How do I run both Arma and Arma2 tools at the same time?

[Fox '09 14]

Hey guys, I need to run both tool sets for some VBS2 work and I'm afraid installing the arma 1 tools will mess up the arma 2 tools. Is there a good way to do this?

cheers

[Synide 0]

Why do you need A1 tools installed "for some VBS2 work"? Wouldn't you want VBS2 tools installed? And, why are you asking about it here?

...afraid installing the arma 1 tools will mess up the arma 2 tools.

Yip, ofcourse it will... but you have to install both sets of tools if you want to build stuff targeted at each. It requires going through the registry and 'exporting' out the 'tools' related info. for your current build tools. Then, installing your 2nd 'set' of tools and exporting out the same reg. values.

I just use a dos batch command file mapped to 2 seperate icons on my taskbar. They both run the same VBS_A2_Tools_Toggle.cmd but with different command line parameters. Which in turn loads a seperate .reg file for each.

eg.

VBS_A2_Tools_Toggle.cmd "a2"

VBS_A2_Tools_Toggle.cmd "vbs2"

[size=1]@goto %~1[/size]
[size=1]:a2[/size]
[size=1]c:\windows\syswow64\reg.exe import m:\rv\a2_tools.reg[/size]
[size=1]@goto EndOf[/size]
[size=1]:vbs2[/size]
[size=1]c:\windows\syswow64\reg.exe import m:\rv\vbs2_tools.reg[/size]
[size=1]:EndOf[/size]
[size=1]pause[/size]

Each of the .reg files are just the combined values of lots of Registery Key 'exports' combined into one file and the contents of which are just edited to suit your machine/installation.

So, before doing vbs related stuff I just hit the 'V' icon on my taskbar. Hitting the 'A' icon sets things up for A2 building.

You can do a similar setup 'tween A1/A2 if you desire.

Cheers, Sy.

PS. If you're thinking that the output from A1 tools is perfect for use in VBS2... well yeah sure... it'll work, sorta... but it's not optimal. For instance A1 tools didn't deal with stageTI in .rvmats. So none of your output'd .p3d's from A1 will have .rvmat's embedded that use stageTI.

Edited November 9, 2011 by Synide

[Fox '09 14]

The sense I got was that since VBS2 seems to be a derivative of the arma 1 engine, perhaps I can work from the arma 1 tools, at least that was what was suggested to me.

That will still come in handy though, cheers :)

Edited November 10, 2011 by Fox '09

[Synide 0]

Should be ok... A1 tools outputted v43 odols from memory and VBS2 tools output v10043. But, pretty sure VBS2 reads v43 as well. The embedded .rvmat in v43 won't have TI though. And, there's a couple of LoD's available in VBS2 tools outputted .p3d's that you won't be able to create through A1's tools.

Also, if the other party is on v1.5 of VBS2 I haven't checked if they're using the .paa format from A2/OA now which is lzo based as opposed to lzss based for output from the A1 tools so you may (or may not) have probs there too. But, just try it and see.

Finally, I think the VBS2 user community was 'cleared' to use content created from the A1 tools but you should probably get whomever the VBS2 user is to double-check through the VBS2 forums... can't remember exactly the score there off-hand, I'm sure there was a thread over there pertaining to that.

If you get stuck gimme a yell.