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#4386233 - 10/22/17 09:11 AM The current 160 installation  
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 12,497
MrJelly Offline
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MrJelly  Offline
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Montagnac, L'Herault, France
Quote
So they have messed up the game so badly, that nothing runs without loads of work, and now disappeared




160 provides multiple theatres and multiple planesets. A player uses the utility to select either the new map or the old map version of the eaw.exe, the theatre, and the planeset.

Installing it is very easy, and you do not even need an EAW folder.


There is a simple installation here:

160 Installation

The link takes you to a folder which contains the "160Oct2017.exe" 7-zip installer.
Download it and run it.

It will install a "160Oct2017" folder which is a complete installation, including a filemanager for all players, plus another for multiplayer hosts, which most players would not need.
The filemanagers are written in visual basic and need runtime files. Many SimHQ pilots have them installed already, but for those who do not have them there is a "Runtimes.exe" which will generate a runtimes file installer in a folder which contains a "Setup.exe" file.
This "Setup.exe" file needs to be run in order to install the runtime files.

If the utilities run there is no need to install the runtime files. If they crash when you try to run them then the runtime files need to be installed.

The only other thing a player will need to do is to replace my "eaw.ini" file with one that suits the player's set-up.

The installation has been assembled in order to accommodate online players, but it is also meant to be used to fly single missions. Careers can be flown, but only if the default theatres and planesets are selected.

Using the "PSM160GRV2.exe" filemanager:
[Linked Image]

You can see the two exes, the nine theatres and 21 planesets that are installed. I am happy to provide additional theatres and planesets if requested smile

wink Jel

Last edited by MrJelly; 10/22/17 09:26 AM.

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#4388376 - 11/06/17 05:53 AM Re: The current 160 installation [Re: MrJelly]  
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MarkEAW Offline
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@Jel, I think that Quote was intended to mean the modding end of it, inserting the game data and getting it to load in game to test it out. I don't think its your front-end launcher that's in question.
(EDIT: BTW, I'm not saying its hard to mod for you guys, or for me. But I don't know cause I never tried to mod the later versions, or would know where to start too.)

Your front-end seems adequate. But to a newbie I think it needs work. Not that I could do better. I'm just saying. I remember when I started with 1.40 (upon returning to EAW). It was confusing to me (I don't know about others), but to me going from v1.2 "in game" selections to a pre game selection was daunting. (EDIT 2: I don't mean to be anywhere negative here either. I understand there's nothing that can be done about having your pre game frontend, since the menu selection screens in EAW still would need new programming to accommodate such new additions. Thats beyond the scope of your current code work. Pull down menus would be a future thing.)

One thing that was puzzling as a newbie, where the two exes available. I now know why there's two exes primarily to pick from, sorta. Something to do with an old map and new map layout. Some like one vs the other.

I don't know what the numbers are on the left hand side of the theaters and planesets in your image above are for, or maybe I simply forgot. Is it just the order they are in, Cause the numbers skip several values?

People ask me what they should play, and I say try them all, but anything above 129 or so I say try the latest, in regards to the source coded versions, hence right now I recommend 1.60. Rather than 1.50 for instance.
The people that want to play the stock campaign and single missions I primary say v1.2, then mention the later code group made versions as possible alternatives,
but i don't know how to fix anything regarding most of the problems they have with savedata and msn files etc...(the old "mission/career" tools dont work on the new versions).

Anyhow I'm lingering off topic too much. My original question was the # besides the theater and planeset? what do they inform us of? just the order to list them?


Last edited by MarkEAW; 11/06/17 09:57 PM. Reason: lack of clear vocabulary
#4388589 - 11/07/17 10:23 AM Re: The current 160 installation [Re: MrJelly]  
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MrJelly Offline
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With the development of 150 and 160 there have been many theatres and planesets created, and as far as possible each one was given a unique number. Some were experimental.
In the latest package I only selected a few, but I deliberately preserved their original numbers.
The real function of the numbers is for the online host at GameRanger, so that the host can easily transmit the planeset and theatre that he has selected so that the other players can set up easily.

The two exes relate to the pilotmap. The old style version reads the "Europe1.pic", and is locked into the 640x320 tilemap. Many of the older theatres use this.
The new map version of the exe allows a flexible tilemap, based on one generated from the "eaw32.tm" file and is not locked into 640x480. The exe reads the "TARGMAP.PIC" in order to display the pilot map.
The Beta "Western Front" theatre uses a 256x160tilemap, so the new map version must be used.
In some cases where the tilemap is 640x320 there is both the original "Europe1.pic" and a "TARGMAP.PIC" file available. Some of the "TARGMAP.PIC" files are not artistically brilliant, but they have the advantage of only covering the size of the theatre.
The "Europe1.pic" files cover a much larger area, so the targets and bases are much closer together, and more difficult to read.

wink

Last edited by MrJelly; 11/07/17 10:44 AM.

Fly EAW online at GameRanger: GameRanger Site

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UAW 160 downloads
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Mark Twain: I am quite sure now that often, very often, in matters concerning religion and politics a man's reasoning powers are not above the monkey's.

I am now of an age at which I no longer need to suffer fools gladly
#4388593 - 11/07/17 11:09 AM Re: The current 160 installation [Re: MrJelly]  
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MrJelly Offline
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MrJelly  Offline
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Map screens to show the difference- same theatre and planeset.

Europe1 bottom right with a whole lot of Italy and the Med which are not in the 640x320 tilemap
[Linked Image]

Top left, with part of Ireland in it which is not in the tilemap
[Linked Image]

Tilemap.pic, bottom right, generated from the 640x320 tilemap.

[Linked Image]


Fly EAW online at GameRanger: GameRanger Site

FaceBook Pages
UAW 160 downloads
EAW Club

Mark Twain: I am quite sure now that often, very often, in matters concerning religion and politics a man's reasoning powers are not above the monkey's.

I am now of an age at which I no longer need to suffer fools gladly
#4388597 - 11/07/17 11:43 AM Re: The current 160 installation [Re: MrJelly]  
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MrJelly Offline
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Quote
I think that Quote was intended to mean the modding end of it, inserting the game data and getting it to load in game to test it out


You are correct, but it is a sad story. The modder who wrote that had no need to use 140, 150 or 160. It only referred to aircraft skin files which should have been made and tested in 1.29 by dropping them into the root folder.
Once they were working he would then have two options:
Either obtain and learn to use the 1.29 => 150 conversion software, and also create a planeset which referenced them .......
..... or send them to me so that I could do the job for him.
He did neither, and used his inability to get them working in a 140/150/160 installation as a lame excuse to attack our work. To be frank, he never bothered to get his head round the "Dir.set" and "Planeset" systems when they came into the 1.28c and 1.28E exe releases.
The only files which cannot be dropped into a 140/150/160 installation root folder for testing are the "slot free" aircraft skin, screen, and FM files.
Many other modders have continued working because they took the trouble to learn how the newer versions work. They are well aware of the enormous advantages that the "slot-free" system has created smile


Fly EAW online at GameRanger: GameRanger Site

FaceBook Pages
UAW 160 downloads
EAW Club

Mark Twain: I am quite sure now that often, very often, in matters concerning religion and politics a man's reasoning powers are not above the monkey's.

I am now of an age at which I no longer need to suffer fools gladly
#4388608 - 11/07/17 12:39 PM Re: The current 160 installation [Re: MrJelly]  
Joined: Feb 2006
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Rotton50 Offline
3DZ / campaign designer
Rotton50  Offline
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Senior Member

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Posts: 4,859
Cape Charles, Virginia, USA
Being the top modder for EAW, something that happened not by talent but by accident, BTW, I can say that 1.6 is actually a much easier system to use once you get used to the different approach it takes.

There is a learning curve but the advantages become self-evident once the "light bulb" comes on.

Users OTOH, have almost no learning curve if they want to just jump in and fly.


Heck, even paranoids have enemies.
#4388757 - 11/08/17 04:19 AM Re: The current 160 installation [Re: MrJelly]  
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,506
Brit44 'Aldo' Offline
Every Human is Unique
Brit44 'Aldo'  Offline
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Ray,
I respectfully disagree with your statement that there is "almost" no learning curve for end users. Jelly's latest version is , capital M, much more intuitive then his first version. I think the only way to make it more intuitive then it is now would require moving it from Basic to Delphi, or some other forms based GUI. I only say this because the current layout shows all possible choices, even after a choice has been made. If scroll boxes and panels, that become active at each step of the process, were used then a new users would receive visual conformation that they are using the tool correctly.

I know that I am counting rivets, but I am placing myself in the shoes of a new user who only knows where the power button and mouse are on there computer.

Al


TPA who TWI
"The 10th Amendment simply says that any powers that aren’t mentioned in the Constitution as belonging to the government belong to the states themselves."
#4388789 - 11/08/17 11:41 AM Re: The current 160 installation [Re: MrJelly]  
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 4,859
Rotton50 Offline
3DZ / campaign designer
Rotton50  Offline
3DZ / campaign designer
Senior Member

Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 4,859
Cape Charles, Virginia, USA
Well, I did say "almost". :-)

As with any amateur single developer software there are always rough spots. Jel and I spent a lot of time working through the rough spots to deliver a good product.

Having spent as much time as we did, you can imagine our frustration with certain members who did nothing but attack our efforts. We don't post here any more specifically because we got tired of it all. There are just so many cheek slaps a guy can take before saying "screw it, it's not worth the effort".

As to 1.6, considering the complexity of what this front end does, it's pretty easy to use. That said, a player does need both the desire to use it's greatly expanded capabilities AND some understanding of how a windows based PC works.


Heck, even paranoids have enemies.
#4390720 - 11/21/17 12:58 PM Re: The current 160 installation [Re: MrJelly]  
Joined: May 2015
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MarkEAW Offline
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MarkEAW  Offline
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Joined: May 2015
Posts: 1,122
I get Runtime error 53 when trying to run PSM160GRV2.exe, even with runtimes installed.
How do I correct this?

#4390799 - 11/21/17 08:09 PM Re: The current 160 installation [Re: MrJelly]  
Joined: May 2015
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MarkEAW Offline
Member
MarkEAW  Offline
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Joined: May 2015
Posts: 1,122
eh nevermind little ones.

I had renamed Jels eaw.ini file to something else and this gave me the error 53.

I Then had to run the existing eaw.exe directly in the game folder once to the main menu, then exit. (So this created a new eaw.ini file (I had problems with my copy of the 1.40 ini so had to create a new one)).

Then that PSM program crashed a few times with some encrypted error messages. So I figured it was my fault and re-selected the 3 choices before i click to fly.

eaw didn't want to fly, so it crashed to desktop. then i ran the frontend again, did the re-selecting again and eaw launched to the main menu.


But the default spit mission ended before 10 secs was up in single mission selection. the enemy was was killed or completed its mission within 10 sec of start in the cockpit.
So the default settings didnt work so im going back and see if i can customize the default spit single mission to something else. See how I make out.

Also the Spits RPM dial was reading wrong, it spun up pass full rpms and kept going a quarter the way up.
I'd try to fix it but I don't know how to mod it.

EDIT: RPMS Dial is fine, was reading it wrong apparently.

Last edited by MarkEAW; 11/22/17 02:53 AM.

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