Freelancer Path Generator

StarTrader wrote:
Well Chips, I believe it was at my request that you started this project, and so I reserve the right to say:-

• We had nothing else to go on at the time except manual editing.

• I was pulling my hair out.

• I will continue to use it in preference to the auto-rebuild.

• I think you’ve done a fab job of it.

• I respect you for keeping the urge to complete it.

• I admire you for finding the nooks and crannies and digging them into the light!

  And my full apprecation and thanks.

  Now - how do you feel about taking on my other request for a utility to dig out and check the material hashes in .mat files and compare them to what the .cmp file wants to find, looking for missing materials and duplicate material names so that we reduce problems of several ships using the same name accidentally?

  That would be a great one too.

  

  You’re too kind

  I replied on that question though All I need to know is the encoding those files utilise. If I know how to “read” the file, I can then make the program

Just a small addition to say source code is back in (see first post).

Whilst the tool is entirely obsolete as FLServer will generate these files for you, the rudimentary source code will just show how I achieved what I did.

I am no pro programmer, this was cobbled together in how my mind designed and saw the thing. I am always open to comments about how I could improve aspects of coding, so please feel free to say what is not optimal, or just plain bad if you do look through and feel the urge to correct me (I honestly welcome it!).

I used Netbeans as my IDE, so if you also use netbeans, you’ll be able to see the GUI builder

it’ll make sure jumpgates have a destination to go to - if there isn’t the object there, it’ll tell you

Downside is it doesn’t do encrypted files. I think I could put it in, but can’t be arsed at present

Timmy51m wrote:
When you say FLServer does this for you, does that mean path files are not necessary in multiplayer but are necessary for single player?

What i mean is that if you have no path files (i.e. delete them) and start FLServer…they are created.

I do not know whether FLServer generated path files obey locked gates, or generates paths for impossible jumps (i.e. the jumpgate in one system that is missing the corresponding jump object in the supposedly connected system) as I haven’t investigated.

Timmy51m wrote:
So you do need accurate path files for singleplayer? Your tool is hardly obsolete if that’s a true statement.

Well, you do, yes. However, if you make a mod - then you would distribute the files with the mod - so players don’t need it. It’s a mod making tool basically.

If someone makes a mod and they’ve added systems though - they don’t need to download this and Java (although most PC’s have it installed anyway now), instead they can just run FLServer and let it generate the files for them and then copy them into their mod (i.e. Activate mod in FLMM, delete the shortest path files in the Freelancer Directory, then run FLServer, copy the files generated to desktop, deactivate mod, and then copy/paste the files over their mod files in FLMM).

Actually, that almost sounds like more work I’m happy if people do use it, and hope it is perfect in how it functions.

However, although path files were a major headache and I was lazy (to not want to create them by hand) - I made it after I finished modding - so it was simply because I enjoyed programming

It is actually very simple, you could remove 95% of the code as only a few lines really do the work… the rest is just to reassure users and make a nice usable interface
So the program itself is a little bloated, but meh

That message is bloody useless I should have made it display the errors it has found - whoops blushes

I think it’s an easy fix for me, but… unfortunately timing is everything, it’s silly’o’clock in the morning and I’m off to bed. In 24 hours I am flying off to Vienna for a week skiing in Austria

If it’s an RC I cannot download to check the mod.

edit Well, apart from having an issue with two versions (whoops, so clumsy of me) on my PC and being unsure which I was working upon - I’ve uploaded the current release with a small fix to hopefully display the errors window.

I did a preliminary test by just renaming Ku02.ini to Ku02a.ini - it throws an ioexception, but displays in the errors window afterwards “missing file KU02” - so whilst I dunno what your error is, I hope this will allow for some clarity in displaying the errors window

Try downloading the original link (file should be 102kb or so).

It will give exception still, BUT hopefully the errors window will then appear saying wtf it is Let me know