creating an AI file for a scn.

[carll11]

so, it says in the manual 4. An AI file will need to be created.

I have Syrians vs. Israelis, I am tinkering with my own golan 73 duel.

Can I borrow the ai file from say the Into the Valley of Tears (Tel_Hermonit_1a_1973.ai) ? Do I copy and rename it after my scn.? Is that adequate or correct?

[berto]

Yes, that should work (and with the renaming), so long as the combatants (nation ID #s) are the same.

[carll11]

last questions ( bwwwwhhahahahaha never;))

so, ok,the nations ID's are in the....scn. file?

I'll pull out, a copy of Tel_Hermonit_1a_1973.ai rename it EXACTLY spaces inc. etc. inc. as my scn. name or header name? .....then out it back in the scn. folder

annnnd, can I create one for an ongoing scn.? say in turn 4-5 ...yep, OI screwed the pooch and didn't read statement 4 before i started a scn I created...

I ASSume if I hit f-10 in game, and see an AI file, I'm good?

[carll11]

Oh sheet...are the .ai files word? or word pad? I renamed it and it turned it into a word doc. when I moved it back..

[carll11]

hummm, its extension still reads as 'ai'...but the sybmol for the doc is now a word doc...I opened it in wordpad to save it...

[berto]

ORIGINAL: carl11

last questions ( bwwwwhhahahahaha never;))

so, ok,the nations ID's are in the....scn. file?

You shouldn't really need to focus on the #s, I guess. Just so, by name, the nations are the same between the new scenario and the model scenario.

In the Tel_Hermonit_1.ai file, for example, you have:

---

...

###############################################################################

# nation _AIn

# 22 XIsraelNation
# 26 XSyriaNation

# 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129
n 22 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 95 81 40 90 92 85 50 96 99 87 4 8 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 2 1 0 1 2 1 0 1 0 0 2 1 1 2 1 2 -1 -1 -1 -1 4 1 20 55 75 10 -1 -1 -1 -1 7 44 34 20 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 75 95 25 98 97 99 -1 -1 -1 -1 55 35 45 6 96 96 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 85 85 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 30 24 25 63 43 30 -1 70 90 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 23 93 93 93 25 -1 4 65 -1 -1
n 26 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 80 88 70 96 85 84 65 95 99 97 4 7 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 2 1 0 1 2 1 0 1 0 0 2 1 1 2 2 2 -1 -1 -1 -1 3 2 20 45 60 6 -1 -1 -1 -1 6 41 39 13 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 85 80 40 95 92 95 -1 -1 -1 -1 60 40 55 6 91 91 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 92 92 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 25 22 30 65 43 26 -1 70 90 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 20 80 77 80 25 -1 3 68 -1 -1

###############################################################################

---

So if your scenario has Israelis and Syrians, the above would be appropriate. (Note: the above extract is from the Tel_Hermonit_1.ai file, not the Tel_Hermonit_1a_1973.ai file.)

I'll pull out, a copy of Tel_Hermonit_1a_1973.ai rename it EXACTLY spaces inc. etc. inc. as my scn. name or header name? .....then out it back in the scn. folder

.scn file name. So for example if your new scenario file is

Whats Up Doc.scn

your .ai file should be

Whats Up Doc.ai

annnnd, can I create one for an ongoing scn.? say in turn 4-5 ...yep, OI screwed the pooch and didn't read statement 4 before i started a scn I created...

Yes, you can create a scenario-appropriate .ai file retroactively. (Note: Even if you didn't have a scenario-specific .ai file, the generic init.ai file (in the top-level game folder) would still apply.)

I ASSume if I hit f-10 in game, and see an AI file, I'm good?

That would be: Alt-F10.

You don't need to do that to enjoy the benefits of the .ai file. The Alt-F10 is more for debugging purposes, and to reassure yourself that the .ai file settings are truly in effect. (Check to see that the values differ for the different nations, the n lines.)

Good luck!

[berto]

ORIGINAL: carl11

hummm, its extension still reads as 'ai'...but the sybmol for the doc is now a word doc...I opened it in wordpad to save it...

No, no, no. Don't use WordPad to edit game data files, use NotePad. WordPad adds extra formatting crap. NotePad is the simple, no-frills text editor you want to use for this.

[carll11]

got it thx. I'll have to go download notepad, all I have is wordpad....thank you very much for your help berto. I do appreciate it.

I just alt f-10ed my scn. to see it, BUT I guess the only was I know its using the ai file I want it to is to change something in the file, then go back and look in the alt f-10 to see if I see it....(?)

[berto]

ORIGINAL: carl11

got it thx. I'll have to go download notepad, all I have is wordpad....thank you very much for your help berto. I do appreciate it.

Notepad is a standard program in Windows since ... forever. You shouldn't need to download it. Check your Accessories folder.

I just alt f-10ed my scn. to see it, BUT I guess the only was I know its using the ai file I want it to is to change something in the file, then go back and look in the alt f-10 to see if I see it....(?)

Oh, I forgot one detail. Sorry!

By default, the game accesses encrypted .aix files. We don't provide the .ai > .aix encryption mechanism, because jiggering .ai/.aix files is one way to "cheat" in PBEM.

In order to access the .ai files that you as a modder create (and bypass the default .aix access), you will have to run the game using the -X (NoEncryption) method.

From Coder Diary #30 (part 4):

But be sure to use the -X NoEncryption option if you do so. Why? It's because, especially for competitive PBEM play, we have encrypted all .ai files to .aix counterparts. In normal mode, without use of the -X NoEncryption option, the game engine in fact references the encrypted .aix files, not the .ai files. In the default installation, the encrypted .aix values match their human readable .ai counterparts. Since you don't have the encrypter program and can't .ai > .aix yourself, your only recourse is to modify the .ai files, then bypass the .aix files, reference the .ai files directly, by means of the -X NoEncryption option.

Use of the -X NoEncryption option is described here:

ORIGINAL: berto

Coder Diary #13 -- The -X NoEncryption Option, Damage Report Tweaks, and a Glimpse Behind the Scenes


Here's a new feature that should make more than a few people happy: the -X NoEncryption Option.

Please observe the following:



[*]Circled in red: In the top editor window, editing platoon10.oob, for the Rifle Platoon 42, I have set the _strength, _assault & _defend values to 1, and the _firing_cost to 13. In the Unit Info box, for Rifle Platoon 42, you will see Assault 1, Defense 1, and Fire Cost 13. (Never mind the Strength 6.)
[*]Circled in green: In the bottom editor window, also editing platoon10.oob, for the M2 60mm Mortars, I have set the _strength, _assault & _defend values to 1, and the _firing_cost to 12. In the Unit Info box, for M2 60mm Mortars, you will see Assault 1, Defense 1, and Fire Cost 12. (Never mind the Strength 3.)
[*]Circled in blue, you will see that I have created a shortcut, "wf NOENCRYPTION".
[*]Circled in magenta, for the Target:, you will see the command-line options -W (for windowed mode) and -X for NoEncryption.

In other words:

[*]If the player launches the game engine EXE with the command-line switch -X (most conveniently by way of a special shortcut), the engine bypasses the platoon*.obx files and instead reads the unencrypted platoon*.oob files.
[*]If the player launches the game engine EXE in the usual fashion, via the frontend program (hence without the -X switch); or if the game mode is not solitaire, player-vs-A/I play, for example is PBEM or modem-play mode, the engine reads in the encrypted platoon*.obx in the usual fashion.
[*]If you use the NOENCRYPTION shortcut to open the engine, the file Open dialog only presents .btl files, no .bte, .btx or .btt files. That is, in -X NoEncryption mode, there is no way to access PBEM or other multiplayer save files. You can only access PBEM and other multiplayer save files via the frontend, which has no NoEncryption option (the frontend doesn't use the -X switch at all).

Many times I have wanted to run tests, change the OOB files then see the effect immediately, but was hampered by the whole encryption thing. This new NoEncryption feature makes it easier for modders to tinker with OOB files, and test results immediately, without having to wait for Jason (or some other team member) to encrypt the revised OOB into its OBX equivalent. The result? Faster, more efficient modding.

This should also mollify players miffed at their inability to mod the OOB files unhindered, without having to pass it through Jason's (etc.) hands first.

In normal game play (without going to the trouble of creating a shortcut with the -X option), the game engine continues to access the .obx files, and they will remain the official standard. This new -X NoEncryption option is for the private amusement of modders, else they attempt to share their work and "go public" by handing off their modded .oob files to Jason (& co.) for encryption into .obx files. Jason & "deputies" -- we're the gatekeepers. If a player mods his private version of the OOBs, he cannot share it for PBEM play, since PBEM works with encrypted OBX files only, OBX files that remain under the strict control of Jason (& co.).

Note: This new NoEncryption option applies not just to the .oob files. By the same means (using the -X NoEncryption switch), you will be able to mod and directly and immediately access the unencrypted

[*]weapon.pdt
[*]movement.pdt
[*]main.pdt

files.

But again: Not for PBEM or other multi-player game play! For your modding pleasure and private amusement only.

The -X NoEncryption option is also described somewhere in the CSME Manual, if I'm not mistaken.

Or if you prefer, you can send your finished .ai files to us, and we can return them to you in their .aix versions.

[carll11]

I created a new and changed the name of a SC to the ME exe , changed my target command line to;

"C:\John Tiller Middle East\Middle East.exe"-X

it won't let me save it, says no target found.....I am missing a step,maybe not understanding the above?

[berto]

ORIGINAL: carl11

I created a new and changed the name of a SC to the ME exe , changed my target command line to;

"C:\John Tiller Middle East\Middle East.exe"-X

???

You create a shortcut to the me.exe. In Windows Explorer, right click on the me.exe, select the "Create shortcut" option.

Then right click on the shortcut. In the Properties dialog, you add the -X option as shown. Apply and save.

For the -X NoEncryption, you do not involve the Middle East.exe in any way.

To start the game, you double click on the shortcut. You don't use the Middle East.exe game launcher to start the game as you normally would. Rather, you use the special me.exe shortcut (with the added -X option as shown).

If you can't figure out how to use the -X option, it just might be simpler for you to send us your .ai file(s) so that we can encrypt it (them) for you. Then with the encrypted .aix file, you won't need to bother with the -X stuff.

[carll11]

this should not be difficult, in that I think I did exactly as you said...

I named the shortcut via the General Tab me NOENCYPTION

then added the -X in the Target at the end....*sigh*..

"C:\John Tiller Middle East\me.exe"-X

when I click apply it still gave me the Target NOT Valid error...

I guess I'll send it to you...how would I do tat? via pm?

[berto]

Send it via ordinary e-mail to: robert [dot] osterlund [at] comcast [dot] net

[carll11]

I noticed that when you do open the game via ME exe you don't get the 'border' ex: to resize the window etc.

[berto]

It's because to get windowed mode, you would also need to add the -W command-line parameter. Look closely at the target field in the screenshot above.

Based on this experience, we will be including a full(er) -X NoEncryption HOWTO in ME 1.02 (and later) game docs.

[carll11]

robert [dot] osterlund [at] comcast [dot] net

done! and many many thx for your help.

[carll11]

[&o]

[carll11]

understood, I didn't bother with the window mode, as I didn't need the code window for the units etc. BUT IF I get the shortcut working I'll add it...

[berto]

@carl11: Encrypted .aix file sent. Check your e-mail.

[carll11]

I am grateful Berto, thank you for taking time on a Sunday to do this..