Perfect ESF<->XML converter and revolution in ESF modding [Released!]

[taw]

I'll be happy if you write a tutorial!

+ rep just because you may some day write a tutorial. I can't rep Taw yet, but I'll again, soon.

Just a question:
The smaller XML would be small enough to open with wordpad or notepad?

In theory I could just keep cutting them in pieces until they are, so yes.
Just splitting large bitmaps and cai garbage away makes the rest almost editable in text editor.

[taw]

Awesome news Taw, im going to have to nominate you for opifex soon if you keep all this awesome work up XD.

Who's opifex? I mostly play games, I rarely post here ;-)

[The Hedge Knight]

Its an award this site gives for exceptional contributons to modding normally awarded for large amounts of work on mods over several years or for making multiple tools (eg model converters) tools over an extened period.
Doing stuff like in this post: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=371454

[taw]

Its an award this site gives for exceptional contributons to modding normally awarded for large amounts of work on mods over several years or for making multiple tools (eg model converters) tools over an extened period.
Doing stuff like in this post: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=371454

Are you suggesting I should delay releases over several years instead of just throwing tool after tool for a few days? Damn, I didn't consider that ;-p

[taw]

Coming next, I want to merge these from old version:

• getting rid of most of redundant version="1" crap etc.
• XML splitting
• bitmap exports
• more semantic xml
• Performance fixes

One down, four to go. Vaguely in this order.

I'd hope to at least finish XML splitting, as I'll be away on BarCamp London 8 next weekend,
and busy otherwise, so it's either now, or in two weeks (unless I find unexpected free evening).

[alhoon]

Yaaaay!

Now, can someone tell me in plain English if bitmap exports will allow us to add regions on the map? I.e. splice France in more territories?
Or at least add towns here and there?

[taw]

Coming next, I want to merge these from old version:

• getting rid of most of redundant version="1" crap etc.
• XML splitting
• bitmap exports
• more semantic xml
• Performance fixes

XML splitting is ready and tested with JRuby.

xml2esf couldn't care less what you split at - any <xml-include path='foo.xml' /> will do.

esf2xml has list of types on which to split in convert_rec function,
just add or remove any to your liking.

That's pretty much it for this weekend, I might do a few minor things perhaps.
Wishlists for my next ETW modding tools coding binge welcome.
Remember that I have little idea what real modders need, so
I wouldn't even look at files like groupformations.bin if it wasn't requested.

With Ruby 1.8.7 startpos.esf conversion takes 3 minutes to xml, 5 minutes back.
It will be more like 1 minute / 1 minute once I'm done with it, but not just yet.
Bitmap exports alone will save a lot of time that's currently being wasted.

By the way part of semantic analysis of esf is picking up better names
for xmls than faction-0012.xml, and organizing them into subdirectories.
So don't panic yet.

[taw]

Yaaaay!

Now, can someone tell me in plain English if bitmap exports will allow us to add regions on the map? I.e. splice France in more territories?
Or at least add towns here and there?

No.

Bitmaps embedded in .esf files are for things like climate maps and other relatively boring stuff.
The main reason I want them out is to make them editable, and get them away from
interesting things.

Campaign map is mostly vector-based. It's mostly in regions.esf as serialized vector outlines.
It will need more complicated exporter, of complexity similar to one for groupformations.bin -
that is totally doable (especially since we know more about campaign map than
about group formations), but not easy.

For now enjoy split XML export. With this everyone should be able to edit XMLs for any esf.

It's also a good time for tutorials, as interface will probably stay the same for the next
few weeks (at least until I write some simple GUI).

[alhoon]

Thanks! ! ! !

[The Hedge Knight]

Amazing
My final suggestion would be to make it seperate stuff into folders within the main folder so put all the quadtrees in on, the unit names in another and the bits you might actually want to edit in another.

[taw]

Amazing
My final suggestion would be to make it seperate stuff into folders within the main folder so put all the quadtrees in on, the unit names in another and the bits you might actually want to edit in another.

Oh yeah, that and some rudimentary semantic naming is in some alternative version of the code already.
I just didn't want to deal with confusion of / vs \ separators for porting just yet.

[taw]

Minor update uploaded:

• XMLs now go into subdirectories by 'The Hedge Knight's request. You can configure splitting easily. Specification like "foo" means creating files like "foo-0123.xml", specification like "foo/" means files like "foo/0123.xml" in subdirectory.
• Pass --server option to jruby to get extra 10%-ish performance boost on big files.
• There were supposed to be other performance enhancements, but they turned out to be insignificant.
• Fixed bug with bin4/i4_ary/u4_ary - now you'll see more content, less hex data for some stuff.

[The Hedge Knight]

That was quick .

[alhoon]

We still go by that:

jruby esf2xml <regions.esf >regions.xml


?

[The Hedge Knight]

no i belive the usage is jruby esf2xml startpos.esf (name of folder to putstuffin without brackets)

eg jruby esf2xml startpos.esf startpos1

[.Mitch.]

EDIT: Ninja'd by Josst

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

jruby esf2xml.rb [ESF FILENAME] [NAME OF NEW FOLDER TO BE CREATED]

Use no []'s

[taw]

no i belive the usage is jruby esf2xml startpos.esf (name of folder to putstuffin without brackets)

eg jruby esf2xml startpos.esf startpos1

jruby --server esf2xml startpos.esf startpos1

might be a bit faster.

[.Mitch.]

Taw, I was thinking, I could program an .exe for windows, that could run the scripts via cmd prompt for people, via a simple little GUI. If your happy to let me that is? I dont wana step on any toes.

[taw]

Taw, I was thinking, I could program an .exe for windows, that could run the scripts via cmd prompt for people, via a simple little GUI. If your happy to let me that is? I dont wana step on any toes.

Sure, why not. I was intending to make simple GUI in jruby+swt etc. but I've been too busy, so just go ahead with it.

[alhoon]

Taw, I was thinking, I could program an .exe for windows, that could run the scripts via cmd prompt for people, via a simple little GUI. If your happy to let me that is? I dont wana step on any toes.

Sure, why not. I was intending to make simple GUI in jruby+swt etc. but I've been too busy, so just go ahead with it.

Thanks again!