Formation Editor |
Here is my Formation Editor for both fleet and task force formations.
It's all point and click, and hopefully intuitive. The only not-so-obvious control is that right clicking a placed position will switch it with the next position of the same type (such as switching the leader with the second core).
When you save the file, it saves in the running directory as the formation's name. Just copy and paste the contents of that file into Formations_TaskForces.txt or Formations_Fleet.txt.
Update:
Added internal help file.
Added icon.
Tweaking positioning of the numbers on the cells.
Update:
Fixed an error that prevented slots from being updated correctly when you removed a position. This could cause jumps in slot numbers.
Update:
Fixed a bug that caused the leader's x position to be used as its y position.
Added position indicator for the location the mouse is over.
Added mirroring mode, to allow quick creation of symmetric formations.
Update:
Added Fleet Formation save mode.
Update:
Fixed bug that dropped the last escort and picket positions.
Reordered interface, and tweaked it very slightly.
New version is now called 0.9.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| SE5 Formation Editor v1.3.rar | 1006.14 KB |
Re: Formation Editor
Good job on making a useful addition to the SE Universe. Make a note of this tool's existence on the SEWiki: wiki.spaceempires.net
Re: Formation Editor
Hi
just a bit of testing feedback. It appears to be missing the position and slots of the last ship added for escorts and pickets.
Re: Formation Editor
Sounds really good! I wonder what it would take to be able to use such an animal in a PBW game...
Any ideas?
Re: Formation Editor
Inigma, I will do once I make a few more additions and fix the existing bugs. This is basically a beta release.
Ulfar, thanks for that. I'm not immediately sure why it's cutting off the last entries, but I'll look into it. I'm currently at my college before my evening class, so it'll be a little while before I can correct it. Until I do, just pad the editor with extra entries.
Gusset, I'm not sure if the formations are restricted to the server's set or not. I believe you can add any formations you want to existing games, so long as you don't edit anything AI's use. However, the checksum for the file will be different and a PBW game may get upset.
Thanks for the feedback. I'll correct that bug and add the fleet formation mode I intended relatively soon.
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A project a day keeps the deadline away.
Re: Formation Editor
Look in my signature for the Formations File I posted earlier.
Also, how do you attach files to posts here?
Also, what did I do wrong on the code post? I hit Code above then Code again to close afterwards. Is there another trick to it?
Re: Formation Editor
When you start a topic you should be able to attach files by opening the attach section beneath the text box.
Did you not undo the second code tag?
Example
Actually, that seems to be a different tag. If you quote a person's post you can read the formatting they used, so see if that helps.
Also, I updated the editor a bit. I'll add Fleet Formation support for tomorrow. I'll listen to any suggestions anyone may have.
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A project a day keeps the deadline away.
Re: Formation Editor
Only suggestion I can think of is to display the grid lines in the editor.
Re: Formation Editor
Great tool!
Thank you very much.
Re: Formation Editor
This is a great tool and works perfectly.
It has highlighted one thing, the game just can't cope with formations of more than a few ships.
I can get a formation of one core ship plus four escorts to work but any more ships or pickets and you can forget it.
Is anyone else having this problem. Is it possible this is conflicting with fleet formations.
Re: Formation Editor
More tools for the tool box, many thanks!!
Re: Formation Editor
Thank you all for trying it out, I'm glad it's been well-received.
Have any of you had any problems with the formations? I haven't had time to test them in game, so if anyone sees any specific problems with the formations my tool makes, please let me know.
Ulfar, are you putting more ships in the formation than you have positions defined?
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A project a day keeps the deadline away.
Re: Formation Editor
Ulfar, recently in another thread I posted my custom formation of ~60+ ships. It works fine. Are you defining asymmetric formations? From past experience, formations must be symmetric about the vertical middle column.
---Sig---
Playing Touhou games (Go here if interested . No, nobody else is that good/insane as that replay). No rush for SE V bug fixing.
Re: Formation Editor
Hi
No, I am putting in exactly the correct number of ships and the correct amount for each category.
I have noticed looking at the files that the order ships are listed in the standard formations starts at the top left and then works down the column, then it goes to the top of the next column. I don't know is this is the reason, i will try a bit more testing once I have a bit of time.
Great tool though.
Edited :
Experimented a bit more with both standard formations and custom ones, neither work properly for the reasons below. If it had just been the custom formations then I would have said that the order in the file might be the reason, however as standard formations don't work that isn't the case. So not down to your tool which is great.
It doesn't like having more than one core ship when you have another type of ship be it picket or escort, core ships on their own are fine.
Having all 3 types of ship doesn't work, with one core the escorts work but the pickets won't join formation they make their own up.
You can have a core ship with pickets and that works ok or a core ship and escorts.
It is intermittent when it comes to having large numbers of ships.
Adding ships and intermixing whether they are core, escort and pickets in the fleet organisation really upsets the formation.
So overall formations are a great idea but they just don't work properly yet, does anyone know if this is on Fyron's radar.
Re: Formation Editor
Reply to Psieye
All my formations are symmetrical. Is there a set order you have to add the ships to the formation.
Re: Formation Editor
Hi
Just me again I think I have found the problem, apologies to Fyron in advance.
When the editor creates the file it is repeating slot numbers for each different type. Just altered a very simple formation by hand and it works no problems.
Still a great tool though.
Edited : Forgot to mention some of the standard formations have the same problem.
Re: Formation Editor
That makes no sense. I use the wall formation a lot and never have the issues you describe, and it uses the same slot numbering that I and the other entries use.
Also, why are you apologizing to Fyron? He hasn't even posted in this thread...
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A project a day keeps the deadline away.
Re: Formation Editor
Hi
I apologized to Fyron as in earlier entry I put that formations didn't work and I was wrong.
Since I have changed each slot number to be sequential so there are no repetitions everything works ok.
I didn't test with wall formation but did use bullet and when you completely fill up the formation with enough ships some of them will assume the formation but not all.
Re: Formation Editor
Did anybody else notice that the leader is always placed on position X=7 , Y=7 regardless were you placed him in the formation editor?
Re: Formation Editor
Do you mean the game will always treat the leader as if it's at position 7,7, or that the editor puts it there? Because the editor does use the position you placed it on the grid.
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A project a day keeps the deadline away.
Re: Formation Editor
In the txt file the leader is always in the position 7/7.
Re: Formation Editor
Although there was a bug with the leader position, it wasn't restricted to 7,7. It was using X,X, instead of X,Y. Fixed for the next version.
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A project a day keeps the deadline away.
Re: Formation Editor
Great!
And the new mirror placement option is extremely useful.
Thank you again for this excellent tool.
Re: Formation Editor
Great work!
But I fear it would not be fair to use it in PBW games, or am I wrong here? (*hopes so...*)
Re: Formation Editor
unfair how?
if everyone is creating their own formations how is it unfair? you can see what formations work against others.
Re: Formation Editor
Well, it'd be tricky to incorporate into a PBW game - you'd practically need to ask for your own mod to be made of it (because the PBW server needs a copy of your Formations_TaskForces.txt). Better to create some formations and suggest the official mod authors incorporate them in their next release.
Bottom line is: everyone (including PBW server if you play by PBW) must have the same Formations_TaskForces.txt file.
---Sig---
Playing Touhou games (Go here if interested . No, nobody else is that good/insane as that replay). No rush for SE V bug fixing.
Re: Formation Editor
oh ya. i thought we were talking about if they were made editable in game. like changing strategies...
Re: Formation Editor
Cool program 
Now all you need is for the AI to use em...
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Re: Formation Editor
Thanks 
The only way for the AIs to use any formations you make would be to recompile the AIs and specify the custom formations, I believe.
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A project a day keeps the deadline away.
Re: Formation Editor
Fantastic just what I was looking for.