MabusAltarn

Join Date 05/2006

+35

GC2 Twilight of the Arnor Mod Validation program.

Modding made easy

External Link

Hello everyone. While making APT 2.0 I got sick of finding errors in my test games. Missing connection, missing descriptions. Arg! It was just to much data to go through every time. So I wrote a program to do it.

GC2 ToA Modvalidation (the program) will check the your mod for errors and it can be downloaded here. Use at your own risk. The download is a ZIP file so you need to extract the .EXE file first. No installation is needed just run it from where ever you want to.

First select your mod and game folders, Tick/untick the checks you want to perform and hit Go. The program will log anything it finds. You can copy and paste this freely. The program will reload all files each time you hit Go so you can edit, check, edit, check, etc.

The program is NOT compatible with double values. So multiple requirements, AIValue, etc. DO NOT WORK.

Please report any bugs or ideas by replying to this thread. Thanks.

Enjoy,

Regards Altarn

30-01-2013 Bugfixes:

Fixed module requirement tech requirement notification
Removed module requirement check from techtree check, this is done during StarbaseModule check
Fixed two bugs that resulted in a object link-error.
Fixed a bug where the category from a racial tree would be overwritten by one from techtree.xml.
Added Null as acceptable technology category.

It will only check these files if they are present in your mod folder! The program will NOT load files from your game if it can't find them.

All racial techtrees files:

Check for properties (if not found TechTree.XML is checked):

DisplayName
Details
Requires

Race TechTree is checked for presence of requirement.
Values None and ImpossibleTech are ignored

AIValue
Cost
Category

Category is checked for validity

Race Tree Branch is compared to TechTree branch for differences

Checks Starbase Module prereqs.

If a tech unlocks a starbase module, then the starbase module's module requirement tech requirement is checked for in the Racial Techtree.

PlanetImprovements.XML

Check for properties

S_InternalName
S_Name

AI
S_Type
Maintenance
Cost
S_IconName*
S_QueryGraphicName*

* the program checks if these files exist in:

The mod folder
GC2
DarkAvatar
Twilight

S_TechRequirement

Each race techtree is checked if this tech exists.
Values None is ignored

S_UpgradeTarget

Checked if it exists in PlanetImprovements.XML
None is ignored

Ignored:

BasicStarbase
Decomission
CapitalCity
InnitialColony

StarbaseModules.XML

Check for properties

Name
Model
Tech_Requirement

Each race techtree is checked if this tech exists.
Value None is ignored

Module_Requirement

Checked if it exists in StarbaseModules.xml
Value None is ignored

Description
StarbaseAbility
Type

GC2Types.XML

Check for properties

There are various types in this file and their properties vary a lot. Suffice to say the essential properties are checked for each type. Types with a Class and Category are checked for valid combinations, e.g. Shield/S is valid Shield/A is not. Engined are checked for speed, weapons for damage, etc.
Tech_Requirement is checked vs all racial techtrees

Value None is ignored

TechTree.XML

Each tech is looked up in the Racial techtrees to see if it is used or not.
Ignored:

SporeWeapons
GermWarfare

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Gaunathor

Join Date 04/2006

+170

Good work!

This program works very well. However, I noticed a little error when it comes to starbase modules. Here is an example:

Dreadlords_TechTree.xml the module RoboticMiningCenter requires module InterstellarMiningRefinery but the tech requirement AdvancedRobotics not present in techtree

This sentence implies, that the Robotic Mining Center requires the Interstellar Mining Refinery to be build. However, it is the other way around.

Other than this, it works perfectly. I already noticed two bugs in my mod due to it.

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Glad to hear it. The SB thing is easy enough to fix.

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MarvinKosh

Join Date 08/2005

+87

All I get is an error loading the TechTree.XML file. Nothing more specific than that.

Oh wait. There's an invalid token warning when I load up the file using my XML editor. Figured out it was a punctuation mark causing it. Moving on.

Looks good. Now I just have to move a whole bunch of things to the main techtree. I haven't done it up until now because the supplied editors won't load descriptions from a mod folder TechTree.xml file and nobody's thrown a better editor at me.

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Quoting MarvinKosh,

reply 3

All I get is an error loading the TechTree.XML file. Nothing more specific than that.

Oh wait. There's an invalid token warning when I load up the file using my XML editor. Figured out it was a punctuation mark causing it. Moving on.

Looks good. Now I just have to move a whole bunch of things to the main techtree. I haven't done it up until now because the supplied editors won't load descriptions from a mod folder TechTree.xml file and nobody's thrown a better editor at me.

Which XML Editor do you use?

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Gaunathor

Join Date 04/2006

+170

Well, I found one more bug and one thing I'm not exactly sure what to make of it.

The bug is, that the program doesn't recognise if a tech is set to a different Category in the racial tech tree than what it is in the main tech tree.

For example, I set the fleet module and Terror Star techs to Category Null in the TechTree.XML. I set them intentionally to an invalid Category to prevent the AI from researching those techs. While it doesn't really do that, it at least slows the AI down. For the Korath, I set those techs to Category Invasion, because that makes definitely sure, that they will never be researched. The program, however, still reports, that those techs are set to Null in the Korath tech tree.

The thing I'm not sure about is this:

Der Objektverweis wurde nicht auf eine Objektinstanz festgelegt.

Roughly translated it means: The object-link hasn't been set to a object-instance. This message shows up several times, when testing the PlanetaryImprovements.XML. I'm not sure, if this means, that there is a bug in my file or if there is something wrong with your program.

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Quoting Gaunathor,

reply 6

Well, I found one more bug and one thing I'm not exactly sure what to make of it.

The bug is, that the program doesn't recognise if a tech is set to a different Category in the racial tech tree than what it is in the main tech tree.

For example, I set the fleet module and Terror Star techs to Category Null in the TechTree.XML. I set them intentionally to an invalid Category to prevent the AI from researching those techs. While it doesn't really do that, it at least slows the AI down. For the Korath, I set those techs to Category Invasion, because that makes definitely sure, that they will never be researched. The program, however, still reports, that those techs are set to Null in the Korath tech tree.

The thing I'm not sure about is this:

Der Objektverweis wurde nicht auf eine Objektinstanz festgelegt.

Roughly translated it means: The object-link hasn't been set to a object-instance. This message shows up several times, when testing the PlanetaryImprovements.XML. I'm not sure, if this means, that there is a bug in my file or if there is something wrong with your program.

It means there's something in your file file it didn't handle to well I'll have to test that with your file. Have you got multiple Requirements or something like that in PlanetaryImprovements.XML? It can't handle those.

I'll look into the category in the techtree as well as the program should read the racial techtree first and use techtree.xml later.

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Gaunathor

Join Date 04/2006

+170

Quoting MabusAltarn,

reply 7

The Neutrality Learning Center has multiple requirements, but the message occurs even if I remove them.

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Quoting Gaunathor,

reply 8

Quoting MabusAltarn, reply 7It means there's something in your file file it didn't handle to well I'll have to test that with your file. Have you got multiple Requirements or something like that in PlanetaryImprovements.XML? It can't handle those.

The Neutrality Learning Center has multiple requirements, but the message occurs even if I remove them.

I ran your mod through Mod Validator and found a few bugs. Could you check if the problem persists?

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Gaunathor

Join Date 04/2006

+170

Quoting MabusAltarn,

reply 9

I ran your mod through Mod Validator and found a few bugs. Could you check if the problem persists?

I didn't notice, that you uploaded a new version before. It now says, that S_UpgradeTarget is missing for a lot of improvements. As that is normal, I'd say the problem is fixed now. Good job.

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MarvinKosh

Join Date 08/2005

+87

Quoting MabusAltarn,

reply 5

Which XML Editor do you use?

I use Komodo Edit. Although I'm fairly sure I used Notepad for editing TechTree.xml in the past and not that, otherwise I would have noticed the problem earlier.

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Quoting MarvinKosh,

reply 11

Quoting MabusAltarn, reply 5
Which XML Editor do you use?

I use Komodo Edit. Although I'm fairly sure I used Notepad for editing TechTree.xml in the past and not that, otherwise I would have noticed the problem earlier.

I can recommend using Visual Studio Express. Any version will do. It's XML editor is excelent, it has on-the-fly error ditection, syntax hilighting, autocompletion.

The thing is you can easily search through multiple files at once and step through you search results.

It's really, really good.

Top it off by getting TortoiseSVN from sourceforce and and setup a repository on your local harddrive. Then you'll have version control on your mod, automatic backups and the ability to see differences between versions in a snap.

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Quoting Gaunathor,

reply 10

Quoting MabusAltarn, reply 9I ran your mod through Mod Validator and found a few bugs. Could you check if the problem persists?

I didn't notice, that you uploaded a new version before. It now says, that S_UpgradeTarget is missing for a lot of improvements. As that is normal, I'd say the problem is fixed now. Good job.

Excelent!

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