Tool: Message Reader

[CCIP-subsim]

Another quick bump - would someone who has this tool on hand be able to reupload it? (links are expired again)

[warshipbuilder]

http://www35.zippyshare.com/v/N1LZ1V8b/file.html

[CCIP-subsim]

Very much appreciated, thank you warshipbuilder

[CaptCarnage]

Is it in anyway possible to modify the excellent Message Reader so that it shows me all Flak messages together on the map?
Or I can sort messages on type, like Flak, or Bouncing/fighting, or Crashlanding etc.?

You give seperate icons on the map for each message type so something must be possible?

[ovaltine]

Hello folks,

I have Harley's editor from the old Talonsoft Twelve O'Clock High Bombing the Reich from way back when. Harley e-mailed it to me long time ago working on message boards with Jean Luc, Hard Sarge and you Harley from Oz! Harley's editor did not allow the editor to be used in PBEM games if someone tried it it read 'No Cheating!'. I was Bosco2k back then but good old Bosco2k got lost in the shuffle here. Good to see you again Harley. Sure could use an editor for the new Gary Grigsby's Eagle Day to Bombing the Reich. If I had known no editor would be in the game I would not have bought it because I have been playing Talonsofts with their 'Official Patches' and all the other 'Unofficial Patches' and your editor for 18 years! The new updated one appears far more comprehensive but took awhile to get it running smoothly with tweaks and dxwnd plus some switches. It is hard, I can say that. However one can not create what if's without an editor.

Take care Harley.

[Tomcat84]

Any chance of a repost? Looks like a very useful tool but I don't see working links.

Did 105 ever come out?

[mikkey]

Hi Tomcat, here is a new download link: EDBTR MessageReader v1.04

and new v1.05 probably not, because Creeper is long time off-line...

[Tomcat84]

Yeah figured as much about 1.05

Thanks for 04 though!

[Tomcat84]

Hmm, only thing that is working is the campaign info. Not seeing the messages and with every save I try it always says it's in the planning phase. Assuming it's cause I'm running Beta Patch .908e , can anyone confirm or should I be able to get it to run?

[simovitch]

Well, I was wondering when someone would notice this[;)] In order to fix the replay functions and a few other things we had to increase some array dimensions which invariably changed the pointer offsets in the data files.
So the result is that the old message reader no longer points to the correct offset location. The good news is I was able to determine the new offsets after several grueling days using a hex editor (the data file is encrypted).

The problem is my programming experience dates back to punchcards so although I do have the closely guarded super-secret if-I-tell-you-ill-have-to-kill-you encryption password, The best I could do was modify the editor tool macros to read savegames, which displays messages and all sorts of other goodies for any turn you load.

I'll need to talk to the dev team to see how to proceed with this. I can email the updated editor and a sample data file if someone thinks they can build a new message reader by reading the macros.

[Tomcat84]

Lol

well I am a bit late to the party having just bought the game two days ago lol

And since I feel the turns take a bit long to sit and read every individual message this tool seemed awesome as it would allow me to scan through all the messages post-turn in a time efficient manner and look for important stuff without having to go through the entire thing in game.

Unfortunately I have 0 coding knowledge so while I would love to get an updated error so I can read the messages, I dont think I can build anything for anyone :/

Am helpful to test whatever though so if I can help out somehow in that regard feel free to PM me or something. I'm not planning to do any PBEM btw if cheating is a concern.

[simovitch]

Well you can review each message over and over in the replay now which is no small consolation. Just make sure map scrolling is set to default (max). Not sure why yet but this helps keep the messages from flipping too fast.

[Arkham]

Any updates on getting this excellent tool working again?

[Zovs]

Looks like its been 3, 5 and even more years since this tool was discussed and even longer since its been last released, updated or available for download. Does it still work? Is it worth the time to try and download and find out?

I have only just purchased this game in the last week or so, so I am basically a complete newbie with this game.

[simovitch]

At this point if I had the source code for this message reader I think I could make it work. Until then it remains unusable.

The next patch due out any day gives better mouse-over information during replay; group and aircraft type rather than just "raid number" so that's some consolation.

[Flaurez]

I think I have managed to decompile this into its source code. Are you able to work with this Simovich? I believe from a perusal of the files that the offending code may be in the two 'Form1' files or the 'Resources.resx' file.

It appears to be a Visual Basic module or .NET assembly compiled with Visual Studio 2000. I am not a Visual Basic programmer so just flying by the seat of my pants here.

Would love to see this neat little tool up and running again to work with the updated version of the game.

[simovitch]

I've tried to load it in MS VS 2010 which is the only version I have, and what I use for EDBTR executable, but I can't make heads or tails of this. I can see some things but nothing that looks like source code. Maybe someone else can give it a go. sorry.