Public Beta Test - Arc

This is just a simple one ship plug in and it was built with the Windows Editor EVNew. As such this is to test a couple things. First off the ship itself as it is the first ship I have built for the game. Second and likely as important, to see that this can successfully be converted to MAC format and thus used on a Mac.

I have it uploaded for a couple days on my site and it will be removed once the testing is completed.

It is not meant as any great addition to the game but rather is just one element from a plug in process of being developed.

I can't say that it won't cause issues with any plug in other than Plug Pack 16.

There are no pruchase graphics as yet so that is not something I considure a bug. Also I am not asking for balance reports as this is not really meant for use with the base game as is.

Please report any issues or comments here in this topic.

If you want to use it in a plug then please contact me.

(edited) to remove link(.)
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Nothing like the smell of burnt rubber in the morning. - Now let's see some Tiresmoke!
(url="http://"http://www.rsdg.net")www.rsdg.net(/url)

(This message has been edited by Tiresmoke (edited 12-19-2003).)

(This message has been edited by Tiresmoke (edited 12-27-2003).)

I should also make a note that there are no RLE8's for this ship. I would like to hear exactly how this effects the Mac versions once the plug has been converted. For the PC folks that should not be an issue if all reports hold true.

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Nothing like the smell of burnt rubber in the morning. - Now let's see some Tiresmoke!
(url="http://"http://www.rsdg.net")www.rsdg.net(/url)

As there has been no reports as yet, I will leave it up for a couple more days and then take it down.

I would really like to hear that someone has succeeded in making this work on their MAC. If that is going to be a problem then we should know this before a bunch of PC based plugs come out. I don't think any of us want to be left out of the loop due to the platform we run.

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Nothing like the smell of burnt rubber in the morning. - Now let's see some Tiresmoke!
(url="http://"http://www.rsdg.net")www.rsdg.net(/url)

Quote

Originally posted by Tiresmoke:
**As there has been no reports as yet, I will leave it up for a couple more days and then take it down.

I would really like to hear that someone has succeeded in making this work on their MAC. If that is going to be a problem then we should know this before a bunch of PC based plugs come out. I don't think any of us want to be left out of the loop due to the platform we run.

**

Let me point out, with some degree of frustration, that if the mac-using app makers dont come out with a converter that actually works, they are the ones who are going to damn thier platform. The PC users can already convert plugs - so for once it's gonna be you guys left out of the loop. I wont want to leave you folks out, but i know we have alot of bright programmers on these boards, and i am surprised nobody has managed to make a program that works for conversion. Given some time i think i could do it, were it not for the fact that I am a PC user, and dont know how to write mac programs.
If us pc developers dont see something soon, we may just give up, and be satasfied with plugins that only part of the community can use.
Bah.
-Az

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It is here. EVNEW Public Beta (url="http://"http://www.aznt.com/EVN/EVNEW")www.aznt.com/EVN/EVNEW(/url)

What I plan to do is to write out my upcoming TC in EVNEW, and then try a converter. If that fails, I'll send the source files to someone and have them write the plug for Macintosh. Otherwise, I'll dig out my old Performa (gasp!), load the EVN editors onto it, and then code there first before converting it to Windows.

Mac OS 7.5.3, 120MhZ processor, 16 megs of RAM. Fear, fear, greatly fear :). (And to think at one point it cost $2000 US! Oh, the humanity!)

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Well good luck on that score. I pitched out my old MAc as it's MB died and it would have cost more to fix that I could have purchased it for at the time.

I have a silly emulator setup and it won't cut the mustard so likely as not it will in the end come down to the converters. Under emulation mine failed with both converters and also it failed to convert on a freinds system who is running a G4 with OS 10.2. There are issues with converting PC plugs. I am not sure what the answer will be but hopefully this can get enough attention to get squared away. I am hopeing that this beta or others like it get the ball rolling to work out the issues.

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Nothing like the smell of burnt rubber in the morning. - Now let's see some Tiresmoke!
(url="http://"http://www.rsdg.net")www.rsdg.net(/url)

Quote

Originally posted by Azratax2:
Let me point out, with some degree of frustration, that if the mac-using app makers dont come out with a converter that actually works, they are the ones who are going to damn thier platform. The PC users can already convert plugs - so for once it's gonna be you guys left out of the loop. I wont want to leave you folks out, but i know we have alot of bright programmers on these boards, and i am surprised nobody has managed to make a program that works for conversion. Given some time i think i could do it, were it not for the fact that I am a PC user, and dont know how to write mac programs.
If us pc developers dont see something soon, we may just give up, and be satasfied with plugins that only part of the community can use.
Bah.
-Az

What about RezConv? I had some problems under 9.1, but other than that it works great.

Speaking of Arios Software products, you could always save a .rez version of your plug-in using EVONE.

All hail Arios Software... 😛

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The programmer's code of entomology: there's always another bug.
Windows users: stop asking for plugins. (url="http://"http://www.aznt.com/EVN/EVNEW/")Make one yourself.(/url)
(url="http://"http://www.cwssoftware.com")Sephil Saga Website(/url)

Quote

Originally posted by orcaloverbri9:
**What about RezConv? I had some problems under 9.1, but other than that it works great.

Speaking of Arios Software products, you could always save a .rez version of your plug-in using EVONE.

All hail Arios Software... 😛

**

Ok why don't you give it a try and make a report here rather than hailing a software company. The point to a beta test is to actually do the work to test something or some process. The process in question here is to actually convert this plug and make it work. So far I and another gentleman that I am working with have tried to convert and failed. Both David Arthor's, and Arios converters have failed in both cases. This may in part be platform or computer specific but that is yet to be determined. So if you truly want to help then download the plug and report your results.

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Nothing like the smell of burnt rubber in the morning. - Now let's see some Tiresmoke!
(url="http://"http://www.rsdg.net")www.rsdg.net(/url)

If the .rez format is the standard system of dumping resources to data, then there is a freeware program out for mac that allows you to open OSX style resources in resedit by shifting them back to the resource fork. This would work if its just a standard resource->data fork dump in the same format...

Worth a shot perhaps.

(edit)After a 5 second search on google: (url="http://"http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/21568")http://www.versiontr...fo/macosx/21568(/url)

Made by the same people as EVONE. Converts both to windows format and back to mac. The only thing lost in the process is the mac creator code. (/edit)

(This message has been edited by Andcarne (edited 12-22-2003).)

Before I released the beta I tried the two current programs for conversion. Neither worked. Also the same results from Terek on his MAC running OS 10.2. However it has been noted before that these two utils have random success on different machines. So in this case the beta is trying to identify what works and what doesn't.

If we can't address the issues then there is no sense in posting a beta. However guessing what the solution is without showing that you have tried it is not helpful. If this is the only responce I get then I doubt I will release any further public beta's.

Let me clarify the situation.

I am making a plug at this time and may make others in the future. I am a PC owner and do not have a Mac anymore. I use EVNew to edit and can not use the Mac tools well on an emulator.

I can release PC only plugins. I would rather like to see that both Mac and PC owners can enjoy them. However if we can't get the conversion problems tested, clarified, and corrected then I will release a PC only Plugin and call it a day. That is not a threat. That is the way things stand. I will not bother folks to have them spend the time and effort to convert this manually. If the converters are not addressed then the Mac owners lose, period.

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Nothing like the smell of burnt rubber in the morning. - Now let's see some Tiresmoke!
(url="http://"http://www.rsdg.net")www.rsdg.net(/url)

(This message has been edited by Tiresmoke (edited 12-22-2003).)

Quote

Originally posted by Tiresmoke:
Ok why don't you give it a try and make a report here rather than hailing a software company. The point to a beta test is to actually do the work to test something or some process. The process in question here is to actually convert this plug and make it work. So far I and another gentleman that I am working with have tried to convert and failed. Both David Arthor's, and Arios converters have failed in both cases. This may in part be platform or computer specific but that is yet to be determined. So if you truly want to help then download the plug and report your results.

The "all hail" was a joke, and using (url="http://"http://www.ariossoftware.com/products/freeware/rezconv/")RezConv(/url) from (url="http://"http://www.ariossoftware.com/")Arios Software(/url) (I'll see if I can find the old topics), I was able to convert it just fine.

By the way, as far as I know, Arios Software is just one person.

EDIT: Found 'em!
(url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/webboard/Forum9/HTML/004817.html")http://www.AmbrosiaS...TML/004817.html(/url)
(url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/webboard/Forum9/HTML/004825.html")http://www.AmbrosiaS...TML/004825.html(/url)

EDIT2:
The only thing lost in the process is the mac creator code.
He made it the EVONE creator code to promote EVONE, which has no adverse effects whatsoever. It loses nothing; rather, it is made to be opened with EVONE instead of EVN.

EDIT3: Just for the record, it's EVNEW. It stands for E scape V elocity N ova E ditor for W indows. Just felt like pointing it out.

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The programmer's code of entomology: there's always another bug.
Windows users: stop asking for plugins. (url="http://"http://www.aznt.com/EVN/EVNEW/")Make one yourself.(/url)
(url="http://"http://www.cwssoftware.com")Sephil Saga Website(/url)

(This message has been edited by orcaloverbri9 (edited 12-22-2003).)

(This message has been edited by orcaloverbri9 (edited 12-22-2003).)

(This message has been edited by orcaloverbri9 (edited 12-22-2003).)

OK good to hear Orca. What did you use and what OS and system specs got the job done.

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Nothing like the smell of burnt rubber in the morning. - Now let's see some Tiresmoke!
(url="http://"http://www.rsdg.net")www.rsdg.net(/url)

Quote

Originally posted by Tiresmoke:
OK good to hear Orca. What did you use and what OS and system specs got the job done.

Mac OS X 10.2 ("Jaguar")
Memory: 384 MB
Processor: 300 MHz PowerPC G3

Anything else?

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The programmer's code of entomology: there's always another bug.
Windows users: stop asking for plugins. (url="http://"http://www.aznt.com/EVN/EVNEW/")Make one yourself.(/url)
(url="http://"http://www.cwssoftware.com")Sephil Saga Website(/url)

That sure gives us a starting place. Funny though as I know Terek uses OS 10.2 also and can not convert it. I sent him the file zipped and Stuffed. Neither case worked there either. So there is something else involved is my guess. Stay tuned as this may get interesting.

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Nothing like the smell of burnt rubber in the morning. - Now let's see some Tiresmoke!
(url="http://"http://www.rsdg.net")www.rsdg.net(/url)

After failing to get much responce here and having been in contact with David Arther, I have decided to remove the public beta.

David found the problem and has mailed me that he found the problem and will try to correct it.

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Nothing like the smell of burnt rubber in the morning. - Now let's see some Tiresmoke!
(url="http://"http://www.rsdg.net")www.rsdg.net(/url)

It would be easier if EVNEW was saving its work as .bin files and keep .rez simply as the file format EVN for Win is reading so that no one would ever need to translate from .rez; come on, if one is trying to develop plugs on a PC, it should be assumed he knows how to translate from .bin to .rez, he's not the basic Winnie complaining no windows compatible version of a plug has been released. Speaking of that I would like to voice my support to one and only distribution of plugs as a .bin you compact the way you like (except in rare case some features of the plug are incompatible with EVN for Win so there would be one full .bin distribution for Macs telling this distribution should not be comverted for PCs and one stripped down .rez distribution without the problematic features).

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Quote

if one is trying to develop plugs on a PC, it should be assumed he knows how to translate from .bin to .rez, he's not the basic Winnie complaining no windows compatible version of a plug has been released.

"basic Winnie complaining", huh. Well maybe that is why I got almost no responce. That is too darn bad if that is what anyone thinks. Maybe I am posting on the wrong forum afterall. I came here as I thought this was the place where serious development questions got some attention and not a place where a bunch of platform fanboys hung out. I guess I was wrong.

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Nothing like the smell of burnt rubber in the morning. - Now let's see some Tiresmoke!
(url="http://"http://www.rsdg.net")www.rsdg.net(/url)

Quote

Originally posted by Tiresmoke:
"basic Winnie complaining", huh. Well maybe that is why I got almost no responce. That is too darn bad if that is what anyone thinks. Maybe I am posting on the wrong forum afterall. I came here as I thought this was the place where serious development questions got some attention and not a place where a bunch of platform fanboys hung out. I guess I was wrong.

Don't be ridiculous. Plenty of people here are non-Mac users. This place is a serious development qustion place. But some people here are platform bigots (alright, I admit it. I am one. Point, please?). Get over it.

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The programmer's code of entomology: there's always another bug.
Windows users: stop asking for plugins. (url="http://"http://www.aznt.com/EVN/EVNEW/")Make one yourself.(/url)
(url="http://"http://www.cwssoftware.com")Sephil Saga Website(/url)

I was not commenting at you Orca. At least you took the time to report your findings. There were quite a few people that downloaded the file and never said a word. If that was because of the plug being from a Windows user then I guess they simply don't care to considure that a Windows user could actually make something they want. Fanboy's. Hmphh...

The bottom line is that I am about 1/4 of the way through a Plugin and I am sure there are others using PC's that have started theirs as well.

So the bottom line is that either the PC users are considured serious enough to ask for help or you will likely lose PC users starting with me. And I have seen enough on these forums to beleive that this is the case.

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Nothing like the smell of burnt rubber in the morning. - Now let's see some Tiresmoke!
(url="http://"http://www.rsdg.net")www.rsdg.net(/url)

(This message has been edited by Tiresmoke (edited 12-27-2003).)

The reason why the Arios convertor first used didn't work is most likely because you were using an older version of EVONE or RezConv , the version now available on the (url="http://"http://www.ariossoftware.com/products/freeware/rezconv/")Arios Website(/url) should be a fully working version. I myself have tested the application (before it was released) with several well know plug-ins ,like "shipyard variants" and others and had no problems with the latest version.

Edit : Oh and people lighten up a bit , we are supposed to help each other out here. 🙂

Entarus,

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(This message has been edited by Entarus (edited 12-27-2003).)