RevDCM Specific Code Proposals

[johny smith]

Can you explain more Johnny?

Edit: Like what's locked away in the exe? If things are locked away in the exe then why can we load new icons by hardcoding values in the SDK regarding the gamefont. I'm not understanding, can I see an example of where such hardcodes are set? Where in the SDK is the code dealing with the gamefonts, and what parts are known to be loaded by the exe?

Yes I can. Number 1 like I always said I did not write the code. I simple merged the code. And who did is the mystery question. I wish someone that modded would come back and help. Only one person knows it and that is "Mr Genie".

If you do not understand what the benefit is to having the gamefonts then I don't know how to help you really. You guys decide. Personally I don't care what you do. You have bad mouthed everything I have did so it is not like I really care. This will be how horrible I am when you do not understand it anyway. Not very friendly responses is all I can say.

All I can say is you are lucky to have what I did, and I don't like your rudeness about everything WoC sucks attitude(equating to I suck). If you understood more you would not say such things. Although you might say damn I wish it could be better, or I wished they had finish some thing... I will say it one more time "I am not the original coder of the WoC SDK" I was just the little button faerie/ unit art fixer.

 

[phungus420]

I don't think I've said WoC sucks once in this thread. Or even implied it. My original feelings on merging WoC are well known, but that's water under the bridge now, and WoC is staying in RevDCM; many users of the RevDCM core like the WoC modular loading abilities and require it to stay a part of the RevDCM core. Anyway none of that is neither here nor there.

The issue is that right now we have found a problem with the gamefonts tga file, and how it is loaded. It has hardcoding in it (apparently, as I've said I don't really know what we are talking about here, and don't even know where the code is, so I'm pretty clueless) which causes 2 issues with RevDCM. First it forces all mods that use the RevDCM core to load alot of extra art that isn't needed by the mods. Secondly we are running into hardcoded limit issues such as the number of resources in RoM or it's mod mods.

All I am interested in is correcting the above 2 issues, and having a softcoded user friendly approach to the loading of the gamefont.tga. You know more about this then anyone involved, I believe, which is why I'm asking you for some help.

 

[Afforess]

All I am interested in is correcting the above 2 issues, and having a softcoded user friendly approach to the loading of the gamefont.tga. You know more about this then anyone involved, I believe, which is why I'm asking you for some help.

The answer is, effectively, this is impossible. At least without the exe code. We have to live with what we have, and make the best of a bad situation.

 

[phungus420]

That doesn't make any sense. WoC hardcodes a new limit for corporations and religions right? Does this with the SDK right? There was just just some new code added to CvGameTextMgr.cpp that allows setting an integer value in the Global Defines file to effect loading of the gamefont.tga right? So obviously someone is accessing and altering the functions dealing with loading the gamefont.tga file, using the SDK we have access too. There is no reason that these hardcoded values need to stay hardcoded, if they can be hardcoded in the SDK, then can be coded to be softcoded in the SDK.

 

[johny smith]

It is 3:04 AM here and I've been drinking. My grandmother stateside is dying at this moment.

My original feelings on merging WoC are well known, but that's water under the bridge now, and WoC is staying in RevDCM;

The WoC code is sitting in front of your "experts" eyes to look into more. It is available on sourceforge online. I was asked to help on art is why I joined the WoC project to begin with.

I ripped out some code from the WoC. I called WoC Lite. Something anyone can do, but instead they need some middle man it seems that makes buttons to do it for them.

Many sagas later the middle man who tried to do this seeing no one else would is hammered for the failings of it. Anything from the WoC is labeled unstable because I the button faerie can not fix things quickly enough that were stable even though the same people who are upset with the button faerie will not just look at the original sources available online.

Everything the button faerie says is ignored when trying to help. Because everything WoC Lite equates to now WoC. Which has many extras not found in the WoC Lite that could add more things to any mod.

First it forces all mods that use the RevDCM core to load alot of extra art that isn't needed by the mods.

It loads more fonts by default. It can be set in the global defines how many religions and corporations load, and I said it in this very thread but again ignored.

Secondly we are running into hardcoded limit issues such as the number of resources in RoM or it's mod mods.

If you load less religions and corporations in the global defines you can load more resources. You need like I said to remove the white blocks that are already loading because the WoC was forced to lock the religions and corporations to a set amount. I left a file to be worked with to do this easier. No one cares about the file.

All I am interested in is correcting the above 2 issues, and having a softcoded user friendly approach to the loading of the gamefont.tga. You know more about this then anyone involved, I believe, which is why I'm asking you for some help.

It can not be softcoded. I may know more about the tweaking the fonts file itself but not the code.

Summary I what I am saying if you want to know more from me you should read what I write. I wrote the comments in this thread for a reason. Hell I tried to give a short tutorial on how to work with the files. I even set up things to help with modules in RevDCM(not phungus here criticizing for a change) and that was ignored. An entire SVN for modules or modmods(whatever you want to call it) not used at all. As well as making modules that were not used, but instead criticized.

There are modular themes for example like Blue Marble or Dark Blue that you can drag and drop in the modules folder, and any more things already made sitting in the WoC SVN not WoC Lite. Even installers for them already available from the WoC. So everytime I try to help it first ignored and/or then criticized later. What is different in this situation?

I do not like helping people who would give 2 terds to me for what my thoughts are on improving things. It is your guys mod that is very clear, and what I have to say is worthless input. Sorry for the rant, but I if I could do it again I would of not bothered. And this makes very little sense in this thread just like it makes very little sense of me bothering to help. I need to sleep. Yes I am grouch that wants to ruin your mod if that makes you feel better.

 

[Afforess]

That doesn't make any sense. WoC hardcodes a new limit for corporations and religions right? Does this with the SDK right? There was just just some new code added to CvGameTextMgr.cpp that allows setting an integer value in the Global Defines file to effect loading of the gamefont.tga right?

No. There is a lot of added code in the CvXMLLoad... files for the TGA Index's. It's some pretty advanced code that I am afraid to touch. It isn't as simple as ripping some code out, it's a packaged deal. It is impossible to softcode them, as specific things need the code, and it's a bit too late to worry now. Since the decision to add WoC Lite has already been made, and there's no going back, we just need to accept that the game font is not going to change unless Firaxis pulls off some kind of miracle...

 

[phungus420]

Johnny I'm sorry to hear your grandma is dying. I'm pretty close to my Grandma, at least the one that lives up here and it's going to be a bummer when she goes, especially with all the family drama that will ensue afterwards. If that's what's bugging you I understand, and it's OK to vent here about it, I don't mind at all. But I do have to say that your reaction made me re-read the thread and I don't understand what I could have written here, or in the past couple months that you think is directed against you. If something I've said has upset you and you're taking it as a personal attack, I apologize, I have meant no disrespect, at least by anything I've written in the past couple months.

Now I did ask if it was possible to rip out the TGA loading code and revert to BtS. This isn't a personal attack; I just think like this; if something isn't working the way I think it should I want to know if it's possible to just remove it and start over. I've done this with some code already, sometimes it's the best long term solution. Apparently in this instance it is not, and I don't see the harm in asking. As I've said multiple times I don't understand anything about the gamfonts.tga file, loading it, editing it, anything about it, other then it holds the icons. This means that every mod that uses a RevDCM core needs to load all that art into the memory and whatever else the Civ4 engine does to have it accessible to the engine.

I guess what I really don't get is the fact that right now RoM uses a seperate gamefonts.tge, I'm assuming Dune Wars does as well (look at all their new icons). So there must be some modibility in the system. Why can't we have it where base RevDCM only includes base needed art for itself (BtS and BUG stuff), and then have a larger file available for mods that want more icons? I don't get whey this is imossible if RoM, Dune Wars, and RevDCM right now all use different gamefont.tga files. The facts just don't square with what everyone is telling me, because different mods are using different gamefont files.

I don't consider myself a stupid person but I'm totally lost here. Johnny you know more then anyone else about this stuff, but you seem to be upset by my stated request, and I don't think it's an unreasonable one. Afforess you seem to have a handle on things, but you keep telling me it's impossible, all the while telling me at the same time RoM is currently using a different gamfont file. I don't get it. What exactly would be messed up if we used the WoC formatted tga file, and removed all unneeded icons from it (things that aren't in standard BtS and BUG), and then at the same time took the current one RevDCM is using and add the new art some mods want (such as the new icons in Rapture and RoM), and allow the people that download RevDCM decide which gamefont file they want? Why is this impossible, and how if it is impossible are different mods that currently use the RevDCM core using differnt gamefonts.tga files?

 

[Afforess]

I guess what I really don't get is the fact that right now RoM uses a seperate gamefonts.tge, I'm assuming Dune Wars does as well (look at all their new icons). So there must be some modibility in the system. Why can't we have it where base RevDCM only includes base needed art for itself (BtS and BUG stuff), and then have a larger file available for mods that want more icons? I don't get whey this is imossible if RoM, Dune Wars, and RevDCM right now all use different gamefont.tga files. The facts just don't square with what everyone is telling me, because different mods are using different gamefont files.

No, they are all the same gamefont, with the same shape and size, just with a few different icons. The BTS gamefont is a completely different shape than the WoC one. It's much smaller.

 

[Duuk]

Yes I can. Number 1 like I always said I did not write the code. I simple merged the code. And who did is the mystery question. I wish someone that modded would come back and help. Only one person knows it and that is "Mr Genie".

If you do not understand what the benefit is to having the gamefonts then I don't know how to help you really. You guys decide. Personally I don't care what you do. You have bad mouthed everything I have did so it is not like I really care. This will be how horrible I am when you do not understand it anyway. Not very friendly responses is all I can say.

All I can say is you are lucky to have what I did, and I don't like your rudeness about everything WoC sucks attitude(equating to I suck). If you understood more you would not say such things. Although you might say damn I wish it could be better, or I wished they had finish some thing... I will say it one more time "I am not the original coder of the WoC SDK" I was just the little button faerie/ unit art fixer.

This, right here, is why I was against the WoC merger in the first place. It adds bloated nonsense and anyone that disagrees with that is told how evil and stupid they are.

Merging RevDCM with WoC added nothing of value except compatibility with a mod codebase that was already dying and all-but-dead when it was merged.

I know it's too late now, but since RevDCM has become "the standard" for mods, I wish there was a way to go back and stop the WoC merger.

 

[zappara]

IIt loads more fonts by default. It can be set in the global defines how many religions and corporations load, and I said it in this very thread but again ignored.

If you load less religions and corporations in the global defines you can load more resources. You need like I said to remove the white blocks that are already loading because the WoC was forced to lock the religions and corporations to a set amount. I left a file to be worked with to do this easier. No one cares about the file.

You are not ignored - I've read over the years just about everything you've said about WoC fonts and all that info has been great help when editing those files. I guess we could again remove another line of icons from religions and corporations to get more slots for resources... though in RoM case this means that I'd need to rebuild the whole religion section since some modmods add religions so gamefonts still have to support those. Since it has now all your mod's, Rapture's, religion icons, there's quite a lot of unused icons included. I just get shivers when thinking about how difficult task this would be (not too hard but time consuming, I'm pretty good with editing gamefonts these days).

Thanks for reminding about the corporation/religion maximum number - I had almost forgotten we had those defined in the xml.

I guess what I really don't get is the fact that right now RoM uses a seperate gamefonts.tge, I'm assuming Dune Wars does as well (look at all their new icons). So there must be some modibility in the system. Why can't we have it where base RevDCM only includes base needed art for itself (BtS and BUG stuff), and then have a larger file available for mods that want more icons? I don't get whey this is imossible if RoM, Dune Wars, and RevDCM right now all use different gamefont.tga files. The facts just don't square with what everyone is telling me, because different mods are using different gamefont files.

First, RoM gamefonts can be used in RevDCM but in religion xml defines the tagindex numbers would have to be changed since RoM has the religion icons in different order due to WoC fonts containing all Rapture icons. If you want to try/see RoM fonts, I just made new ones with those BUG spaceship part icons + Eurebius religion icons (Johny and Eurebius discussing about religions in RoM forum). You can download the fonts from here. These fonts have just the maximum amount of resource icons that work - if even one more is added, you'll get bizarre text effects in-game. With these fonts you could also use all WoC resource modules in RevDCM with just drag'n'drop method... johny can probably enlighten us where to find those WoC modules...

Edit: I took another look at RevDCM fonts and it already has BUG spaceship parts and most religion icons included so you can pretty much ignore my above paragraph...

Second, if you add RoM's gamefonts you would add better support to RevDCM for module makers as they wouldn't have to worry about gamefont editing. It's actually quite easy to make resource modules and not too hard to make religion/corporation modules (there's plenty of examples in RoM modmods forum).

Third, as Johny has mentioned, by reducing the amount of religion and corporation icons (means removing whole rows of slots in their icon sections from both gamefont files and then changing the maximum amount number in res folder's xml files from 138 to 92 (slots numbered in the GameFont files), would give us more slots for resources (no sdk fixs needed if I've understood correctly) - this has been done already once for RoM long time ago, had forgotten it. For this kind of task, I'd prefer to reserve whole weekend - every pixel in gamefonts has to be correctly placed or they won't work and will crash the game during load or you get some other bizarre effects so you need to be careful when editing those files.

 

[Afforess]

There are two conversations going on in this thread, and it's very counterproductive.

Phungus & Duuk,

Your opinions are noted. However, since we have WoC now, and there is no going back, we must make the best of the situation. Complaining is counterproductive. If you're not part of the solution, you're...

Zappara,

Reducing the number of corporations and religions seems like a good idea. In the RoM gamefonts, it appears 8 sets of religion icons will need to be cut. I don't mind just removing the last empty-er line, but I'd appreciate it if you moved the Shinto icons and spared them. They appear to be one of the more popular alternate religions.

That would definitely solve the issue with resources (without hardcoding) and give us space for a long time... I'm in favor.

 

[zappara]

Zappara,

Reducing the number of corporations and religions seems like a good idea. In the RoM gamefonts, it appears 8 sets of religion icons will need to be cut. I don't mind just removing the last empty-er line, but I'd appreciate it if you moved the Shinto icons and spared them. They appear to be one of the more popular alternate religions.

That would definitely solve the issue with resources (without hardcoding) and give us space for a long time... I'm in favor.

I doubt that any mod will ever have 92 religions (Johny's Rapture perhaps the only one) so I think that amount should be enough for all our needs - Even 20 religions would be a lot!

I'll make new fonts on next weekend if I have time for it and I'll remove 1 line from religions/corps in order to make room for more resources. From RevDCM's point of view this can be ignored since it isn't adding any religions/corporations/resources - just something I have to do for my own modpack. I'll have to check what are the most used religion icons and then reorder them into the new gamefonts...

Now I do have some code proposal for RevDCM - Get rid of CvPath.py and CvConfigParser.py files. BUG improved CvPath to BugPath long time ago and you should be using that module instead of obsolete CvPath (I removed CvPath from RoM over year ago). Also you could then probably convert revolution.ini to revolution.xml and place it to config folder where all BUG mod's configs are located.

I don't know if you have enabled yet DCMConceptInfos to Sevopedia (last time I checked, those didn't show in RevDCM sevopedia) - I have done this also in RoM long time ago and the needed python changes could be grabbed from there. I've also added most mod components' readme to DCMConcepts pages ie. converted their readmes to xml text entries (Better BtS AI entry is 20 pages long) in RoM. It would be quite trivial to add those same pedias to RevDCM though if grabbed from RoM, you'd need to make some changes to the entries since RoM uses slightly different settings for various components.

 

[johny smith]

Phungus thanks for your condolences. She was doped up on morphine and was on a feeding tube. Well anyway she has improved. For how long we do not know. It just sucks being across the ocean from family in these cases.

Yes I meant that zappara. I also meant though instead of just making one TGA alone which is still ok the photoshop file could have other layers for multiple mods. So for example if Legends of Revolution wanted a certain set icons it could have a its own icon layer. The point I am trying to say with this is....like you said it is a pain in the arse to modify the TGA files. But even more so the icons in the TGA take some time to make. So if all of the icons could be saved in a layer to be possibly be used by substituting them in it could save modders work if they want some back in the TGA. I am thinking more like a library of icons that are available for any mod.

Now to try to make it clear. If you delete all of the religion icons and have the empty white block that is not enough. You need to remove the white block like done before and change the global defines to how many blocks you are using. I have not tried to lower just one set and try it in the game. Like for example lower just religions 92 and leave corporations at 138.

As for modules there as been many changes to the WoC as it went along. Now what is in the current folders had changes for things like the Blue Marble Colonization terrain that was there to add swamp as a new terrain. Since it is a SVN I could go back to the date before different additions and saved different modules. Now with that warning first we also had some files that will used newer things that we added to the schema of course. But here is the last assets folder for 3.17 we were using.

http://worldofciv.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/worldofciv/Assets/

Now with installers there were many made for modules back with the first WoC Core version right after the 3.17 patch was released. You can look through the installer folder for them.

http://worldofciv.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/worldofciv/Installer/

Now with those that is the beginning the WoC has a ton of modules that were partially done in a WoC modules SVN.

http://wocmodules.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/wocmodules/

I am not going to upload each to the civfanatics or make an attachment because this is just too big in size. I would upload to a SVN if you modders would decide on the set up of a SVN for modules. If you would use a SVN just for modules you do not need to find an outside provider to host your files to download. You can link this to the civfanatics download database through a link afterwards.

If you decide on a module from the WoC that you want into RevDCM it can be done easily just nothing was ever done on this. Most things would not need code changes. Anyway they are there if someone wants to dig around. I can give more input if it is needed on them.

 

[Duuk]

How many of the WoC modules are actually compatible with RevDCM?

 

[johny smith]

How many of the WoC modules are actually compatible with RevDCM?

How do you count them? One unit, one civilization, one leaderhead...I don't know how you would count them. But common sense says....if a unit is just there and using just default BtS xml tags then it should work. Or leaderheads, or Civilizations, or themes that use no xml tags like Dark Blue interface....and etc.

Short simple if it is only loading the same xml tags then it has to be compatible. What is a module to you I do not know. A module could be a new build for a unit only or just a unit. Or it could be a whole religion set with buildings, units, and movies.

 

[Afforess]

I'd like to propose the addition of a new XML tag, to the Civ4FeatureInfos. Right now, when features "grow" they always use the default forest growth sound, it's hardcoded in the DLL. This tag is a "GrowthSound" tag and allows modders to make features play whatever sound they like. I have it working, and it doesn't affect save games. If you guys approve, I'll show you the SDK changes, it's a pretty easy addition.

 

[Afforess]

Bump.

Two more requests,

A BuildingClassPrereqs list for unitInfos. I've got this working in my SDK for a while now, Firaxis, in their infinite wisdom, made the PrereqBuilding tag in The UnitInfos strictly for BUILDINGS not BUILDINGCLASS's, and so UB's are not considered, problematic for ethnic mods. A list of building classes would solve this easily.

Also, Temudjin has made it so Scenario's can load without the right number of civilizations in the Scenario file for the 50 Civ DLL, this should cross off one thing on your todo list. .

 

[phungus420]

I was going to PM you guys (Afforess & davidlallen) after the release of BUG this weekend for any optimizations or simple requested tags and the code for it. But if you want to submit stuff now, please do so, I'll merge your optimizations in first. Please use the RevDCM SVN, as it was recently updated with jdog's BBAI fix (fixed the crash I had in a save so it seems to have fixed the bug).

Please limit yourself to coding changes that are simple and direct, ie that we know wol't cause any bugs. I haven't merged in the multiple production mod for a reason, as some users have reported CTDs caused by it, so no complex components like that, just simple tags and optimizations you have for AND/DW or that you think RoM/Dune Wars/etc could really use. I'd also like the code you have that moves the inquisitions functionality over to the SDK, Afforess; I was going to work on that myself, but the fact you've done it already is nice

As far as your request for a prereque building tag in BuildingClassInfos, I'm going to reject that request as it's totally unnessesary. This tag already exists in BuildingInfos and it's not hard to put the same value in any UBs as you put in the default building.

Anyway please upload your commented code built off of the current RevDCM SVN and I'll merge it in for you guys, should make updating your mods to 2.7 that much easier. Remember though, only simple and bug free items please.

 

[Afforess]

As far as your request for a prereque building tag in BuildingClassInfos, I'm going to reject that request as it's totally unnessesary. This tag already exists in BuildingInfos and it's not hard to put the same value in any UBs as you put in the default building.

I have to disagree. The tag in the UnitInfos is only an integer tag, you can only put one building in. If I put the granary as a prereq, the Incans will never get the unit, because they have the terrace.

If you want RevDCM to be the ultimate modding platform, then it's important to give budding XML modders all the tools they need.

Other than the Feature sound effect tag, the scenario script, and the AI for inquisitors, I have no other requests.

 

[phungus420]

OK, I see what you mean. We would need a similar tag in BuildingInfos as well, or does this tag already exist there? Anyway please merge your code in the current RevDCM SVN, comment it, and then upoload it here for me to merge in then. I've also PMed zappara and davidlallen to let them add in any thing they need/want as well. Also I'm surprised, you sure you don't have any other optimizations ready to go?