Quote
Originally posted by roostersw:
**Before i entrust my plug to the new version (3.3.2), is it at all stable now?
**
Actually, the current version is quite stable. At least, I find it so.
------------------
PlanetPhil
not drowning, waving
(This message has been edited by PlanetPhil (edited 01-20-2001).)
One, large window for the individual item types is probably the best if you also make it spawn other windows (say for descs or sprites depending on what's necessary). Please make sure you have a good, visible description of what a specific control does (for example, in ShipWrite, I can't easily figure out where each of the ship strings is used and it would help if I could know by reading the text beside the fields).
For system editing, can you use Gliese data to generate accurate starmaps? Gliese data lists actual coordinates, spectra, and sizes of lots and lots of real stars. If you want some information and code, you can go here: (url="http://"http://www.projectrho.com/starmap.html")http://www.projectrho.com/starmap.html(/url)
As for a shareware fee, can you make some foolproof way of telling if a plug is made using your editor and then try and impose your will on anyone who releases it? So, if I just wanted to fool around, I wouldn't have to pay, but if I posted my plug here you would download it and check to see if your editor made it? It means a lot of work for you (or your lackeys), but at least everyone else would be treated fairly and reasonably.
------------------
-- Nikolaus Wegner
I second the Gliese idea.
------------------
M A R T I N • T U R N E R
I'll look into that. I'm having an absolute nightmare getting support files working at the moment, I just lost a few hours work in a crash, but it was only menu handlers so at least I remember what I have to re-write!
At this stage, i've decided to make the support file system as simple as possible - you have to put alias' of EVO data 1, data 2, graphics and sounds in the support files folder. No other plug ins will be loaded as support files, yes i will include that later but it's just annoying me and I want to get a prototype of the app working so I can release it to interested testers.
Anyway, back to work!
Kane O'Donnell
------------------
Hahahaha very funny, I had a look at the Gliese starmap system and I'm sure it would be very pretty but there are a number of problems with implementing it!!
a) The source is in C and I really don't want to convert C to REALBasic.
I am notoriously bad at Toolbox operations, which I would need to use for the 3D side of the starmaps since REALBasic has no QD3D operations.
c) I don't have time to implement it, I am going back to school in 2 weeks and that's all the time i'll have to get the bulk of this program happening.
d) I really don't see how it would be helpful, since EVO uses a 2D star map, and the galaxy in EVO is FANTASY anyway. A 3D interface is WAY beyond my capabilities!
Well I had a good laugh, but I think the Gliese idea is out!!
Kane O'Donnell
------------------
It's not 3d... well, only at first...
There's some code there to selectively load and filter stars based on various parameters, and other code that makes the 3d points into 2d approximations (so it just uses x and y distances). If you know the math, which is also explained, you can do the coordinates yourself using RealBasic. The C code for loading and filtering the data is just like using a table if you were going to do table exporting and importing. I understand if you don't want to, I was just hoping. Anyways, I sure hope you can release a public beta whenever you get it at least useably implemented.
------------------
-- Nikolaus Wegner
Yeah I re-looked at it this morning it isn't that hard but it just doesn't seem to have a point, since the only time you'd use it was to create real star maps, in EVO. I'm sure I could stick in a "random system generator" where you could specify how many systems you wanted, and what government, and perhaps a textfile list of names, choose a central location and it would generate that many systems at once.
Anyway I spent all day yesterday working out a nice way of implementing the resources window, in relation to the editors, and I think I have the answer - it might seem a little odd to EV-Edit users but I think it will work well. I'll get one of the editors online and perhaps release a preview development version to a few select people to get feedback.
Cheers!
Kane O'Donnell
------------------
It took me a while but I finally have the Weapons editor finished, I chose that particular editor because I can demonstrate the style of program that this will be. After a bit of checking i'll send it to anyone that wants it, but be warned it's a development version, and i'm primarily interested in feedback.
Email: shado83@optusnet.com.au
Cheers!
Kane O'Donnell
------------------
Quote
Originally posted by Martin Turner:
**
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).
**
Hi Martin,
Sorry I've been so quiet over the summer break! I've been busy 
I really like this idea. I'd make it a drag and drop applet pair. Once to process multiple files dropped on it and export everything to a TEXT file, and Another to
take a text file and build/merge the resource fields. This is almost exactly what
DeRez and Rez do under MPW, but their TEXT output is not precisely what you
want.
I will start an EVN one right away, because my need is greatest there, but an
EVO one would be even a bit simpler, and once I have the time I can do that too
with almost the same code.
It may make conversion to EVN a lot easier if we go via an intermediate TEXT
format and use a x-over applet to do most of the translation.
What exactly would you like done with the PICTS?
Cheers
Ralph
------------------
(url="http://"http://www.sutherland-studios.com.au/family/evo_software.html")R & R Software(/url)
"EVN? What's that?"
Quote
Originally posted by nwegner:
**
For system editing, can you use Gliese data to generate accurate starmaps? Gliese data lists actual coordinates, spectra, and sizes of lots and lots of real stars.
**
Whoop-ass idea. I've been playing with the idea of an automagic plug-in maker for a while and wanted to be able to use Gliese data. I shelved it to solve other aspects (like understanding the pilot file and govt expansion using biological models), but if an editor could use Gliese data to automatically make a universe de novo...how cool.
I'm still hoping for the database import/export feature. Hell, just make a utility that exports and imports and release that by itself.
-STH
------------------
what would be good is to have the standard star map on an x-y grid, and then have each visbit higher on the z-axis. Therefore, each visbit would have a different position, so it would be easier to see what is what.
Perhaps but I'm not doing anything in 3D, at all, ever. Sorry, but I don't have time to stuff around with the Toolbox and REALBasic has no 3D tools, so that's the end of it.
Anyway, Development Release 1 of EVO God is finished, it only edits weapons but it edits weapons well! It's only available to people who are willing to provide feedback. Email me at shado83@optusnet.com.au to receive a copy.
WRT the database import/export thing, the next DR will have an "Export" button for each type of resource, which will export a tab-delimited text file of all the data in say, the wëap resource, or whatever. It will also export the PICTs.
Format-wise, each field will be tab-delimited, and records will be carriage-return delimited, as per the usual generic database format. Anyone who wants to make a front end is quite welcome!
The Import routine will follow afterwards, and by the first beta release, a full "import/export plug in" feature will be working.
Cheers!
Kane O'Donnell
------------------
Ok having read the Gliese info one more time, I have decided to include (as one of those silly features!) a gliese generator to EVO God, you will be able to enter a distance from a location (and the other required info) and it will generate the X and Y coords (NO NOT THE Z COORDINATE!!). It's going to be restricted to 2D.
Also, I'll stick a random gliese generator in there as well.
Everyone happy now?
Kane O'Donnell
(Who HATES 3D programming!!!!!!) Damn the Mac ToolBox!
------------------
The development release is available at (url="http://"http://members.fortunecity.com/shado83/")http://members.fortu...ty.com/shado83/(/url)
I will post all pre-beta releases to this website, instead of to the addons page. I'll also post a message here when there's a new version available.
Kane
------------------
I forgot about this, but here you go, try this site (url="http://"http://techwind.com/rb3d/")http://techwind.com/rb3d/(/url) it's a RB plug-in that allows you to make 3D stuff
------------------
G4, the faster computer.
E-mail me for a teaser of my upcoming plug.
Looks good, and is stable (can't say I really did anything with it, though). Took a little while to load, but at least it didn't crash. I sent an email already, but I just noticed you used binhex for the file on your page and I'd like to say that stuffit is smaller than the original file. Ohh, and FortuneCity told me it can't let me view the file cuz it's linked to from another provider....... there was some point in that but I'm going to bed now, cya.
------------------
-- Nikolaus Wegner
Quote
Originally posted by roostersw:
**Before i entrust my plug to the new version (3.3.2), is it at all stable now?
**
NO. It screwed Quantumire SE to hell. Fortunately I back it up about once every 5 minutes when I'm working on it.
-david-
------------------
(url="http://"http://www.meowx.com")Meowx Design Studios(/url)
Graphics. Games. And more...
I'm just getting it now.
If you would like a database system than can load 200+ lines in less than a second, just ask =P
------------------
--sitharus
(url="http://"http://www.evp.f2s.com/boards/")The Alternative EV/O Boards(/url) (url="http://"mailto:sitharus@ureach.com")mailto:sitharus@ureach.com(/url)sitharus@ureach.com
Well, I just ran it. Looks good. One thing though, the startup is a bit slow, I just see the wait cursor and the system stops. Go easy on #pragma disablebackgroundtasks ;).
------------------
--sitharus
(url="http://"http://www.evp.f2s.com/boards/")The Alternative EV/O Boards(/url) (url="http://"mailto:sitharus@ureach.com")mailto:sitharus@ureach.com(/url)sitharus@ureach.com
Well, I might make the startup a seperate thread cause everyone's complaining about it. It can't really be helped, but if it's any consolation, that's as long as it will take in all future releases, since the support file loading bits are complete.
The reason it takes so long is that it has to open a resource, get the ID numbers, get the names, sort the ID's and then stick the names with the ID's in a string array. It doesn't actually load the entire set of resources. I'm working on a faster method and if that works, I'll employ it.
I'm nearly finished the Outfits editor, and I've made the graphics editor non-modal, which should please some of you. I've also made it impossible to open two resource lists of the same type. DR2 will be out as soon as I get the textfile export feature working.
Cheers!
Kane O'Donnell
------------------
