Deploying mission

[gc8 970]

Hi

Please correct me if I'm wrong but are some mission makers releasing their mission core files as mod and not mission? I see this as good idea as you don't have to keep updating your mission for every map but just update the mod and all maps are up to date.

My main question is how do you test changes in your mission, don't you have to restart arma to get the modified mod files loaded again?

 

thx

[Dedmen 2588]

10 minutes ago, gc8 said:

My main question is how do you test changes in your mission, don't you have to restart arma to get the modified mod files loaded again?

if you set -filePatching it loads the unpacked files from your arma directory, and you can just edit and restart the mission.

[gc8 970]

3 minutes ago, Dedmen said:

if you set -filePatching it loads the unpacked files from your arma directory, and you can just edit and restart the mission.

 

I didn't know mod files get reloaded like that. thanks dedmen!

[gc8 970]

I'm trying to get the reloading work now but no matter what I put in config.cpp the mod function wont get reloaded.

here's my config.cpp:

 

class CfgPatches {
	class TestMod {
		units[] = {};
		weapons[] = {};
		requiredVersion = 0.1;
		author[] = {"GC8"};
		authorUrl = "armagc.blogspot.com";
		
		requiredAddons[] = {"3DEN"};
	};
};

class CfgFunctions
{
 class GC
 {
  class TestModFns
  {
	file = "tm"; // Folder path
	class TMTest
	{
	 postInit = 1;
	 recompile = 1;
	};
  };
 };
};

 

Actually I have to close arma and pack the .pbo again to get any changes in game...

 

(-filePatching is on)

 

[Dedmen 2588]

2 hours ago, gc8 said:

Actually I have to close arma and pack the .pbo again to get any changes in game...

 

3 hours ago, Dedmen said:

it loads the unpacked files from your arma directory

 

so if your pbo has the file \tm\fn_tmtest.sqf
you need to have it in your arma directory as

Arma 3\tm\fn_tmtest.sqf

 

then you can edit the sqf file in your arma directory, and when you restart the mission, it will reload from that unpacked file and ignore whatever is in the pbo.

[pierremgi 4737]

4 hours ago, gc8 said:

My main question is how do you test changes in your mission, don't you have to restart arma to get the modified mod files loaded again?

 

What I do:

If your addon doesn't need a config.cpp and what you want to test can run from description.ext (like cfgFunctions), there is no need to pbo your mission for testing the sqfs efficiency.

When you restart a preview, all description.ext, mission.sqm and sqfs are reloaded. In editor, check for your settings/preferences/Misc/recompile functions.

So, do you need a config.cpp and pboed files for your test?

From BIKI:

The Description.ext is used to set the overall mission attributes or to define global entites that will be available for other scripts. It is placed in the mission root folder and uses the same syntax as the config.cpp file, but supports only a limited number of config classes.

Additionally, many attributes can also be set via the Eden Editor, where changes are automatically refreshed upon scenario preview. In the 2D Editor the mission has to be reloaded for changes to be applied

 

[gc8 970]

On 1/12/2020 at 9:11 PM, Dedmen said:

 

 

so if your pbo has the file \tm\fn_tmtest.sqf
you need to have it in your arma directory as

Arma 3\tm\fn_tmtest.sqf

 

then you can edit the sqf file in your arma directory, and when you restart the mission, it will reload from that unpacked file and ignore whatever is in the pbo.

 

ok thanks, now it works! 😃

 

 

On 1/12/2020 at 10:09 PM, pierremgi said:

What I do:

If your addon doesn't need a config.cpp and what you want to test can run from description.ext (like cfgFunctions), there is no need to pbo your mission for testing the sqfs efficiency.

When you restart a preview, all description.ext, mission.sqm and sqfs are reloaded. In editor, check for your settings/preferences/Misc/recompile functions.

So, do you need a config.cpp and pboed files for your test?

 

I'm not sure if I follow you, sorry. Do you mean when I make addon version of the mission there can be description.ext instead of config.cpp?

 

[pierremgi 4737]

8 hours ago, gc8 said:

 

I'm not sure if I follow you, sorry. Do you mean when I make addon version of the mission there can be description.ext instead of config.cpp?

 

Test and final addon can be different. If you mod new units, new weapons or new magazines (as examples), you'll need a config.cpp and pack your addon.

Now, if your addon is just made of sqf scripts, there is no reason for testing the pbo, as you can write a scenario and add many functions, musics, sounds... in description.ext

So, depending on what your final addon is made of. I worked all my advanced modules with a scenario and all functions from description.ext, before making a similar config.cpp for the addon folder.

See also my link above and this (old) open topic.

[gc8 970]

I have a question. What about server parameters in description.ext? do they have to be there or can they somehow be in config.cpp? Also what about GUI classes, etc in description.ext?

[gc8 970]

I tried this to get the params defined in config.cpp inherited to Params in description.ext:

 

class CfgPatches {
    class TestMod {
        units[] = {};
        weapons[] = {};
        requiredVersion = 0.1;
        author[] = {"GC8"};
        authorUrl = "armagc.blogspot.com";
        
        requiredAddons[] = {"3DEN"};
    };
};

class CfgFunctions
{
 class GC
 {
  class TestModFns
  {
    file = "tm"; // Folder path
    class TMTest
    {
     //postInit = 1;
     //preInit = 1;
     preStart = 1;
     recompile = 1;
    };
  };
 };
};

class TestParams
{
 class RespawnMoney
 {
  title = "How much money the player has at respawn";
  values[] = {123,0};
  default = 0;
 };
};

 

Then in description.ext:

 

class Params : TestParams
{
};

 

But I get base class undefined for TestParams

[pierremgi 4737]

If I'm right, cfgPatches is for addon then config.cpp. So, why in description.ext?

description.ext is fine for cfgFunctions and the classes described in the link.

Your class testparams should be in class params (you can select them in lobby, so MP only, for SP you can grab the default value, see BIS_fnc_getParamValue)

 

[Dedmen 2588]

config.cpp/description.ext are different configs, they cannot see eachother.

[gc8 970]

13 hours ago, pierremgi said:

If I'm right, cfgPatches is for addon then config.cpp. So, why in description.ext?

description.ext is fine for cfgFunctions and the classes described in the link.

Your class testparams should be in class params (you can select them in lobby, so MP only, for SP you can grab the default value, see BIS_fnc_getParamValue)

 

 

I would like the params be defined in addon so that I don't have to supply every mission with the same Parameter classes. Saves time not having to copy the parameters around. Been using Parameters a lot so I know how they work. Just looking for new ways for doing this thing

 

45 minutes ago, Dedmen said:

config.cpp/description.ext are different configs, they cannot see eachother.

 

Right. So config.cpp is for configFile and description.ext is for missionConfigFile

 

Maybe it would be possible to use include file from addon to description.ext. Is that kind of path thing supported?

 

[Dedmen 2588]

25 minutes ago, gc8 said:

Is that kind of path thing supported?

if your mission is in a mod pbo, probably.
but from a mission pbo in mpmissions that creates problems, BI semi-broke "external" includes with 3DEN update.

[gc8 970]

1 hour ago, Dedmen said:

if your mission is in a mod pbo, probably.
but from a mission pbo in mpmissions that creates problems, BI semi-broke "external" includes with 3DEN update.

 

Really, I could have used include from mod to mission. What exactly is "external"? All files outside mission.pbo ?

[Dedmen 2588]

3 hours ago, gc8 said:

All files outside mission.pbo ?

yes

[gc8 970]

Ok well I was able to include a file from addon to description.ext and the mission is in missions folder and I am running it as multiplayer. The included class exists but inheritance has no effect (Params : TestParams)

Edit: ok inheritance works but MP Params menu remains empty

[pierremgi 4737]

6 hours ago, gc8 said:

 

I would like the params be defined in addon so that I don't have to supply every mission with the same Parameter classes. Saves time not having to copy the parameters around. Been using Parameters a lot so I know how they work. Just looking for new ways for doing this thing

Right. So config.cpp is for configFile and description.ext is for missionConfigFile

Maybe it would be possible to use include file from addon to description.ext. Is that kind of path thing supported?

 

 

On 1/12/2020 at 6:43 AM, gc8 said:

My main question is how do you test changes in your mission, don't you have to restart arma to get the modified mod files loaded again?

 

So it's two different topics.

- you can test many things like functions in cfgFunctions in any scenario without restarting Arma.

- once these features are OK, you can pbo them in an addon. So, you'll use it but your scenarios will depend on that addon. You can have specific addon for server (like spawn of units) or or for clients (like HUDs),  or general (most of the case because several functions may have to run everywhere).

- once your addon loaded, you can preview your scenario without restarting arma for tuning the specific feature of your scenario.

 

 

[gc8 970]

@pierremgi Thanks, it's mostly those server Parameters that I am interested to give several missions, without having to manually copy them

[gc8 970]

Ok finally got the parameter include working:

class Params
{

#include "\tm\inc.h"


 class Teeest3
 {
  title = "Teeeest3";
  values[] = {0,1,2};
  default = 1;
 };

};

 

inc.h:

 

 class RespawnMoney
 {
  title = "How much money the player has at respawn";
  values[] = {123,0};
  default = 0;
 };
 
 class Teeest2
 {
  title = "Teeeest";
  values[] = {0,1,2};
  default = 1;
 };

 

Tested also in dedicated server and it works

 

Edit: But that only works with tm being folder in arma3 directory. How do I write the path to the addon .pbo ?

 

[Melody_Mike 127]

Hi @gc8,

Not sure if this is what you need. There are other ways to find filepaths, such as using preprocessor. See KillZoneKids' blog:  http://killzonekid.com/arma-scripting-tutorials-mission-root/

[gc8 970]

Hi @Melody_Mike I think that page is for mission file path. I am looking for path to file inside a mod. The wiki has some examples but I haven't got it working. yet. Except with unpacked data in arma folder

[gc8 970]

Ok I got the include working same way as with unpacked data. Don't know what I did wrong first but it works now.

[gc8 970]

Works on dedi too