What about an ALL-IN-ONE "SH 3 TOOL"?

JScones · 10-31-05, 10:12 PM

An all-in-one SH3 Tool sounds great in theory, but who would it be aimed at? The average player, or the modding faithful? If the modding faithful, then TT has a brilliant tool already. However, understandably, average players just wouldn't have the time for it.

Looking at Basic.cfg for example, it's not publicised, but anyone who has looked at some of SH3Cmdr's cfg files would have realised by now that they can build a whole Basic.cfg file on the fly (even more obvious with the next release

). This is something I am moving towards. The next logical progression (and you can see this evolving with SH3Cmdr's Options) is to provide an interface where users can simply select the name of the mod they want and the interface builds the required (text and binary) files for them - it would recognise when two selected mods changed the same values and would alert the user or look for pre-defined rules for handling. Kinda like an SH3 specific JSGME. To this end, a database would need to be created and maintained storing mod names and the files/settings that go with it. Creating a database isn't hard - heck, it's what I do for a living - but the maintenance part will be where it falls down plus it all takes time to do. Unfortunately for me, SH3Cmdr has opened up so many opportunities that prioritising them all has become quite overwhelming.

Another alternative is a "cut-down" Analyzer. Mod makers create an "Analyzer Lite" rule file which they distribute with their mods. The rule file includes the names, settings and details of files that the mod changes. Players would open this rule file in Analyzer Lite and by querying the contents, Analyzer Lite would present a list of (user friendly) options that the user can change. So, using the Atmosphere mod for example, only one version of scene.dat (if any) would need to be included with one "rule" file. This rule file will outline what settings in what related files can be changed. The player sees a user friendly interface listing each of the mod files and the settings they can adjust (ie in this case water density, wave height etc). Very high level idea which would require much more thought, but very do-able.

Or, even simpler still, a "Lite Analyzer Lite" where users simply get a screen for each of the key SH3 binary files and they can set what values they want through the pre-defined interface. Mods affecting these files can include an instruction sheet saying "Go into Lite Analyzer Lite and change these settings...make sure these other settings are...and don't change these settings...etc" or again, a rule file could be loaded.

I have quite a few other ideas varying between simple and exotic (this is something I have been thinking about for six months), but these are some to start thinking about.

BTW TT's Analyzer tool was invaluable in pointing me to the right spots in scene.dat and GUNS_SUB.sim.

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10-31-05, 10:12 PM	#1
JScones Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 5,501 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	An all-in-one SH3 Tool sounds great in theory, but who would it be aimed at? The average player, or the modding faithful? If the modding faithful, then TT has a brilliant tool already. However, understandably, average players just wouldn't have the time for it. Looking at Basic.cfg for example, it's not publicised, but anyone who has looked at some of SH3Cmdr's cfg files would have realised by now that they can build a whole Basic.cfg file on the fly (even more obvious with the next release ). This is something I am moving towards. The next logical progression (and you can see this evolving with SH3Cmdr's Options) is to provide an interface where users can simply select the name of the mod they want and the interface builds the required (text and binary) files for them - it would recognise when two selected mods changed the same values and would alert the user or look for pre-defined rules for handling. Kinda like an SH3 specific JSGME. To this end, a database would need to be created and maintained storing mod names and the files/settings that go with it. Creating a database isn't hard - heck, it's what I do for a living - but the maintenance part will be where it falls down plus it all takes time to do. Unfortunately for me, SH3Cmdr has opened up so many opportunities that prioritising them all has become quite overwhelming. Another alternative is a "cut-down" Analyzer. Mod makers create an "Analyzer Lite" rule file which they distribute with their mods. The rule file includes the names, settings and details of files that the mod changes. Players would open this rule file in Analyzer Lite and by querying the contents, Analyzer Lite would present a list of (user friendly) options that the user can change. So, using the Atmosphere mod for example, only one version of scene.dat (if any) would need to be included with one "rule" file. This rule file will outline what settings in what related files can be changed. The player sees a user friendly interface listing each of the mod files and the settings they can adjust (ie in this case water density, wave height etc). Very high level idea which would require much more thought, but very do-able. Or, even simpler still, a "Lite Analyzer Lite" where users simply get a screen for each of the key SH3 binary files and they can set what values they want through the pre-defined interface. Mods affecting these files can include an instruction sheet saying "Go into Lite Analyzer Lite and change these settings...make sure these other settings are...and don't change these settings...etc" or again, a rule file could be loaded. I have quite a few other ideas varying between simple and exotic (this is something I have been thinking about for six months), but these are some to start thinking about. BTW TT's Analyzer tool was invaluable in pointing me to the right spots in scene.dat and GUNS_SUB.sim.