I was wondering if there was an easy way in Nova to hide all the sys and pers resources that I don't want used (ie, if I only have 10 systems and 10 pers, I don't want Nova to load all the default sys and pers after those).

In EVO, I just made blank sys set with a bit to never be visible for all the sys resources that I wasn't replacing (and a similar thing for the unused pers resources). I was hoping there was some kind of flag I could set so that Nova would only load the resources in the plugins.

------------------
Phoenix
(url="http://"http://www.outpost.web1000.com/nemesis/")EVN Nemesis(/url)

(This message has been edited by Phoenix (edited 05-03-2003).)

Instead of making your plug-in as a plug-in, design it to replace Nova's data files. That way, the only thing that will be loaded is your content.

------------------
(url="http://"http://www.freeman.org")Freeman Center for Strategic Studies(/url)
"Death Waits in the Dark" - 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment
Military Technology: (url="http://"http://www.army-technology.com/")Army(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/ffiletop.html")Navy(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.naval-technology.com/")Navy II(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.af.mil/news/indexpages/fs_index.shtml")Air Force(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.airforce-technology.com/")Air Force II(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.hqmc.usmc.mil/factfile.nsf/7e931335d515626a8525628100676e0c?OpenView")Marine Corps(/url)
(url="http://"http://www.aerospace-technology.com/")Aerospace(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.ship-technology.com/")Ship(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.space-technology.com/")Space(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.firstgov.gov/Citizen/Topics/Defense.shtml")Defense Links(/url)

Good idea, the only possible problem with that is that there might be resources in the Nova files that I would need (asteroid graphics, some STR# resources, interface graphics, etc...). I'll have to take a look at the Nova files to see what's where.

If Matt Burch reads this, perhaps you would be able to sneak into the next update a (new) resource with a single field (or use a smaller resource like the colr resource) which could be set to a non negative number (basically a boolean) if we wanted only the plugin's resources used. So when Nova loaded, if the field was set to a value not 0 (0 being default), then it would ignore the Nova resources if (only if) the resource type was present in the plugin (so if there's any ship resources, it would ignore Nova's. On the other hand, if there isn't the resource type in the plugin it would use Nova's). Of course the graphics would be exempted (so we could still use some of Nova's graphics, but not all), it would just obey the existing rules regarding plugins. The Nova data could still be loaded, just not used if it meet the requirements (of that resource type already existing in the plugin).

------------------
Phoenix
(url="http://"http://www.outpost.web1000.com/nemesis/")EVN Nemesis(/url)

(This message has been edited by Phoenix (edited 05-03-2003).)

(This message has been edited by Phoenix (edited 05-03-2003).)

The way polycon does it is to make a "null" resource that replaces all the defalt ones.

------------------
(url="http://"http://www.freewebs.com/hardslab/cheat2.hqx")Cheat 2(/url)
Cheat any way you want in almost any mac game. Even Nova.

Quote

Originally posted by Phoenix:
**If Matt Burch reads this, perhaps you would be able to sneak into the next update a (new) resource with a single field (or use a smaller resource like the colr resource) which could be set to a non negative number (basically a boolean) if we wanted only the plugin's resources used.
**

That's a good idea, but unfortunately there is no practical way to do that with the MacOS Resource Manager.

mcb

------------------
"If it's not on fire, it's a software problem."

(This message has been edited by mburch (edited 05-03-2003).)

Can we please have the ability to change between TC without shuffleing a horde plugins between different folders. It'd be so much better if nova could distinguish between the different files and load only the ones for the game scenario you want to play. You could keep ALL the different TCs in your nova files folders and keep all the different plugins for those different scenarios in your folders, no shuffleing. If you didn't have any it would automatically load nova without prompt.

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The envisioned dialouge box:
Please choose which scenario you want to play.
(*) Nova
() Polycon
() EV
() EVO
() Star Wars

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It would be as simple as only loading the data files and plugins that begin with "Nova" or "Polycon" etc, and you could also add this to the pilots to prevent the problems create with the wrong pilots. The only potential problem is that some conversions barrow some resources from the nova files, but that could be fixed by allowing barrowed resources to be included (would be a small time cost to each downloader) within each of the scenarios.

It would allow plugins to be created for scenarios that would no longer be plugins, and save users time and hassel, and save everyone a lot of hassle from the people who cant figure it out like it is currently.

------------------
(url="http://"http://www.freewebs.com/hardslab/cheat2.hqx")Cheat 2(/url)
Cheat any way you want in almost any mac game. Even Nova.

No new features will be added.

mcb

------------------
"If it's not on fire, it's a software problem."

Excellent ideas, but as Matt alluded to in his post, they would be difficult to implement. I of course can't say for sure, but I am guessing Nova loads the resources the same way EVONE does: It opens all of the data files and plugins and calls GetResource. Since the plugins are opened after the data files, the Resource Manager will load the data from the plugins first and fall back to the data files if the specified resource doesn't exist. If Nova were to allow the option of loading different scenarios, it would have to figure out what files they were in and then close all the others. Your idea of using name prefixes would help with this, but what would then happen to plugins that were not TCs? How would Nova tell the difference?

It may be easier to write a plugin manager program (I believe there was one for EV/EVO at some point...) that you would always open when you want to run Nova. It could shuffle the plugins into a Disabled folder or move them back to the "live" folder based on name prefixes or on an individual basis. Then you could click a button in it and it would launch Nova with the specified plugins. Of course, this doesn't help with the task of not loading the data files....

------------------
(url="http://"http://www.ariossoftware.com")Arios SoftWare(/url)
(url="http://"http://www.ariossoftware.com/programs/evone/")EVONE 1.0.0 - the plugin editor for EV/EVO/EVN(/url)

(edit) not to self: do not suggest something that has (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum9/HTML/004070.html#AriosSw05-03-200311:41PM")already been suggested(/url)... (/edit)

'glove

------------------
Compilers - the ultimate god games.
(edit) I wish there was a preview feature on this board. (/edit)

(This message has been edited by Kidglove II (edited 05-05-2003).)