R&D - New Modding Tools

[wghost81]

Some quick things I've noticed:

1. I'd really-really like to see mod files sorted by name. Finding the right one in a very long list is a pain now.

2. Sometimes "Test Status" project context menu item gets grayed out for no apparent reason. Restarting UPKModder solves the issue.

3. If some mod files depend on each other, applying the first one does not remove "error status" from the other after re-testing. Restarting UPKModder solves the issue.

[wghost81]

4. When I created a new mod file inside an existing project and tried to check its status with "Test Status", nothing has happened. Restarting UPKModder solved the issue.

5. At first I couldn't find any error log. I finally found it in the right lower corner after resizing the main window. Since error log is a very important tool, I suggest moving this button to main tools panel and duplicating functionality in main menu.

6. RESIZE actually expects diff size in hex form, but error log reports all sizes in dec form. It is confusing.

[wghost81]

I have some strange graphical issue under Lunux: http://i.imgur.com/OtxnW51.png Each time I'm trying to horizontally scroll a long line, I get this effect.

[Amineri]

I have some strange graphical issue under Lunux: http://i.imgur.com/OtxnW51.png Each time I'm trying to horizontally scroll a long line, I get this effect.

 

Wow, that's a new one I haven't seen under Windows.

 

Unfortunately the way that the highlight formatting works is rather inefficient, even under Windows. Large files have a distressing habit of freezing the interface for several seconds while the highlighting is re-computed/re-applied. The way the threading is set up is rather clunky, but every time I've tried to change it, I end up breaking it entirely, so it hasn't been fixed.

 

I've actually started in on adding some new features / bug fixing UPKmodder. Development was pretty much non-existent as basically all my free time was going into Long War modding but now that it's getting closer to a stable release I'm working on UPKmodder a bit. I can only realistically bang my head against some of the more intransigient Long War bugs (some of which are actually vanilla bugs) for so many hours a day until I start to go crazy, so I'm working on a few other things as well.

[Amineri]

I've finally gotten back to starting to fix a few issues (initially triggered by attempting to fix up some Linux incompatibility issues reported by wghost).

 

So far I've added the following to my internal (not yet released) version :

• Changes to the underlying directory/file structure (in the project directory) are automatically updated in the project pane
• Added context menu option to create new folder
• Added context menu option to delete a file
• Added context menu option to delete a folder
• Added context menu option to rename a file

As well as some tweaks to how the context menu works to fix some Linux incompatibility issues (no idea if it works under OSX -- no feedback). And some fixes to a few of the operand_data.ini config settings.

Responses to specific issues :

 

1. I'd really-really like to see mod files sorted by name. Finding the right one in a very long list is a pain now.

 

While going though and allowing for dynamic updating of the project pane as the underlying directory changes, I noticed that the initial creation of the project pane tree uses a fast method that doesn't guarantee the order of execution. Under Windows, in practice, I'd noted that the files were sorted alphabetically, but that isn't guaranteed and so could be working differently under Linux.

 

Also, the project pane supports nested folders within a project, although the v0.82 release version doesn't allow creating/deletion of folders within the project pane -- the only way currently to add them is via the OS file explorer.

 

2. Sometimes "Test Status" project context menu item gets grayed out for no apparent reason. Restarting UPKModder solves the issue.

I've gone ahead and explicitly added

localActions.get("testModFile").setEnabled(true);

for projects, folders and modfiles (but not non-upk_mod files), so hopefully that should be addressed in the next version.

3. If some mod files depend on each other, applying the first one does not remove "error status" from the other after re-testing. Restarting UPKModder solves the issue.

Order dependence is a pretty big issue. I try and avoid it at all costs, because the bulk Apply/Revert operations aren't guaranteed to happen in any particular order. So far for the ~1000 Long War modfiles there's only been 1 instance where I've had to have order-dependent operations -- for the new weapons mod, I ended up having to change both XGInventoryItem.CheckpointRecord.m_eReservedSlot in both the name and the type. For UPKmodder this requires two different files, and changing the name creates install order dependence between the two files.

However, having applied 1 modfile, the 2nd modfile should test correctly. The bulk/apply revert operations include a testStatus that happens prior to each application, and in the Windows version I can apply a pair of order-dependent flies with a single bulk apply sometimes. Basically the first file applies, and the second file during the automatic test returns valid for application.

So I'd need some additional information in this regard, I think.

 

 

4. When I created a new mod file inside an existing project and tried to check its status with "Test Status", nothing has happened. Restarting UPKModder solved the issue.

 

When a new modfile is created, and the UPKFILE= tag filled out, the actual upkfile link doesn't automatically get updated. Restarting UPKmodder works, but also just closing and re-opening the file works for me as well. Kind of an awkward workaround, but I haven't figured out a workflow where automatically updating the linked upkfile actually works without also possibly having other glitches.

 

5. At first I couldn't find any error log. I finally found it in the right lower corner after resizing the main window. Since error log is a very important tool, I suggest moving this button to main tools panel and duplicating functionality in main menu.

The error log could definitely use some work. It also never clears, and so essentially acts as a bit of a memory leak ... ~_~

6. RESIZE actually expects diff size in hex form, but error log reports all sizes in dec form. It is confusing.

I did try and make everything in UPKmodder consistent with always using hex, but the decimal numbers did creep into the error log. I've fixed that so now a mismatch is reported like so in hexadecimal instead of decimal :

[08:12:04] [INFO] Mismatch in expected size difference between FIND/REPLACE blocks
    FIND size: 6f
    Request resize: 10
    REPLACE size: 8f

[wghost81]

3. I think it's related to dynamic project update. I had this error once and I can't reproduce it anymore. Will report back with more info if I'll ever encounter it again.

 

5. Error log wasn't even visible at first on my 4x3 1280x1024 screen: http://i.imgur.com/2i07YVR.png (it's a snapshot of the right part of program window, entire window won't fit my screen). Icon appears after resizing the window (making it wider), but since it's already too big for my resolution, I haven't even tried to resize it at first. :smile:

[XMarksTheSpot]

I have some strange graphical issue under Lunux: http://i.imgur.com/OtxnW51.png Each time I'm trying to horizontally scroll a long line, I get this effect.

Hm, yeah, I have run into this when developing on Ubuntu at work. Not sure what's causing it though. I'll try and see if I can resolve that.

 

5. Error log wasn't even visible at first on my 4x3 1280x1024 screen: http://i.imgur.com/2i07YVR.png (it's a snapshot of the right part of program window, entire window won't fit my screen). Icon appears after resizing the window (making it wider), but since it's already too big for my resolution, I haven't even tried to resize it at first. :smile:

What I think is happening to super-size the window on your end is that the status text field and/or the UPK path text field in the bottom bar are initialized with some overly long string on application startup which messes up the preferred size of the component and in extension the layout of the whole frame. After the frame is packed to conform to its preferred size (derived from the preferred sizes of its child components) its minimum size is fixed to that value which prevents you from manually down-sizing the frame.

I'll look into adjusting the layout to be generally smaller by default to better conform to lower screen resolutions.

 

Edit: on a closer look it seems everything is working as intended, it's just that the default preferred sizes are chosen as a bit too generous resulting in a default frame width of about 1400 pixels. Lowering those values and possibly removing the minimum size restriction is an easy fix.

 

Edit 2: the disappearing log button was due to some layout slip-up, should be fixed now

Edited August 11, 2014 by XMarksTheSpot

[wghost81]

XMarksTheSpot, I'd really-really-really want to see that button in the main toolbar. :smile: Somewhere near apply/revert buttons, if the main tool users will agree.

[XMarksTheSpot]

XMarksTheSpot, I'd really-really-really want to see that button in the main toolbar. :smile: Somewhere near apply/revert buttons, if the main tool users will agree.

Alright, your wish has been granted, it's in the repository :)

[wghost81]

Thanks! :smile: Waiting for the release. :smile: