Launch Base Beta Test

[gordon-creAtive]

Get some popcorn:

  LoadingBar0001.rar (Size: 91.13 KB / Downloads: 442)

[Marshall]

I see. Can you post a list of folders in your LaunchBase\Mods directory and your LaunchBase.ini file? This should help me find the cause.

[gordon-creAtive]

File list:

Code:

originalfa2
originalra2
originalyr
RockPatch1.08
RockPatch1.08SE_0035
RockPatch1.10_0036
RockPatchCE74_0106
RockPatchCE_0055
RPMI

LaunchBase.ini:

Code:

;DON'T MESS WITH THIS INI FILE UNLESS YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE DOING!

[General]
SelectedSkin=ren_glass
LaunchBaseVersion=0.99.0021
ShowDisclaimer=no
SelectedTab=3
LastBroadcastID=3
;SafetySpace=536870912 ;512MB ;reserved space in bytes (default = 256MB)
;MaxLogSize=2097152 ;2MB ;maximum size of log file in bytes (0 = infinite, default = 5MB)
;BroadcastInterval=5 ;number of (whole) minutes between checking for new messages (0 = don't check periodically, default = 5)

[Options]

[LiveLog]
LiveLog=yes ;allow access to LiveLog from the Tools menu.
LiveLogOpen=no
LiveLogTop=2175
LiveLogLeft=1650
LiveLogWidth=9600
LiveLogHeight=7305
;LiveLogDelay=500 ;number of milliseconds to pause after each LiveLog entry (default = 0).

[Restore]
RestorePending=no
0=
1=
2=
3=
4=
5=
6=
7=
8=
9=
10=
11=
12=
13=
14=
15=
16=
17=
18=
Recording=

[Mod]

Name=
ModType=
Version=
Folder=
ScrnFormat=
SnapFormat=
GameIsRA2=

[Marshall]

I think I know what's causing it and will fix it for the next version.

EDIT: Which is available now.
Version 0.99.0022 [2007-11-05]
All checkboxes in Tools > Options now have tooltips with a brief description of the option.
Fixed bug where progress bar would sometimes extend beyond the splash image.
Fixed bug where, if Validate Checksums was turned off, Launch Base wouldn't even check that mod/plugin files still existed.
Fixed bug where mods/plugins installed prior to version 0.99.0015 would incorrectly report as being 'tampered with'.

[gordon-creAtive]

This "close LB to update it"-Bug is still in action and the bar still goes completly to the right border...

[Marshall]

the bar still goes completly to the right border

I'll take another look at this, but can't think what would still be causing it - I did replicate and test a scenario on the last fix.

This "close LB to update it"-Bug is still in action

EDIT: Managed to replicate this. Fixed.

Version 0.99.0023 is now available.

I am going to look into the Mod Catalogue and Check For Updates facility to see if they can be combined into a single form.

[Blade]

I finally got round to looking at Launchbase properly and I must say it looking very good. I do have a suggestion regarding the side mix file handling, if you are adding a campaign for ThirdSide, the user will need a duplicate of sidenc02.mix from the CD/DVD as sidenc03.mix for campaign progression to work. Might be worth adding a tick box for additional side campaigns and just have launch base duplicate that. I'd also like to make a highly specific request on behalf of my mod, I need the soviet and allied movies to be extracted automatically from the original CD's and renamed before being put back in to a new mix file in the users RA2 directory. This is specifically to support the merged allied and soviet campaigns so that all the movies are available. One way of implementing it might be to make a plugin style installer to carry out this process for mods that flag the plugin as required (i.e. the project) rather than having it built into the mod installer as standard.

[Bobingabout]

i think costom install scripts should be introduced (something like a batch file), this way, you can run any included files in the installer, plus give commands to DCoders DLL to do something like what blade is asking for.

[Marshall]

Thanks Blade. With regards to your request, I'm thinking that something like what Bobingabout suggested would be the best way to go - adding a custom install script section to LBMC.
It would basically be a box to insert your own NSIS script. The script would have access to several variables (e.g. $INSTDIR for the "LaunchBase\Mods\mod name" directory). I could probably knock up a an example script that would do what you require.
I wouldn't be able to error check this though - You'd have to try to generate the installer to see if there was an error. LBMC would display an error message if the script would not compile (I should be able to indicate the point of failure though). There is also nothing to stop people from doing nasty things with a custom script.

[Blade]

How about making installers that use a custom script be flagged as such and then prompt the user to give permission to run if they trust the source of the installer?

[Marshall]

Yes that would be a good idea.
I'll take a look at this once I've combined the Mod Catalogue and Check For Updates forms.

Blade, what are the consequences if those extra files you need off the CD were missing? I'm thinking about the script and whether or not it should abort the installer if it can't get those files.

[Blade]

Basically, the program needs to extract all the movies from both the allied and soviet CD's and then rename them all to end in x rather than e. The exception to this is the start movie a00_f00e.bik which needs to be left alone so it overrides the YR one. Instead its the YR one that needs to be extracted and renamed. Ideally it would build a new ecache mix file containing the movies too, but that will need the DCoder mix library. If it can't find the files it should abort and clean up, no point only having some of the movie files and not others. Perhaps return the error to the user saying it failed to find the files it needed and to insert the correct CD and try again and tell them that the mod requiring the plugin will not feature some videos.

[Blade]

I've been trying to create a plugin for the TX, but I keep getting an error when I try to build the executable that tells me to send in 3 except files (attached). I can't see any glaring mistakes that I've made, I am trying to build from the currently released TX installed to default locations with FA2 integration activated.

[Marshall]

I have just uploaded version 0.99.0008 which should fix that problem. This problem would only have affected 'Plugin *is* TX' installer generation.

I have also re-written the 'Update Check File' page in the help topics as more information will be needed in update check files after the next release of Launch Base - I've finished combining the Mod Catalogue and Updates forms but I need to do some testing before I can release it. Hopefully Friday evening or sometime on Saturday.

I can't see any glaring mistakes that I've made

It is my intention that the user should not be able to make mistakes - if there's a problem then they should be alerted properly rather than having a failure such as this. If you ever get any except files generated then it is a bug that needs to be fixed. The install generator is very complex and can produce a wide range of different effects so a few bugs may have escaped my attention. Despite the complexity though, the except.nsi and except.log files that will usually be generated will help me track down the cause of any problems very quickly.

gordon-creAtive, I haven't been able to find any more reasons for the LB progress bar going off the splash image. I will look at adding some more verbose logging in if you are still having this problem.

[Blade]

I'll test that when I get home, thanks. I'll also send you a keyfile once I've tested that it builds okay so it can be signed and put into the catalog.