Making your Scenarios or Campaigns readily available
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2014 5:26 pm
If you use the method below, other users can download your scenarios/campaigns directly into the game without having to paste any files into the right directory.
The CPF file And the LST file, should both be placed in your chosen webspace......
Your link should be to the LST file, which is then linked to the CPF file.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To do this you will first need somewhere online to host your data. You can use any webspace, or many sharing and backup applications (like Dropbox as an example) allow you to get URLs which link to your files. Basically, if it is a URL you can use on the web, then you can use it to host your files.
There are then a number of steps you need to go through. First, any campaigns need to be packaged into a single .CPF file. This is done by first enabling debug mode (add the DEBUGMODE 1 line to your USER.TXT file), and then you will see a new Slitherine button when you choose Editor from the main menu. Simply select the campaign you wish to package and hit the button. The cursor will stop responding until the campaign has been packaged up. You can then find the CPF file in the same folder as the campaign.
You also need a .LST file containing details of your campaign, such as a short description and some other details. The format of this file is as follows
FILENAME <the name of this file>
[0]
NAME <CPF filename>
SHOWNAME <campaign name>
DESC <short description of the campaign>
MAKER <your username>
TYPE <0 for single player, 1 for multiplayer>
SIZE <in MB>
#URL <the full URL of the CPF file to download>
[1]
....
As you can see, you can have more than 1 chunk in the file, meaning you can use a single .LST file to add multiple campaigns to the download list. The FILENAME entry is optional, but if you include it then the game will cache the file and reload it each time, meaning you can permanently add the campaigns to your list. Note that redownloading a LST file with the same name will update the file, so be sure to use a unique filename for your LST file.
An example of a LST file is
FILENAME PIP_BETA.LST
Note that the file needs to be saved with the .LST file extension, not as PIP_BETA.LST.TXT
You can save a file with the .LST extension in Notepad using Save As by changing the drop list at the bottom of the Save window to "All files" instead of "Text Documents (*txt)" and type in the filename in the form MyFile.LST.
[0]
NAME BETA_Slith_MP_Random.CPF
SHOWNAME BETA Slitherine MP Random
DESC Two reworked maps where both side's forces are randomised from a set force pool at the start of the mission.
MAKER PipFromSlitherine
TYPE 1
SIZE 1
#URL https://dl.dropbox.com/s/t58tchzkh9v7mf ... m.CPF?dl=1
Dropbox specific note: the ?dl=1 addition to the Dropbox URL - this is necessary for a direct download of the file, otherwise the URL will take you to a page with a download link.
Pro tip! If you use a URL shortening service (such as bit.ly or tinyurl) to point to your LST file then it makes is easier for users to enter.
-------------------
Note that your "campaign" will also be available for Skirmishes unless you put the line
NOSKIRMISH
at the top of the Campaign.txt file.
The CPF file And the LST file, should both be placed in your chosen webspace......
Your link should be to the LST file, which is then linked to the CPF file.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To do this you will first need somewhere online to host your data. You can use any webspace, or many sharing and backup applications (like Dropbox as an example) allow you to get URLs which link to your files. Basically, if it is a URL you can use on the web, then you can use it to host your files.
There are then a number of steps you need to go through. First, any campaigns need to be packaged into a single .CPF file. This is done by first enabling debug mode (add the DEBUGMODE 1 line to your USER.TXT file), and then you will see a new Slitherine button when you choose Editor from the main menu. Simply select the campaign you wish to package and hit the button. The cursor will stop responding until the campaign has been packaged up. You can then find the CPF file in the same folder as the campaign.
You also need a .LST file containing details of your campaign, such as a short description and some other details. The format of this file is as follows
FILENAME <the name of this file>
[0]
NAME <CPF filename>
SHOWNAME <campaign name>
DESC <short description of the campaign>
MAKER <your username>
TYPE <0 for single player, 1 for multiplayer>
SIZE <in MB>
#URL <the full URL of the CPF file to download>
[1]
....
As you can see, you can have more than 1 chunk in the file, meaning you can use a single .LST file to add multiple campaigns to the download list. The FILENAME entry is optional, but if you include it then the game will cache the file and reload it each time, meaning you can permanently add the campaigns to your list. Note that redownloading a LST file with the same name will update the file, so be sure to use a unique filename for your LST file.
An example of a LST file is
FILENAME PIP_BETA.LST
Note that the file needs to be saved with the .LST file extension, not as PIP_BETA.LST.TXT
You can save a file with the .LST extension in Notepad using Save As by changing the drop list at the bottom of the Save window to "All files" instead of "Text Documents (*txt)" and type in the filename in the form MyFile.LST.
[0]
NAME BETA_Slith_MP_Random.CPF
SHOWNAME BETA Slitherine MP Random
DESC Two reworked maps where both side's forces are randomised from a set force pool at the start of the mission.
MAKER PipFromSlitherine
TYPE 1
SIZE 1
#URL https://dl.dropbox.com/s/t58tchzkh9v7mf ... m.CPF?dl=1
Dropbox specific note: the ?dl=1 addition to the Dropbox URL - this is necessary for a direct download of the file, otherwise the URL will take you to a page with a download link.
Pro tip! If you use a URL shortening service (such as bit.ly or tinyurl) to point to your LST file then it makes is easier for users to enter.
-------------------
Note that your "campaign" will also be available for Skirmishes unless you put the line
NOSKIRMISH
at the top of the Campaign.txt file.