Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
Yoma

AddonSync2009 (downloader, launcher)

UAC popup at start of download or start of tool? (Vista, Win7)  

40 members have voted

  1. 1. UAC popup at start of download or start of tool? (Vista, Win7)

    • Start of download (leave it as is)
      6
    • Start of tool
      3
    • What's UAC? (google Virtual Store, have fun)
      4
    • Arf f*** UAC, first thing I disable after installing Vista/Win7
      27


Recommended Posts

Hi all,

I think the time has come to finally make a dedicated post in this forum that points to AddonSync2009.

You can download it here.

You can view what's been done/what's up for next version here.

You can view the bugtracker here.

Some basic demonstration movies (yes they are crappy,maximise your browser and be a bit patient)

The tool requires .NET 2.0 or higher.

Features:

  • Download/upload sets of addons (great for squads/servers that use addons). The basic goal here is to keep people in sync with the addons the server uses. It can also be used to deploy an ever changing mod, as Kju has proven quite well with CAA1. It uses MD5 checksums for files and can verify individual files.
  • Launch Arma(2), various launch options, including "modsets" (which are simply groups of addonfolders), these groups can be given a relevant name and are also linked to the server, so you don't have to go look for the correct addons to use each time you connect to a server.
  • Check who's playing/what mission/server parameters realtime. Can also monitor a server and autolaunch Arma(2) with different conditions (stuff like autolaunch when game restarts, autolaunch when a player slot becomes available)
  • Look for servers via Gamespy Query. You can create and save your own custom filters, the tool also pings servers, launches game straight from gamespy query list or offers the opportunity to add a server to your defaults list.
  • Has a "favorites" server list and can query the favorites list, so you can quickly see what's going on, only on the servers you want to see.
  • Easily launch beta versions without the need to select beta executable (just select the beta folder in a modset).
  • Upon downloading addons, create hardlinks to files that would otherwise be duplicated on your disk.
  • Active check for Arma2 beta versions (it actually compares the build version you have in your beta folder to the latest published online build and will only warn you if you have a different beta version)
  • Can launch a dedicated server (great for testing addons) using the same modset as the one you use for launching the game.
  • Can autolaunch any program you want before launching the game. (Great for joystick profilers, voip stuff etc), built-in support for launching TeamSpeak.
  • Basic multilanguage support, will need some people for translations soon.
  • Get basic context sensitive help (English only) by pressing F1 on the form you're seeing.
  • Scripted builds (and uploads) of online mod repositories, automated signing process for addons. (server admins can even autogenerate private keys) The signing process requires the BIS sign tools to be installed.

Feel free to post your comments, suggestions, requests here or even better yet post them in the bugtracker on devheaven (or via the "report bug" button inside the tool).

If you need help (setting it up as a server admin) feel free to contact me via PM. I'll be sure to contact you as I get time.

Special thanks goes out to all the people that have commited time to reporting bugs, requesting features and generally being in support of my effords.

Very special thanks to Kju, you are a great guy!

Edited by Yoma

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Great stuff Yoma..as always. Good that you decided to post-up a dedicated thread.

I use it a lot, especially for external server/ongoing game and player listing, My in-game list does not populate all the MP servers due to Win7x64.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Great tool! Makes addon downloading so much easier. :)

Yoma uses the actual list element in your post.

It makes the post more readable.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

A powerful tool no doubt!

I have however heard from quote a few of my online friends that they dont understand it. I agree that this new version is more intimidating.

If you could make it more "out of the box" userfriendly and make all fancy features available for the ones that needs them maybe?

I also used your old arma version as a gamelauncher, not to connect to servers. i can do it with this too, but it wasnt so intuitive in the beginning.

My thought is if its setup more like a launcher more people would use it and get used to it. Rigt now I hear too much "naah, it seems so complicated". And thats a waste of something this powerful and good.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Nice tool and with F1 helpfile included. Maybe this helpfile should have an extra Step-by-Step guide and additional on buttons some mouseover tip/help? Btw is it possible to save the size of Yoma Launcher window - everytime its opening as full screen? Thanks!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Go to settings and unhook the maximise at start ;) Had the same "problem" (maybe it should be an optioin, not as default?).

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I agree with andersson and NoRailGunner. Anything which makes this powerful tool more userfriendly is welcome and a step-by-step guide seems a good idea to me.

I don't know if this is even possible, but in my opinion a product combining the features of apinestar's launcher and Yoma's downloading tool would be a great thing to have. And then sites like armaholic, sw-depot, etc. should be using it, so that anyone can easily keep their addon-folders up-to-date and choose the right combination of mods for any given type of game or mission. I daresay that more servers would tolerate addons if it was simpler for the players to have the correct versions running on their computers. This in turn might motivate more people to create content, which would be good for the whole community.

As it is now, I only download addons which are required by the mission I want to play and when in doubt I choose a mission which doesn't require too many addons.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I don't know if this is even possible, but in my opinion a product combining the features of apinestar's launcher and Yoma's downloading tool would be a great thing to have.

What exactly can Alpinestar's launcher do that AddonSync2009 can not?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

hehe sorry and thanks - found the maximize option and unchecked it :party:

Yoma I think most players are bit lazy to create modsets they simply like the fast paced point&click thingy. ;)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

When clicking the upload addons tab, is it possible not to have everything selected by default? It's a bit of a pain if you have to uncheck many folders every time when you have just a couple of mods to upload.

Best would be to be able to set up your specific folders like we used to have in the older app. Or maybe we can but I missed that.

Thanks!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I agree that addonsync 2009 need a simple how to use guide. All the ArmA players know what it does and why because all the features were discussed in the old ArmA thread.

It may be hard to understand what it does and may even look a bit too complex for the newcomer.

Also Arma2 being too young is also a factor. As the number of released addons/mods/ports increase and when the servers start allowing/disallowing mods more strictly, people will come to grasps about the importance of this handy tool ;) .

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
When clicking the upload addons tab, is it possible not to have everything selected by default? It's a bit of a pain if you have to uncheck many folders every time when you have just a couple of mods to upload.

Best would be to be able to set up your specific folders like we used to have in the older app. Or maybe we can but I missed that.

Thanks!

Check out the batch files and xml files that come with them.

You can now script the entire process of building a repository. (And even put it in scheduled tasks if you want to.)

The scripted repo builder has more functionality then the gui one.

Also you can do a right mouse button and click uncheck all ;-)

---------- Post added at 08:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:27 PM ----------

hehe sorry and thanks - found the maximize option and unchecked it :party:

Yoma I think most players are bit lazy to create modsets they simply like the fast paced point&click thingy. ;)

I guess they haven't found the "Guess modstring" feature yet :p

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
What exactly can Alpinestar's launcher do that AddonSync2009 can not?

Frankly speaking, I have no idea. I guess I shouldn't have used the word "features".

The big advantage of Alpinestar's launcher is that it gets the job done with a simple and self-explanatory user interface. Some users ask little questions about Alpinestar's launcher, but people don't have to ask for tutorials.

The big advantage of your tool is that launcher and downloader are one single program. You as the developer of this software obviously spend a lot of time with it. I can understand that you find it strange that some, maybe just a few people have problems with it. Perhaps it is fair to say that a user who is willing to put some effort into learning how to use your tool can benefit greatly but casual users may find themselves overwhelmed by its complexity.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

A big issue is that people actually think it's more difficult then it is.

Anyway, each to their own thing.

But users that can manage to play Arma in a decent fashion can surely manage to use my tool, if they want to.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

But users that can manage to play Arma in a decent fashion can surely manage to use my tool, if they want to.

Is it necessary to bring a decent discussion to THIS level?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

If you fail to give concrete suggestions, how should he be able to improve it?

And yes I believe everyone can learn to understand the app fully in less than one hour.

Yet only few people have enough patience and dedication these days.

One hour for that huge feature set is nothing.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Well, what we are saying is one thing that can be improved is the userfriendliness. Right now it seems that people start it up and dont know what to do with it. I had to work with it for a while, I knew it benefit me, but when I get my webserver up Im not looking forward to persuade people to use it and explain how to.

Honestly I dont really know how to improve the tool, because Im not sure Im using it the best way.. I have setup a server by adding a new one, filling in whats needed. Now I just doubleclick that server and press launch. Magic :) (Thank you).

But in the beginning I just wanted to start arma2.. And I wanted to DL caa1. So I couldnt find where to launch arma2. I went through settings and filled in all necessary. But where is that launch button, and where to choose what modfolders?

It didnt take long to find the tab, after you figure out ow to add a webserver (my case caa1), where you could DL addons. But still a few moments of frustration.

Thats my biggest gripe, it isnt intuitive at the first look. I have used your launcher for arma1. That was easier and more intuitive (and I still had to tell people step by step how to DL addons for my server).

I have patience (not as I once had but still ok), I know your tool is worth the minutes it takes to learn it.

But alot of people dont know it, and they start it up and think "what now, whats this for?". Why would they try to figure it out as there are easier launcher available? (We know why, but they dont).

Yes tutorials are needed, we got that at post #14 (thanks kju). I havent seen them before.

What about a tutorial how to use this tool to choose modfolders and start a SP game? How to use this as a "normal" launcher? I would like that :) Right now I added a server that doesnt exist, no IP. So when I doubleclick that I can launch arma2 without connecting to a MP game.

Dont take all of the feedback wrong. I guess you started this thread for feedback and info? It seems users are generally uncertain how (and why?) to use it. I wanted to give feedback before about this things, but dev-heaven had no forum for this tool. And nothing of this is worth a ticket as its just toughts and feedback.

With all this, please read it the right way. This tool is fantastic! I would DL and use it if I had to compile it myself.. But it is, at first impression, intimidating and confusing.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

kju,

you have a valid point there. I thought about this myself. But anything I may say can be countered by something like: You just don't try hard enough to understand it.

Last night, for example, I applied yoma's tool to launch a game with a few addons. (Until then, I had only used the download sync function) I had to read the instructions, click through a few pages, couldn't find out how to launch the game (but I discovered several nice features other apps don't offer and thought: This is great!). Suddenly the right button was just under my mouse, I clicked it and it worked like a charm. So it is correct to say: The tool offered what I wanted I just didn't understand the help function provided. So, what should I suggest? Place the launch button somewhere else? This would be silly.

All I can say - and I say it full of respect for Yoma's work - is that it is not intuitive. For me simplicity of use is an important feature in any software I use for work or for pleasure. This purely my own personal approach, of course.

In reply to Alan.rio: The "Germany Fun"-server uses yoma's tool. I have never played there, but I downloaded all their addons (literally hundreds of them) using Yoma's tool - just to try it out, because the idea was so fascinating. The server provided an excellent manual explaining how to install Yoma's tool and how to download the files. I wouldn't have been able to achieve the same result without this external document.

But, as far as I remember, this document did not explain the app - it just said, click here, type this, etc. and everything was based on screenshots. You could not learn a lot but it worked.

I am very sorry, I cannot be more constructive. I can only describe my experience with this app. The best I can do is to suggest a meeting on TS and talk things over while actually using the tool.

Edit: andersson was quicker to reply. It is interesting that our experiences seem to be somewhat similar.

Edited by Alpha-Kilo

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I totally agree. Though I really respect the work and effort that has gone into this. I have to say that it's the least intuitive tools I've ever used. And that's from someone who's worked as a functional consultant with 10 years experience in IT.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

What about a tutorial how to use this tool to choose modfolders and start a SP game? How to use this as a "normal" launcher? I would like that :) Right now I added a server that doesnt exist, no IP. So when I doubleclick that I can launch arma2 without connecting to a MP game.

I think this is a good suggestion. Personally I always thought YAS needed a SP tab for lauching game with mod selector, without connecting to MPgame in terms of design.

Yes this is not exactly what AddonSync is for but it would be really handy and make things easier for the average player. Especially if it can detect all the non-standard (non-BIS) folders and list them as possible mods. You can always add the mod paths manually of course.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Follow the KISS rule - Keep It Short and Stupid ermm Simple.

Most people like fancy and modern looking designs and easy-to-use (clicky features). Maybe its helps if you make extra trendy & accessible interfaces for Launcher Options, SP, MP, Server-Settings ? Sex-up your launcher :supercool:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×