I've been debating this.

Whenever we add a new zone users will need to download a new map DDS and eq2ui_mainhud_map.xml, so I think having them NOT auto-update is best (if eq2ui_mainhud_map.xml auto-updated and they were missing the new DDS files when they entered the zone, it'd be a big ugly solid color block where the map should be).

What about this: If I add an entry to the eq2ui_mainhud_map.xml file that's a "version number" (just a plain number, incremented by 1 each time we update the file, with an upper limit of like 1000000) could we have the auto-updater check the eq2ui_mainhud_map.xml for this version number, then compare it to version number saved somewhere at maps.eq2interface.com and if they don't match, send them to a download page?

Quib

Couldn't the auto-updater update the images directory as well?

i have already done this, i just havent posted a new picture of it yet :) because i still need to change the background.

yes it could do this. i was thinking of if we do this to have a checkbox for only download POI files.

the easiest way is to just make a way for you to upload the file to the eq2map website and then just treat it like all the other files.

Well, this'd mean an even longer file scan time, and the DDS's should rarely change, just get new ones every once in a while.

The icon page XMLs are auto-generated while eq2ui_mainhud_map.xml, all XMLs that aren't icons_*.xml, and the DDS files are human made. This means we'd all need upload access to wherever at maps.eq2interface.com.

So either there'd be a burden for taco-man and/or Eloa to keep newest data uploaded or tell me where/how I can upload.

What do you two think (taco-man and Eloa)? Automate the whole mod updating; instead of having a mod download, people JUST download the auto-updater.

Not sure how maps.eq2interface.com would generate MD5s for the non-autogenerated stuff, and we'd need a special case for the window_*.xml files to be an exists/doesn't-exist check where they're only downloaded if they aren't there, since these will be user modded.

I think, since the updater seems about ready for it's first test drives, it just handle the icon page XML updates for now. If taco-man's is up to setting it up to download everything, it's his call.

Quib

It shouldnt be too hard to make a thing for you to upload the new versions of the files, to the website through a php script that generates the md5s. also if the scan time becomes too long for the dds files it could always just only download it if the file exists. and then have a checkbox for "Complete File Check" or something.

You are right though, we should probably just test it how it is now and then work on adding the rest of the stuff in.

The neverending storm of ideas, hehe.

I agree, it should be tested now, and then we can brainstorm further after taco-man knows it works for everyone.

Every idea here sounds good. But I think I agree. Leave it like it is and test it a day or two. Do a full official release. Then on the next release we can just have everything handled by the updater.

The only currently functioning check box is the one for wether to autolaunch eq or not, the other 2 are disabled because i havent written the code for them yet. I will Pm Eloa and Quib the information on how to download it and they can decide wether it should be a limited release or an open beta. I probably wont be able to work on this again until wednesday at the earliest because i have to get together with some people from school and write a huge electrical technical report :eek: which will leave me no time on the weekdays until the report is finished.

Here is what the First Release will look like:

The auto-updater works great. I ran it through a bunch of scenarios. Works on Win98SE, works when you put it in the WAY wrong folder. Kinda chokes when you read-only the XML files, but only pops up 1 error message, but this situation should never occur.

However, it's not ready for public consumption because there's still a few problems with the generated XML format:
- All 3 blackburrow levels have the wrong internal zone name set. Level 1 is _0, level 2 is _1, level 3 is _2.
- Line returns are the wrong type. Right now they're the 1 hex character "0A" type line return, when they should be "0D 0A" instead. Not sure how this needs to be fixed.
- Big problem; gaps exist in every OnHoverIn property. Here's an example:There's a gap between "r" and "y" in the word QM_LocEntry which breaks functionality.

After these things get resolved, we should be good to go.

Quib

try re running the updater and checking icons_qey_adv01_oakmyst.xml. the space was just a typo and i switch the new lines in the php from \n to \r. if that is the wrong line break then it has to be \n\r i think.

re-run the updater again and check oakmyst. \r\n makes the 0D 0A Line breaks.

also let me know how blackburrow should be and how it is right now and i will fix it.

From everything I've read in these posts and seen in the screenshots this is an amazing advancement to these UI mods. Thank You Taco-Man and the Rest of the MAP team for putting all of this time into making this mod the best mod ever done for an Online game.

taco, i f'd something up...i changed the internals for BB's and now they arent generating. Didnt mess with the code at all so it might have been messed up before. I gotta go so if you wanna take a look and try to fix, go for it.

what did you do exactly?

Blackburrow Level 1's intername name is blackburrow_1, but it should be blackburrow_0
Level 2 is blackburrow_2, but it should be blackburrow_1
Level 3 is blackburrow_3, but it should be blackburrow_2

Only Oakmyst has the proper line breaks so far, but thank you, they're perfect.

The space in the word QM_LocEntry is still wrong for the second half of the OnHoverIn; you fixed the first time, per icon, that it occurs, but the messed up space occurs twice per icon. Again, this is only half fixed for Oakmyst, no other XML (yet, I assume).

Also, for the main page object, to match up with EQ2's standards, the properties should be in order alphabetically.
1Location="Blackburrow Level 2" Name="blackburrow_1" AbsorbsInput="false"
should be
1Location="Blackburrow Level 2" AbsorbsInput="false" Name="blackburrow_1"

Quib

i cant figure out why it wont generate the blackburrow files but i fixed the space and the order of properties.

ok i figured it out eloa. The files werent "CHMODed" correctly so it wasnt letting the server write to the file. I also went ahead and changed the CHMOD for the folder they are in as well so that new files can be created if they dont exist and i added a function to create the new file if there isnt one for the zone when it generates it.

The blackburrow files should be the right numbers now check them quib. and go ahead and delete the blackburrow_3.xml since there isn't a _3 anymore.

EDIT: OK all the maps should be the right line breaks and order and not have spaces in bad spots, let me know if they dont.

If all is well and everyone agrees with me...open beta?

hi looks good so can we download and try it? and if yes, which file and path where the files go?

Lady1

Lookin' good. A few more formatting things and it's all ready.

First, for each Icon object, we need to make sure they're the following format:
Location="integer,integer"

On some auto-generated XMLs they're generating as:
Location="integer, integer"
Notice the space between the comma and the second integer. Maybe a catch to remove spaces during generation is all that's needed?

pathfindlocation isn't quite right. Hopefully this won't require any hand editing of entries, just a scripting change somewhere. It should look like this:
pathfindlocation="number, number, number"
Notice there ARE spaces. Most, if not all, auto-generating XMLs are lacking these spaces.

More importantly, there needs to be a few more checks placed when creating the Icon name. They need to be stripped of any punctuation and symbols. numbers and letters is all that should be allowed. The reason I bring this up is I came across a few Icons with names that had a slash or a comma in them, and this'll cause trouble down the road for the project.

Quib

I feel it's safe to do an open beta for it. People will need to understand they may lose some POIs until we get outdoor zonerects and other data in the database properly though.

Quib

hopefully eloa can look into this because i wont be able to do any more on this project until at least wednesday.

No worries, this is mostly small stuff. What you've done with the auto-updater is amazing!

Quib

Great News for you Taco Visual Basic .Net 2005 does! I use Stardock WindowBlinds and use the new Visual Basic .Net 2005 and all the new scrollbars and textboxes use what ever Skin Style my Windowblinds is using.

Send me an e-mail and perhaps we can talk about 2005 a bit.

[email protected]

Remember though VB.Net 2005 is still in beta and My installshield 10 Express doesn't recognise it as valid. :mad:

Also Taco, you could make the window borderless and add a graphical command button for the exit, making it even prettier. :)

eventually i will do that, i tried to not spend too much time on the graphics part yet, and focused more on functionality because i was trying to have something that could be tested by this weekend, and i barely managed to do it. its worked fine for the most part luckily, all the fixes that have been needed are for the generation done with php by the webserver.

thanks for the info, i will have to talk to you about it, but i am going to be extremely busy until at least wednesday (but it could be even longer)

How bout those default city icons quib. What did you have in mind for those. As it sits now, each freeport city will lose all icons but like 1 if we dont get those in here.

The newest version is at this post:
http://www.eq2interface.com/forums/s...6&postcount=19
and resolves that issue. Any icon pages using default icons should keep their default style icons but allow any new ones sbmitted to the database to show as well.

Quib

Release: This is in testing status until the next official release. Until then there will be no technical support for this AT ALL. If you have a problem, post it in the troubleshooting thread that is sticky in the EQ2MAP forum. You may, but probably will NOT get a reply. You must have the version that is linked to in the post directly above this one.


http://maps.eq2interface.com/POI_fil...AP_Updater.zip

Quib. I'd say she's ready unless you see something else that has to be fixed before hand. I'm good for you to go ahead and stick it in the next official release whenever everything else for it is finished.

I hope you all enjoy this. It has been a lot of hard work getting everything together for this. We are well on our way to a 100% automatic system of updates for POI's, maps, and all EQ2MAP files.

Impressive. I might have missed it, but are we going to allow the oldfashioned download system to work too, with updates monthly or something?

I'm not sure we've decided yet Sunthas. We could go to a fully automated system where the auto updater grabs all files including map images and eq2ui_mainhud_map.xml, or we could stay half-and-half where main updates are in the downloads section and just the icon pages auto update.

On another note, I've figured out a pretty accurate way to get the zonerect of default outdoor zones mapped by SOE (the ones with the black fog you have to uncover). Making an in-game calculator to make it as easy as possible to help us collect the zonerects of various zones.

Quib

Just something to put on a todo list for the updater. Dont have to make it this release. Updates in the updater window. Generated from the db, or a text file made from the db.


again. Wonderful work!

Downloaded the Updater and put it in the EQ2MAP folder, when I run it, for some reason it wipes out all of my POI's on Antotica (East, and West), Thundering Stepps from what I've seen so far. Is this a issue on my end or the Server?

I think someone (Taco?) mentioned that the server-provided map POI files would be wiped out because the qebsite doesn't have zonerects for them (yet.)

That is indeed the problem. We'll need to repopulate the POIs for those zones. Anyone can help with that; just stop by maps.eq2interface.com and submit POIs as you're wandering around.

Quib

Do we need Zonerects for those game supplied map zones still?

Thanks a ton for the data. My calculations were a bit off, but since you posted complete screenshots I can just reenter the values you gathered to get more accurate zonerects. Will update my XML in the other post in a minute or two. Don't worry about recalculating those zones; your data is good.

Quib

Tigger, Get me one good location with coords to punch in to check it. I've got some but dont know how accurate the /locs are on them. If they are accurate, its not quite right, but close and I can fix. Give me like a nice defined zone marker that you can pick out easily where its supposed to be.

Thanks

Ok, quibby beat me to it. Still if you have a couple points readily available itll help.