Hi Guys,
Here is an update and a little call for help.
I've coded on and off before mostly just dilly dally type stuff.
I am a fast learner and can pick up things rathe quickly when I have good documentation, or even some good examples to look at.
I'm having a bit of problem getting up to speed with the does in these mods, for varios reasons.
Lack of documentation is a big one. I am having one hell of a problem finding any specific information on XML.
All the various guides and recoureces I have been able to find online are either two vauge, or two specific.
And I'm not even sure 'what' I'm looking for, since searching for XML is just about hopeless.
Another thing that is limiting me is the fact that I have no development tools.
I'ave tried a couple of XML editors, but always just default back to note pad.
I like notepad, don't get me wrong, but.. you start getting into bigger projects and it fails miserably because its' difficult to view
things as a whole, and formatting becomes a problem.
It's nice to have something to help you debug, and at the very least change the colors for data types etc..
So my question is mutli-part.
1. The coders that are doing the big projects and have been here since the beginning what software are you using?
The UIBuilder only seems useful for graphic editing, and a few simple tweaks here and there, and for viewing the over all tree stuctures of stuff.
There is a lot of guesss work involved for us all at this point untill we get some centralized documentation we have come up with from trial and error.
2. My Display Profiles code is working fucntionally 'mostly. I'll give a much more detailed description below.
The problem here is that I "KNOW' I'm doing it wrong and feel like there should be a much more efficient way to accomplish what I want.
For example, I'm suing Insoms mute-button addition to the start button as I started. His buttons as well as mine do not work the first time.
The only way I can get them to work on the first press is to put the command in twice, and I know that has to be wrong.
I'm sure this is a simple syntax proble, but after a day of trying, I can't seem to find the information I'm looking for.
3. If I have a command that works. For example r_performance=4 (Puts you in Blanced Mode) for graphics profile. Is there a way for me to find out the total tree structure or parent for this command. Is there even a parent?
The Options XMl Document has page types for all the various data types, such as float and integer and boolean if you check that XMl. It even has pages for the various color correction sliders. But I can't find anything
in this page for the other display options. But the commands clearly work, as I show in the example I've included below. Perhaps I must code the commands pointed to a specific parent to get them to work the first time?
90% of the work is done on this, finding the correct commands for each display property and the values that it's looking for took a bit of time, and I'm furstrated now that I have all that information but can't get
the mod finnishes.
I'm also thinking that the parents 'default' button sytle I'm using may be the problem, since I did find a default buttont type listed someplace else as cc-command from the button list. I'll put that information below.
4. Is this mod even needed? I seems like it would be a VERY useful mod for people, especially lower end systems that need to change the graphics settings often for different environments, but Alas...
I've gotten almost No response from my post, and that makes me think I'm waisting my time on a mod that is not needed. So feedback would be good.
And Yes, that is a hopeless plea for encouragement.
If you want to take a look here is all the information.
The mod will put 9 Additional buttons on your StartButton.
Two of these buttons are from Insom's Mute Button Mod. I've made a couple of adjustments for size, but mostly left them alone.
The other 7 buttons are mounted blow the start button and are number 1-7 from left to right. 1 Being Extreme Quality, 7 Being Extreme Performance
Each of these buttons has an OnPress event.
Buttons 4, 5, 6 & 7 work flawlessly. Switching the user from Balanced, High Performance, Very High Performance, and Extreme Performance.
If you attempt to use the OnPress event for the command r_perormance=5 or above. It will change many of the settings, but not all of them.
You will also get a message in your default chat window indicating a syntax error in a 'tell channel' command.
(Note) Any changes made to display properties in this way are functional in game, they occur immeditatly. Such as lighting resolution, but they do not 'save' to the eq2.recent.ini file untill you hit the 'accept' button
in the options panel, or camp. (I consider this a good thing), You can change between multiple profiles almost instantly with one click. It's REALLY nice.
At this time I have two things I want to accomplish.
1. I want all 7 buttons to work for the 'default' profiles. The main issue are the profiles above Balanced.
2. Be able to make these 7 buttons work as 7 'Custom' Defined profiles, but just changing the values in the XML document.
Here is what I have now.
I've tried a quiet a few things that have not worked, but I still have a few I have not tried, time and my patience has been the limiting factor. LOL
In the current example code I have provided I'm mainly working on Button 7. I have almost every option working.
The problem ones are not changing are
'shadows Quantity' r_shadow_priority (DropDownBox) Values 0-3
'Water Interaction" r_splashes (Dropdownbox) Values 0-3
'Ocean' r_drawocean_quality (DropDownBox) Values 0-3
'Reflections'r_relfections (DropDownBox) Values 0-1
'Reflections Inside House' r_reflectionsinsidehouse Values 0-1
(The present code has each command 'twice' this is to get the changes to work the first time. I REALLY, REALLY want to avoide this technique. I know it's not right, but it works.
Tonight I plan to strip this down to just single commands because it just makes you click the button twice, which is way easier than sorting through the multiple commands to make shanges.
I'm 90% sure this is going to be an issue with the order' in which a command is issued in relation to these others, since many of these are 'related'
There are many 'holes' in the Pre-Define cutom profiles, I need to correct a few thing on my chart, but most of the data values for those holes I've figured out with trial and error and simple logic.
Note: The Extreme Quality Settings, do not max out all the vlues, so they have built in even more scalability than what is provided in our UI settings.
I need to come up with logical manner in which the command are executed. For example setting the Shawdow Quantity may not work, unless shadows have already been enabled.
So all the problems my just be with the order of the commands.
Note: You will notice in this code I have not included the Settings for:
Graphics Resolution: r_frame_buffer_scale
Lighting Resolution: r_frame_buffer_scale
Both of these values are set to max on all of the pre-defined profiles, and I didn't see any reson why they should be scaled down. There are so many other values that can be changed for a quick boost in
FPS, these two I thought I would just leave them out.
So here are the links.
The eq2.startbutton.xml
http://www.geocities.com/ziggy_bock_...tartbutton.xml
Table of Display Commands and thier argument values.
http://www.geocities.com/ziggy_bock_...yCommands.html
Table of the 'pre-defined' profiles. These are what the eq2.recent.ini file looks like after changing the profiles.
(Many of the blank spaces I have since filled in after experimentation and logical progression of the various patterns)
http://www.geocities.com/ziggy_bock_...SideBySide.htm
Well I hope you guys can help me out.