Ideas for Automatic Document Generator utility

Just a quick one:

On the sliders issue all that we need be concerned with is the slider value at the start of the turn and at end of the turn. Any adjustments in between are irrelevant.

Of course this would imply delaying the comment for the slider change until the turn is complete. It wouldn't bother me but I don't know about others.

@ControlFreak
quote:
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Originally posted by ControlFreak
Umm...maybe I'm missing the point here but
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Don't foget the poor old Mac users They won't be able to use PTL (unless it will run under VirtualPC or the like) so something like the spreadsheet will be their best option.

regards

Ted
 
Originally posted by TedJackson
Just a quick one:
Don't foget the poor old Mac users They won't be able to use PTL (unless it will run under VirtualPC or the like) so something like the spreadsheet will be their best option.
Click to expand...
:blush: How quickly we forget. I too was a Mac User up until last year when I got my Dell. My apologies to the Mac Users.

Regarding the interface, the blinking "I need attention" philosophy sounds like a great way to go. Is it possible to have PTL store a stack of things it needs help with so a player can play through a few events before clicking on PTL? The best would be to insert fields into the log everytime info is required but not given. Clicking on PTL would pop up the log with all the blank fields and increment through them as they get answered. If thing's don't get answered, there would just be a blank in the text output.

The same could work for unit logging. Each unit gets an "log each move" flag. It defaults to on. When the flag is on each move event is logged with a blank field at the end for thoughts/explanation. If nothing needs to be said, the player just skips that field and it outputs blank. When a unit is active, the "log each move" flag status could be displayed next to the PTL logo and the status can be switched by clicking/declicking a checkbox or something.

I think the Diplomacy would be similar. I like what you did with the user trigger events until you can find the addresses in memory.

Great work so far SpiderZord. Definitely looking forward to test driving this.:goodjob: :worshp:
 
Originally posted by TedJackson
Just a quick one:

Don't foget the poor old Mac users They won't be able to use PTL (unless it will run under VirtualPC or the like) so something like the spreadsheet will be their best option.

regards

Ted
Click to expand...
I mentioned the Mac issue a few posts ago in this thread, and started thinking about how PTL could be ported to OS X.

Unfortunately the Mac version of Civ3 does not allow any other user interface activity while it is on screen. So any online logging would require the player to pause the game before annotating each log entry. I don't think this would be usable, so Virtual PC may be the only option (but too expensive for me to justify) :(
 
I too, was once a Mac user... I had a Mac Classic in college. I think it had 2 MB RAM and I'm pretty sure it had a hard drive :lol:

I also remember playing Strategic Conquest (StratCon) on the appletalk network in the mac lab instead of doing the engineering labs we were supposed to be doing ;) - little did I realize then that it was just late night gaming preparation for Civ III!

PTL note: I found the city improvements buildings/wonders flags - one less thing to find...
 
@AlanH
Originally posted by AlanH
Unfortunately the Mac version of Civ3 does not allow any other user interface activity while it is on screen. So any online logging would require the player to pause the game before annotating each log entry.
Click to expand...
Bummer :(

I was thinking that REALBasic might have been a possibility (subject to CrusaderJoe & SpiderZord releasing source). Oh well.


@SpiderZord
PTL note: I found the city improvements buildings/wonders flags - one less thing to find...
Click to expand...
Better & better :goodjob:

regards

Ted
 
Thanks RufRydyr! I had not seen the bic format thread.

It does help some - although there are differences in how the data is stored in the file vs. how it shows up in memory. For instance, the city data is scattered all through process memory with a 'pointer' array of memory addresses to locate each city. Looking through the file format has shown me some interesting bits... :)
 
How is this coming along? Do you guys have a program yet? A beta? I am very curious!
 
I recently hit a wall on available time... :crazyeye: :(
my son was in surgery this week (he's o.k.), and I'm visiting family in Colorado for a long weekend the end of this month. My plan is to have the beta ready... I may scale back on features I had planned for the original and add them in later. Thanks again for everyone's patience...
 
No worrys SpiderZord...its a long month (as opposed to only 30 days).:lol:

Glad your son is OK. Have fun in Colorado. Try not to think of us too much.;)
 
@SpiderZord

A beta would be good if you can manage it. Just think of it as an opportunity to get the bugs out of the core before adding the frills ;)

I hope your son's recovery is going well and that you have a nice break.


regards

Ted
 
Originally posted by RufRydyr
So are you close to a beta? I'd like to play with something for a day or two before starting gotm20 if that's possible.
Click to expand...

I don't think I would go so far as to call it a demo... none of the logging features are ready. But most of the data model is there & it will help to have users of the other versions (1.29f and 1.14f) to look at the 'data' screen and check for bugs in the data (double check my memory offsets). I have tested it only with 1.21f, so please be aware it is very BETA.

I did provide a means at the bottom of the data screen to copy the summary and data sections to the turn notes, which does enable you to capture some of that data. I don't know how useful it will be in it's current clunky state.

The only event trigger is when a goody hut is popped - the PTL icon will flash until the queue button is pressed (but that only turns off the flashing icon - it will ultimately trigger the form that let's you capture the hut results or whatever the event needs. It currently is only demonstrating the 'watchdog' behavior of the PTL engine that will eventually be monitoring all 'relevant' changes and trigger the icon flash.

I have got to get some sleep! I leave tomorrow early and will not have access to my code for 4 days, so please capture bug notes here and I'll take a look when I get home. Thanks!

Colorado bound...

PTL 1.3 Demo BETA
 
I use PTW 1.14f. I start the game then run PTL and I get this error

error.jpg


Do I have to put the .ini file somewhere specific?

The installation directory is not the default path, but is correctly stated in the registry.

I don't get the error with the previous version.
 
I used if for a few turns in
ptw.jpg
v1.21f. It loaded fine, after I started a game. I didn't notice any errors in data recording (but I only used it for a few turns). The copy function works too.:goodjob:

For now, I think the interface is too clunky to use for the whole QSC period, so I'm staying with my excel sheet for now.

Some comments:
  1. The data window is not resizable. I think I would like to shrink it a little sometimes so I can see the map at the same time.
  2. To log the results of a turn, you'd have to switch to all the different data sets and copy them to the log. (I assume you will have a different, configuable, output path.)
  3. Copying the column headers for the units is distracting for the first couple of turns where you only have 1 or two units.(Again, probably fixed with the output path.)
  4. The QSC scoring can be configured but I wasn't sure how to do that or what my options are using the ini file. Will we have to change the .ini for each GOTM?
More as I use it. It's really shaping up nicely though. Thanks for all your hard work SpiderZord.
 
Originally posted by ControlFreak
For now, I think the interface is too clunky to use for the whole QSC period, so I'm staying with my excel sheet for now.
Click to expand...

We don't have to focus too much attention on the interface just yet. SpiderZord has done a super job so far.:goodjob: The interfece is nothing but like the icing decorative on the cake. First he must bake the cake and make sure that it bakes well and tastes great, then the next step would be to work on those icing decoration. Therefore, let's have a taste of this prototype to help SpiderZord fine tunning his recipe (like locating bugs and making sure the program getting the right set of data and so on).

Thanks for all your hard work SpiderZord.:) I will test run your program this weekend.
 
CivIII v1.29f
I load the game the run PTL and I get:

Error Num 9 Subscript out of range

Then:

Unable to initialize C3Data

Is it me or the program?
 
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