New Scenario Editor
Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 8:52 pm
This is just me dipping my toe into the water to gauge interest and solicit ideas...
I'm tinkering around with/thinking about creating a new scenario editor for WitP:AE
Features I'm thinking about:
- initally use the existing witploadae.exe to extract information from the scenario files and then import the data into HSQLDB (the db used by tracker).
- export a scenario from HSQLDB to a WitP:AE scenario slot (1-200) (dump db to .csv files, then import to scenario files using witploadae.exe)
- duplicate existing Scenario Editor functionality, plus new fields not exposed by scenario editor but in CSV files.
- add ease of use features like entry copying with Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V (including across scenarios)
- Allow list editing and Excel Spreadsheet Ctrl-D type duplication of values across rows
- Filtering of rows
- Scenario comparison features that would identify changes between scenarios and allow selective apply of changes.
- Scenario checker - identify common scenario issues and report on them, click from "error report row" to edit row data. Ex checks: missing bitmaps, repeated names, device mismatches between units and TOE's, unused or orphaned devices/aircraft, etc.
- Different ways of viewing and reporting on scenario (task force view that looks somehat more like the TF view/list in game).
- Allow use of SQL to do scenario updates. For example, if you want to cut cargo capacity by 30% across the board in a scenario, you could execute "update shipclass set cargocapacity = cargocapacity * 0.7 where scenario = 28;" and then export the scenario. Done.
- Some other things that are easier to show than to explain...
Random, unbaked thoughts/possibilities:
- Extract from a pair of trackerdb's (Allied and Japanese) to a new scenario. Allows creation of a new scenario from a running game. Would also give limited ability to apply oob changes to existing games (some detail would be lost like pilot skills/kills/missions).
- Maintain art files associated with a scenario
- Cooperative Scenario editing (web based version)
So ...
1) Does any of the above sound useful to you?
2) What features would you like to see in a new editor?
3) What are some of the most tedious tasks for you when you are using the editor? Can you think of a better way?
4) What "checks" would you like the editor to do on a scenario (unused devices, etc.)
5) What would be your ranking of features (Most wanted to least wanted)?
I'm tinkering around with/thinking about creating a new scenario editor for WitP:AE
Features I'm thinking about:
- initally use the existing witploadae.exe to extract information from the scenario files and then import the data into HSQLDB (the db used by tracker).
- export a scenario from HSQLDB to a WitP:AE scenario slot (1-200) (dump db to .csv files, then import to scenario files using witploadae.exe)
- duplicate existing Scenario Editor functionality, plus new fields not exposed by scenario editor but in CSV files.
- add ease of use features like entry copying with Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V (including across scenarios)
- Allow list editing and Excel Spreadsheet Ctrl-D type duplication of values across rows
- Filtering of rows
- Scenario comparison features that would identify changes between scenarios and allow selective apply of changes.
- Scenario checker - identify common scenario issues and report on them, click from "error report row" to edit row data. Ex checks: missing bitmaps, repeated names, device mismatches between units and TOE's, unused or orphaned devices/aircraft, etc.
- Different ways of viewing and reporting on scenario (task force view that looks somehat more like the TF view/list in game).
- Allow use of SQL to do scenario updates. For example, if you want to cut cargo capacity by 30% across the board in a scenario, you could execute "update shipclass set cargocapacity = cargocapacity * 0.7 where scenario = 28;" and then export the scenario. Done.
- Some other things that are easier to show than to explain...
Random, unbaked thoughts/possibilities:
- Extract from a pair of trackerdb's (Allied and Japanese) to a new scenario. Allows creation of a new scenario from a running game. Would also give limited ability to apply oob changes to existing games (some detail would be lost like pilot skills/kills/missions).
- Maintain art files associated with a scenario
- Cooperative Scenario editing (web based version)
So ...
1) Does any of the above sound useful to you?
2) What features would you like to see in a new editor?
3) What are some of the most tedious tasks for you when you are using the editor? Can you think of a better way?
4) What "checks" would you like the editor to do on a scenario (unused devices, etc.)
5) What would be your ranking of features (Most wanted to least wanted)?