Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]






Shoot a firework rocket ~ Winners!
Make a forum zoo!

Welcome to The Round Table. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Locked Topic
Current Projects
Topic Started: Feb 15 2014, 07:38 AM (241,630 Views)
JohnVM
Member Avatar


HENDRIX
Jun 16 2015, 08:32 AM
I've written a small lookup algorithm that goes over all Z2F files, finds the entity XMLs and builds a tree to select them from. It doesn't extract all the stuff, only looks - therefore it's really fast AND it doesn't depend on a library like Zoozanne.

It still needs a badlist to exclude abstract objects (parsing every XML to check for that would definitely take too long), and a filter so it only takes animal main XMLs and no adult, young, etc subcategories.

Posted Image

This is the first step in building some kind of real APE2 that works just like the original did, and can be used to clone anything you have currently installed in ZT2.

Then after a source is selected, you would specify the codename, the program would gather all the files by parsing the selected XMLs and finally clone them into a temp folder.

Oh and this time it's in python 3.4, so UTF-8 shouldn't cause trouble anymore :D
This is a great breakthrough! I still consider ZOOZANNE one of the most innovative releases in the history of the community and this is a great step towards improving a helpful tool.

Offline Profile Goto Top
 
HENDRIX
Member Avatar
-retired-

Thanks, well this would mean a total recode. The function I have in mind for this one is first just a clone, and then on top of that functions similar to Zoozanne. Perhaps not as advanced, as it should work on everything for the game, but at least changing basic stuff, zoopedia etc.
Zoozanne creates lots of bugs for some people that I have no clue how to fix, so if I ever get the chance I'd try to make it more modular so it is easier to track bugs or even better, give the user feedback on what he did wrong.
Online Profile Goto Top
 
JPFAN85
No Avatar


I was curious about the file in your solo projects dropbox folder labeled "zWWD_enableFootsteps.z2f" With this file, does it mean you no longer require all the WWD downloads to make the theropods work? Do you require this download to make the theropods work? Or is it only a resource for other designers?
Offline Profile Goto Top
 
HENDRIX
Member Avatar
-retired-

I've removed the footprints from the Spirits pack coz they bothered me, add this file if you want them back in ;)
Online Profile Goto Top
 
JPFAN85
No Avatar


HENDRIX
Aug 2 2015, 06:25 AM
I've removed the footprints from the Spirits pack coz they bothered me, add this file if you want them back in ;)
Ah, okay. I appreciate the clarification.

I'll keep the footprints, since I like them in-game.
Offline Profile Goto Top
 
Gatrbro
Member Avatar


I found some problems with The Megalotherium. They are always rampaging even though their needs are met and when you make one in the lab, it dies of "old age" as soon as i release it from its crate
Edited by Gatrbro, Aug 19 2015, 01:57 PM.
Offline Profile Goto Top
 
HENDRIX
Member Avatar
-retired-

Back from Norway! I've enhanced that code a bit and now it is functional. It finds the entities, filters them according to some rules (currently everything that has a name) and a badlist and then allows you to unzip and clone the latest versions of assorted files for that entity by double-clicking the entity name. Currently the lookup of assorted files is only by name, but in future I want it to trace all the way from XML to BFM to BFB / NIF to DDS so everything needed but nothing else is cloned.

Posted Image

I'm having trouble compiling it to exe, though...
Online Profile Goto Top
 
andrew12
Member Avatar


Welcome back, HENDRIX! Good job so far!!!
Offline Profile Goto Top
 
HENDRIX
Member Avatar
-retired-

I've improved it a bit and managed to compile to exe, so now you guys can try it too! I implemented a progress bar to notify you rather than the console, the console is gone and if an error occurs, it is stored in a log file instead.

Posted Image

Download: Dropbox - Google Drive

Online Profile Goto Top
 
Yukon
Member Avatar
insta: yukons_designs

I'm sorry but I'm not sure if I can imagine how great this is... But I guess a "WOW" isn't enough xD
Offline Profile Goto Top
 
JPFAN85
No Avatar


Welcome back HENDRIX. Hope you had a great trip to Norway! :)
Offline Profile Goto Top
 
HENDRIX
Member Avatar
-retired-

Updated again with an evolving menu. Gotta focus on my term papers now, though :P
Online Profile Goto Top
 
Serpyderpy
Member Avatar
Ambassador of The Little Guys™

Prioritise, my friend. You've been doing amazing things for this community, man, but your education is extremely important. We can wait.
Offline Profile Goto Top
 
Rappy
Member Avatar


Welcome back from Norway, and best of luck on your term papers! Serpyderpy is absolutely correct about priorities.
Edited by Rappy, Aug 29 2015, 10:46 PM.
Offline Profile Goto Top
 
HENDRIX
Member Avatar
-retired-

Made nice progress on the first term paper yesterday so had time for some programming today.

On the general program layout, I have a pretty good idea of where it's going now.
The top box allows you to delete entities from the project. In future it should also be possible to load Z2Fs (done) and modify their contents (not started), without recoding instead of cloning into empty projects. This, as well as the Delete button, is just decor at the moment and has no function yet.

Below are tabs that let you do different actions for the current entity. Only the clone tab is started, but that is pretty much final, in terms of UI at least. This is where you add new entities to your project, they then appear in the top box.

Concerning the cloning algorithm:
It now traces very well along and can successfully parse this lineage: XML > (BFM >) BFB > BFMAT > DDS
I have to implement a simple NIF reading method to find and modify the texture links for this lineage: XML > (BFM >) NIF> DDS
I also have to add search for DDS files referenced in the XMLs, that is icons and variants: XML > DDS
Finally I also need an elegant way to look for gifts and sound files, but then the data collection algorithm should be done.

The goal is that the program can clone any entity in game to a fully independent one. No other user input than coding name would be required to make a working project. Once that is created, the user can easily swap skins and models. That might also be included in the program at some later point.

Roadmap for development:
1 cloning algorithm
2 project entity management
3 zoopedia generator
4 basic property editing
5 UI based behavior modifications like in ZT1 APE

Posted Image

Download
Edited by HENDRIX, Sep 3 2015, 06:25 PM.
Online Profile Goto Top
 
2 users reading this topic (2 Guests and 0 Anonymous)
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Individual Projects · Next Topic »
Locked Topic