Blackout plug

Gage_Stryker

Wasn't able to find anything on this, but I may nto have searched long or hard enough. Does anyone have a Nova "blackout" plug? Something that replaces all the resources called with nulls? I'm working on a TC plug-in that is smaller then Nova, and it would be great if I could get a file that blacked out all the resources - start with a tabula rasa for my plug-in. It would also let me figure out if some of the stuff I'm having trouble with is my plug's fault, or some ghost code I forgot to overwrite from Nova.

I believe this could be a great development tool for anyone wanting to make a TC. Then you simply just paste in your resources, and away you go.

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Gage Stryker
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Happily jump-proofed since 2001!
" I envy people who have faith in a supreme being. Death usually doesn't scare them." - Vast Deathmaster

mrxak

Well, if 1.0.5 is the last version (which it may very well be), then you might want to wait until it's out before you start making a null plug. That way you'll get everything.

Actually, it probably wouldn't be that hard to do.

Arturo

I too have found a need for a minimal Nova in which to do development unhindered by conflicts and noise. My approach was different though, in that I didn't try to overwrite the 3446+ existing scenario resources. Instead I created a new set of resource files for the "Nova Files" folder that contain the bare minimum necessary to use the game-engine. I call it "ľNova". Now my ľNova "Nova Files" folder is still 10.8 MB in size, which is too large for an email attachment. The ľNova "Nova Files" folder size breakdown is as follows:

52KB Nova Data 1
220KB Nova Ships 1
580KB Nova Sounds
1.8MB Nova Titles 1
7.8MB Nova Graphics 1

I can send you the smaller files as email attachments if you would like, but I can't think of an easy way to get the large Titles and Graphics files to you if you want them. Any ideas?

think micro

(edit: specificity)
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"There are no bugs in my code, ... only undocumented features." - corollary #3
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table: (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/vftp/dl-redirect.pl/ResourceInterdependence.hqx?path=evn/utilities&file;=ResourceInterdependence.hqx")ResourceInterdependence(/url) and plug-in: (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/vftp/dl-redirect.pl/ShieldBubbles1.0.hqx?path=evn/plugins&file;=ShieldBubbles1.0.hqx")ShieldBubbles1.0(/url)

(This message has been edited by Arturo (edited 04-28-2003).)

Kame

I think creating new Nova Files is the way to go for a TC - making the user put away their originals in a safe place. If you're willing to download it (if you don't already have it) Polycon provides a pretty good starting point as most of those resources have nullified the Nova originals. It would at least lessen the amount of work involved.

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I used to jog but the ice kept falling out of my glass.
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thedecline

Replacing the Nova resources does make plugs outrageous in size, but I think it is the best way to go. If you make a point of not using any Nova mission bits. I have replaced the Nova resources, and my plug is only at about three megs (that is without any graphics).

Removing the Nova Data files and replacingt them with plug files is very time consumming on the users part. If you can just get you TC to work well through the plug-ins folder like all the others do, then your ontop, and it will be easier for people to use your plug.

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Andcarne

For the project I am working on, we have decided to go with replacing the Data files altogther. This seems to be the easiest approach.

The way to make this easier for the user to handle is just to make an installer that moves their nova data out, and the other data files in.

You could even go so far as to make an Applescript which switches them, then launches nova, and switches them back at the end. That would probably be the best option.

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EVula

Quote

Originally posted by thedecline:
Removing the Nova Data files and replacingt them with plug files is very time consumming on the users part.

The user renames the old Nova Files folder "Old Nova Files" and renames the new folder to be named "Nova Files." Badda bing, badda boom. It's not that hard.

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thedecline

Although it seems kinda easy - for some it ain't.

Anyway, it's not a plug unless it goes into the plugs folder.

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Vaumnou

Quote

Originally posted by thedecline:
**Although it seems kinda easy - for some it ain't.

Anyway, it's not a plug unless it goes into the plugs folder. :)**

You could just take out the Nova Files completely and put your work in the Plugins folder. Or (the h4><0r method) you could open each null resource in the hex editor and delete all the data, leaving a null resource that takes up only a few bytes.

-Vaumnou

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EVula

Quote

Originally posted by thedecline:
Although it seems kinda easy - for some it ain't.

Then some people won't get to enjoy the TC.

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Starbridge42

I can't see why people are think nulls are so difficult. I made them for any resources completed that aren't as large as the Nova ones for my upcoming TC Factions, and they work perfectly. If you want the resource make it never show up then set the field for it to only show when available bits are right. Then make the bits, for example, only show outfit 233 when b765 !b765. The outfit/ship/system/dude/pers/anything else then never shows up. If people want it so badly then I'll make one for people but it really isn't difficult to make.

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UncleTwitchy

Quote

Originally posted by thedecline:
Removing the Nova Data files and replacingt them with plug files is very time consumming on the users part.

How is just renaming the two folders time-consuming? It takes very little effort to click on one folder, type "Original" at the beginning, and then delete whatever tag you've put on the other folder to make it say "Nova Data." It's not time consuming.

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Kame

Quote

Originally posted by thedecline:
Although it seems kinda easy - for some it ain't.

Still, I can't understand how selecting the folder and hitting Command-D can be difficult.

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I used to jog but the ice kept falling out of my glass.
(url="http://"http://www.0three0.net/l-1551/")L-1551(/url) - The official site of RONIN and The Way and the ten thousand things

mrxak

The Nova data files don't even need to have the name "Nova Data n". Everything of the right file-type gets loaded at start-up (so simply renaming the old and new stuff wouldn't work anyway) All the player has to do is make a new folder, stick all the old data in it, then put your new data files (with whatever names you want, such as "My TC Data 1", My TC Data 2", "My TC Graphics", etc.) into the Nova Files folder. Quite easy, and not much more complicated then putting a plug-in into the plug-ins folder.

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Blackout plug