The X3 Savegame Manager - updated 07/01/2012 - X3: Albion Prelude Version released

[Alan Phipps]

I feel like I'm trying to come up with a testing DID impossible mission for you Maestro!

Here is one to tax your programming powers, if not impractical/impossible. If the manager were to reside as a background activity and could know when TC is active and when the last save was made, could it give an audible bleep if no in-game save has been made for say 30 mins? It could even be a TC game routine/script optionally loaded by the manager if that works and does not void vanilla status.

I really appreciate the manager and vault to date!

[mrbadger]

I feel like I'm trying to come up with a testing DID impossible mission for you Maestro!

Here is one to tax your programming powers, if not impractical/impossible. If the manager were to reside as a background activity and could know when TC is active and when the last save was made, could it give an audible bleep if no in-game save has been made for say 30 mins? It could even be a TC game routine/script optionally loaded by the manager if that works and does not void vanilla status.

I really appreciate the manager and vault to date!

Hmm. Serves me right for asking

I lack the windows programming fu to monitor for the launching/exiting of TC. Therefore it would require that the manager be launched and left running while playing to keep an eye on the savegames (that at least would be easy), and manually exited once the game was ended. That's not ideal.

Actually that seems more like a job for an in game script, as you suggest, but that would result in the ***modified*** tag, so would
mean vanilla players couldn't use it. It would be inside the process, and I assume there would be some kind of event it could watch for.

Sorry about the non useful answer. That's actully something I wouldn't mind having myself.

[mrbadger]

I am in need of someone who uses the Linux version of X3:R to test that the savegame manager for that version works as expected.

I have the location of the saves now, thanks to melio, so I can build the linux version, but without testing it I'd be releasing blind. This is something I'd like to have ready for the superbox, so if anyone can help, please pm me.

Edit - I know the superbox won't have the Linux X3 in it, I just want support of as many versions as I can done by then.

- MrBadger

[mrbadger]

New version released

I've just uploaded version 1.d. I haven't needed to do a beta release, because there are only a few significant code changes, and one minor bugfix.

I would suggest current users replace their current savegame manager with this updateed version, as it does have some useful improvements, and of course the bugfix

This is the version I will be submitting for the Superbox. I'm not submitting it formally yet, There may yet be some minor tweaks required.

-----------

Changes in this version

- Added autodetection of windows version so the savegame folder is always found.

- Fixed a bug in the import manager that stopped the default log file template being added when a new savegame set was imported.

- Added detailed tooltips for every button that needed them.

- Added X-Universe Forum link to the web links menu

- Updated the import/export manager so the user no longer has to refresh the 'All Available Campaigns' list manually after an import operation.

-----------

As a result of the improved savegame folder detection, I've removed the seperate Windows 7/Vista versions. They can be reinstated if needed, but I seriously doubt this will be the case.

- MrBadger

[Kapakio]

Is there any special step to upgrade the version or just copy the files in the same directories?

[mrbadger]

Is there any special step to upgrade the version or just copy the files in the same directories?

Just unzip the archive and overwrite the current savegame manager jar file with this new one.

If ever changes are required to the campaigns or other files, they are handled automatically the first time you run it, so there's nothing else to do but start using it.

[mrbadger]

I've produced a downloadable pdf version of the savegame manager now. Provided there are no errors, this will be what I submit for inclusion in the superbox.

==================
User guide as downloadable PDF
Download
==================

[Kitty]

Dowloaded your SW and I'll use it.
First remark: my folder is standard, and I had to change the cfg.xml for it to work... (french Windows XP).

For information I had the same issue in my own program and I used this to fix:

Code: Select all

	protected String getX3TCSaveDirectory() {
		return _mesDocuments + "/Egosoft/X3TC";
	}

	public MainWindow() {
		FileSystemView fsv = FileSystemView.getFileSystemView(); // this has for purpose to get the "Mes Document" folder
		File f = fsv.getDefaultDirectory();
		_mesDocuments = f.getAbsolutePath();
...

Another note: an exe file is more easy to use. For making such I use launch4j. You should try it. I did an exe from your jar in 30s here.

For unix user I understand you still provide the jar, anyway.


Next remark: first campaign name "Premiers Pas - Défenseur T.", I hit OK, then I get: "Premiers pas Dfenseur T". Dirty trick, old friend.
Please at least add a warning.

Next: It copied all the xml files of my X3TC folder to the campaign directory. Is that on purpose ? Now I have "PlayerStats.xml" and "Copie de PlayerStats.xml" in the "Campaign/Premier pas Dfenseur T" directory. Or is this another shortcut like running a "copy *.xml" ?

[mrbadger]

I don't know why the french version would have problems, although if it has 'mes documents and doesn't include the option to convert calls for 'my documents' over, then I'm stumped. Still, that sort of thing is why I added the cfg file option. I'll add something to the FAQ in case anyone else has a similar problem.

I considered the executable wrapper you mention during initial development, but in fact it changes nothing significant. You still need Java, and the runnable jar works in the same way as an exe file already. Therefore I decided to leave things as they are.

edit 1: The stripping of non alphanumerics is to prevent invalid filenames, since the campaign name is used for the foldername. It is easy however to correct this. Open the campaign file.xml file in /x3tc/save/ and change the entry

Code: Select all

    <campaignName><![CDATA[Premiers pas DfenseurT]]></campaignName>

to this

Code: Select all

    <campaignName><![CDATA[Premiers Pas - Défenseur T.]]></campaignName>

Do the same for the campaign file in campaigns/Premiers pas DfenseurT/, then rename the folder as well, and you'll have your desired name.
I never considered foreign languages during development. I suppose I could change it to just dissallow some non alphanumeric characters.

the playerstats thing is just because that's also an xml file. I've never exported playerstats to learn it was an xml file. Just delete it from the folder in /campaigns, or leave it, it won't hurt anything.

I'll write something in to exclude it on the next release.

[Kitty]

For the playerstats, it's my fault: I did not put the right directory.
Now it's ok.

[mrbadger]

I'll do a new release that won't prevent non alphanumerics and letters used by other languages, so that'll sort out your naming problem. Thinking about it, I just have to prevent the use of backslash/forwardslash, since those would cause problems.

Thanks for telling me about playerstas.xml. I'll exclude that anyway, just in case someone else puts them in the save folder.

As for 'mes documents' my current autodetection code just has to be updated to include the french version.

If anyone else knows another way that my documents is referenced, such as in german, I'll include that too.

[mrbadger]

New Release - 1.e

This release includes muchly improved savegame folder detection. This change was made in response to the recently identified issue with foreign langage versions of windows. It should now detect your my documents folder regardless of the language version of your windows install.

I've also removed the code that stripped non alphanumeric letters from campaign names, making life difficult for words in other languages. You can use any character in a campaign name now, I suggest you avoid \ and / though.

Updating is recommended, just unzip the jar file and replace your current jar file with this new one.

If no-one reports any issues, this fix is the last thing needed before re-submission to the superbox.

- MrBadger

[kgkosio]

I downloaded the saved game manager on a whim. I didn't think I would ever use it.

Now I wonder how I play any game with out a tool like this.

Normally I start a game, play until I realize how I should have played the game. At this point, I am usually in a difficult situation. In the past, I would delete the existing saves and start over, using the knowledge gained.

Now I store the game, so that when I have improved my skills, I can return to the difficult position and see if I can wiggle out of it.

The tool also allows me to use all of the saves for different game played with different styles (fighting, trading, pirating).

Thank you for taking the time to develop and refine this tool.

[mrbadger]

Thanks for the compliment

It's been suggested to me before by friends that I extend this utility to include other games. Of the modern games I only play X3 though, so it's hard to know which other games to support.

That and I am extremely busy right now developing another product. It's something to consider for the future though.

[mrbadger]

It appears that my hosting providor has been hacked, so I'm removing the links to the savegame manager at this time as a safety precaution.

Sorry about this, I'll get things back online as soon as I can.

- MrBadger

Edit - It looks like the savegame manager files were untouched, but I'm still keeping them offline until I recompile them tomorrow, and get my hosting fixed.

[kgkosio]

Are there any steps I should take prior to installing a new "Release" version of the save game manager?

I did reread through the thread, but did not see this question posted.

[mrbadger]

Are there any steps I should take prior to installing a new "Release" version of the save game manager?

I did reread through the thread, but did not see this question posted.

Just replace the old version with it, there's nothing else needs to be done, any updating of files that's needed is done automatically. I've removed the download links though, they will be up again this evening once my hosting is secure again.

- MrBadger

[mrbadger]

Everythings back online now. My hosting providor restored my ftp access, and checked the site, whatever the hacker was planning on doing, they hadn't got round to it before they were locked out. Unless all they wanted to do was vandalise and cause problems, which they most definatelly did.

Unfortunatelly my blog is gone, they wrecked that. Plus my homepage is gone too, so there's work to be done yet.

Still, the savegame managers are once again available for download, so there's that good news.

- MrBadger

[mrbadger]

Since the number of downloads of the savegame manager has increased so much of late, I thought it would be a good idea to add a poll to this thread, so I can get some kind of feedback as to how useful people find the utility.

- MrBadger

[mrbadger]

New Release - 1.f

This release fixes a small bug I found whereby the log file template might sometimes not be added to a campaign file when an existing campaign was forked. This could happen if the campaign being forked from also didn't have a default log file template.

If you already have forked campaigns that don't have a default log file template, make that campaign the active one, open the logfile template editor, then reset to the default logfile template. This will fix the problem.

- MrBadger