Editing 101

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lancer
Posts: 2963
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Editing 101

Post by lancer »

G'day,

Coming to grips with the editor. Stumbling at the first hurdle.

How do I get some kind of development feedback loop happening?

Eg. I start up a random game, go into the editor, write an event then kick the game off to see how it pans out. All good.

But now I want to go back to the editor and play with my fancy new event some more. How do I - from within a game - get back to the editor?

The basic 'do something in editor' - jump to game and test it - 'return to editor' cycle has got me beat.

I'm sure it's simple. Maybe it was that glass of red wine I had with dinner...

Cheers,
Lancer
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ernieschwitz
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RE: Editing 101

Post by ernieschwitz »

I don´t think you can just "go back to the editor" from within a game. So i simply save my work, before testing it, and then quit the scenario, and then load the saved work again.
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lancer
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RE: Editing 101

Post by lancer »

G'day,

Ahhh...

With ATG when you get to make your random game choices you aren't able to change the master file as you could in AT. I can't find any means of loading my own master file.

So if I want to tweak the random games I have to change the one and only ATG random master file?

Additionally in order to test and refine any changes I've made I have to start a new random game each time and flip into the editor from the preload screen?

Must be a better way?

Cheers,
Lancer
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ernieschwitz
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RE: Editing 101

Post by ernieschwitz »

heh, well, i wouldn´t take changing the ATG masterfile lightly. So i see your problem...
Creator of High Quality Scenarios for:
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Try this Global WW2 Scenario: https://www.vrdesigns.net/scenario.php?nr=280
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Tac2i
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RE: Editing 101

Post by Tac2i »

I think this will work: use the "Load Scenario" button to load your "filename.at2" file. Then you can use the Edit button to enter the editor.
Tac2i (formerly webizen)
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ernieschwitz
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RE: Editing 101

Post by ernieschwitz »

ORIGINAL: Webizen

I think this will work: use the "Load Scenario" button to load your "filename.at2" file. Then you can use the Edit button to enter the editor.
I already did suggest that. What he wants is to be able to make a random game, with a new masterfile. And that random game should have all the startup options you get in the ATG random game creation screen... Not sure that its possible. Maybe Vic knows a way, or can make a way for you to do so...
Creator of High Quality Scenarios for:
  • Advanced Tactics Gold
    DC: Warsaw to Paris
    DC: Community Project.
Try this Global WW2 Scenario: https://www.vrdesigns.net/scenario.php?nr=280
Krafty
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RE: Editing 101

Post by Krafty »

Use the classic random game creator, it will allow you to change the master file. Or once you hit Edit, then click Settings/Rulevars and on that page, you will find the master file you can change there. If you want to unload the masterfile, simply hit Cancel when loading a masterfile. That will leave you with no masterfile, and everything will be fully editable. When you save the scenario, any changes will be saved with that scenario and not effect any of the masterfiles themselves.
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Bombur
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RE: Editing 101

Post by Bombur »

You can set up a random game using an alternative file. You must edit the default.txt file and change the name of the at2 file for random games.
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Vic
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RE: Editing 101

Post by Vic »

ORIGINAL: Bombur

You can set up a random game using an alternative file. You must edit the default.txt file and change the name of the at2 file for random games.

even better is to add a new file just like defaultmod.txt inside the mods/ directory... then on startup the game will ask you which startup file you want to use.

best,
vic
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tweber
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RE: Editing 101

Post by tweber »

ORIGINAL: lancer

G'day,

Coming to grips with the editor. Stumbling at the first hurdle.

How do I get some kind of development feedback loop happening?

Eg. I start up a random game, go into the editor, write an event then kick the game off to see how it pans out. All good.

But now I want to go back to the editor and play with my fancy new event some more. How do I - from within a game - get back to the editor?

The basic 'do something in editor' - jump to game and test it - 'return to editor' cycle has got me beat.

I'm sure it's simple. Maybe it was that glass of red wine I had with dinner...

Cheers,
Lancer

Please see below. Go into the editor, settings and imports. First, you must click on the 'loadable' button so that the file is loadable once the game is started. Then, you can load the game after it starts using the blue 'load game' arrow.


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lancer
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RE: Editing 101

Post by lancer »

G'day,

Thanks everybody for all the help.

Sorted out the Save game / Reload option thanks to Tweber.

Vic and Bombur's advice lets me play with a different random game master file which is ideal for twiddling and tweaking.

For the benefit of anyone following in my footsteps here's Vic's advice in a little more detail as it's not all that intuitive.

In the mods/directory I've created a copy of defaultmod.txt called cameron.txt with the following first couple of lines tweaked appropriately (in bold).
Camerons development environment
atgoldscenarios/cameron.at2

0
modgraphics
atgoldscenarios
sound
-
intro.ogg

9
1,6,160,568,Load Scenario,3,atgoldscenarios\
1,6,-125,568,Load Saved Game,4,savedgames\
1,6,-415,568,New Random Game,13,generic.at2
1,6,-415,628,Classic Random Game,11,classic.at2
1,6,-125,688,Editor,12,classic.at2
1,6,160,688,Quit,5,
1,6,-125,628,Install Zip/File,15,
1,6,-415,688,AdvancedTactics.org,6,http://www.advancedtactics.org
1,6,160,628,Credits,14,

I've also copied the generic.at2 masterfile and renamed 'cameron.at2' in the specified directory (line 2, atgoldscenarios\

The tricky bit is that you also have to change the highlighted line above that tells you which masterfile to use for a New Random Game. In the above quote I've haven't yet done this and it still points to the generic.at2 masterfile.
1,6,-415,568,New Random Game,13,cameron.at2

Probably not tricky at all if you take the time to read the information. Line 2 is the masterfile for scenarios and line 13 is for random games. Duh!

Once done you exit the game and restart. You get an immediate pop-up asking which of the two files do you wish to use?

eg.
(0) Advanced Tactics Gold
(1) Camerons Development Environment
It uses the first line of the txt file for the query rather than the file name which is neat.

If I choose 'Camerons Development Environment' then any new random games I create are made using 'cameron.at2'.

As are scenarios. Probably should flick that back to 'generic.at2' (line 2).

Cheers,
Lancer
lancer
Posts: 2963
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2005 8:56 am

RE: Editing 101

Post by lancer »

G'day,

Understanding and clarity are still hiding in the bushes. B*stards.

I've copied 'generic.at2' and renamed it to 'cameron.at2'. When I fire up a random game using the startup script above it works as intended.

However once I add a couple of new events to the 'cameron.at2' file they are only good within the specifically generated random game of the moment. If I want to start up another random game using 'cameron.at2' I find that my new events are nowhere to be found.

I've figured out that I can save a randomly generated game and then reload it from within the editor and my new events will be present. Which is O.K but what I want to do is modify the 'cameron.at2' file so that my new events apply to any random game that I generate with it.

How do I do this?

Additionally what is the difference between an '.at2' file and a '.ptmaster' file when it comes to random games?

Thanks for you help.

Cheers,
Lancer
tweber
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Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2007 1:32 pm

RE: Editing 101

Post by tweber »

Did you disconnect the masterfile?  See the "NO MASTERFILE" blue arrow in the picture above.  That might do it.  With a masterfile attached, it might reload the old events.
lancer
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Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2005 8:56 am

RE: Editing 101

Post by lancer »

G'day Tweber,

That did the trick.

Thanks.

Cheers,

Lancer
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CSO_Talorgan
Posts: 782
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RE: Editing 101

Post by CSO_Talorgan »

Is this on the wiki?
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