Download Map Maker Here ...

[Mad Russian]

This just proves the point Stridor. I'm sorry but these very kinds of issues keep designers from even going to MM.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Stridor]

ORIGINAL: Mad Russian

This just proves the point Stridor. I'm sorry but these very kinds of issues keep designers from even going to MM.

Good Hunting.

MR

Seriously my tolerance is starting to wear very very thin.

MR I really don't understand you. On one hand you can be very supportive of MM, and on the other very very negative.

I am desperately trying to help a dying PCK community. I am not being paid by, nor instructed by Matrix to develop an official map making program.

This is purely a FREE BETA MOD by an interested 3rd party. No promises have been implied. No guarantees have been given.

I don't have the enormous development resources to test out my software on every possible machine configuration.

If I was privy to a machine which had the problems some people are reporting then I could FIX them, but as I don't

I AM RELYING ON HELPFUL & SAVVY INDIVIDUALS WITH PROBLEMS TO HELP ME TROUBLESHOOT THEM.

I know that MD does in fact have some computer nous and that he may prove very helpful in this regard!

Once I have found out what the problem is I will provide a fix for all which won't require any user intervention gymnastics.

Honestly, endlessly complaining about MM is not doing the dwindling PCK community any favours.

S.

[Erik Rutins]

Just FYI, when I installed the Map Maker, I did receive an error. I had to go into the /Editor folder and for each of the .ocx files, right click on them to bring up their properties and then click on the "Unblock" box which showed up in the red boxed area in the screenshot below (doesn't show up now since they're unblocked. It said something to the effect of "this came from another computer and could cause yours harm" next to the Unblock button. Hope that's helpful.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: Michael Dorosh

Here is the error message on start up:

Also, you need to click Ok and _uncheck_ the box here.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: Stridor
Later install packs of XP and Vista will sometimes "block" a downloaded zip file for security reasons. To ensure this doesn't happen please right click on each downloaded zip file select properties->General->Unblock

And of course reading is fundamental... sorry Stridor, somehow didn't see that you already had that in your list.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: Mad Russian
This just proves the point Stridor. I'm sorry but these very kinds of issues keep designers from even going to MM.

It is still in a beta stage. You can't react to beta software the same way you would to released, completed software. Unfortunately, most people do, which is why beta software normally isn't shown to the public. In many cases however, especially for small teams on small projects, the feedback can be invaluable to keeping development moving in the right direction. The more constructive and specific the feedback Stridor gets during beta, the better a chance of the MM getting to a polished release form. Have you given 0.9f a try yet?

I don't think anyone's goal is for a final map maker to require troubleshooting, but even in a beta stage this one will work fine for the vast majority of systems and configurations. In this case, a notoriously intrusive anti-virus program (McAfee) is getting in the way. We've had more than one problem with a released game attempting to read or write to the registry or just get full access to its own files due to over-aggressive McAfee settings.

Let's work together to get as much feedback to Stridor as possible and keep things positive.

[Stridor]

Well blow me down if I can't make this damn thing fall over!

I installed a fresh XP SP3 IE6 image
I downloaded an installed the latest McAfee total security suite 2009
I did a fresh PCK install
I downloaded the MM zips (as expected windows blocked them, but I deliberately didn't unblock them)
I used the stock windows XP inbuilt unzip program (but not in wizard mode - see next post) to install both zips to the root PCK directory
(I noticed at this stage that there a warning popup occured telling me there was an unspecified internet explorer error and did I want to continue? I said yes)

Then I clicked on the MM program fully expecting to get an ActiveX error and ...

It worked [:(].

Strangely I don't get an Open File - security warning as MD did ????

So I am really scratching my head on this one.

Perhaps it is not McAfee (at least not McAfee 2009) after all.

Just out of curiosity what unzip program are you guys using?
What OS and service pack level? (XP SP2? XP SP3? Vista SP1?)

I would have thought XP SP3 + IE6 would have been the most likely to fall over??

I think Erik's observation of going into the Editor sub dir and checking that all three *.ocx files are not blocked is a very good one and may be the key to this problem. But why it affects some people and not others I still don't know.

Regards

S.

[Stridor]

Ok I think, I hope, I pray [&o] I finally have a solution and it was first Rick's and then Erik's tip off to what the problem likely is.

I can now replicate the exact problem MD (and others) are having.

Before I give a possible (simple) solution to the problem first a little history.

Ever since Windows XP SP2, any executable file which you have downloaded (including zips and executables inside of said zips) are tagged as "blocked" by the OS. This means if you try to run them you get the open file - security warning dialog.

That is why some of you are getting this warning dialog prior to opening MM (some of you are not, more on that later).

Ok it is possible to deselect file blocking by right clicking on a file and making sure the unblock option is selected. In this way you won't get the security warning dialog anymore.

I am betting 99% that the people who have problems running MM didn't unblock the zips when they were downloaded.

Now if you use an unzip program other than the standard windows one (like me - i used 7zip) and extract the files from the zips, then all those MM files will be marked as unblocked by default and everything will work just fine and you won't get any security warning dialogs. If however you used the standard windows unzip program (which I am guessing most people do) in its "wizard mode" (ie the mode in which it brings up a dialog to ask you where you want to unzip the files too) then windows will apply the "blocked" file status to each of the zip contained files and then MM will break as it doesn't have permission to run "blocked files" (active X error).

So for an easy solution, if you are having problems could you please right click on the two zips before you unzip them. Select properties UNBLOCK and then try unzipping them again into the main PCK dir (you will have to overwrite all the old files in this case). You will know if it worked as intended by not having the security warning dialog popup appear at MM run time and by checking that the *.ocx files in the editor subdir are also listed as "unblocked" (or by it just working as intended)

Boy I hope that is the end of it [:D]

Such a simple thing apparently caused so much trouble [:@] ...

Regards

S.

EDIT: If this indeed turns out to be the fix that I hope it will be, then future MM versions will be distributed as self extracting files which should bypass this obnoxious blocking behaviour. Again this is all part of beta testing software I am afraid.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: Stridor
What OS and service pack level? (XP SP2? XP SP3? Vista SP1?)

My results were on Windows XP SP2 and using WinZip 11 to extract the files. Using NOD32 Anti-Virus.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: Stridor
EDIT: If this indeed turns out to be the fix that I hope it will be, then future MM versions will be distributed as self extracting files which should bypass this obnoxious blocking behaviour. Again this is all part of beta testing software I am afraid.

I can go ahead and put together a beta installer for 0.9f today or Monday, depending on how my schedule works out. I'll upload it once it's ready, hopefully that will help everyone who was experiencing the problems.

[Mad Russian]

ORIGINAL: Stridor

Seriously my tolerance is starting to wear very very thin.

Sorry. I'll stop testing your tolerance levels then.

MR I really don't understand you. On one hand you can be very supportive of MM, and on the other very very negative.

It's quite simple. I support your efforts with MM. I just don't think it's what PC needs in it's current model. It's awesome. I've never seen anything like it before. My frustration comes from the fact that my machine won't run it. All the comments that support this software don't help me because I can't get it run. You know that. You even tried to get to run on my machine.

I am desperately trying to help a dying PCK community. I am not being paid by, nor instructed by Matrix to develop an official map making program.

Yes, I know. You're not the only one that is trying to move Matrix with dynamite to actually even just SAY SOMETHING once in awhile. The silence in this place gets deafening at times. Erik has finally come out of his hibernation and posted more than 3 posts this month. That's a good thing.

The PCK system just sitting there doing nothing is not a good thing. The template idea seems to have alot of merit. I guess at this time we can all look forward to the "Let's work together to get as much feedback to Stridor as possible and keep things positive. " attitude. Where Matrix has been these past months while we all work together is a mystery. Soon to be revealed in the new material I'm sure.

This is purely a FREE BETA MOD by an interested 3rd party. No promises have been implied. No guarantees have been given.

I don't have the enormous development resources to test out my software on every possible machine configuration.

I know that. We worked together to try to get it to work on my machine. I know you are dedicated. Have you ever one time seen me say that MM is the issue? Or do you see me say that Matrix needs to do something? At the moment Matrix is letting MM be the map editor they don't have. They aren't doing anything to give this direction. They just let us all discuss this back and forth with nothing from them. Now finally, Erik has come to the forums.

If I was privy to a machine which had the problems some people are reporting then I could FIX them, but as I don't

I AM RELYING ON HELPFUL & SAVVY INDIVIDUALS WITH PROBLEMS TO HELP ME TROUBLESHOOT THEM.

I know that MD does in fact have some computer nous and that he may prove very helpful in this regard!

I think you're right he should be able to help you with it. It looks like he has some of the same issues I had at first. We got past those. It seems that there are alot of users with Norton on their machines.

Once I have found out what the problem is I will provide a fix for all which won't require any user intervention gymnastics.

Honestly, endlessly complaining about MM is not doing the dwindling PCK community any favours.

S.

The COMMENTS can be seen as possibly something other than endlessly complaining. They could be seen as an attempt to get some direction from MATRIX and not to have all of us do ALL of the support for one of their games.

I work with PC alot too. I'm near as talented as you are. I do what I can with what talents I have. I try to put scenarios together that will work on PC1 and PC2. I need to know how it all works for when PC3 gets here, if it ever does.

But you're right, I need to stop commenting on MM. It just takes up space on the forums, gets no response from anyone but you and you're already working on this as hard as you can, and I need to spend the time doing more scenarios.

I've never had a system I thought had so much potential as PC. It is like watching paint dry to get to see the results of the masterpiece though. VERY SLOW. Which Erik has apologized for and Matrix had a turbulent year as a company goes.

The most frustrating thing to see is post after post of how PC is not being supported. Mods? Like MM? Yes! Posts by Matrix? No...almost to the point of nothing.

My comments have only ever been about a MATRIX map maker. Some have said that Matrix never promised a map maker. If that's the case, which I don't think it is, I remember Erik saying it was number one priority for PC3, but it is, I may be one of those from that dying PCK community you talked about earlier.

I want to support PCK. At this level I can't and that's very frustrating for me. Believe me I understand your pain!

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

ORIGINAL: Mad Russian
This just proves the point Stridor. I'm sorry but these very kinds of issues keep designers from even going to MM.

It is still in a beta stage. You can't react to beta software the same way you would to released, completed software. Unfortunately, most people do, which is why beta software normally isn't shown to the public. In many cases however, especially for small teams on small projects, the feedback can be invaluable to keeping development moving in the right direction. The more constructive and specific the feedback Stridor gets during beta, the better a chance of the MM getting to a polished release form. Have you given 0.9f a try yet?

No I haven't tried MM 9f. Way back at like MM7 Stridor and I were working on getting it to run on my machine. Even Stridor gave up making it work.

Come on Erik, this team has been missing a major ingredient....MATRIX.

I don't think anyone's goal is for a final map maker to require troubleshooting, but even in a beta stage this one will work fine for the vast majority of systems and configurations. In this case, a notoriously intrusive anti-virus program (McAfee) is getting in the way. We've had more than one problem with a released game attempting to read or write to the registry or just get full access to its own files due to over-aggressive McAfee settings.

Let's work together to get as much feedback to Stridor as possible and keep things positive.

I really look forward to us WORKING TOGETHER. It's easy to keep things positive when there is communications as to what direction this is all going. It's only when the silence gets deafing in here amongst those that are working to make PC a viable game that can be modded that there is any sound at all.

Or maybe from the Matrix point of view you don't need to say anything because things are going as planned. That's something. Communicate that even.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Stridor]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

ORIGINAL: Stridor
EDIT: If this indeed turns out to be the fix that I hope it will be, then future MM versions will be distributed as self extracting files which should bypass this obnoxious blocking behaviour. Again this is all part of beta testing software I am afraid.

I can go ahead and put together a beta installer for 0.9f today or Monday, depending on how my schedule works out. I'll upload it once it's ready, hopefully that will help everyone who was experiencing the problems.

Erik, by unblocking those files I take it that MM now works for you? If not there is another problem.

At this stage it is looking like the antivirus software and security settings have nothing to do with the problem. Which is good if all it needs to work is just to unblock the zips.

I would like to hear back from any other people who have had issues in the past with activeX errors attempting to run MM if by unblocking those zips it fixed the problem (or indeed if there are other problems).

But I do welcome your offer.

Regards

S.

[Erik Rutins]

Seems to work fine for me, though I haven't tried everything, but no errors so far once I unblocked.

[Stridor]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Seems to work fine for me, though I haven't tried everything, but no errors so far once I unblocked.

Erik if you can

1. Run MM without a open file security warning dialog appearing
2. Load a map (try "tutmap")
3. Build a map (and a different name try "testmap")
4. View your map in SE

Then I am pretty sure the problem is licked thank god.

Regards

S.

[rickier65]

I've been regualarly unblocking my downloads since early .9 beta. havent had a problem lately.

Rick

[Prince of Eckmühl]

ORIGINAL: Stridor

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Seems to work fine for me, though I haven't tried everything, but no errors so far once I unblocked.

Erik if you can

1. Run MM without a open file security warning dialog appearing
2. Load a map (try "tutmap")
3. Build a map (and a different name try "testmap")
4. View your map in SE

Then I am pretty sure the problem is licked thank god.

Regards

S.

I can do 1-4, but I'm a total noob to the editor, so I may not know enough to fubar it.

PoE (aka ivanmoe)

[Stridor]

That is great news POE

If you can do 1-4 it works. You shouldn't get any activeX errors.

It is looking more and more like all the problem was from the very begining an OS file block issue.

Boy I wish I had known this 6 months ago, would have saved ALOT of hair pulling.

Type "tutmap" into the name box load it up and build it to see what my tutorial map looks like in SE.

That map pretty much covers all of the features of the MM.

Regards

S.

[Prince of Eckmühl]

After using LOAD to bring up tutmap, I moved a windmill out into a field. Then I named the project newmap and used BUILD to create it. After a few minutes I was asked if I wanted to go to Scenario Editor to view my work:

[Prince of Eckmühl]

ORIGINAL: Stridor

That is great news POE

If you can do 1-4 it works. You shouldn't get any activeX errors.

It is looking more and more like all the problem was from the very begining an OS file block issue.

Boy I wish I had known this 6 months ago, would have saved ALOT of hair pulling.

Type "tutmap" into the name box load it up and build it to see what my tutorial map looks like in SE.

That map pretty much covers all of the features of the MM.

Regards

S.

Hey, I'm just glad it works!

Are there recommended system specs for running your proggy, memory, processor and so on?

This'll be really cool when folks learn how to use it. [8D]

PoE (aka ivanmoe)