Launch Base Mod Creator

[Modder666]

Yeah, it'd be good to have the number selectable. Makes it easier if someone's already got something for expandmd98.mix or something.

[Marshall]

To be honest I've never really understood why that would be neccessary - LBMC/LB will happily put everything appropriate into expandmd98, and if you really need a separate pre-compiled mix for something then you can put it in the video section. 97 and lower for simple additions, and 99 for something that will override. Is it too hard to rename the existing mix file before including it?
Do you really need to be able to rename 98 to say, 97, in order to have two overriding mix files?
And if you need to override something in 98, then why are you including it in 98 in the first place?
*confused*

I could allow authors to specify a mix number, but it is just something else for LBMC to save and LB to read and store in memory for each mod. I only want to add such a thing if it is legitimately going to be useful...?

[Bobingabout]

lol. i personally have 4 mix files in R:ROTC, all graphics and some code are in expandmd80 and ecachemd80, the rest of the code is in expandmd81, and the EVA sounds are in expandmd90. i also have rrotc.yro with maps in it.

i supose this is a person choice because i do everything manually.

[Marshall]

In bobingabout's case, where all files are pre-compiled manually, you can just stick everything in the video section.

[Renegade]

Well, for one, XCMC defaults to 98, so one might like a different number to not accidently overwrite something a user still has activated in his folder. More importantly, though, did you take reserved mix files into account? Without the option to set a number, all "important" plugins would have to use LB as nothing more than a pre-created mix delivery system. Not a compelling reason to switch systems.

[Marshall]

The way Launch Base works at the moment:
If a mod is being installed, all exising mod files in the RA2 folder are moved to a Backup directory in Launch Base. Then the mod is installed (if any files still remain and are going to be overwritten, then those will also be moved to the aforementioned backup folder). When the game closes, the mod is removed and the backed up files are restored.
If a mod tries to include a reserved mix file, that particular file is rejected and will not be installed.

Plugins are allowed to install reserved mix files, on the grounds that all plugins will have a security key generated by myself (and potentially other trusted community representatives) without which Launch Base will refuse to load.

However your point about LBMC requiring plugin authors to have already pre-compiled their mix files is a good point. A problem is that some files are capable of going in expand or ecache, and LBMC/LB is hardcoded to put certain files in certain mixes (just like XCCMC). The TX, for example, has everything in expandmd06.mix. In order for the author to control what goes where there would have to be some complex scripting system which I have no intention of doing.

What plugins actually use a mix file apart from the TX? I don't think there are any.

I could add some special coding just for the TX so that all files were added to expandmd06.mix (the TX could do with some other special coding anyway so that one installer can be generated for the plugin and the FA2 mod at the same time).

[Nighthawk]

I've noticed a problem with XCC Mod Creator in that if you insert MIX files into the Video category, so they are just placed in the RA2 directory, they're moved to the "not-supposed-to-be-used-except-in-special-circumstances" Mix category. Would this be fixed in LBMC?

[Marshall]

they're moved to the "not-supposed-to-be-used-except-in-special-circumstances" Mix category

Eh? What's that?

[Modder666]

Yes, I've had this before, I do believe. I'll add a MIX to the video section, and it automatically goes to the MIX section. Is this what you speak of, Nighthawk200?

[Marshall]

I've never had a reson to add a mix file to XCCMC before - I just tried it and it does indeed move the file to the mix category. LBMC does not do that.
Mix files in the mix category get inserted into expandmd98.mix (as per XCCMC)
Mix files in the video category are placed loose in the RA2 folder.

[Renegade]

"the mix category, which is not supposed to be used except in special circumstances"

LBMC/LB is hardcoded to put certain files in certain mixes

It's funny you say that, 'cause I was just about to post right here about that topic...
I spent the past few hours adding information to Mix Files, and, once again, got curious about elocal*.mix.
It seems like, from the name and the content it accepts, it was conceived specifically to expand local.mix, to add new unit graphics to the game. Now, let's look at this:

• expand holds most text, as well graphics for the interface (non-unit graphics), and can hold almost anything to override original stuff (hence the name "expand")
  
• ecache is used by the community to hold most unit-related graphics
  
• elocal could be used to hold most unit-related graphics, but is largely ignored by the community
  

Now, I might be missing an important piece of info that explains all this, but from my POV, it looks like elocal should be used for graphics, and ecache has a different, not-yet-discovered function (most likely related to "caching" ). The latter is consistent with something bobing told me earlier, that ecache has some weird additional loading logic.

I am pointing this out/bringing this up because, if I am right, if I didn't miss anything, then now would be the time to fix it. By having LBMC use elocal instead of ecache right from the start, the mistakes of the past could be fixed because people have to re-package their mod anyway, whereas, if we've been "abusing" ecache for the past years, and the next generation of launcher is coded to do the same, we'll most likely never stop it. My point is the similarities - there is a file named local.mix that holds shps, voxels and hvas, and there's a routine to read a file called elocal*.mix holding additional (expanding) shps, voxels and hvas. It just seems to fit too well to be a coincidence. (Intelligent Design! )
Now compare to that perfect match the fact that the file we currently use is name an expand "cache", and loads differently than other expansions, and I guess you'll agree with me it at least sounds like I'm right.
I'm only unsure because this has gone on for so long...I have a feeling I might be missing a piece of the puzzle - some discovery from a decade ago or something. If anybody knows more than me about this, or has experience with elocal*.mix, I'd love to hear it.


Oh and Marsh...PM me some IM info or get on IRC already...it's annoying I can only contact you through the forums -_-

[Nighthawk]

I did a bit of testing with elocal. Structure SHPs seem to work fine, as do cameos. Unit VXLs seem to work, although the new Howitzer graphics I had in my mix file were overwritten by the old ones in local.mix ingame. Some interface elements won't work in an elocal mix file. The large buttons were read, but the scroll arrows and checkboxes weren't. EVA files and music files also work in elocals.

[Marshall]

I agree whole heartedly with Renegade on trying to get this straightened out and 'fixed' if need be, before the filenames used by LB/LBMC are set in stone. The filenames can always be changed later, but not without upsetting released mods/plugins.

It seems to me that elocals may not be all that useful if there are several things they don't override.

Is there actually anything that expand can't do? If not then why don't we just use expand solely?

I wonder if pd or CnCVK could enlighten us as to the precise order in which mix files are loaded, and how the game uses expand, ecache and elocal...

[Blade]

If you use the new info option in RPCE, it will tell you the order that the mix files were loaded in. It shows the first to load at the bottom of the list, files that load later override those that load earlier in the sequence.

[VK]

Where I can download Launch Base Mod Creator?