Beyond the Sword Editor
- Thread starter Kael
- Start date
ddrekins
Event Master
Don't close the thread just yet. I haven't made any serious changes to the editor yet. I'd focus on just the editor if I wasn't attempting to create my own mod during my free time (of which I have little today.) I think we can do cool stuff with this. If it wasn't for this editor I probably wouldn't have started understanding visual basic or, in a roundabout way, Python.
ddrekins
Event Master
One quick thing. If someone could explain how to create the "Submit Button"s on Excel (I'm thinking I'll have to tinker with the Microsoft Script Editor), it would REALLY speed up progress on getting an import function up and running. After that I think I can figure things out on my own for the most part.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Kalimakhus
Emperor
- Joined
- May 8, 2007
- Messages
- 1,249
I found this tool for easier editing of XML files:
http://xmlfox.com/download.htm
When you open an XML file you can switch to a grid view that looks exactly like an Excel sheet. Editing existing data is quite easy. You can also add new items through it.
http://xmlfox.com/download.htm
When you open an XML file you can switch to a grid view that looks exactly like an Excel sheet. Editing existing data is quite easy. You can also add new items through it.
ddrekins
Event Master
How customizable is it? Would it allow me to fill in information on what each parameter does and put in drop-down lists?
Kalimakhus
Emperor
- Joined
- May 8, 2007
- Messages
- 1,249
I haven't explored it fully yet. It however has the advantage of loading any XML file and display it in a grid. If you have the time to continue working on the Excel sheet you can end-up with a better solution. However, so far this was the closest thing I found to xml modding requirements.
ddrekins
Event Master
Okay, turns out command buttons aren't so hard. Now I just need to know how to write an XML Map. (And figure out what one is. . .)
ddrekins
Event Master
Breakthrough:
I've found an easy way to import any XML data into this program. It won't be with the click of a button as I originally hoped but it'll be easy enough that a simple one paragraph readme file will explain how to do it.
I will soon put up a file with all of the BTS data in it. HOWEVER! I have not tested all of the tabs and while the data within the spreadsheets will be accurate, I do not know if the Visual Basic is correct for every tab. This should move us leaps and bounds ahead though.
EDIT: This just got trickier. Among other things, it seems I'm going to have to find a way to deal with the Columns limit of 256 to fit all of the data inside this. I've got a couple of ideas but I'm not sure which is simpler. I could 1) Have multiple tabs (spreadsheets) for each XML file and have the additional tabs continue from where the first one ends or 2) I could put additional items beneath the current items so when you've reached your 256th item you just go back to the left side and start working from beneath the other items.
I'm going to try #2 first but if anyone thinks it would be significantly easier to do #1 please tell me. Also, any help on the Visual Basic code to do either would speed me up.
I've found an easy way to import any XML data into this program. It won't be with the click of a button as I originally hoped but it'll be easy enough that a simple one paragraph readme file will explain how to do it.
I will soon put up a file with all of the BTS data in it. HOWEVER! I have not tested all of the tabs and while the data within the spreadsheets will be accurate, I do not know if the Visual Basic is correct for every tab. This should move us leaps and bounds ahead though.
EDIT: This just got trickier. Among other things, it seems I'm going to have to find a way to deal with the Columns limit of 256 to fit all of the data inside this. I've got a couple of ideas but I'm not sure which is simpler. I could 1) Have multiple tabs (spreadsheets) for each XML file and have the additional tabs continue from where the first one ends or 2) I could put additional items beneath the current items so when you've reached your 256th item you just go back to the left side and start working from beneath the other items.
I'm going to try #2 first but if anyone thinks it would be significantly easier to do #1 please tell me. Also, any help on the Visual Basic code to do either would speed me up.
ddrekins
Event Master
The first one I tried was Civ4EventInfos and it has 339 items AFTER I deleted all of the duplicates I strangely received. The duplicates bother me. When importing the XML data using an XML map, I got at least 5 of each item. Of course, I could import them at that point (even with the x5 duplicate factor) because they were inverted (rows/columns.) Excel 2003 has over 35,000 rows but only 256 columns. If I could figure out why the duplicates existed it would ease my mind but I'm not bothering with that right now.
I'm pretty sure I can take the #2 approach with only a little difficulty and a bit of time. However, I've got ANOTHER problem I ran into.
When I'm transposing (inverting x-y) some of the XML items I'm not getting things lined up the way I would like them to be. I'll have to add blank columns here and there to get it to fit but that shouldn't take too long.
Strangely enough, when importing my XML stuff from the mod I'm working on (which has been exported through this BTS editor) I don't get duplicates and I don't run into formating issues. I'm not certain why I don't get the duplicates but I think this thing is going to be much more compatible with files created by this editor than those created without this editor.
I'm pretty sure I can take the #2 approach with only a little difficulty and a bit of time. However, I've got ANOTHER problem I ran into.
When I'm transposing (inverting x-y) some of the XML items I'm not getting things lined up the way I would like them to be. I'll have to add blank columns here and there to get it to fit but that shouldn't take too long.
Strangely enough, when importing my XML stuff from the mod I'm working on (which has been exported through this BTS editor) I don't get duplicates and I don't run into formating issues. I'm not certain why I don't get the duplicates but I think this thing is going to be much more compatible with files created by this editor than those created without this editor.
ddrekins
Event Master
I got it! I've successfully imported the BTS XML data for Events. I have added functionality for the creation of 510 events. I could, at a later time, increase the functionality to a seemingly infinite number (81,000+) but I don't really think that will be necessary.
Shortly, I will have Version 1.2 up and going. This version will allow people to take the BTS data for Events, Text, and Event Triggers and tweak it (or add to it) to their hearts content. There is no Import functionality as of yet; that would be rather complicated. However, like I said, the BTS data for the 3.13 no bug version is uploaded.
Is anyone else excited!?
Shortly, I will have Version 1.2 up and going. This version will allow people to take the BTS data for Events, Text, and Event Triggers and tweak it (or add to it) to their hearts content. There is no Import functionality as of yet; that would be rather complicated. However, like I said, the BTS data for the 3.13 no bug version is uploaded.
Is anyone else excited!?
ddrekins
Event Master
I'm in the process of "auto-"formatting the Event Trigger data. I'm nearly done but need to call it quits for tonight. Also, I think I'll add to the Event list until it allows for 1020 Events. I'll need the extra space for the mod I'm working on because at the rate I am going, I'll run out of room with only 510 "Events."
ddrekins
Event Master
Bad news. . . the version 1.2 that I was working on is so buggy. . . it isn't worth releasing.
I'm going to go straight to version 1.3 which includes fixes for all of the data that I'm losing and handles the duplicates properly. I'll need to enhance the existing spreadsheets significantly to do this though. This is going to take a while. . .
Ranbir, if you want to help out a little bit, I've got some small tasks that need to be done but I'm too burnt out to do any time soon. Are you interested? If so, give me a PM.
I'm going to go straight to version 1.3 which includes fixes for all of the data that I'm losing and handles the duplicates properly. I'll need to enhance the existing spreadsheets significantly to do this though. This is going to take a while. . .
Ranbir, if you want to help out a little bit, I've got some small tasks that need to be done but I'm too burnt out to do any time soon. Are you interested? If so, give me a PM.
ddrekins
Event Master
Wait, has that been released?
Would I have to buy it (my current version may or may not be bootlegged)?
Do I need Vista (shudder)?
Would I have to buy it (my current version may or may not be bootlegged)?
Do I need Vista (shudder)?
ddrekins
Event Master
I'm actually thinking of taking this a different direction. I'm probably going to start this from scratch (with the ideas given to me from Kael's version) in OpenOffice. If that doesn't work, I may try creating a database in Python or something.
Any way to get the data import for Civics?
I'm looking for an "easy" way to tweak the civics, but it's a gigantic pain.
I'm looking for an "easy" way to tweak the civics, but it's a gigantic pain.
Kael
Deity
I believe the new version of OpenOffice runs VB scripts so it should be a pretty easy conversion (and gets you on a free legal product). The only reason I dont use it is because it still have the 256 column limit (which honestly isnt a big deal for normal Civ4 modding, but it isnt big enough for FfH).
