minimize Losses" PARENT="544" STATUS="8" REPLACEMENTPRIORITY="0">

The reinforcing unit is validated by this screen shot that shows the Soviet 19 AT unit entering on turn 31.

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: Lobster
Also ENTRY="31" indicates turn of arrival.

Well duh, not sure how I overlooked that, it must have been off the edge of my screen or something... Thanks!

Presumably same field for entry Event, although entry events will need to be changed in the Event Editor.

[Lobster]

Yeah I wouldn't worry about anything concerning events until you start in on that nightmare. [;)]

[John T_MatrixForum]

ORIGINAL: jakobscalpel

ORIGINAL: 76mm

ORIGINAL: John T_MatrixForum
...an event editor with graphical chaining so you actually see whats wrong.

Sorry, what does "graphical chaining" mean?

My guess is John is describing an event viewer/editor that uses nested conditionals instead of "gotos". If the events could be replayed, like in a debugger, so that the equivalent of unit tests could be run against an event set, that would be amazing too. Just guessing as to John's intention however.

I'm hoping that the event editor in TOAW can one day be converted to a scripting language, or (better yet!) allow for compiled plugins to be shipped with a scenario, with the events populated through a public API or dll.

Sorry for the delay but I had a go at it without success in PowerBI and Snowflake
(just because I like to learn those tools).

The ting I like to have is hierarchy or "network" so you can see how events affect each others.

Like
1.0.0 Event# 1: Theater option "Mobilization"
1.1.0 Event#2: VP 2 , +5
1.2.0 Event#3: News: "Sweden mobilizes"
1.3.1 Event#3: Unit Activated: "Unit Name1"
1.3.2 Event#3: Unit Activated: "Unit Name2"
Etcetera

And if the notation 1.2.3 would be replaced with lines in a graphical interface I think that would make it much simpler to follow a chain of events-

And then also look at it from the other side -be able to see that Unit 1 is activated by event #3, and not on gameturn 3.



The general problem is that the data structures used in the XML still uses the same internal "squeese an much data in few bytes" structures as needed in 1992.

So If you can just present the data in a more readable way it would be nice, now I tried to make sense out of the xml file to create the above SQL but got problems understanding what types what tag to what purpose.
(I'm not sure anyone made such a list?)
And actually to just add correct tags in the xml that explain what it is used for rather than
field four means Percentage on event type "x" and gameturn if event type "y"
(reasonable exlained in the scenario editor but not in the xml file)

But this would not be needed if we work with a nice tool.



Point two, to create a parser that generates the events from some form of IF-statements,
might not be that hard. Without thinking too hard (and thus finding all the traps, ifs and buts)
it seems that you could generate a few constructs that expands to a hand full of events.

Like:
IF 1 Occupies X,Y THEN
BEGIN
List of actions
END

Cheers
/John

[76mm]

John, thanks for the helpful description... Will be a while before I can focus on the Event Editor, but jakobskalpel hopes to have time to take a look as well.

[fulcrum28]

great tool! it is amazing that TOAWIV still did not include something like that after 20 years.

I still got the same error as post #20. Just opening and gives me error, any way to bypass it?

on the other hand, if I reassign lets say a division to another corps or army, it may affects the scripted automatic removal of troops or reinforcement, specially in FITE or Directive 21 scenarios?
or as long as I dont change unit color patterns should it be ok?

[Lobster]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

John, thanks for the helpful description... Will be a while before I can focus on the Event Editor, but jakobskalpel hopes to have time to take a look as well.

Maybe you could ask Curt Chambers (Opart Design and Debug (ODD)) or Andy Edmiston (aka parmenio (TOAWIII Equipment Editor/Scenario Viewer/Editor Beta)) how they handled some of this stuff.

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: fulcrum28
I still got the same error as post #20. Just opening and gives me error, any way to bypass it?

Are you using the updated file in post #45? That might solve it... Another issue might be if you are trying to open a file with non-standard characters (SS runes, etc.). If so, you should be able to delete the file ("FilePath.txt") in the same directory as where you installed this program, and next time you open it, it will ask you to select a new *.gam file--try to select one without non-standard characters, just to see if it will open.

I should be able to fix the non-standard character issue in due course, but it will take me a little while...

ORIGINAL: fulcrum28
on the other hand, if I reassign lets say a division to another corps or army, it may affects the scripted automatic removal of troops or reinforcement, specially in FITE or Directive 21 scenarios? or as long as I dont change unit color patterns should it be ok?

Good question! I haven't tried this, but my guess is that it won't cause a problem, because the event should be tied to the Unit ID, which does not change. Let us know if you try it, or I will try to do so next week.

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: Lobster
Maybe you could ask Curt Chambers (Opart Design and Debug (ODD)) or Andy Edmiston (aka parmenio (TOAWIII Equipment Editor/Scenario Viewer/Editor Beta)) how they handled some of this stuff.

OK, although honestly I have not looked at the Event Editor at all so far, and need to understand it before asking anyone questions about it.

Also, I was confused yesterday about not finding the entry turns for Reinforcing units--actually it was the release turn for static formations that I could not find in the XML file... Anybody know where that is?

I'm going away for several days and then need to work on some of these pesky issues, so you probably won't hear from me for a while, but I will be working on this stuff. In the meantime, please post with any additional bugs that you find, or feature requests.

[Lobster]

Actually I was talking about everything in general, not just about the event editor. These guys dealt with everything you are going to. No need to reinvent the wheel. [;)]

[76mm]

Sure I could reach out to them if anyone has their contact info. Are they still on the forum?

[Lobster]

Andy: showprofile.asp?memid=32504

Curt: showProfile.asp?memid=767

[VHauser]

76mm,

I noticed a checkbox for 'hexside rivers'. You can make that happen?