[ANN] Presenting MissionComputer 3.0 with syst/spob/nebu/outf

David Arthur

Presenting MissionComputer 3.0 with syst/spob/nebu/outf

Back in mid-January I began working on Cartographer , a plug-in for MissionComputer designed to allow it to edit the galaxy map, systems, planets, and nebulae. Although I've released several MissionComputer updates since that time, Cartographer has found its way only into the hands of a small group of testers. Now, with MissionComputer 3.0 , these features for the first time available to the public, now integrated into the MissionComputer application rather than relying on an external plug-in as they did when I first demonstrated them.

Version 3.0 also adds support for the oütf resource, and the new RDL template scripting system, which provides more user-friendly editing of resources which lack graphical editors.

MissionComputer 3.0 adds these new features to a list that already includes editors for the chär, crön, dësc, düde, flët, gövt, ďntf, jünk, mďsn, përs, PICT, STR, STR# (improved in version 3.0), and yëäŽ resources. MissionComputer provides a simple interface for linking resources wherever it is necessary, and offers convenient excerpts from the official developer documentation. Also integrated into the MissionComputer application are a graphical tool for generating target graphics in the style used by EV Nova , and a Resource Copier utility for moving resources between files in bulk.

The template-based editing system, updated in version 3.0 for more user-friendly editing, allows MissionComputer to edit every resource used by the Escape Velocity games with at least the same level of functionality as ResEdit can offer without w00tWare's NovaTools installed. The new RDL template scripting system extends its functionality with some features resembling those found in MissionComputer and NovaTools such as popup menus, automatic flag calculation, and Resource Selector buttons.

MissionComputer began life as a simple mission editor for EV Override, released in late December of 2001 after several months of development and testing. In the subsequent versions, it has gained an increased scope, and now covers many aspects of the latest versions of all three Escape Velocity games.

MissionComputer 3.0 is available in two separate versions: a Mac OS X edition, and a Classic version optimised for Mac OS 9 and earlier. The new version is immediately available from my web site at (url="http://"http://davidarthur.evula.net/")davidarthur.evula.net(/url), and remains a free download.

Notes on Windows compatibility
Since Ambrosia released EV Nova for Windows, there has been an increased demand for development tools that can run on that platform. MissionComputer is at present a Mac-only application, but it is available in a 68K-enabled Classic build which some users have been able to run successfully in Windows-based Macintosh emulators. I am currently engaged in developing the technology necessary to create a workable Windows version of MissionComputer, but although this process is currently going quite well, it is still too early to promise completion, let alone give a release date.

------------------
David Arthur | (url="http://"http://davidarthur.evula.net/")davidarthur.evula.net(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.ev-nova.net/")EV-Nova.net(/url)
Truth! Justice! Freedom! And A Hard-Boiled Egg!

Admiral Zombat

WOOOHOOOO!!! Go David!!

------------------
"Don't touch the radio, it'll bite my hand!!"
(url="http://"http://zombat.roosteredge.com/")Zombat(/url)

TheRedeemer

Thankyou!

------------------
"Only those who attempt the absurd...will achieve the impossible. I think...I think it's in my basement...Let me go upstairs and check." - M.C. Escher
"I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it." - Pablo Picasso
'The more I talk to women, the more I begin to think that homosexuals have got the right idea.'
(url="http://"http://directory.perfectparadox.com/profile.php?id=00076")My Profile - With Picture!(/url)

kauthor

One problem. When I click on the Mac OS X Version, it comes out as crap, but when I double-click it, and click on Download to Disk, it works. So, can you fix the problem?

------------------

David Arthur

Quote

Originally posted by kauthor:
One problem. When I click on the Mac OS X Version, it comes out as crap, but when I double-click it, and click on Download to Disk, it works. So, can you fix the problem?

Hmm, it sounds like your browser isn't configured to recognise Mac OS X disk images as downloadable files.

------------------
David Arthur | (url="http://"http://davidarthur.evula.net/")davidarthur.evula.net(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.ev-nova.net/")EV-Nova.net(/url)
Truth! Justice! Freedom! And A Hard-Boiled Egg!

Kame

Eeeeeek!

------------------
((Ż'ˇ.¸(Ż'ˇ.¸Ť-KAME-ť¸.ˇ'´Ż)¸.ˇ'´Ż))
I used to jog but the ice kept falling out of my glass.
(url="http://"http://www.0three0.net/l-1551/")L 1551(/url) - The official site of RONIN and The Way and the ten thousand things

Starbridge42

You'da man DA! What a pity I've nearly finished systems :frown:

-Starbridge42

------------------
Hey! If I want cheesey poofs, I'll get cheesey poofs!
-Eric Cartman Law Enforcer
"Respect my Authorita!"

Aprosenf

Are you proficient in Windows programming? If you are, that would be great.

------------------
C:dos
C:dosrun
rundosrun

Azdara

Quote

Originally posted by David Arthur:
**Hmm, it sounds like your browser isn't configured to recognise Mac OS X disk images as downloadable files.

**

Hmmm... It happened to me too, and I've downloaded .dmg files before.

Either way, it works when you save target as, so it's all good. DA, you are the best, seriously ++ to you. Everyone appreciates the work you put into this stuff, and it really helps the development community.

Well done, and Thankyou.

~A~

------------------
"How can I make it go faster?" -Me-

PigDog4

Quote

Originally posted by Azdara:
**Hmmm... It happened to me too, and I've downloaded .dmg files before.

Either way, it works when you save target as, so it's all good. DA, you are the best, seriously ++ to you. Everyone appreciates the work you put into this stuff, and it really helps the development community.

Well done, and Thankyou.

~A~

**

Well said. I couldn't have put it better.

~Growl~

------------------
"I don't do .INI, .BAT, .DLL, or .SYS files. I don't assign apps to files. I don't configure peripherals or networks before using them. I have a computer to do all that. I have a Macintosh, not a hobby." -- Fritz Anderson
"There are some people who learn from the mistakes of others. The rest of us have to be the others"--Unknown

Kame

The new RDL templates are awesome. Very well done, DA!

------------------
((Ż'ˇ.¸(Ż'ˇ.¸Ť-KAME-ť¸.ˇ'´Ż)¸.ˇ'´Ż))
I used to jog but the ice kept falling out of my glass.
(url="http://"http://www.0three0.net/l-1551/")L 1551(/url) - The official site of RONIN and The Way and the ten thousand things

Jonathan Boyd

I'm finding that it's rather erratic at saving files. I lost a fair bit of work this morning because when I told it to save and it said it had, it actually hadn't. Sometimes it saves fine, sometimes it doesn't.

One other qualm - you can only edit one window at a time. Often when I'm editting a ship I"ll want to go look up info on an outfit or weapon, or check another data file entirely, but that seems to be impossible in Mission Computer. You have to close whatever ship you're working on, go look up the outfit, close the outfit, then go open the ship again.

If those issues vanished, I'd suddenly have a lost less need for ResEdit because other than that, it's a great program. Fantastic to have a decent GUI system editor at last.

------------------

Jules

David - you are a hero

ewan

------------------
(url="http://"http://www.evula.org/ewan/")Ewan's Lair(/url) | (url="http://"http://dreamwave.evula.net")Dreamwave(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.northernswamp.com")Northern Swamp(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.evula.com")EVula's Lair(/url)
"In this world gone mad, we won't spank the monkey - the monkey will spank us!"

Kame

Quote

Originally posted by Jonathan Boyd:
**I'm finding that it's rather erratic at saving files. I lost a fair bit of work this morning because when I told it to save and it said it had, it actually hadn't. Sometimes it saves fine, sometimes it doesn't.

One other qualm - you can only edit one window at a time. Often when I'm editting a ship I"ll want to go look up info on an outfit or weapon, or check another data file entirely, but that seems to be impossible in Mission Computer. You have to close whatever ship you're working on, go look up the outfit, close the outfit, then go open the ship again.

If those issues vanished, I'd suddenly have a lost less need for ResEdit because other than that, it's a great program. Fantastic to have a decent GUI system editor at last.

**

I'm having the same problem running in OSX. It seems that it saves temp files to the trash. Luckily, I just happened to look in there before emptying it and was able to find my most recent version, saving over an hours worth of writing descriptions. It once gave me a warning that there was a problem saving the file but then I think it saved fine otherwise it seems to save correctly but when you reopen the plug the changes have not been saved. It happens for both plugs created with MC and opening existing plugs.

------------------
((Ż'ˇ.¸(Ż'ˇ.¸Ť-KAME-ť¸.ˇ'´Ż)¸.ˇ'´Ż))
I used to jog but the ice kept falling out of my glass.
(url="http://"http://www.0three0.net/l-1551/")L 1551(/url) - The official site of RONIN and The Way and the ten thousand things

Skyfox

Must Download. Right Now.

Awsome work David Arthur!!

------------------
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."-Albert Einstein

Pan Sola

Quote

Originally posted by Kame:
**I'm having the same problem running in OSX. It seems that it saves temp files to the trash. Luckily, I just happened to look in there before emptying it and was able to find my most recent version, saving over an hours worth of writing descriptions. It once gave me a warning that there was a problem saving the file but then I think it saved fine otherwise it seems to save correctly but when you reopen the plug the changes have not been saved. It happens for both plugs created with MC and opening existing plugs.

**

Using the "Save As" and save it to a diff filename ("Blah blah blah v0.0001") should work as a temporary work-around of this problem.

------------------
fundraising to buy a mac so I don't have to develope plug-ins on an emulator. Please send all contributions via paypal to panguim@uclink4.berkeley.edu
Making a TC based on J.R.R. Tolkein's works. (url="http://"http://www.ev-nova.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=935")http://www.ev-nova.n...topic.php?t=935(/url)

Starbridge42

Yo, DA, what gives with the Galaxy Editor? I used it and all it shows are two systems (instead of 400+), it just shows whichever two are closest to coordinates 0,0
i tried moving systems but it still shows whichever two are closest.

What gives?

-Starbridge42

------------------
Hey! If I want cheesey poofs, I'll get cheesey poofs!
-Eric Cartman Law Enforcer
"Respect my Authorita!"

(This message has been edited by Starbridge42 (edited 08-04-2003).)

UncleTwitchy

Are you running OS 9? If so, you may try allocating more memory to MC -- I've never been able to get my OS 9 machine to show the 12-1300 s˙st map to SFA, but there's no reason it should choke on memory with something that has only 400 s˙sts.

------------------
Starfleet Adventures: A Star Trek TC for EVN (url="http://"http://www.ev-nova.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=145") Discussion Board (/url)
Starfleet Adventures (url="http://"http://www.ev-nova.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=71")Progress Log(/url)
denki's Starfleet Adventures (url="http://"http://www.geocities.com/starfleet_adventures/")FAQ page(/url)
It is better to feed the goat than it is today.

Starbridge42

Its running on OS 8.6 with 10000kb of memory more then standard and no help. I've tried running it on my OS 9 one and it has the same problem.

------------------
Hey! If I want cheesey poofs, I'll get cheesey poofs!
-Eric Cartman Law Enforcer
"Respect my Authorita!"

mrxak

Very nice. Can't wait to give it a try!