How do you make plugins? Do you need special software, or do you only use ResEdit?

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The great space parrot is a biped

ResEdit is the best program for it, although (url="http://"http://davidarthur.evula.net/mc.php")MissionComputer(/url) is quite good for certain resources. Stay away from EV-Edit for anything more than doing test plugs.

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(url="http://"http://www.evula.com/")EVula,(/url) your friendly (url="http://"http://www.evula.com/")self-promoting(/url) EV & EVO Boards/Addon/Newswire/Chronicles moderator
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How do you use ResEdit for plugins? I've played around with EV using ResEdit before, but all I could do was change a few ships.

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The great space parrot is a biped

(This message has been edited by Trugati (edited 12-16-2002).)

Well, first, you probably want to get the EV Bible and templates from the (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/ev/addons.html")EV addons page(/url) if you don't already have them. Then READ the bible, and then take a plugin you've played before and start mucking with the resources, eg give a shuttle 1000 mass, or 1 acceleration. Keep playing with the resources until you think you know them well enough, then start making your own!

MickyBIs

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Who is John Galt?
"I've never heard maniacal laughter from a robot before. It's good to have brought something new and wonderful into the world"-(url="http://"http://freefall.purrsia.com/")Freefall(/url)

Quote

Originally posted by EVula:
**Stay away from EV-Edit for anything more than doing test plugs.

**

What's so bad about EV-edit?

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If you give a penny for your thoughts and someone else gives you their 2 cents, did you just earn a penny?

Quote

Originally posted by Trugati:
How do you use ResEdit for plugins? I've played around with EV using ResEdit before, but all I could do was change a few ships.

Read the EV Bible for more info on that.

Quote

Originally posted by JackTheSmack:
What's so bad about EV-edit?

Aside from the fact that it can ruin your plugin if you're not careful? Not much.

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Quote

Originally posted by EVula:
**Aside from the fact that it can ruin your plugin if you're not careful? Not much.

**

What if you made the plug-in totally from Ev-Edit?

Also I think you can't do everything for EV-Edit, so what if you made everything you could from EV-Edit, and then did the changes through that other ResEdit that couldn't be done in EV-Edit? Would that take much shorter than doing it all from ResEdit?

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If you give a penny for your thoughts and someone else gives you their 2 cents, did you just earn a penny?

Quote

Originally posted by JackTheSmack:
**What if you made the plug-in totally from Ev-Edit?

Also I think you can't do everything for EV-Edit, so what if you made everything you could from EV-Edit, and then did the changes through that other ResEdit that couldn't be done in EV-Edit? Would that take much shorter than doing it all from ResEdit?

**

If you use EV-edit for more than just tweaks, you'll find yourself with a corrupted file that resedit can't open.

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(This Message has been edited by a garden troll)

Quote

Originally posted by JackTheSmack:
What if you made the plug-in totally from Ev-Edit?

Your funeral, not mine.

Quote

Originally posted by JackTheSmack:
Would that take much shorter than doing it all from ResEdit?

Considering all of the problems that EV-Edit could cause in your plugin which would cause you to do some serious debugging in ResEdit, yes, it would take that much shorter to ditch EV-Edit altogether. However, you'd be better off doing as much as you could in MissionComputer (which is not buggy) and the rest in ResEdit. Also, doing s˙st and spöb resources is easier using Developer's Map (or something similar in name), available at the (url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/games/ev/addons.html")Addons(/url) page.

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You should get ResEdit, EV Edit is cool but it costs money and you can do more with ResEdit with more programs than EV. ResEdit was made by hackers years ago when apple started. Plus you should get the EV Bible, if you don't know how to make it a plug than just change the file type or download The EV Plug-In Ticker. All of these can be found in the addons section at (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/ev/addons.html")http://www.ambrosias.../ev/addons.html(/url)

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(This message has been edited by The_Kc3 (edited 12-17-2002).)

Edit - A minor error.

Quote

Originally posted by The_Kc3:
**You should get ResEdit, EV Edit is cool but it costs money and you can do more with ResEdit with more programs than EV. ResEdit was made by hackers years ago when apple started. Plus you should get the EV Bible, if you don't know how to make it a plug than just change the file type or download The EV Plug-In Ticker. All of these can be found in the addons section at http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/ev/addons.html

**

Okay I've decied to use ResEdit. I have had major problems with EV edit.

Also can I use MissionComputer? I don't went to spend the entire thing in text. I want to at least simplify something, like missions.

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If you give a penny for your thoughts and someone else gives you their 2 cents, did you just earn a penny?

(This message has been edited by JackTheSmack (edited 12-18-2002).)

Quote

Originally posted by JackTheSmack:
**
Edit - A minor error.

Okay I've decied to use ResEdit. I have had major problems with EV edit.

Also can I use MissionComputer? I don't went to spend the entire thing in text. I want to at least simplify something, like missions.

**

Sure I have mission computer also, though I don't use it very often. Their are also a number of mission editors you can download like Schmelta-V or I "think" I spelled that right.

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EV-Edit works for a little while without causing many bugs. I believe that it was put into the system by the editor, that way he could colect the shareware fee. Res-edit isn't too difficult to use, but when there are all those little symbols; then I get really confused. If you only change a few things in Res-Edit, it isn't too much trouble. Take EVula's advice, for he has to test the plug-ins before they are put into the (url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/games/ev/addons.html")Addon Files page(/url), and he has created a fair share of plugs himself. If you need more help on this stuff, you should check out the (url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/cgi-bin/ubb/forumdisplay.cgi?action=topics&number;=9&SUBMIT;=Go")EV Developer's Corner(/url).
Edit: fixed the links

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You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me!
-Ultimate Rebel

(This message has been edited by Ultimate Rebel (edited 12-18-2002).)

I've been working on plugins for years and I'll give you a complete list of the tools I use and what I use them for:

Graphical Tools:

1. Cinema 4DXL ($250-1600) - Though it doesn't matter what you use to create new graphics for your ships, planets etc... this is my favorite.

Alternatives: Lightwave ($1600), Infini-D ($600) (discontinued), Strata Studio (Free), Strata 3D ($450)
And for the wealthy: Maya($12K), SoftImage($22K), 3DS Max($5K+).
There are other cheap and free programs that people have used but I've never dealt with them.

2. Adobe Photoshop ($500-600) - For touchup work, image format conversion, dithering, alpha channeling, and just plain and simple modification, nothing tops the Photoshop.

Alternatives: Graphic Converter(Shareware), Corel Photopaint($?)

3. Makespin (Free) - This is an old Mac Program available in the add-ons section that I use to create sprites and masks from a series of rendered images.

General Editing Tools: (All are available in the Add-On Files section of the main EV website)

1. ResEdit - The heart and soul of editing EV. It's not easy to pick up but it's not too hard either. It takes alot of trial and error.

Alternatives: Resourcer ($?), Super ResEdit (Direct Hex Abilities)

2. EV Text Importer / EV Text Exporter / EV Mission Text Exporter etc... - These are all helpful tools for editing your desc and str resources. When you've got 4000 Descriptions and you need to spell check them, you don't want to copy and paste each and every one of them now do you?

3. EV ResEdit Templates - You NEED These if you don't have them all ready. You can paste them into each plugin you're working with or, better yet, paste them into the resource fork of the ResEdit Preferences file

4. EV Objects' Formulas - I use this handy little utility alot. It's a simple document used to calculate the ID#s required for the different resources in EV. It's alot easier than pulling out a calculator and doing the math yourself.

5. EV Formula Calc - This does just about the same thing as the EV Objects Forumals does above but it's an application that returns the actual values for you. There's less information presented but it's still a super-helpful utility.

6. EV Developer's Map - It's a pain in the ass to lay down a new universe using X,Y coordinates. This little GUI allows you to do it all with a mouse and a starchart. Buggy at best but still a worthwile way of doing things.

7. EV Bible - Now that I think of it, I should have put this right under ResEdit at the top of the list. This is the HOW-TO of EV Editing tools. This will tell you everything you'll ever need to know about graphics formats, game limitations, and resource editing.

8. Da Namer - Simple, Stupid, Immesurably helpful when you're having a little brain-fart. It simply creates names for your systems and planets when you cant. I also like to keep a starchart handy. there's millions of stars out there. Might as well name your universe after them too right?

Tips and Tricks:

Graphical Tips and Tricks:

- I write Photoshop Macros for daunting tasks. All my sprites are rendered into a .tif format in millions of colors and the alphas into the same format, greyscale. The macros simply make the job of dealing with 36 sprite images and 36 mask images alot easier. One dithers them to 256 Colors, converts them to .pic files, and saves them to disk. The other launches the contrast up on the mask images to make them two-tone (black and white), dithers them to an apporpriate depth, and saves them as .pic files. At that point, i can send them in MakeSpin (the sprite and mask seperately) and then copy/paste them into my plugin.

- When creating ships, I often take into account that the user will only ever be able to see the top of them. This saves at least a little bit of modeling work.

- Take a look at previous topics on what makes a good plugin. There are tips and tricks in there as well.

General Editing Tips:

- Always keep a calculator handy. Most math you'll have to perform is head math but some of the longer calculations can be a little bit time consuming.

- Build a universe first, then build a scenario(s). Missions should only be written after the foundation of the universe is laid.

- The world likes Eye-Candy. Pretty pictures are a great way to draw in a crowd of mezmerized lackies. Just make sure you've got a plot to keep them around.

- Make Friends with EVula. He is more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

Enjoy your expierence or run in terror. The choice is yours.

-AJ

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0-60 3.0s...1320ft/9.2s...Head Gasket Bursts...

Quote

Originally posted by AJ:
- Make Friends with EVula. He is more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

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(url="http://"http://www.evula.com/")EVula,(/url) your friendly (url="http://"http://www.evula.com/")self-promoting(/url) EV & EVO Boards/Addon/Newswire/Chronicles moderator
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Quote

Originally posted by AJ:
**< snip>
- When creating ships, I often take into account that the user will only ever be able to see the top of them. This saves at least a little bit of modeling work.
<snip>
**

but don't forget that the com and shipyard pics might show some of the underside...you might want to do a little bit of detailing there, just so it doesn't look too strange.

MickyBIs

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Who is John Galt?
"I've never heard maniacal laughter from a robot before. It's good to have brought something new and wonderful into the world"-(url="http://"http://freefall.purrsia.com/")Freefall(/url)

Quote

Originally posted by EVula:
**

**

I bet you like that compliment. Just like the nicknames topic in Just Chat where the idea of "God" was given.

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You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me!
-Ultimate Rebel

Yes EVula Rocks!

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Go to Hunter HQ and aquire some vital knowledge!!

Quote

Originally posted by EVula:
**

**

All Hail EVula!

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Quote

Originally posted by Ultimate Rebel:
I bet you like that compliment.

Actually, I realized yesterday in the car (yes, I think of online stuff while driving... I drive a lot and have nothing better to think about :p) that it is actually a bit more of a statement of fact than just a compliment. He listed things to consider when making a plugin, so it makes sense for that comment about me, because I control the Addons page. Make me mad and the plugin doesn't go up.

(of course, the plugin not going up can also be due to me forgetting to check the queue for a few weeks... cough whoops...)

(quote)Originally posted by Ultimate Rebel:
**Just like the nicknames topic in Just Chat where the idea of "God" was given.;)

Thanks to all the supporters, by the way.

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(url="http://"http://www.evula.com/")EVula,(/url)** your friendly (url="http://"http://www.evula.com/")self-promoting(/url) EV & EVO Boards/Addon/Newswire/Chronicles moderator
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(This message has been edited by EVula (edited 12-19-2002).)