SPON Map

[Spooner 0]

Great to hear from people exploring what you can do with the Map (e.g. never thought of specifically marking AA danger zones with circles).

Using SPON Map while unconscious [ACE mod]: Oops, that was an issue I was aware of, but I'd forgotten to find out how to know if the player is unconscious.

Using SPON Map while not carrying a map object [ACE mod]: I wasn't aware of this, but I thought I had covered this issue (SPON Map should already be disabled when the regular map is disabled). I'll have to look into this...

JIP updating: will require quite a bit of reworking of the way I've implemented network transfers. Thus it will need to wait at least for 0.7.0 (because the alternate data wouldn't be compatible with 0.6.x). I'd love to see it too, but it really is messy to do (and a nightmare to do efficiently). There are also a lot of other privacy issues, for example, if you join 1-1-A group on a persistent server for the first time, do you get updated with the markers/drawings made by someone in the same group sending a group message two days earlier? Same if you log in with the same name as another player that was on earlier. Well, I suppose that isn't too critical as long as people are made aware of it (and I definitely don't plan to resync IM text, which is where privacy matters more than if you've drawn offensive things on the map ;P).

[Spooner 0]

I'm committed to having the drawing lines scaled by zoom, since most of the time you want a line-thickness appropriate to your current zoom. If I'm making a small drawing, I will zoom in and thus thin lines are most appropriate. If I'm making a large drawing I'll zoom out and thick lines are appropriate. I don't want to be fiddling around with controls before every line I draw.

I'm also not someone who likes sliders generally, since they are fiddly and often are not the right tool for the job compared to offering a selection of choices. I have always intended to add a thin/normal/thick option when drawing, but it isn't high priority right now.

A temporary workaround for your particular problem is this:

1) Draw your shape at high zoom, so you have full control (do not release mouse button).

2) Zoom out.

3) Release the LMB.

(When you draw, the line thickness of the whole line that is actually broadcast is based on the zoom level you are in when you release the button).

[Franklin 0]

I have a question for you Spooner. Since the SPON CORE is now incorporated into the ACE Mod, its in addon form on the server along with all the clients. so now i dont have to include it in the mission scripts, this is good... however i do not wish to use SPON MAP in addon form. my server runs sigchecks, and i dont use Yomas addon synchronizer so people wouldnt be able to tell which addon was added, and i really dont want to get into all that.

My question is, how to i get SPON MAP to work in script form in my missions, while the SPON CORE is in addon form?

[Spooner 0]

No problem at all. Just run SPON Map from the mission (pure scripts) and it will happily use SPON Core where-ever it is found (addon or mission script).

Note that if you have the same SPON component in the mission and as an addon, then only the addon version will run, so you don't have to worry about that. However, should the user have an older version of the component than the mission does then that could potentially cause problems if the mission relies on newer features than the addon has. It is a lot easier to update your addons though, than it is to update all of your missions, so I think this way around makes most sense (players have no excuse for not having the latest addon version, but missions shouldn't need to be continually updated unless they need the new features of a newer script version).

EDIT: If you use a component that requires Core in the form of an addon, your mission will not work if the player doesn't have the Core addon. To enforce a dependency, just place the appropriate object in the editor:

* Game Logics/SPON/SPON Core: Require

[Franklin 0]

I installed the spon map folder into my mission, the SPON folder is the start, inside it is the MAP folder and everything is there.

in my description file i added:

#include "SPON\Map\ui\map.hpp"

in the init i added:

[] call compile preprocessFileLineNumbers "SPON\Map\initMap.sqf";

[[west]] call SPON_Map_setResistanceAllies;

[] call SPON_Map_useAction;

and in the stringtable i added:

#include "SPON\Map\stringtable.csv"

now i try to select the mission in the editor and before it even loads there, to where i would be able to place units and whatnot, it crashes the game to desktop and i get this error:

missionname\SPON\MAP\ui\map.hpp, line 50: /SPON_dlgmap.DisplayNumber: Undefined base class 'SPON_rscBackground'

im looking through the readme to see if i missed anything to add into the description, init, or stringtable, and the only things that i havent placed there are the lines of code that would call on the SPON CORE.

I do not have the SPON CORE logic in the mission as of yet. should i disable the SPON MAP so i can load the mission in the editor, place the SPON CORE Logic, and then re-enable SPON MAP?

[Spooner 0]

Ah, I see what the problem is. The problem is that SPON Map (and all my dialog-based components, in fact) uses several files from Core directly. It won't be able to find the files inside the addon (ArmA only allows #including from subdirectories, so I can't see them!), but you can just keep a copy of the files you need in SPON/Core and there should be no problems.

First leave this at the start of your description.ext:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">

#include "SPON\Core\ui\core.hpp"

And just keep a copy of the dialog config files you actually need from Core in your mission (you still need a lot of scripts from Core, but they can be used from the addon version): SPON\Core\ui\*.hpp (about 25k in total).

You don't need the Core stringtable stuff or the call to initialise initCore in the init.sqf though.

Alternatively, leave the whole of Core in, which would work too, but that seems a bit of a waste (though it would mean that you could run your mission with or without the Core addon, but since I imagine you are making an ACE-specific mission, there would be no issues with this dependency).

This should work for all of the dialog-based SPON Components inside missions when used with the Core addon.

Ack, I don't think I like that workaround at all. I may have to re-release my components including those files to overcome this issue, but that isn't ideal and would be a waste of 25k per component for every one in a mission. Sorry about that, I had assumed things would be fine and had only tested that addon+mission script versions of the same component worked fine together. Thanks for bringing it to my attention; I'll see what I can do about a more robust solution for this.

[Franklin 0]

ill try adding the CORE folder back into the mission and add that line into the description, if i cant figure it out from there ill let you know.

Thanks for the Replys!

PS. wouldnt the best workaround just be to get all of your scripts/addons into the ACE mod?

EDIT: adding the core folder back in and using just that one line of code youg ave me, got the map working. allthough it seemed to not work before i used this bit of code:

Quote[/b] ][false] call SPON_Map_enableBISMap;

before i added that line i could see the BIS map, but pressing LShift + M didnt do anything but open the BIS map as well. Once i added that bit of code, when i pressed M, the SPON MAP opened.

However now it IS working this way, it seems like some of the text from certain buttons are missing, things like "ok" or "cancel" maybe, im not sure as i have never used SPON MAP before. but it is definitely something from the UI, possibly from the SPON CORE that is missing.

[Spooner 0]

As I say, you don't need the whole core directory, just the ui directory from it. I've tested it and it does work (assumption that things work is my greatest downfall!). Sorry about the earlier, misleading, information.

I'm working on Sickboy regarding ACE, but he is a tough nut to crack, and not everyone has the clear vision that you have :P

Incidentally, I am classed as a "contributer" in the ACE team (not a full or lead dev, or I might have had more success subverting them ;) ). I would do more for them, but I have too many fingers in too many pies...

[Franklin 0]

just in case you didnt read, i did edit my last post with more info.

also, i didnt keep all the files from the CORE, just the UI folder, but of course i needed the correct file structure to keep things easy.

Ive looked around through the scripts and cant quite put my finger on why the text for the buttons arent showing up. Everything else seems to be working great and i gotta say im loving this map!!!

[Spooner 0]

All of the text on the Map UI is from the

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">

#include "SPON\Map\stringtable.csv"

in the stringtable.csv file. Hmm! Core only provides the text for the Core error and debug windows that you probably haven't seen, so not having the Core CSV shouldn't matter (and anyway, this text would be available from the addon anyway). *shrugs for now*

Regarding needing to disable the BIS map to get the map to work, I think that was a bug in ACE 1.00 (which, ironically, I was responsible for!), causing that. ACE 1.01 fixes the issue that I am thinking of, but if you are already using that version, I'm not at all sure why you would need to run that line of code (disabling the BIS map) to enable the SPON Map.

Well, the other option is that you've not got the vehicleturbo key set up for LSHIFT (which is just the default you get if you haven't modified your ArmA keys). SPON Map is set up to run with whatever you've set as vehicleturbo + openmap keys, rather than particular keys (I suspect you are aware of this, but I'm clutching at straws here).

[Franklin 0]

I am using ACE 1.01, and the map i am making is ACE specific.

I do have LShift as vehicle turbo, i understood that the actuall key pressed is less important than the function bound to that key anyway.

Still, it was as if SPON MAP wasnt even installed until i added that line disabling the BIS Map.

It works as is, its not too difficult to mash grey boxes and figure out what they do, there arent many, but it would be nice to have them labeled for speed and accuracy. but the most important thing, is the functionality of the map is there.

ill play around with the #include SPON\Map\stringtable.csv part and see if theres some other things in my stringtable that are interfering with it.

Here is a link to a screenshot:

Screenshot

[Spooner 0]

Ah, one other issue that could be causing this is if your stringtable has more options than just English, but you are not playing the game in English. You see, there is a problem with mission stringtables, in that you can only ever have one of them and if an entry is missing, then the game assumes it is a blank string. In OFP, it always defaulted to the first value if values were missing, which would make this a non-issue!

Thus, if you have:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">LANGUAGE, English, French, Czech

STR_MANDO_FISH, fish, poisson, ryba

// #include will just put all the values from my stringtable

// into the main stringtable, so it is effectively as though

// it was one big file.

STR_SPON_MAP_FROG, frog

If this is the case, you need to add extra values, even if you just repeat the English version, into your SPON\Map\stringtable.csv file so that it has exactly the same number of values in it as you have in your main stringtable:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">

STR_SPON_MAP_FROG, frog, frog, frog

Using the addon version, it will always give you the English version of the text, regardless.

Hope that catches it...

[Franklin 0]

well i went into my stringtable and deleted all the extra languages i wont be needing, and double checked the changes i made. Still, no titles on the buttons. ive checked the demo mission for any discrepancies and cant find any.

**EDIT**

OK, i just read your post above and it clicked, i understand that the stringtables need to be in the same format, that has to be the issue, im reformatting my stringtable to match yours since i like the organization of your more anyway, its very easy to read.

also, i had another question. In the map, the Notepad, GPS and Radio do not show, is this something that is simply not possible with SPON Map, or is there a place to enable these items?

***EDIT***

I tryed to convert the BAS_f mission condition selector stringtable over to your style, and i got nowhere with that. I then copyed over my modified stringtable with a fresh one from the BAS_f demo folders, and attempted to convert your stringtable to their format and include all the extra bits for the extra languages as you said.

without the #include SPON\Map\stringtable.csv, the BAS_F mission condition selector works. when i load the map in multiplayer, i see the titles for all the conditions that i can select ie: night|heavy Fog.

as soon as i put the #include in to link the modified map stringtable to the bas_f one, the options for the mission conditions dissapear, and obviously the modified stringtable for the SPON MAP doesnt work either.

I honestly dont know enough about this stuff to know the exact format things need to be in, is there anyway you could take a look at the BAS_f mission condition selector stringtable and see what it would take to make it, and your stringtables compatible?

an example would be great, once i see the right way i can do the work.

[Franklin 0]

bump

[Spooner 0]

Two options:

1) You trim down the BAS F to only have English language:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">

LANGUAGE,English

STR_f_ConditionsSelector_Title,Conditions:

STR_f_ConditionsSelector_Option21,Early Morning | Clear

STR_f_ConditionsSelector_Option22,Early Morning | Overcast

STR_f_ConditionsSelector_Option23,Early Morning | Storm

STR_f_ConditionsSelector_Option24,Early Morning | Light Fog

STR_f_ConditionsSelector_Option25,Early Morning | Heavy Fog

// A lot more basf stuff here...

#include "SPON\Map\stringtable.csv"

2) You use the BAS-F file as it is, but pad out SPON\Map\stringtable.csv to the same number of languages as BAS F.

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">

// Colour menu items.

STR_SPON_MAP_COLOUR_DEFAULT, "Use default colour","Use default colour","Use default colour","Use default colour","Use default colour","Use default colour","Use default colour"

STR_SPON_MAP_COLOUR_BLACK, "Black","Black","Black","Black","Black","Black","Black"

STR_SPON_MAP_COLOUR_RED, "Red","Red","Red","Red","Red","Red","Red"

STR_SPON_MAP_COLOUR_GREEN, "Green","Green","Green","Green","Green","Green","Green"

// etc...

The former is perhaps easier to do, but the latter means that non-English players won't have to see English text.

Incidentally, I hope you are remembering to re-save the mission each time you alter the stringtables, since ArmA only reads them in when the mission is saved or loaded.

[Franklin 0]

I see what i was doing wrong, hopefully i can get this right this time, i dont think i can take another 7 hours of pullin my hair out! lol

any word on how to enable the radio/gps/and notepad?

Thanks again Spooner!

**EDIT**

trying to avoid a meltdown here... here are my two stringtables, i dont know whats going on.

BAS Stringtable

SPON MAP Stringtable

[Spooner 0]

Why have you spammed extra quotes onto the SPON Map stringtable? I am using the standard, though alternative, format for my stringtable (putting quotes around all the strings, which I feel looks clearer and also allows commas inside the strings), but BAS are not using this. Either format is valid, but using mine doesn't mean you should just spray quotes around. Please return to my last post and look at the example again.

[Franklin 0]

i did.

Quote[/b] ]2) You use the BAS-F file as it is, but pad out SPON\Map\stringtable.csv to the same number of languages as BAS F.

Code Sample

Quote[/b] ]// Colour menu items.

STR_SPON_MAP_COLOUR_DEFAULT, "Use default colour","Use default colour","Use default colour","Use default colour","Use default colour","Use default colour","Use default colour"

STR_SPON_MAP_COLOUR_BLACK, "Black","Black","Black","Black","Black",

"Black","Black"

STR_SPON_MAP_COLOUR_RED, "Red","Red","Red","Red","Red","Red&

quot;,"Red"

STR_SPON_MAP_COLOUR_GREEN, "Green","Green","Green","Green","Green",

"Green","Green"

// etc...

the example you gave for making your stringtable work with BAS_f's shows the quotes around each string. i assume this is wrong and i only need to delete the quotes from each string to get it working.

[Spooner 0]

Your uploaded version looks like this:

Quote[/b] ]

"STR_SPON_MAP_COLOUR_DEFAULT,""Use default colour"",""Use default colour"",""Use default colour"",""Use default colour"",""Use default colour"",""Use default colour"",""Use default colour"""

I hope you can see that that isn't actually anything like what I told you to do.

[Franklin 0]

it must be the program im using to edit the stringtable with. ill try using a different program.

still, is it possible to get the notepad, GPS, and radio working in your map?

**EDIT**

I was using excel, and it was putting those quotes in, but not showing on the spreadsheet itself. im using a different program now that shows all those extra quotes.

***EDIT***

I got the stringtables working together, excel was adding those quotes in, so i used texview and i could see them and delete them.

everything is working now, except i still neww the notepad/gps/radio, all three are very important to the mission and the way my team operates.

[Spooner 0]

Damn Excel! Sorry for getting shirty earlier, but you can see why you appeared to be being particularly dense (and we have all fallen foul of M$ before now, so...);P

SPON Map already has a GPS in it, which actually has a couple of extra features that the regular GPS doesn't have.

No, it isn't possible to put the "regular" notepad or radio into the map. You have to use the normal map for that (though you can get the radio, when not looking at a dialog, by pressing 0-0-1, etc).

However, there is a new feature in SPON Map that allows you to add, remove or update pages of text into the SPON Map notepad (although the BIS notepad has limited dynamic features, it is very limiting). Look in the readme for details of how to configure this. Of course, this is only useful if you are making the mission with SPON Map in mind, rather than if you want to use SPON Map as a client-side addon, available in all missions.

[Franklin 0]

no problem, i understand that there are a lot of people who are that dense on these forums. no offense taken.

ill look around for the notepad built into your map.

thanks for all your help Spooner.

[Spooner 0]

New screenshots of the special tools available in SPON Map v0.6.0

Measuring tool - Ruler line dragged with the mouse

Coordinate tool - scale

Coordinate tool - grid

Coordinate tool - keypad