Launch Base Beta Test

[Marshall]

gordon-creAtive, don't try to download and register tabctl32.ocx.
I want to try something with the LBMC installer that might resolve the problem. I will try to release this this evening.

LBMC does not appear in the Tools drop-down menu because it is a developer tool. Only user tools (such as the YRPM) are shown here.

"Failed to read checksum from file..."
The checksum reader works fine for me on WinME, but it does not appear to work on XP.
That's not good. I will take a look at this tonight and add some verbose logging in if neccessary, to help track down the cause of the problem.


EDIT: (20:10 server time)
Version 0.99.0006 [2007-10-02]
Fixed bug in Mod Catalogue where, after downloading a mod, the list of mods became locked.
Fixed bug in Mod Catalogue where, while downloading a mod, the progress bar didn't update.
Added some verbose logging to help find the cause of a problem getting the checksum of a file.
If Launch Base cannot get the checksum of a file when authenticating a plugin, the remaining files will now be skipped.

I have also added TABCTL32.OCX to the LBMC installer - it won't manually register it, but I'm hopeful that just including the file in the same directory as the program should be enough - download version 0.99.0002.1 via Mod Catalogue / Check For Updates.

gordon-creAtive, please could you enable Verbose Logging and install the YR Map Packs again. Then send me the LaunchBase.log file.

Renegade, please could you tell me what version of the following files you have. They should be in WINDOWS\SYSTEM
Right-click > properties > Version > File version
COMCTL32.OCX
COMDLG32.OCX
MSCOMCTL.OCX
SCRRUN.DLL

Thanks.

[Renegade]

system32

COMCTL32.OCX - 6.0.81.5/6.00.8105
COMDLG32.OCX - 6.0.84.18/6.00.8418
MSCOMCTL.OCX - 6.0.88.62/6.00.8862
SCRRUN.DLL - 5.6.0.8820

Didn't test any new version yet, so I can't tell you if the current version runs with these.

[gordon-creAtive]

I installed new LB version and tried Mod Creator directly (Browsing mods, downloading, tried to start) then LB (!!! not windows like in the earlier version) displayed an error wich said:
[LB has problems and needs to close *blah*]..."Invalid procedure call or argument" ...[*blah Contact Marshall etc]


  except.txt (Size: 146 bytes / Downloads: 512)
Error happened every time.

I really did nothing else than the Mod Creator thing, so log applies completly on it:

  LaunchBase.log (Size: 1.6 KB / Downloads: 522)


So much for that.

Edit: Hey! I justed took a closer look on except.txt - That's a LB error, I tried to start ModCreator manually, it worked! I'll now test ModCreator

[Marshall]

I'll need to add some more verbose logging to see why your LB doesn't like launching LBMC. I need to add more verbose logging for why Renegade gets that FA2 folder crash.

[gordon-creAtive]

Hey Marshall, I got a little present for you:
[attachment=230]: gordon-creAtive's Reflections Skin for LaunchBase

But before downloading you must apply to the following rules:

*
* Developers need demands at all. This is including a hidden demands also. Send demands by email or PM messages - developers won't ignore it.
* Distribution. You can include my skin installer in the LB package. The skin hasn't an official site.
All versions can be distributed with LB package. About more info read each version overview.
* Skin versions compatible with each other.
* If I say what some version of the patch no longer available, you must agreed with it and don't longer use it. However, this will never happen.
* Only features which are included in the official skin are skin features.
* I support only skin features.

In case you don't apply with this license, you have to delete the skin from your hard-drive

[DCoder]

Damn, I can't give gordon any more +rep. That was golden.

[Renegade]

Sooooooooooo rep'd for that!

[gordon-creAtive]

THX guys

[Marshall]

Most droll.

It's a good skin gordon, just a few points though:
"FA2 Plugins"? The Launch Base concept of a plugin is something that can be integrated into RA2/YR alongside other plugins and/or a mod. Final Alert 2 can only have one 'mod' installed at a time (although it's actually installed to the RA2 directory of course). This should really be "FA2 Mods".

The 'r' and 'y' buttons are the same, so a user can't tell if the mod/plugin is for RA2 or YR. Not a huge problem but nevertheless...

Color depth is 16 million rather than 256. Reducing the color depth to 256 (which is all Launch Base will display anyway) would drastically reduce the file size.

With those changes I could include the skin in the LB installer, although I'm wary of the installer size creeping up (especially if I end up having to include some of the VB files).

I could look at creating a dummy Launch Base "Tool" that actually installs any extra skins when launched.


On another note:
Version 0.99.0007 [2007-10-06]
Added verbose logging to help track down the cause of a crash.
Added verbose logging to help track down the cause of an internal error.

There's now a reasonable amount of verbose logging to help track down the various problems that gordon, Renegade and Bobingabout have experienced. If you guys could take a moment to run through the various problem spots with verbose logging enabled (in Tools > Options, except for Bobingabout who will need to manually add VerboseLog=yes to [Options] in LaunchBase.ini) it would be much appreciated.

I've noticed that the verbose log messages seem to slow Launch Base down a bit for me, even if Verbose Log is disabled. It may just be me. I will investigate this.

[gordon-creAtive]

I'll improve my skin and test the VerboseLog things.

[Marshall]

Version 0.99.0008 [2007-10-06]
Added verbose logging to help track down the cause of an internal error.
Removed some redundant verbose logging.
Changed the way Launch Base checks for the presence of directories to make it faster.
When editing the "FA2 Folder" text box, Launch Base will now validate the path before checking to see if it exists. Hopefully this will avoid a reported crash.
Fixed a potential crash if a third-party tool specified an invalid program executable.
Improved efficiency of some minor code.

Renegade, could you try the FA2 folder thing again? I'm hoping that the problem has been resolved.

Note: my earlier comment about logging causing slow down was wrong. The cause was my DirExists code, which has now been improved.


EDIT:
Fixed issue with ChangeLog being corrupted on download. This was due to my uploading the file in ASCII mode instead of Binary.

Also:
Version 0.99.0009 [2007-10-06]
If you set "FA2 Folder" to a directory that does not contain FA2 but does exist, the disk space used by that directory will not be calculated. This fixes a potential overflow error.

EDIT 2:
Version 0.99.0010 [2007-10-06]
Fixed a bug that caused the "FA2 Folder" to never be detected.

You might accuse me of not testing version 9. It's late and I need sleep. I make no apologies for this. Sorry.

[gordon-creAtive]

MOD CREATOR BUG:
I turned verbose logging on and tried to start ModCreator, this was the result:
  LaunchBase.log (Size: 1.9 KB / Downloads: 489)
The except.txt is the same like before:

Code:

Internal Error
Date: 2003-01-02 03:39:44
Error: 5
Description: Invalid procedure call or argument
Subroutine: cmdLaunch_Click
PassedVar1: 3

MAPPACK CHECKSUM BUG
Trying to apply mappack resulted in this:
  LaunchBase.mappack.log (Size: 4.05 KB / Downloads: 537)

NEW MOD CATALOGUE BUG
After trying to apply mappack I viewed the mod catalogue again, but after LB listed the remaining stuff, the MSGBox

Code:

"Run-time error '35600': Index out of bounds"

appeared. And again a new log file: ... Err the log file has only one entry:

Code:

2003-01-05 08:15:29  Downloading Mod Catalogue.

No except.txt file.
Reproduced: Error happens every time I acces the catalogue.


(I always deleted logfile after each action so they are 'clean')

MOD CREATOR ISSUES

• I tried to convert Nighthawks "The third war mod" to LB, but I had some problems. First, I added the mixes but MC refused to add "ecached30.mix" reason:
  
  Code:

  E:\Archiv\Command&Conquer 4 Alarmstufe Rot 2\Mods\The Third War\The Third War Beta2\ecachemd30.mix [mix]
The following characters are not allowed in any file paths: " $ & ; `
  As you can see that is a false alarm, the other files were in the same directory.
  UPDATE: After deleting the mix I tried to create the installer, but again MC complains but this time about another file with the same reason. Maybe the spaces cause problems?
  
  
• MC also didn't update the main folder name in the files tab, it is still name "Just another YR mod".
  
• As you can see, my file paths are always very long and deep. The rest of the path was cut and there wasn't a posibillity to actually view the filename.
     
  
• There were some files, I dind't know were to put these (that's a gordon-creAtive brain bug)
  
  Code:

  creditsmd.txt, mouse.sha (shp's?), audio.bag, audio.idx

[Marshall]

Launch Base Mod Creator
Version 0.99.0003 [2007-10-07]
Launch Base will no longer error when trying to launch LB Mod Creator.
Program combo box will only allow <.exe> files now.
Fixed potential crash if a mod had many files.
Fixed potential crashes if user entered an invalid directory path in various text boxes.

MAPPACK CHECKSUM BUG

This is strange. The checksum program is producing an output file but when reading the file back we get no data. I'll need to add some code to save this file so that you can send it to me.

NEW MOD CATALOGUE BUG
"Run-time error '35600': Index out of bounds"

Haven't looked at this yet but will do so.

MOD CREATOR ISSUES

"E:\Archiv\Command&Conquer..." contains an ampersand (&)
LBMC cannot process file paths that contain an ampersand when the installer gets generated. I may be able to work around this in future.

MC also didn't update the main folder name in the files tab, it is still name "Just another YR mod".

Did you change the "Default folder" on the Installer tab? That is what determines the main folder name on the Files tab.

As you can see, my file paths are always very long and deep. The rest of the path was cut and there wasn't a posibillity to actually view the filename.

Yes that is a bit crap, I'll see if I can add a horizontal scroll bar.

There were some files, I dind't know were to put these (that's a gordon-creAtive brain bug)

Code:

creditsmd.txt, mouse.sha (shp's?), audio.bag, audio.idx

mouse.sha -> shp
audio.bag, audio.idx -> sound
creditsmd.txt -> no idea. where does Nighthawk's mod put the file?

[gordon-creAtive]

Did you change the "Default folder" on the Installer tab? That is what determines the main folder name on the Files tab.

Sry I just found it and wanted to remove this from my post but you were faster

creditsmd.txt -> no idea. where does Nighthawk's mod put the file?

Into the main folder

I also updated my skin:
  Gordons Reflections Beta 0.2.rar (Size: 48.97 KB / Downloads: 488)
Changelog:
-Added different buttons for YR/RA2 mods and plugins
-Changed FA2 Plugins to FA2 mods
-Decreased color depth to 8Bit
-Improved skins.ini file size (uhuhuhuhu)

[Nighthawk]

Is there a video section like in XCC Mod Creator that you could put the creditsmd.txt file in? In XCC MC anything in this section was just placed into the YR directory.