Equipment Editor - (Re-release now with all files in ZIP!!)

mgarnett · Post by **mgarnett** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 1:48 pm

Hi Guys,

VPaulus over at the Matrix forums asked me to post this over here as you might be intersted. The download is available at http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.as ... =&#2878726

Cheers

Mark

Hi All,

I've finally finished the first beta for the equipment editor. It's fully functional (I think!!) for editing the equipment files. The next beta will include additional functionality as well as bug fixes.

Additional features to be included in the next version include:

- The ability to synchronise/edit the "efx.pzdat" files to the newly edited equipment file
- The ability to edit the "campaign.pzdat" file
- The ability to save queries

Short instructions for using the editor:

By way of requirements, I built the editor using the .Net framework version 4. I'm pretty sure most people should have this anyway, but it's freely downloadable from Microsoft. If this causes issues, I can scale back to .Net 2 I think.

At the moment, when you start the editor and click "Open", you will be prompted to select the equipment file you want to load via a standard windows "open file" dialog. Once selected, another dialog pops up asking you to choose your unit graphics directory. You can either select the directory where you have your graphics installed (in which case the units graphics are displayed for each entry), or select cancel (in which graphics won't be displayed but the equipment file is still loaded and the editor is fully functional). I'm happy to take suggestions on how to make this a little less clunky.

When editing the equipment file, if you choose to edit an existing unit and you change values and want to re-save the unit over the top of the original, you click the "Commit Unit" button. I thought about real time editing (i.e. the database is edited on-the-fly as you click values), but I though this was a little unforgiving in that you don't get to think about your changes before committing them back to the database. This can be changed in a future version if you would prefer it that way though.

If you want to add a unit, just change the currently selected unit's values to anything at all and then just click "Add Unit" and a new unit will be added at the end of the database. If you don't like a unit, just right click on a unit in the list on the left hand side and select "Delete Unit" and the selected unit will be removed from the database.

The traits list boxes were a pain to code, but as you can see, they are populated with all of the known traits as per Dumnorix's post. As you view a unit, traits applicable to that unit will be highlighted. If you want to add a trait to a unit, just highlight the traits you want (you can select multiple) and either commit your change or add the unit as a new unit and the extra traits will be added.

As a safety measure, NO CHANGES ARE MADE TO YOUR ORIGINAL DATABASE. Changes are made to a copy in memory and and then saved to an equipment file when you click the "Save" button.

The comparison function is fairly rudimentary, it basically allows you to select units that match specific criteria of the unit you are currently viewing. At the moment, I have put 11 criteria in the query. I can add more, I was just being a little lazy! All you do is select the "comparison" button and the query screen will pop up. Select the criteria you wish to use for the query and click "OK". Any units matching the query will be listed in the window list box.

If you want to save the query, just click the "Save" button and it will be saved out to a text file (acutally so as not to delay release, I haven't had time to implement this so the "save query" button doesn't do anything yet!!!).

After you have finished editing your file, click the "save" button and your edited equipment database will be saved out to a file at a location you chose using a standard windows save file dialog box.

That's about it for instructions, but if there's anything your not clear about, I can always put some screen caps together.

To be on the safe side, please test this on a copy of your equipment data file and please report any bugs and suggestion either via my email in the about box, or the forums. I don't take offence and welcome criticism, so please let me know if there are things you don't like or could be done better. If you don't tell me, I can't change it.

Cheers

Mark

VPaulus · Post by **VPaulus** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 1:58 pm

Thanks Mark!

I've moved to the Scenario Design.
This is a tool that will help the modders.

And welcome, Mark!

HBalck · Post by **HBalck** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 2:03 pm

Very good !

Thank you !

H.Balck

Xerkis · Post by **Xerkis** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 2:17 pm

Rats! It's a no go for me.

Doesn't open, doesn't show an error - nothing. just acts like it's going to open and then nothing.

I'm on Windows 7 sp1

NickGen · Post by **NickGen** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 2:18 pm

Very Good....
already an equipment editor, so soon after the release, I am impressed ...

Nick

NickGen · Post by **NickGen** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 2:26 pm

Xerkis wrote:Rats! It's a no go for me.

Doesn't open, doesn't show an error - nothing. just acts like it's going to open and then nothing.

I'm on Windows 7 sp1

Idem for me....

Doesn't open, no error message, i have tried, xp sp3 compatibility, administrator....ect.....nothing .....

I need somes other files ?

El_Condoro · Post by **El_Condoro** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 2:30 pm

+1 unfortunately. XP SP3. Except I get "An unhandled MS .NET Framework exception occurred in PzCEdit.exe [115720]

VPaulus · Post by **VPaulus** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 2:30 pm

In my case I too am having an error when launching:

EventType : clr20r3 P1 : pzcedit.exe P2 : 1.0.0.0 P3 : 4e3bee35
P4 : pzcedit P5 : 1.0.0.0 P6 : 4e3bee35 P7 : 8 P8 : 4d
P9 : system.io.filenotfoundexception

I'm on Windows XP.

HBalck · Post by **HBalck** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 3:38 pm

I am also ! Cant open this programm.

What the hell is that ?

H.Balck

mgarnett · Post by **mgarnett** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 4:01 pm

Hi All,

OK, after me stupidly leaving out a couple of DLL file from the release, I've uploaded a new ZIP. I've tested this on Windows XP SP3 and Windows 7 Ultimate 64 both with .Net 4 installed and it seems to work fine. My XP test was a bare bones install with just the OS and .Net, so hopefully this should fix it up for you all. My apologies for leaving the files out of the ZIP. It's 2 am here and I was getting a little tired.

Cheers

Mark

HBalck · Post by **HBalck** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 4:06 pm

Now - I will test the 2nd version !
OK Now its runs fine !

Thank you !

H.Balck

mgarnett · Post by **mgarnett** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 4:10 pm

Great, really sorry about leaving those files out, I feel like such an idiot!

VPaulus · Post by **VPaulus** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 4:19 pm

mgarnett wrote:Great, really sorry about leaving those files out, I feel like such an idiot!

Don't be! We're very thankful for your work.

Razz1 · Post by **Razz1** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 4:29 pm

I'd like to see it in NET 2 as I my machine has problems upgrading to NET 4 and XP support is gone.

Xerkis · Post by **Xerkis** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 4:30 pm

Yep - all good now.

VPaulus · Post by **VPaulus** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 4:39 pm

Razz1 wrote:I'd like to see it in NET 2 as I my machine has problems upgrading to NET 4 and XP support is gone.

Try to run it. Maybe it doesn't need net 4 to run it.

Xerkis · Post by **Xerkis** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 4:42 pm

Scratch that.

When ever I click on a unit I get "String was not recognized as a valid Date Time."
Also when I try and load the graphics file too --- But I'm not 100% sure I know where it is stored.
(Below is the deatil error)
Looks like a date type missmatch from the two sides of the pond.

System.FormatException: String was not recognized as a valid DateTime.
at System.DateTimeParse.Parse(String s, DateTimeFormatInfo dtfi, DateTimeStyles styles)
at System.Windows.Forms.DateTimePicker.set_Text(String value)
at PzCEdit.MainForm.DisplaySelectedUnit(Int32 iIndex, String sDirectory)
at PzCEdit.MainForm.coOpenButton_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mevent)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

VPaulus · Post by **VPaulus** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 4:47 pm

Xerkis wrote: Also when I try and load the graphics file too --- But I'm not 100% sure I know where it is stored.

Panzer Corps\Graphics\Units

Xerkis · Post by **Xerkis** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 4:52 pm

VPaulus wrote:
Xerkis wrote: Also when I try and load the graphics file too --- But I'm not 100% sure I know where it is stored.
Panzer Corps\Graphics\Units

Yeah - that's what I thought. same error

Just a thought but it might be the Available To Date. If it's open ended and / or if you use system date for anything. might not be converting right from USA to Europe format.

VPaulus · Post by **VPaulus** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 5:17 pm

Are you picking "equipment.pzeqp"?