plug-in creation tutorials?

With the release of NovaTools, the plug-in development has never been friendlier... so I wondered if anybody would be willing to construct a step-by-step guide (with screenshots and all) to creating basic plug-ins, suitable for any non-geeks who want to be creative with EVN. So, is anyone up to the task??

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"People need to stop using forum signatures. They're so irritating"
- conniving little worm

For a partial answer to your question, (url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/webboard/Forum9/HTML/002370.html")go here.(/url) It was originally going to be for EVO, but I've had a look at NovaTools and it is a lot more complex than I had anticipated, so I'll most likely convert it to EVN. If you like, I'll post the first section or two here, to a) help out new EVN devs and 🆒 to see if people think the manual is any good. For an introduction to ResEdit (in case you're new), (url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/webboard/Forum9/HTML/002390.html")go here.(/url)

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The only sovereign you can allow to rule you is reason Ń Wizard's Sixth Rule, Faith of the Fallen.
Ń Cafall

Cafall, if you convert that 'guide' to cover EVN stuff, I'm sure I could find a spot for it over at (url="http://"http://www.ev-nova.net/")EV-Nova.net.(/url) Then we won't have to worry about it being burried deep on the board. 🙂

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(url="http://"http://www.evula.com/")EVula,(/url) your friendly (url="http://"http://www.evula.com/")self-promoting(/url) EV & EVO Boards/Addon/Newswire/Chronicles moderator
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I'm a spanking new newby to Plug-In development and have just started looking for resources. My last computer education was in 1981 when I took DOS 360 Assembler and was in the last class to use the card punch machine. Oh yeah, I took COBOL at that time also. As I read the 'EVO Developers Guide to ResEdit' by Cafal, the question occurs - Is this all still valid in OS X? Is the concept of Resources at a higher level than all the fabulous 'Unix foundations' and still in use or has everything changed with OS X?

Also, how does C programing language fit into all of this?

Thanks for your patient answers

Eric

EVula, that would be great. I'll convert the first few sections to EVN and give them to you as soon as I can wade through my life's crap and find the time.

Cunning, ResEdit works only on OS 9, as Cocoa's InterfaceBuilder takes care of the same things in a different way.
What does C have to do with it?

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The only sovereign you can allow to rule you is reason Ń Wizard's Sixth Rule, Faith of the Fallen.
Ń Cafall

(This message has been edited by Cafall (edited 03-29-2002).)

This interests me greatly. I dabbled in making a few plug ins for EV:O, but never got very good at it.

It would be GRRREAT to have a step-by-step plug-in tutorial. 😄

It would also be nice to see a more in-depth tutorial that covers the more complex aspect's of plug-in creation. 🙂

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Put me down for a copy. I'm still swearing at translating the bible into English.

ElG7
(NovaTools is phun, but we SO need something like Schmelta or EVEdit...)

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"Quote it, paraphrase it, soak it in peanut oil and set it on fire. I don't mind in the least." - forge
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(url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum10/HTML/002253.html")Slow-reading Story(/url) - (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/vftp/dl-redirect.pl?path=evo/guides&file;=TechFolder.sit")Captain Canardley Ableson's Technical Guide to the EV/O Universe(/url)

Quote

Originally posted by Cafall:
**It was originally going to be for EVO, but I've had a look at NovaTools and it is a lot more complex than I had anticipated, so I'll most likely convert it to EVN.
**

Cafall, are you familiar with this DocMaker guide - 'The Beginners' Guide to ResEdit for Escape Velocity' (or something very close - I'm at work just now and don't have the guide in front of me)? The link is here:
(url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/cgi-bin/vftp/show.pl?product=ev&category;=utilities&display;=name&file;=ResEditBeginnersGuide.sit.hqx")http://www.AmbrosiaS...rsGuide.sit.hqx(/url)

It was a very readable and helpful guide. If your project followed along the lines set down by this guide, I think it would do very well.

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"Your death will be the proof that Horus does not lie."
Roger Zelazny, Creatures of Light and Darkness

Perhaps Dr. R, mcb and/or ATMOS could proof-read the final tutorial and, if its good enough, Andrew could put up a link from the main EVN page (as an official (beginners') guide to plug-in development)? That's assuming its going to be an html page (or ten). A downloadable PDF file would be nice also.

I'm sure there are a whole bunch of creative minds out there that could use something like this. The more accessible, the better (as opposed to being buried 6 digital feet under in the add-ons section). Plus, they'll be doing the entire EVN community a favour.

What more could you ask for? 🙂

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"People need to stop using forum signatures. They're so irritating"
- conniving little worm

Hold your horses, everyone! Let's try not to get carried away
I recently got a new Mac and I've been installing everything from OS X to Applescript on it, so I haven't gotten a chance to start on my manual yet. I'll be starting right after I finish this post. It'll be a while until I'm done; 've got a bunch of notes that need to be edited out, etc., so I have quite a ways to go. But I'll do my best to get the first section out as soon as possible.

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The only sovereign you can allow to rule you is reason — Wizard's Sixth Rule, Faith of the Fallen.
— Cafall

Well, the conversion is going well. Because Nova has so many extra features, I've been spending all of this day working on an easy to understand explanation on making an outfit (not the greatest thing on Earth, but everyone starts somewhere). I'm nearly there; I just need to explain the concept of reserved ID numbers and my wheels will be turning once again.

Quote

**Cafall, are you familiar with this DocMaker guide - 'The Beginners' Guide to ResEdit for Escape Velocity' (or something very close - I'm at work just now and don't have the guide in front of me)? The link is here:http://www.AmbrosiaS...rsGuide.sit.hqx

It was a very readable and helpful guide. If your project followed along the lines set down by this guide, I think it would do very well.**

Yes, I've seen that guide. I own a copy, and I keep it for a simple reference when I'm stuck on something. I plan to make my manual more like the Nova Bible on steroids (steroids that aren't bad for you :)); the Bible shows you how a stitch is performed, but I show you how to weave the cloth.

I'll post the first section (about making an outfit) on a site, whether it's ev-nova.net, ASW's Addons page, or my own. I want to see whether I should keep my fingers on the keyboard or leave the job to someone else. But rest assured—I will work as hard as I can to get the manual finished, unless people turn out not to like my work.
By the way—does anyone know of a Mac OS X application that can save as a PDF file (besides Acrobat)? I do own Acrobat, but I've been having trouble with it's virtual printer.

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The only sovereign we can allow to rule us is reason — Wizard's Sixth Rule, Faith of the Fallen.
— Cafall

By the way, the picture just became (url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/webboard/Forum26/HTML/004204.html")larger(/url). 🙂

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"People need to stop using forum signatures. They're so irritating"
- conniving little worm

Quote

Originally posted by Cafall:
**By the way—does anyone know of a Mac OS X application that can save as a PDF file (besides Acrobat)? I do own Acrobat, but I've been having trouble with it's virtual printer.
**

Can you not just save a print preview as PDF from any app'? Forgive me if I'm wrong, I don't have OS X :frown:

Anyway, thanks all for the effort. I'm looking forward to seeing the results 🙂

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"People need to stop using forum signatures. They're so irritating"
- conniving little worm

Quote

Originally posted by Cafall:
**By the way—does anyone know of a Mac OS X application that can save as a PDF file (besides Acrobat)? I do own Acrobat, but I've been having trouble with it's virtual printer.
**

Have you tried re-installing Acrobat?

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Quote

Originally posted by fimwat:
Can you not just save a print preview as PDF from any app'?

That's certainly the case in every application I've used.

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David Arthur
(url="http://"http://davidarthur.evula.net/")davidarthur.evula.net(/url): MissionComputer and the Talon plug-in for the original Escape Velocity
(url="http://"http://www.ev-nova.net/")EV-Nova.net(/url): If You Haven't Visited Yet, Then Why Not?

Quote

Can you not just save a print preview as PDF from any app'? Forgive me if I'm wrong, I don't have OS X

Thanks... so the Help button is good for something. 🙂

I've been working like a dog on the manual for the last five days. I'm done converting the existing section, and I've decided to rewrite the weapon section from scratch, since everything is so different in EV Nova. I'm two-thirds done with the weapon section, and right after I finish this post I'll continue to write. I'd like to thank Iron Eagle for proofreading the outfit section, and Lequis MX for trying to (hotmail mutilated the attachment and wouldn't give it back).

I've been hearing more and more people asking for tutorial/manuals like the one I'm writing, and I'd like to tell everyone the sad truth right away: readers read much faster than writers write. If I gave you my manual right now, you'd gobble it up in five seconds and I'd spend another week writing another section. This is the reason I decided to release one section at a time, but even though I have more time available than most kids my age it will still be too slow for today's newbies.

Don't worry, though. This manual will be completed, if I can help it. Meanwhile, I hope newbies will benefit from this fully bookmarked PDF version of the (url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/cafall/FileSharing2.html")EV Nova Bible,(/url) which is on my small iTools site and will be up on the EV Nova addons page in a little while (hint, hint, EVula :p); not that you'll get a download speed boost from there. 🙂

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The only sovereign we can allow to rule us is reason — Wizard's Sixth Rule, Faith of the Fallen.
— Cafall

Quote

Originally posted by ElGuapo7:
**(NovaTools is phun, but we SO need something like Schmelta or EVEdit...)
**

Agreed, NovaTools were a solution to a particular problem, getting ATMOS and Nova beyond TMPL editing, fast. But I have always said I encourage people to make editors of all kinds, especially more graphcally oriented ones.

NovaTools is a basic level of editing, there is plenty of room for more sophisicated editing if someone has the time/expertise and motivation to see it through to a reliable product.

Cheers
DrR

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(url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/dr_ralph/index.html") w00tWare: NovaTools are here!(/url)

The first Part of my EVN plug-in development manual has been released. It covers everything up to weapons, but I'll have more out as soon as I can. You can get it from my (url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/cafall/FileSharing2.html")iDisk(/url).
Knock yourselves out.

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The only sovereign we can allow to rule us is reason — Wizard's Sixth Rule, Faith of the Fallen.
— Cafall

I have finished the chapter of my manual concerning systems, and I'm starting the stelar object chapter. Once I'm done with that chapter, I'll release a new version and make a new topic for this progress log.

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The only sovereign we can allow to rule us is reason — Wizard's Sixth Rule, Faith of the Fallen.
— Cafall