Mission Editor

[Forboding Angel]

I believe that is because BA is in sd7 is it not? THe mission editor requires sdz be used.

[Super Mario]

Ok then.

Is it going to support the sd7 format yet?

[quantum]

New version!

Recent changes:

• Fixed bug in seeking dependencies.
• Dusk and dawn effects don't cause console spam anymore.
• Fixed several buildpic related problems.
• Fixed unit entered area condition and victory/defeat effects.
• Fixed s3o buildings having reversed faces.
• Missions don't have a version field anymore. Just mention the version in the name.
• Uploaded missions can be updated and renamed.
• Score system implemented. Player scores are uploaded to an online scoreboard.
• New effects: send score and modify score. These allow mission makers to implement custom scoring systems.

If you are running Vista 64bit and the mission editor crashes, try running it as administrator.

[manolo_]

wanted to start with xta 9.58 and small divide, here the error.log:

[Stigern]

DllNotFoundException
Unable to load DLL 'unitsync': The specified procedure could not be found. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8007007F)
at SpringLib.NativeMethods.Init(Boolean isServer, Int32 id)
at SpringLib.UnitSync..ctor(String path)
at IO.clo@98_2.Invoke(Unit _arg2)
at Utils.clo@26.Invoke()
at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart_Context(Object state)
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()
DllNotFoundException
Unable to load DLL 'unitsync': The specified procedure could not be found. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8007007F)
at SpringLib.NativeMethods.Init(Boolean isServer, Int32 id)
at SpringLib.UnitSync..ctor(String path)
at IO.clo@98_2.Invoke(Unit _arg2)
at Utils.clo@26.Invoke()
at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart_Context(Object state)
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()

Help

After I located that .dll file it asks about I clicked new mission, and then that error came.

Using Windows 7 x64.

[quantum]

Is it going to support the sd7 format yet?

It's not planned.

wanted to start with xta 9.58 and small divide, here the error.log:

XTA 9.58 uses a mix of pcx, dds and other stuff for buildpics. Only png, bmp and jpg are supported.

After I located that .dll file it asks about I clicked new mission, and then that error came.

Using Windows 7 x64.

Could you try running it as administrator?

[manolo_]

wanted to start with xta 9.58 and small divide, here the error.log:

XTA 9.58 uses a mix of pcx, dds and other stuff for buildpics. Only png, bmp and jpg are supported.

k, thx

edit: tested v17 now with xta 9.56 and it also failed, it worked with previous versions

[Argh]

Finally got it working

[Tobi]

How to play a mission on Linux:

1. Download one from http://planet-wars.eu/MissionEditorServer/Default.aspx, save as mission.sdz in your spring mods directory, I'm assuming this is ~/.spring/mods
2. Open a terminal and type: cd ~/.spring && unzip mods/mission.sdz script.txt, type y if it asks whether to overwrite the script.txt file.
3. Open script.txt in an editor.
4. Look for a line with "GameType=" on it, change this to "GameType=mission.sdz;"
5. Look for any lines with "aidll=" on it, change them to "aidll=LuaAI:boo;"
6. Save script.txt and close editor.
7. Start spring with script.txt as sole argument: spring script.txt

Most of these steps could easily be prevented with some tiny changes to the included script.txt, I've told quantum about them.

Licho: any chance the web interface could be fixed so it suggests the entire mission name as filename, instead of just the first word? (Now you get by default filenames like 'Mission:' or 'Spacebat', without even an extension.)

tl;dr: missions created by the mission editor are windows only in practice

[Licho]

Ok, done that

[quantum]

Here's a Java mission launcher that works on Linux. It's very basic and doesn't support comments or highscores, but at least it will enable Linux users to enjoy missions until a better solution is completed.

[quantum]

A warning: the next version of the mission editor will break saved projects. I screwed up something in the part that makes my main mission class forward compatible.

[CarRepairer]

Request: Much more zoom. It's very difficult to create a wall of fortwalls or DT for example. The icons have to be practically on top of eachother.

[MidKnight]

How about those scaling icons I asked for? Are they that hard to implement?

[Tobi]

I haven't looked at the mission editor's save format at all yet, but I wonder, would it be feasible to create a widget which can dump all units in the game with their orders into the format expected by the misison editor?

This way you could make huge walls / bases easily in Spring using /give or /nocost and high gamespeed, and afterwards import the data into the mission editor and add triggers and stuff like that. Heck, you could even export a base from a replay and use it in a mission

To make this even more viable, I'd suggest to have missions saved in two files: one for the static data on game start, e.g. units that should be spawned at game start and the commands that should be given to them at game start, and one defining the interactions, triggers, units spawned later in the game, reinforcements, special effects, etc.

This way a widget as mentioned above could also be used to tweak the initial setup after triggers etc. have been added in the mission editor, without the widget having to care about preserving all those things it doesn't know about.

EDIT: Additionally splitting in multiple files can have the advantage that on file format breaking changes not everything has to be remade, but only the contents from that file.

[CarRepairer]

This way you could make huge walls / bases easily in Spring using /give or /nocost and high gamespeed, and afterwards import the data into the mission editor and add triggers and stuff like that.

I don't think this would be necessary at all. The Mission Editor is very easy to use and you can quickly set up a huge base. Barring my above request for more zoom so I can make easily make a line of 2x2 (or are they 1x1?) "wall" units, it's a piece of cake. I wouldn't recommend putting in the effort for such a widget because if anything, it would take longer to load the game just to set up the units. Also note that there could be several times (triggers) in your mission you want to create a setup of units, not just at the start. This further complicates things.

[quantum]

New version!

Changes since the last update post:

New features

• Added support for counters.
• Added the destroy units, transfer units, modify resources, modify unit health, make units always visible, enable trigger, disable trigger and wait actions.
• Added the unit damaged condition.
• Added custom condition and custom action, for advanced users.
• The probability of triggers being executed can now be set.
• Unit created and unit finished conditions have a unit team option.
• The units entered area condition uses players instead of alliances and has a minimum amount of units in area option.
• The score is displayed in the GUI.
• Added an option that makes GUI messages pause the game.
• Added "Find" to the context menu of unit definition lists.
• It is now possible to delete or set tags for multiple units at a time in the Create Units map.
• Changing the side of units is now possible in the unit list.
• Missions now respect safe mode. This should make them play nicer with Evolution RTS and other mods.
• Effects renamed to actions.
• Tags renamed to groups.
• TestGlobalAI.dll no longer required.
• /take is not allowed anymore.

Fixes

• Fixed issue that made the first item in lists appear selected.
• Fixed bug that made marker and camera maps not always update.
• Fixed bug in which testing missions from the editor then playing them in SpringDownloader might not work.
• Fixed bug in which playing a mission from SpringDownloader then testing it in the mission editor could cause you to play the SpringDownloader version instead.
• Unit definition lists are now read-only.
• Modname fixed in the script packaged in the mission mutator.
• Fixed dragging in the Create Units action.
• Fixed the Disable Trigger action.
• Fixed switching between actions that use the big unit definitions list.
• Fixed bugs with area, marker and camera conditions sharing state.
• Fixed crashes while setting groups.
• Fixed scoring system description not being saved.

Detailed Changelog

Request: Much more zoom. It's very difficult to create a wall of fortwalls or DT for example. The icons have to be practically on top of eachother.

How about those scaling icons I asked for? Are they that hard to implement?

I'm just procrastinating the map overhaul >_<

you could make huge walls / bases easily in Spring using /give or /nocost and high gamespeed, and afterwards import the data into the mission editor and add triggers and stuff like that.

Like CarRepairer, I find placing units in the mission editor map more convenient. Placing units is a small part of the process of making missions anyway, and each time you switch to Spring you'd need to wait for the loading times and navigate the build tree until the desired units, assuming you don't know the unit codes. Maybe it's a good topic for the next SpringDownloader poll!

[Argh]

Awesome update, man. Can't wait to try this out when I get done with other stuff this week.

[Tobi]

Heh I really need to get around to trying it then, still didn't bother to set up a Windows-Spring virtual machine again...

[CarRepairer]

Request: Allow me to move the triggers up/down just like you can with conditions and actions. After making a bunch of triggers they start to get numerous and I want to re-order them. I am aware that this has no effect on the mission itself, it's just for organizational purposes.

Problem: I wanted to set 0 resources at the start of the game. It seems only possible to add to the current (send) resources. I tried negative values as a workaround but they don't seem to work.

Aside from that, the editor is awesome and my mission is looking good. Keep up the good work, and try not to break forward compability! :)