Ok this webboard is for SUGGESTIONS from all you lot about what you'd like to see in a total EVO editor. The classes and the plug in handler are coming along nicely and I only need to write the Spob, Syst and Misn classes, and their import routines in the handler, before I start working on the actual editor. Now is the time for suggestions!

So far the editor has the capability to support: multiple open plug ins, multiple editors (non-modal interface), editing of: ships (The Docks will be incorporated into this program), weaps, outfs, misns, spobs, systs, flets, dudes, years, pers, junk, STR#s, deqts, descs, nebus and oops'.
I need interface ideas, and YES I might make a total EV:N editor if this one is successful.

Cheers!

Kane O'Donnell

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Ability to export everything to a database and reimport.

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M A R T I N • T U R N E R

1. A spell checker
2. The ability to automatically put a copy of the plugin into the EVO plugins folder and launch EVO from within the editor.

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"Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger."

One question, will this be freeware or shareware? I personally cant imagine it being freeware, as long as it works correctly.

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--sitharus
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Yep, it's going to be shareware - I am testing out how I should implement shareware policy, it depends on the response to The Docks - if people pay the fee for The Docks, I won't implement a registration system in this new total editor, but since this is a big release, if no one pays for The Docks, there will be a password system. Sorry!!

The auto-copy-launch feature has been noted and will be implemented, it's easy. The spell checker might be more of a problem, but i'll see what I can do!

Keep em coming people!

Kane O'Donnell

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That reminds me... Does anyone remember the EV-Edit webpage? I lost it and I wanna check if there's and update or sth....

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Arrrrrrr, matey!!!!

Let me strongly urge you not to make this shareware. Since R&R; are churning out high quality product for free, the result would simply be that people would either not use your software or would use it and not pay for it.

The thing that killed off EV-Edit in terms of popularity was the fee. People were happy to coexist with the bugs while it was free. When the shareware came in, people felt they were being asked to pay for something which wasn't worth the money — and that was when EV-Edit had no competitors except ResEdit.

Regards

Martin

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M A R T I N • T U R N E R

Quote

Originally posted by Martin Turner:
**Ability to export everything to a database and reimport.
**

I agree. Of all features I could think of, this is the one I'd want most. I made something that was supposed to do this, but it was buggy as hell. I'd like to see just a utility that would import and export data to and from a database/spreadsheet rather than a whole plug editor.

-STH

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Quote

Originally posted by Black Beard:
**That reminds me... Does anyone remember the EV-Edit webpage? I lost it and I wanna check if there's and update or sth....
**

(url="http://"http://members.aol.com/burgr/evedit.html")members.aol.com/burgr/evedit.html(/url)

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PlanetPhil
not drowning, waving

Yes, your reasoning is sound. Naturally the program will be free at least until it's final release and I'll see how it goes from there - I don't want to put in a password system or annoying dialog boxes, anyway. Worst case scenario (for you lot) is that it is an honesty system, with only a moral obligation to pay. And what do ya know, I might even make it free.

Tell me more about this database, ladies and gents. I'm interested in the idea, i've been throwing around ideas about how to implement it. By the way, the Spell check is out, it's a pity but the program I was going to use to implement it cannot be distributed in seperate packages at this stage.

Q: How would you like the Syst/Spob editor to work?

Cheers!

Kane O'Donnell

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Pontus had some utils that could be used to export all the text and reimport it.

Seant had a good util (aside from the bugs) which would export systs.

Basically, what we would want would be something to export every field in tab-delimitted format as raw text, and then to reimport it as raw text.
It would need to export the picts as picts.

If anyone is interested, if you do this I will write and release a FileMaker runtime database that will work with this data. It will also include a spell checker (royalty free).

This should make managing a large plugin much, much easier. It would also mean that you could test a plugin before importing it into EV (I mean, test it in certain ways), and it would also make the plugin fully searchable -- something we've needed for a long time.
It would also have the flip side benefit of meaning that you could work on your plug as long as you like without risk of crashing your data.

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M A R T I N • T U R N E R

OK, after trying for the third time (UBB is refusing to aknowlage that I am entering my user/pass) I post:

I would say go shareware, but without annoting boxes, prehaps a 'you have not registered' thing in the about box. As for the syst/spob editor, try to make it like the EV:O developers map. For the spellchecker, what language are you using? I may be able to make one.

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--sitharus
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Sorry if this is off subject, but people have been talking about EV-Edit as well in this thread.

Before i entrust my plug to the new version (3.3.2), is it at all stable now? I guess i'm mostly talking about the syst/spob editor. And sorry again if this is at all disrespectful to you shado, but i do need something until your editor comes out.

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It is not fear that will destroy you, but the absence of it.

Hey none taken. The reason I wrote The Docks and am writing the UniEditor is because I personally don't like the interface "feel" of Shipwrite and EV-Edit, they are still good programs.

I am aiming to produce an editor which makes people feel comfortable and efficient while using it. From past experience I would say stability is not going to be a problem, basically nothing in the plugin is modified until the user clicks "Save" in the appropriate editor window.

For those who are interested, I am developing this program in REALBasic 2.1. The reason for this is obvious - I need a visual environment for the interface which is exactly what REALBasic provides.

I am currently exploring the possibility of the database export/import. The export is easy, the import is going to be time consuming but simple enough. I'll post updates to that facet of the program as I get some results.

Anyone who is interested in prototyping some editor interfaces are quite welcome to send them to me at shado83@optusnet.com.au - please make all editors a subclass of Window, not Dialog or Applet, and they should all be of type Document Window.

Cheers!

Kane O'Donnell

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Is there an ETA?

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Signed,
Brian Schack
"DOS Computers, manufactured by millions of companies, are by far the most popular, with about 70 million machines in use worldwide. Macintosh fans, on the other hand, may note that cockroaches are far more numerous than humans, and that numbers alone do not denote a higher life form."
--The New York Times, November 26, 1991 (also quoted in MacAddict 4)

Okay, how about a "plugin setup" screen where you tell the program what kind of plugin you are making before you start. If you wheremaking an expansion, for instance, the program would add on to the existing EV resources, but if you where making a conversion, it would atomaticly overwrite existing resources.

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"Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger."

Quote

Originally posted by Captian LeGrenadier:
**Okay, how about a "plugin setup" screen where you tell the program what kind of plugin you are making before you start. If you wheremaking an expansion, for instance, the program would add on to the existing EV resources, but if you where making a conversion, it would atomaticly overwrite existing resources.

**

I was thinking of having a system similar to EV-Edit where users could place support files in an appropriately named folder, and resources from these files would be loaded into the program on start - is this what you mean?

How do people feel about that system? Is it cumbersome, or efficient?

The alternative is default lists (from EVO itself) are part of the program, and the user can select to have them or not. The floating lists Aka The Docks are going to be available for all resources also.

PROGRESS UPDATE: All classes are complete. The resource load and save routines are nearly finished, and work on the individual editors will commence shortly. If I work hard, i'll probably have a release version before the end of the month.

Kane O'Donnell

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The plug in input/output routines are complete, and tomorrow i'll be starting work on the editors themselves.

I need some feedback here, if you would care to answer these two questions, please!!

Q1. WRT the syst editor, which would you prefer - a) the galaxy-map style editor that would require large amounts of memory, but would be a more graphic interface, or popup menus for the hyperspace links, and a spot-in-a-box area to select the syst's position in the galaxy.

Q2. Would you prefer a large window, with smaller text, with all the options in the one window, for all the editors, or smaller windows with tab-panels that group the fields?

Cheers!

Kane O'Donnell

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Quote

Originally posted by shado83:
**The plug in input/output routines are complete, and tomorrow i'll be starting work on the editors themselves.

I need some feedback here, if you would care to answer these two questions, please!!

Q1. WRT the syst editor, which would you prefer - a) the galaxy-map style editor that would require large amounts of memory, but would be a more graphic interface, or popup menus for the hyperspace links, and a spot-in-a-box area to select the syst's position in the galaxy.

Q2. Would you prefer a large window, with smaller text, with all the options in the one window, for all the editors, or smaller windows with tab-panels that group the fields?

Cheers!

Kane O'Donnell

**

A1
I'd like a graphic interface more... I think this would be allot better for beginners, so they can pick up and start making plugs.
A2
I'd prefer grouped fields, it's allot more organised and easier to navigate.

I have some suggestions for the system editor, but they seem hard so you you can ignore them if you want!
There should be a map of the systems like in the game, and a window, which displays what Planets are in the system, what goverment etc, when you move your mouse over the system in the map. (Sounds kinda hard though...)
and maybe a search button, so you can search for planets in systems. This would help allot finding a planet in a big universe

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Arrrrrrr, matey!!!!

Quote

Originally posted by roostersw:
Before i entrust my plug to the new version (3.3.2), is it at all stable now?

Deviating from the topic once more.

I would doubt it, Ben Chess never seemed interested in fixing bugs before, I doubt he has now. I hope for your sake you never registered it. I do not promote software piracy, but I believe that you should only pay for something that works. As for the syst/spob editing, try the EV:O Developers Map (freeware) in the files section.

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--sitharus
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