Cross-Platform Editor for Conquests now available! 1.48

[Quintillus]

I've found a visual bug in tech swapping in version 1.31. If you re-order technologies, they may appear twice in the list of technologies. E.g. moving Writing may cause writing to appear twice. At least when swapping one tech, this bug is purely visual, and a saved-and-reloaded BIQ would have the re-ordered tech where you wanted it to go. However, I'd still recommend using 1.30 if you are re-ordering techs, both to avoid any potential issues when swapping more than one tech, and to avoid the definite UI confusion. I'm working on fixing this issue currently.

(From a technical level, the editor keeps both a "master list" of the tech order, and a separate one for the order they are displayed in on the tech tab. This latter one is also the one used when you filter techs, and is the one affected by the bug)

I'm glad to hear that there are multiple scenarios that will be able to use the new map functionality!

 

[Quintillus]

Version 1.32

Version 1.32 completes the technical update of the technology list on the Tech Tab, which was in-progress in 1.32. This fixes the bug mentioned in post #1121. Changes:

• Fix the regression in 1.31 where reordered techs' names would display incorrectly in the tech list.
• Complete a behind-the-scenes update of the technology list
• You can now re-order techs in BIQs that don't have custom player data (technically possible in 1.31 as well, but forgot to note the change)
• If you rename a technology, all the dropdowns that list that technology will immediately have the new name

The overhaul of the technical underpinnings of the tech list should allow the new-style lists, currently only seen on the tech, unit, and (partially) building tabs, to be rolled out somewhat more quickly. Notably, all the "common" tasks, such as implementing drag-and-drop, re-ordering the list, and connecting the filter text area with the list, are now reusable. There are still non-negligible per-tab tasks - notably updating other tabs' dropdowns to reflect a swap, and implementing filtering logic for each type of BIQ item - but I'd estimate 30% or so of the effort per-tab will be saved.

Or by analogy, this is like the evolution from "I'm going to try building a bookshelf for my house" and the first one or two are where you're still learning as you go, doing things ad-hoc in your garage, and there might be a few rough edges. Now it's making a bunch of them, and they're still custom for where they're being placed, but there's a proper workshop for things like staining the wood that every bookshelf is going to need.

You can download version 1.32 here.

 

[FullPisec]

How to run? At startup, a welcome window pops up and a log is formed:
1 [main] INFO Main - Starting program - version 1.32
2 [main] INFO Main - Looking for config file at civ3editor.ini
2 [main] WARN Main - Couldn't find config file
30 [main] INFO Main - Could not find install path

 

[Quintillus]

What you've described so far sounds normal for running the first time on a system where it can't auto-detect where Civ3 is installed (it can only auto-detect Civ on 32-bit Windows). After clicking "OK" on the welcome window, it should open an "Open" dialog for selecting where Civ III is installed.

If that isn't happening, I would expect an error message somewhere slightly farther down in the logs. Failing that, the only other options I can think of are:

- Make sure the "Open" window isn't hidden on another monitor, on another virtual desktop if those are enabled, or behind another window. It shouldn't be, but what you've described is consistent with what you would see if the Open window was hiding somewhere that you couldn't see it.
- Run it from the command line, in case the error is not being put in the log for some reason. From a command prompt/terminal window in the directory where you downloaded the editor, you can start it by running: java -jar "Conquests Editor.jar".
- Post with more details about the system you are running on, such as operating system (including version and 32-bit vs 64-bit), and version of Java (you can get this by running: java -version at a command prompt/terminal). It's possible there's an issue on a system that is different than the ones I have, but if I know where to check, I might be able to test it in that configuration.

 

[Ozymandias]

Just in time for "The Forgotten World!

 

[FullPisec]

What you've described so far sounds normal for running the first time on a system where it can't auto-detect where Civ3 is installed (it can only auto-detect Civ on 32-bit Windows). After clicking "OK" on the welcome window, it should open an "Open" dialog for selecting where Civ III is installed.

If that isn't happening, I would expect an error message somewhere slightly farther down in the logs. Failing that, the only other options I can think of are:

- Make sure the "Open" window isn't hidden on another monitor, on another virtual desktop if those are enabled, or behind another window. It shouldn't be, but what you've described is consistent with what you would see if the Open window was hiding somewhere that you couldn't see it.
- Run it from the command line, in case the error is not being put in the log for some reason. From a command prompt/terminal window in the directory where you downloaded the editor, you can start it by running: java -jar "Conquests Editor.jar".
- Post with more details about the system you are running on, such as operating system (including version and 32-bit vs 64-bit), and version of Java (you can get this by running: java -version at a command prompt/terminal). It's possible there's an issue on a system that is different than the ones I have, but if I know where to check, I might be able to test it in that configuration.

Thanks. It started from the command line. As I understand it, the editor does not have a map generation function?

 

[Quintillus]

Thanks. It started from the command line. As I understand it, the editor does not have a map generation function?

It cannot generate one like the game or Firaxis's editor, no. If you want to create one yourself, you can create a base map (of one terrain type) with Map -> Add Map, but it cannot generate random maps.

 

[Quintillus]

Technology Update

There are a couple areas in the editor where both the original way to perform a task, and a new, largely better way, are supported, namely:

• Menus provide access to top-level functions currently. However, unchecking "Use Menus" in the Options will give you a row of buttons along the top instead, which allow access to functionality added to the editor in 2014 and earlier.
• The new sortable, filterable lists can be disabled by checking the "Use old lists" setting in the Options.

Initially, the menus were optional due to potential UI preferences for the old method, and because the buttons required 1 fewer click to perform actions. However, now the non-menu action hides 5 years' worth of features, and shortcuts have been added to many menu-based actions. The old list option was initially added when the new lists were unproven, as a fallback for both development and testing of the first reorderable-list versions. Now that the reorderable lists are a common component, my inclination is the burden of supporting the old lists outweights their fallback benefit.

Alas, these options are one of the most frequent sources of bugs - most of which affect these old options, but which also slow down and sometimes affect new development - due to added complexity, the fact that I often forget they exist, and that the code around them is old and not always well-written. Thus, I'd proposing that starting on April 1, these may be removed. The old lists will remain in any Legacy updates (as they are the only lists there).

If you use either of these options and would them to remain in the main release, please comment on them before the end of March. Otherwise, they will be removed as convenient after 4/4.

(General comments on existing features also welcome. At this point, I don't see any other options being removed in the next couple years, and these only will as they have fully-functional replacements. As always, the limiting factor on updates is development time, and retiring these options should have a small positive impact on that. If you know Java and want to contribute, the code is open-source and contributions are welcome)

 

[Civinator]

Quintillus, the 1st of April is a bad starting date, as many would see it to become 'April fools'. The 2nd April in my eyes would be a better fitting date for it.

 

[haladwin]

Hi. I want to know if is possible to have 3 of the same resource accumulative (f.e: iron(3)) as a requeriment to an specific unit? I need to know it for my project. Thank you

 

[Takhisis]

Hi. I want to know if is possible to have 3 of the same resource accumulative (f.e: iron(3)) as a requeriment to an specific unit? I need to know it for my project. Thank you

Not to my knowledge.

 

[Adrain]

Hi. I want to know if is possible to have 3 of the same resource accumulative (f.e: iron(3)) as a requeriment to an specific unit?

Hi Haladwin.

If you are asking whether it's possible to specify that a civilisation has at least three of a specific resource, so either three such tiles or fewer tiles but bumped up by trade, then the answer is no.

The data has room for three resource reference codes. Nowhere does it even hold a count for each. It simply treats an item as either present or absent (Boolean).

Were you to try to specify the code for Iron (0x00000001) three times I imagine it would simply check that all three existed, and that would logically be the same as testing the same thing only once.

 

[haladwin]

Hi Adrián. Tes, that was exactly my question.
OK, I will think another yo do what i want. Thak You for your help

 

[haladwin]

Another Issue. Im using the Quintillu´s Conquest Editor 1.32 and i used it with a Civ3 Vanilla editor map i had no troubles. Now, i cant open the file with the Vanilla editor cause it seems to crash. I still can open it with the Q.C.Editor. Could do you help me?

 

[Adrain]

I'm afraid I can't help you there my friend :-(

I've done some work independently of Quintillus's editor so I know a little bit about how the data is stored withing the SAVE files but I'm no expert on their editor I'm afraid.

I would guess that maybe a Conquests Editor would recognise a vanilla file, but save it as a Conquests one. Just a guess, but in that case the vanilla editor was released before Conquests was even a thing so would not recognise it. It would be a bit like a time-traveller coming back to today and asking for help with a technology yet to be invented. As I say, just a guess.

Good luck anyway.

 

[Quintillus]

Another Issue. Im using the Quintillu´s Conquest Editor 1.32 and i used it with a Civ3 Vanilla editor map i had no troubles. Now, i cant open the file with the Vanilla editor cause it seems to crash. I still can open it with the Q.C.Editor. Could do you help me?

I'm afraid I can't help you there my friend :-(

I've done some work independently of Quintillus's editor so I know a little bit about how the data is stored withing the SAVE files but I'm no expert on their editor I'm afraid.

I would guess that maybe a Conquests Editor would recognise a vanilla file, but save it as a Conquests one. Just a guess, but in that case the vanilla editor was released before Conquests was even a thing so would not recognise it. It would be a bit like a time-traveller coming back to today and asking for help with a technology yet to be invented. As I say, just a guess.

Good luck anyway.

Adrain is correct. The editor can open Vanilla and PTW BIC/BIX files (a capability which was added about two years ago), but can only save Conquest BIQ files. The same problem would occur if you used the Firaxis Conquests editor to open a Vanilla BIC, and saved it as a BIQ.

 

[Quintillus]

Version 1.33

Version 1.33 is now available! This update focuses on making the GOOD tab better. Changes are:

• Allow reordering of resources. This allows fixing the Phantom Resource Bug in a less tedious manner than manually re-assigning resources.
• Allow filtering of resources. Nearly every attribute is filterable; a complete list is available in the Help files.
• Improved the detection message for the Phantom Resource Bug to note how to fix it, and allow overriding the warning to save despite the Phantom Resource Bug being present.
• Fix the old-style tech list, which had stopped working in 1.31/1.32.

The Phantom Resource Bug should now be significantly less of a pain. Although automatic fixing of it is not present yet, it should now be relatively easy to reorder your strategic and luxury resources to have them all be in the first 32 slots (which is the traditional recommendation, but formerly required having all resources planned out in advance in resource-intensive scenarios).

 

[haladwin]

Thanks for your help. I fixed it by importing the main tabs i realy need and deleting and replacing some unused resources instead to create new ones. There is a problem in the amount of resource i can add.

 

[Quintillus]

With all updates to the resource tab and the list of resources, I've been thinking about various possible improvements, and happened to code up the basics of one relatively quickly. The result:



What's most striking to me is how visually pleasing it is to have the tech icons present. They're real-size (as in, the same size as the "small" tech icons used in-game), which means each row uses a bit less than double the height of when the icons weren't present. So a loss in density, but quite possibly a gain in being able to select an item at a glance.

So far it's only techs (as that's the only area where I already had code to import tech icons... conveniently, at least), and it's very un-optimized right now. But I figured I'd share the screenshot to see if this is something that people would find useful to be present more generally. I mostly coded it up because I'd been thinking about the Sevopedia (from Civ4) and wanted to see if I could add it in a reasonable amount of time.

 

[haladwin]

Thanks for your time Quintillus.
I hace a question yo You: Theres a way i could to create a building with a negative production Bonus, perhaps, a -1000 production with which i had a city almost improductive? I don't know if i am explaning myself. I need a specific city with no units production.