How many commands can FLMM process?

Gisteron wrote:
you could store multiple xml’s in one file, that would probably make it simplier to overlook.

That would be defeating the purpose.

Gisteron wrote:
kill me for this comment but this amount of xml based changes is just… weird…

I can only agree on that :lol:

Bullwinkle wrote:

So you have been doing this for a while… what do you do about InfoCardMap?

Make sure the first ids_info in InfoCardMap.ini is identical to the one you use in the starsystem’s ini (and also, make sure there is no other base using an exactly identical text):

 <data file="Data\Interface\InfocardMap.ini" method="append"><source>
Map = 0;GENERATEXMLRES("<xml><rdl><push><text>CLASS: Cocoon</text><para><text>AMENITIES: Yes</text><para><text>POPULATION: 120</text><para></para></para></para></push></rdl></xml>"), 0;GENERATEXMLRES("<xml><rdl><push><text>Whatever Station.</text><para><para><text>In order to retain its geostationary orbit, the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.</text><para></para></para></para></push></rdl></xml>")</data> 

from the file that writes the starsystem’s .ini :

;
;================================{ Whatever Station }
;
[Object]
nickname = Aa00_01
ids_name = 0;GENERATESTRRES("Whatever Station")
pos = 0, 0, 80000
rotate = 0, 180, 0
Archetype = outpost
ids_info = 0;GENERATEXMLRES("<xml><rdl><push><text>CLASS: cocoon</text><para><text>AMENITIES: Yes</text><para><text>POPULATION: 120</text><para></para></para></para></push></rdl></xml>")
base = Aa00_01_base
dock_with = Aa00_01_base
voice = atc_leg_f01
space_costume = pl_female5_head, pi_order_female_body
reputation = fc_or_grp
behavior = NOTHING
difficulty_level = 3
loadout = trading_outpost_co_03
pilot = pilot_solar_easy
visit = 1

I use one XML file for each base, containing all the stuff that makes up a base, to be written to:

• Data\Interface\InfocardMap.ini

• Data\Universe\Universe.ini

• Data\Missions\mBases.ini

• Data\Equipment\Market_Commodities.ini

• Data\Equipment\Market_Misc.ini

• Data\Equipment\Market_Ships.ini

Bullwinkle wrote:
Don’t forget that you will then have to distribute your customized version of FLMM with your mod… and maybe support problems that could be caused by changing a user’s FLMM.

A distributed version of such a mod would preferablybe the files as installed, copied from the game folder when the XML plethora version is installed. So, in the distributed version, the XML scripting will be brought back to a minimum, and the mod can be sort of FLMM-version-independant.

Gisteron wrote:
if you get deeper into developing where it starts annoying you that you have to reactivate your mod each time to test single features, you will apply changes directly into backuped files within your FL directory (made them not read-only). in this case it is just faster and simplier to copy the changed files once they work as you wish it into your mods directory instead of remembering what xml you have to change to synchronize the two packages

Wel, giving the XML files clear and proper names is essential. Besides, I can use the Windows Explorer search function (although this, unfortunately, does not work 100% as it should)

In addition, the files are as modular as they can be, meaning I could copy parts of the mod to a separate mod, and handle that as if it’s a standalone. That means, among other things, that I need to use stock factions when working on new systems, and only replace those by custom factions when I’m satisfied.

I admit it’s a lot of work, and there’s much to say against it. But it’s not like I’m not pushing this method upon you.

I just replied but my connection crashed :-x So if I might sound impatient in the following, you know why

Bullwinkle wrote:
OK, so you only make the first entry in InfoCardMap? I guess that makes sense, based on your request to Crazy.

Yes, these are the kind of entries InfoCardMap.ini is meant for, right?

There is a pair of two ids_infos in InfoCardMap.ini , and the first of these should also be used in the base entry in the starsystem .ini file.

Bullwinkle wrote:
This is really awesome, Moonhead. Not at all weird in a bad sense… just unique. Or uncommon, at least, because I see in the archived thread that Lancer Solurus does/did this, as well.

Well it’s a lot of work, and as long as i haven’t even finsihed the foundations, it’s a little early to celebrate this method. I might run into limitations, or into other nastiness i didn’t foresee, or just get demoralized and quit…

Bullwinkle wrote:

So what did you wind up doing about rumors? Comment out MiscText.dll from Freelancer.ini and replace it with your own IDs in script?

No need to comment out MiscText.dll. Besides wouldn’t that screw up many stock ids_names and ids_infos?

Haven’t really looked into rumours and news yet (since “I’m back”) but it’s possible to do that with XML. Note that the first character is cut off, so start with a space or a _ or an X, whatever.

Bullwinkle wrote:
Maintaining rumors along with base, system, and markets would be awesome…

Yep. And it can be done.

There’s two things were XML created ids_names and _infos don’t work: Factions and Fields (Asteroids and Nebulas) because the game uses multiple occurences of these names at fixed intervals from each other (with small variations) in bribes and missions. So these still need to be done by hand, using FLED-Ids or a similar tool. You can add about 50 of each (50 factions and 50 fileds, more or less).

adoxa wrote:

You’ll need upx (or equivalent) to unpack it first,

Ouch.

I’m afraid I have no idea how to use this… There is some info included, but the person who wrote it assumes the reader is familiar with how to use command line utilities.

I could trail-and-error if the program with indeed open a command line window… But when i run it, it seems to open and close within a quarter of a second.

Care to talke me thru it?

Or better, can’t I just use Hex Workshop on the un-unpacked file (prolly not, but it would be so nice)?

Bullwinkle wrote:
Right, the only reason to comment out MiscText.dll would be to change existing items. Otherwise, as you say, just make new ones.

Here is FLMM 1.4beta4, unpacked and hacked to a 20,000 limit per adoxa’s offsets.

I only tested that it runs… beyond that you will have to test yourself.

And, yes, it is OK to leave it unpacked. This version is unpacked, so you can see the changes (or change them yourself).

Regarding searching XML files, you might appreciate a programmer’s editor. NotePad++ is free. UltraEdit has an excellent help file and support. Both are extremely popular editors that can, among many other things, quickly search a tree for files containing a string of text.

Either are terrific tools for working with multiple INI files or XML scripts.

EDIT: For others reading this thread, if you need the full FLMM 1.4 installer, it is here: http://igx89.home.comcast.net/~igx89/FLMM_Downloads.html

.

Hey Bullwinkle, thanksalot man!! I’m a true commandline-analphabetic. I guess I can still use Adoxa’s recipe to hack your version up to 50,000, if necessary. Btw the only reasonable way to find out if it works, is by not ever running into a limit; else I would have to create some sort of dummy mod, that just puts FLMM to work… Well maybe I can do that… I’ll see.

I’ll switch to my other comp to try it out later (my new modem is about to arrive just about right now).

I remember once having used a text editor that was able to do bulk replacements of more than one line (the same you can do in NotePad and WordPad with ctrl+H, but not limited to edits within a single line). Can NotePad++ do such stuff? Well, I’ll find out within some hours.

Bas wrote:
Do not forget that your clients will need the same hacked FLMM as well.

As pointed out, they won’t: a distributional (is that a word?) version of such a mod, can consist of the modified .ini files (and maybe some other modified files, like the .fl files), the DLLs and additional .cmp’s, .3db’s, .txm’s etc. It would not have to contain any more .xml files than a simple script.xml, and will therefore be FLMM-version independent. (I am curious whether this .xml-free version will be signifcantly smaller in size.)

In effect, the distributional version would simply be a zipped copy of the entire Freelancer folder while the mod is installed, minus any files that were not modified.

Of course, the .xml-plethora version of the mod could also be distributed - and indeed the package would then have to include the hacked FLMM, instructions how to use it etc. Not a big deal.

Note that this is all hypothetical. For various reasons (re-learning certain things, learning new things, other things I like to do, other things I need to do, etc.) my progress has been and will be rather slow. I’d be happy to have it finished some years before NASA establises their base at the Moon’s southpole (Maybe I should speed things up though, in case that 2012 Maya Doomsday hype proves to be true)

Bullwinkle - thanks again, for both the info on NotePad++ and WinMerge.

I’m at my work now (nightshift, usually it’s rather quiet but sometimes it can be nasty) and I do have a limited internet connection thru my employer’s network, meaning I can use IExplorer, but cannot download anything; neither can I use drives or devices to move stuff from this pc to my laptop (I can use webbased mail though, but then I’ll have to wait till I’m home to connect my laptop to the 'net). So downloading WinMerge will have to wait till tomorrow. I have Notepad++ already on my 'top though.

Tonight I’ll see how far I come with setting up a couple of star systems. A nice opportunity to try and test some things (like rumors and news)