SSPTool

[Stefan79]

Thanks for this bug report and the requests:

OK.  In the mean time, I've found what appears to be a bug, and I have a couple of requests.

The bug is that while SSPTool can be used to specify a custom large icon by clicking in the space on the menu items configuration page, this doesn't work for the small icon.  PNG is not one of the allowed file types (although it is for the large icon).  If I select "All types" so that I can see PNG files, I can select one, but then an empty item selection box comes up, and there's nothing to select.

This is not really a bug. Because the icon need to be a special format (width: 4x44, height: 44), I only enable existing lots (sc4lot,dat) to choose the icon from them. Thats why PNG file type is not allowed. But I will change this and only allow (display) the PNG, when it has the right dimension.

My requests are as follows:  1) In the bottom text box, could you please put a simoleon sign ('§') right before the cost number?  This seems to be standard practice in the game.  2) In the same text box, could you please change the three occurrences of "costs" to "cost"?  Grammatically, this is better English, and it also reflects how the properties are named in the exemplar.

Thanks again for all the wonderful work you're doing here. 

Okay, the simoleon sign is added before the cost.
Costs => Cost is changed and you can do it, if you cant wait in SPPTool/plugins/damn/lang/damn_en.properties Line 62-64, Key:x0010,x0011,x0012

[z]

Because the icon need to be a special format (width: 4x44, height: 44), I only enable existing lots (sc4lot,dat) to choose the icon from them. Thats why PNG file type is not allowed. But I will change this and only allow (display) the PNG, when it has the right dimension.

That would be great.  Thanks!

Okay, the simoleon sign is added before the cost.
Costs => Cost is changed and you can do it, if you cant wait in SPPTool/plugins/damn/lang/damn_en.properties Line 62-64, Key:x0010,x0011,x0012

Once again, thanks!  The changes are much appreciated. 

[shanghai kid]

@Diggis
Thanks, i didn't see that the path to My Docs was wrong before your reply .
Fixed it to correct path, and now it works great(now i only have to remember this with the new version, hehe).

[Stefan79]

Short programming report (new version will be 1.2.0, estimated 31.08.):
New dimension of the program is 800 x 600. Remove icon from dialogs to have more space. Improve the Memory management, loading time and some more.
Option to include all PNGs in the DAMN menu. Eliminate bugs like "remember last path", "choosing PNG for icon".
Implement the following options to hide the icon from menu:
1) DEFAULT: It will save the exemplar without the LotResourceKey in a new file plugins/zzzHide/zzzHide_<originalname>
2) OPTION: It will save the exemplar without LotResourceKey in a new file plugins/<originalpath>/zzzHide_<originalname>
3) OPTION: It will copy the original file to SSPTool/temp for backup. Then it will add a LTEXT with LotResourceKey info to the original file and remove the LotResourceKey from the original exemplar

I think with this options everyone would be satisfied. 

Next step:
Redesign the DAMN Editor, fix bugs, Button to convert the old Hiding technique to the new one with LotResourceKey.
Implement the option to add different languages as LTEXT to the DAMN menu file. Check this with Daeley's menu and LUA script.

@shanghai kid
The new version will overwrite the old version (if you do extract into the same folder) and will use the old SSPTool.conf with the paths. So you don't have to remember  .

@diggis
I have checked the problem with the DIR entry and have found the following things:
a) If the Exemplar is Binary format and not compressed, iLive Reader will not create a DIR entry in a new file. When you remove the LotResourceKey from the new Exemplar it will not be shown in the menu but can be plopped from DAMN menu without loosing focus. 
b) If the Exemplar is Binary format and compressed, iLive Reader will create a DIR entry in a new file. The TGI of the DIR have the same TGI as in Original file. When you remove the LotResourceKey from the new it will not be shown in the menu but can be plopped from DAMN menu as wished. 
c) Same as b) but TGI from new DIR is not same as Original DIR: The Lot will not be shown in menu but in DAMN menu, but when you try to plop the lot, the game will CTD. 

Maybe you can confirm these list?

[andy33b]

2) OPTION: It will save the exemplar without LotResourceKey in a new file plugins/<originalpath>/zzzHide_<originalname>

I like this option:
1. the original file doesn't get touched
2. when one datpacks his plugin-folder, datpacker doesn't create a second instance of the exemplar that has to be loaded 2 times by the game, that isn't the the idea of datpacker.

greate job you do.

[Diggis]

@diggis
I have checked the problem with the DIR entry and have found the following things:
a) If the Exemplar is Binary format and not compressed, iLive Reader will not create a DIR entry in a new file. When you remove the LotResourceKey from the new Exemplar it will not be shown in the menu but can be plopped from DAMN menu without loosing focus. 
b) If the Exemplar is Binary format and compressed, iLive Reader will create a DIR entry in a new file. The TGI of the DIR have the same TGI as in Original file. When you remove the LotResourceKey from the new it will not be shown in the menu but can be plopped from DAMN menu as wished. 
c) Same as b) but TGI from new DIR is not same as Original DIR: The Lot will not be shown in menu but in DAMN menu, but when you try to plop the lot, the game will CTD. 

Maybe you can confirm these list?

I'm not the greatest with this stuff but will try take a look this weekend at that.

[freedo50]

Hey Stefan, this sounds great, is there any chance you could change the path for the default option to "...Plugins\zzz_DAMN Remove\FILENAME", or give us an option to change it, as this will be inkeeping with the 20 or so sets that I've already made DAMN files for (they're currently being scrutineered for the LEX).

Cheers, and thanks for making this great program!
Fred

[Stefan79]

Hey Stefan, this sounds great, is there any chance you could change the path for the default option to "...Plugins\zzz_DAMN Remove\FILENAME", or give us an option to change it, as this will be inkeeping with the 20 or so sets that I've already made DAMN files for (they're currently being scrutineered for the LEX).

Cheers, and thanks for making this great program!
Fred

Have implemented it and the option to change the hideFolder and the hidePrefix in DAMN options. They are not saved in config file but I have choosen "zzz_DAMN Remove" for hideFolder and "" (empty) for hidePrefix, so it would fit your wishes.
Btw, I have taken care of same file names which will be hidden: DAMN checks, if the file already exists and when it does, it creates a subfolder in the hideFolder with the LotResourceKey value, and saves the file there. Or might it be better to keep the subfolder path of the hidden lot and creates these subfolders in the hideFolder? 

[Stefan79]

Hi together,

its (nearly) done!


But before I publish the new SSPTool with DAMN-Plugin to the whole world, I think its better to have some BETA-Tests. So if anyone wants to test the new SSPTool please tell me per PM. I will then give you a link, where to download the new SSPTool. But you have to test the program till Friday as soon as possible and tell me any bugs, so I can do the final things (Bugfixes) on weekend, and everyone can get it next monday.

Stefan

[Stefan79]

Hi folks,

its done! 
I have upload the new version 1.2.3 of SSPTool and DAMN to sourceforge.
Download SSPTool_Complete-1.2.3.zip to have the DAMN Creator/Editor, RULer and Scanner.
Because the Hiding method has changed, it is necessary to translate the old hidden lots to the
new method. To do so, choose the "DAMN Extras" from the DAMN main windows and press
"Convert old DAMN Lots". Useless to say, you should always make a backup of your files, if you
modify the original lot!

For those who want to edit lots, you can test the editor (SSPTool-Editor-1.5.0.zip).
The Button LotEditor is still working but will soon be replaced by LotEditor2, which I'm still working on.

Hope, the new DAMN Creator/Editor will reach your wishes...

Stefan

[freedo50]

Hi stefan,
Just tested this out and it is a massive improvement in usability over the last version, so massive  for that! The new method of lot hiding is great, but would it be possible to add the option to create just one .dat to hide all the lots for a particular DAMN file? I know I keep asking for more, but I think this option would perfectly finish off the DAMN section of this program.

Thanks,
Fred

[Stefan79]

Hi Fred,

I had to test, if it is possible, because I've found that the DIR entry is important and including all exemplars in one DAT, would only allow one DIR entry. But if it works, it woul be no problem to implement this and if not, I could try to write the Exemplar entrys without compression, so a DIR entry is not needed.

So standby, improvements are always coming...

Stefan

[freedo50]

Hi Stefan,
I'm not sure exactly what you mean by that, and I'm not totally clued-up on the structure of .dats, but the DIR entry can have multiple entries inside it, which could be what you need to do to put multiple exemplars in one .dat. Certainly, I've had no problems with the .dats that I've made by manually extracting all the exemplars for one DAMN file into one .dat.

If you need to see what I mean, try and have a look at the files I've posted in my scrutineering thread here.

Fred

[Stefan79]

Hi Fred and Diggis,

as I mentioned in last post, it is necessary to have the DIR entry with the same TGI as in Original file for the hiding. But it was my mistake, because I thought, the DIR entry could have different Instance ID, but this was wrong, it has always TGI 0xe86b1eef 0xe86b1eef 0x286b1f03. I have corrected this and now it is no problem to include more than one exemplar without LotResourceKey for hiding in one dat file. I will implement this option, so you can choose, if you want every single hidden file or one dat per one DAMN menu.
But I now ask what I should make as default: Single files or One dat? 

Stefan

[freedo50]

One dat would be tidier, but if people ar going to use this for themselves then maybe single ones would be better so that they can unhide things without having to remember which .dat it's in? Or you could put all the single .sc4lot files in a subfolder with the same name as the DAMN file for the single files option?

Just throwing some ideas out here.
Fred

[Stefan79]

Hi together,

I have implement the One Dat option and the DAMN options will be read/save to a config file, so you don't have to setup the options.
The One Dat will be named after the DAMN menu file, so its easy to remove the DAMN menu with the hiding Dat file.
Uploaded the new version to sourceforge and to the LEX:

SSPTool_Complete-1.2.4.zip

(Soon it will be available at LEX, when I get rid of a upload problem.)

If anyone else but you wish the option to place the lots in a subfolder named after the DAMN menu, I will implement this.
I will collect all ideas this week, and see what I can implement.

In mean time, I work on the LotEditor Plugin, which I think, will also be very helpful as the DAMN Plugin.

Stefan

[freedo50]

Stefan, Thanks a lot for the quick update - very useful! Also, don't worry about offending me if you don't implement one of my suggestions; they are just that, and I'm more than aware that this is ultimately your program 

Fred

[City Builder]

Hi,

First off thank you for the tool.

Second: I can't get any of the files that I put into the DAMN with the tool to show up.

I downloaded the SSPTool, and run the .jar file since running the .bat file doesn't work for me under windows vista 64 bit home premium.

The program starts fine and runs fine.

I install DAMN through the SSPTOOL, then I create my first menu entry, follow through all the steps until the SSPTool tells me that DAMN has indexed properly.  I start the game open the Damn menu and it's blank, none of the files that I added to it are showing.

I run the inxdexer seperate from SSPTool and still, none of the lots that I add show up in the damn menu in the game.  There is indeed .dat files where they should be in the DAMN folders so the dat files are being created and the index process seems to go okay.

If this needs to go into the damn thread then my apologies, since I used the SSPTool to install DAMN and create (attempt to) my first menu I figured to post it here in case this is simply an issue with SSPTool and maybe Vista somehow or just my lack of doing things properly.  Seems pretty simple however, only 4 steps towards getting one of my plugins into the damn menu, so not sure if I could have gone wrong somewhere.

Thanks,

[freedo50]

Citybuilder, take a look at this.

Fred

[City Builder]

Citybuilder, take a look at this.

Fred

Thanks Fred, indeed I did have the Apps folder listed in the shortcut icon on my desktop.  I'll give it another go and see if I can start using all the plugins I've now added with this great easy to use tool.