Staredit Network

I finally saw the AutoModder topics and it has given me some ideas for some things.

BTW, does this forum just auto-lock older topics or something? It did let me unlock it myself, however.

Yes it does. And that's why you get the ability to unlock it, just incase it gets locked like that.

What for is this being implemented? Curious.

I'd like to know that as well. It's terribly annoying.

Seriously, it kills off serious topics. If the moderators don't feel like moderating, they should be replaced or get new duties. The forum is active, so I'm sure there's more than enough willing people to get the moderator status.

I've added some descriptions to the first post of things I plan on doing with future releases. Here are the parts I added:



I also hope to be able to have a Mac version sometime; however, sadly that is unlikely to ever happen.

It's a feature of the board, moderators have no control over it.

Ok just clarifying for myself...

You load up the SCMLoader and import the edited files into your map right.
Then it sets the priority for load time in the map or do you have to have SCMLoader running when you create the map on battlenet and start? I think thats where Im confused, basicly Im asking, SCMLoader is needed to host the Moded maps?

[EDIT]

Ok just figured it out, its an Executable you run when you start Starcraft. I think this could be a real hit if everyone will DL the plugin. Good job man, Ill start testing some stuff

I had a great idea just now for something I could (and will) implement in SCMLoader: optional graphics/sound/music packs. With this feature, a map could specify an external MPQ to use for files (preferably ones that don't change gameplay, like graphics, sounds, music, etc.). This way those modded non-gameplay elements could be offered as an optional download. As with the mods included in the maps, the optional mods would only be applied when playing modded maps that use them.

Version independence doesn't really matter so much as long as the new offsets can be found when a new version is out. BTW, would this add much additional time for loading maps? If needed, I could check in the map for any of the files that would need to be loaded with this and if none are there, then not have it reload those if it is already using the default ones. (check for iscript.bin, images.dat, and images.tbl; then check for all files referenced by images.tbl) This would be for the people playing it with not-so-fast computers. For people playing it on fast computers, this wouldn't make one bit of a difference. For example, on my computer lots of times I don't even see the title screen because it loads the preload stuff so quickly.

ADDITION:
OK, as soon as I finish up the notifications of updates, some small things with the SCMLoader game type, and Starcraft version detection, I will release the new version which uses the information DiscipleOfAdun gave me to be able to load iscript.bin, images.dat/.tbl, and the .grp and .lo* associated with those.

ADDITION:
I've decided that for now I'll have the beta version up on my site. It doesn't have the update notifications, some parts of the code for making the special game type not conflict with files for future game types blizzard adds, or the Starcraft version checking (to make sure it doesn't crash when used on other versions); however, it does at least have the special game type and the other feature for making more files patchable. If you want to try it out, download it from my site (linked to from the news page).

http://shadowflare.samods.org/

One word: awesome!

Yeah, although at first when I put it in, it was being used too often, which seemed to be making it crash. I decided to have it not use the functions until the second time the map is opened (it gets opened at least two or three times before you actually play the map) and once the functions have been called for a particular map, it won't call them again until another map is opened.

For now that seems fairly effective and I haven't seen it crash again yet. I may later put in more checks to make sure that stuff doesn't get reloaded when it doesn't need to be. For example, if the map doesn't contain any files that those functions are called for and was either the first map played after opening Starcraft or the previous one played didn't have any of those files either, then those functions don't need to be called.


No version checking yet, that's party why I'm calling it a beta version. There are three things I've mentioned above that I want to implement for the next release version. I may also try putting in the optional graphics/sound/music packs feature I mentioned above for the next release.

I've uploaded a new version on my site which fixes the blackout issue on map selection when playing battle.net games and updated the plugin for Brood War 1.14. Go download it now if you haven't already.

http://shadowflare.samods.org/

Changed first post to indicate that it does support FireGraft patches now.

Any chances SCMLoader will allow using mp3s instead of WAVs? Kinda like ThunderGraft?

Heh, maybe if Q gives me the code for that.

OMG Mp3 I could actaully import music files then OMG OMG OMG OMG ....POPS NERVE CELL.....

Also in your first post it doesnt list arr\units.dat, just to let you know .