potterr

It is, as others have mentioned. For info though, GL has been around since 2005 handling all the Dark Engine games,Thief 3,Half Life 1,2 and Doom 3. As it handles doom 3 Maps its not much to get it handling Dark Mod FMs as well, although I am not 100% sure about the folder structure that it installs to yet but this version should handle it ok. Its an alternative to TDMs manager and its all dependent upon what you prefer to use.

Thats ok, no rush. GL will add to the root of the doom/Dark Mod folder: Current_install.txt - a list of files in the currently installed FM so that it can be removed cleanly. original_backup.zip - a zip of any files that would be overwritten by the FM install. This is restored when another FM is installed or if the original missions are restored. thiefs_den.txt (example) - this is the readme of the currently installed FM which should be in the root of the zip. Other GL related files found in the FM zips (GLTITLE.JPG / GIF, thiefs_den.GLL -example loot list, etc) Other than that its just whatever is in the FM zips, except exes, html files or dlls (with exception to devil.dll for the moment).

Has anyone had a chance to have a go of this yet? Any issues to report or does it work ok with a proper DarkMod install?

Sorry about that, I missed the .uk from the domain name (should have tested the link before posting really, just tested the download now and its all working). Komag, the main thing that you need to think about it to backup your existing GarrettLoader.exe and extract the exe from the zip to replace it. All the rest of the text is just me trying to give too much info again.

If you have tried this and were not getting any updates, sorry about that, I updated the perl code on the updater page late last night, I accidentally deleted a ; at the end of a line of code so the perl web page was erroring. It should now be updating correctly now.

UPDATE 31/07/08 - updated from test version 1.415 to test version 1.4171 If anyones interested below is a link to a test version of GarrettLoader. GL_1_4171.zip You will need GL 1.41 already installed as this is just a patch file to it. NOTE: This is for testing The Dark Mod FMs purposes only and is not a full release of GarrettLoader Back up your Existing "Program Files\GarrettLoader\GarrettLoader.exe" unzip the GarrettLoader.exe from the zip and place it in your GarrettLoader install folder (program files\GarrettLoader) Start up GarrettLoader as normal. NOTES: The CHECK FOR UPDATES setting in GLs config is enabled by default in this test version. This is so you only have the 1 file to deal with manual patching, GL will patch the other additional files (see list below). Serveral Bugs have been fixed, but there are a few unfinished features in this version that simply won't do anything (these are mainly just the sorting by FM Category Lists). The Dark Mod is hopefully supported now properly (details on setting up FMs to run in GL are listed under the THE DARK MOD help content which is part of the initial patch download) The initial Auto Patch download will likely be quite large with a lot of files, however you can pick and choose what you download (the HELP and GARRETTLOADER updates are preferable, as these contain the needed documentation and additional patching files). Core Patch includes these files: 00000409.256a to 00000409.256e - these are used for Thief 2 Splash Screens (enabled via the GAMES tab in GLs Tweaks tool, its limited at the moment) intellitext.txt - this is the reference file GL uses for the new Intellitext feature manifest.txt - this file lists all the files in the core patch and where they should go. GLPatch.exe - this is the patcher file. Normal patches will include a new version of GarrettLoader.exe which means GL will need to be closed in order for its exe to be replaced. The only real way I found of doing that properly is to do a sperate exe. It runs from 1 specific place and only does what the manifest.txt file tells it to. If you come across any bugs please let me know in thie thread or in a PM, or if you just want to comment on how it handles Dark Mod FMs also let me know. EDIT: removed some of the info here as it was too much info.

For info: Its taken a bit longer than I was expecting (I wasn't happy with the update mechanism), however the test version of GL that runs with The Dark Mod FMs is nearly ready. I'm finishing off the help content and a few minor bugs I spotted and I'll have it ready in a few days. I'll give some more details of what's changed and how it works with the Dark Mod nearer the time. For the moment, you will need GL 1.41 already installed as this will just be a patch file to it. It will have the THE CHECK FOR UPDATES setting enabled and running so that it will offer to download the updated help files at start up (this saves trying to explain where the files should go). It will also offer to download any other updates (GL patches, Skins, Loot Lists and Game Reference Files), all of which you can choose to download or ignore.

I take it that the tdm_launcher wasn't in the thiefs den demo as I can't find it on my pc. Anyway I did a slight adjustment to the code in GL and it will work now on the thiefs den demo (seen as a mod in itself) and hopefully any future mods of TDM (seen as an expansion pack), using the command details joebarnin mentioned. I'm just finishing off some of the help files in GLs help and then I'll post a link to a download of a test version of GL (it will just be a patch rather than a full install). I'm curious as to the folder structure of TDM. If I was to take thiefs dens files and move them about (obviously not randomly) could I create the same folder structure as TDM uses? If so which files and where should they go? The reason I ask is I would like to see how the actual final version will be laid out and how the FM zips will be structured (I'm guessing that not all the required files were in the TD demo) and indeed if there were any other test FMs available if they could be installable and run via GL.

I thought that may be the case really I figured that the Darkmod would be a separate install, although didn't know the setup of it. Thats ok, I only made a slight tweak to the code due to the paths setup in the TD install. However GL handles DOOM 3 mods and launches them with a slightly different shell launch: (it adds sub folders to the map name if needed).I may be able to tweak the command to work easily. GL has been around now for about 3 years, the community scores (uploaded by GL users) is located here. I havent done much work on it for the last year due to personal commitments although I noticed the release of thiefs den and figured I would see if it installed ok (GL has handled Doom 3 FMs for a couple of years now, and also various other Games like Half Life 1 and 2, plus of course the core games of Thief 1 to 3 and System Shock 2). I don't mean to step on anyones toes with the loading of FMs and if you want to use the community scores system in the Dark Mod I'll let you know the details of it. Also I haven't tried it on linux yet but it requires a few DLLs that may not be in linux. I do have MS virtual machine so I will set up a linux install and see if that works (although I don't think Virtual Machine supports the host Graphics card so it may not run the games).

Would that be why they are in separate folders? also with regards to the shell command GL does, I don't pretend to know exactly how it works as the command is to launch doom 3 with a map name however the map is not in the default base folder. So I'm guessing that the map name (fs_game) refers to a folder path and subsequently the pk4 of the same name below it. Where would the built in loader move the pk4 to by the way? For info this is the install setup of thiefs den via GL DOOM 3 ROOT THEIFS_DEN ROOT The DevIL.dll has been moved to the root (GL will do that anyway of it finds it in the zip file) and the readme (thiefs_den.txt) has been moved from the thiefs_den/fms/thiefs_den folder (although that could have remained in place and another put in the root as I'm guessing the fms folder is used by the dark mod loader itself? I don't suppose there are any other FMs in production I could test with, doesn't matter if they are not complete?

It does, several formats, txt file format (GL takes a txt file named the same as the zip as the key fm readme, or a readme.txt). However it also supports rtf and GLML (GarrettLoader Markup Language files), GLML and TXT files can be created in GLs Fan Mission Development Tools menu. However TXT files can be set up in a similar way to the way Thief Readme's are set up. The readme should be located in the root of the zip and it shows up something like this (this is with my Opposing Force Skin so the font for the title is a bit over the top, also the scores and community scores get added in). If you want to go the whole hog with it, GL supports an FM image (replacing the GarrettLoader image bottom left on the screenshot) and custom skin files (in a GLSKIN.ZIP in the main zip, thes can be started off in the Tweaks Tool in GL as well, although you will have to do your own button icons). However its all down to the FM maker as to what they do though so I would think that not all the FMs released will be set up so that GL can run them, however it should only be a slight tweak to do so. I have got the Briefing and objectives coming up fine, did thiefs den contain a purchase menu as I didn't see one?

Will all the FMs contain a darkmod.pk4 or will that be a core install? Just in regards to that, I have got GarrettLoader to extract to the root Doom 3 folder (under the thiefs_den folder in this instance) then it will shell doom3.exe with the following command replacing the install path with whatever it should be and the thiefs_den with the pk4 of the detected FM (GL looks inside the PK4 to find the map file to determine which should be the launch map). This may not work properly for multi map FMs but works fine for single ones.

As another choice Ive also got GarrettLoader working on Dark Mod maps, it will load straight into the FM itself (it also handles the community scores for the FMs as well). I should have a test of it available by the weekend.

Personally speaking I would prefer the real life way as it can lead to a bit more tension in the game. For example say an AI has decided to use a 4 floor lift, this will take a bit of time to go up and down, however you are being chased by a guard and the only way out is the lift. You would have to think quick and figure something out while you wait for the lift to come back. On a side note to that I guess you would now need to be wary of just going into lifts (should they be behind doors) as you would never know whats using them. I guess you could even have guards posted in them, if their patrol route was simply up and down in the lift they shouldn't really have a need to wander and would be a rather tricky obsticle to overcome.

If anyones interested I have managed to get the thiefs den demo installing and running via GarrettLoader (albeit a slightly modified version which I aim to release soon, version 1.44). Anyway heres what I did to make it GarrettLoader ready (setting it up in the right zip format): And there it is, GarrettLoader ready. The zip file created is 258mb in size though. Just for info, the DLL was moved so that the install puts it in the right place in the DOOM 3 folder and so that GL can copy it to windows\system32 easier. GL version 1.41 could nearly handle this properly, however the structuring of the folder used while playing and the launch command were slightly wrong (they worked with most DOOM 3 FMs). I'll post a link to a test patched version of GL sometime next week if you want to test it out. I have however also suffered the crashing and PC hang other people have had , I did a driver update via windows update (so its probably not the latest drivers) which has improved it as its not crashing much now, I'll do a proper update of my graphics drivers soon and test again.

Cheers Dram, although I think I will have to have another version out in a week or so to fix a few bugs that have cropped up. Also I have now set GL to auto fix the error you were getting. I have also now started to add Forum threads into the scores download system, so you may find that some of the FMs you use in GL will have forum threads added to their readme files. And for those interested, I have a competition running till may for people to create and submit custom game reference files for GL. One I'm currently helping someone with is for Aliens Vs Preadator 2, although doing so I spotted a couple of bugs which I am now fixing. So wait for version 1.32 if anyone wants to enter ( http://www.potterdevelopments.org.uk/fm/competition.pl )

Interesting, the only bit in there that is between the debug window showing and the first question is the creation of the zip object. Ok, someone else had the error recently and they mentioned that under windows XP SP2 if you changed your regional settings to be English it should resolve the issue (I am not 100% convinced by this so I have asked for more info about what specific settings need to be changed). There is also http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...&displaylang=en which is the MDAC consistancy checker which may find some registry inconsistancies. This thread from experts exchange may be helpful http://www.experts-exchange.com/Programmin...Q_21382106.html

If you get any problems still, let me know and I am willing to have a go with netmeeting to try and see what the issue is (done it with a few other people who have had similar problems, it also helps me to understand where the issues are occuring).

Do you have windows scripting host swicthed on? One thing you can try is to edit GLs shortcut to have the cmd argument /debug at the end. Then start GL up. You will see the debug console which will ask you questions (you can only continue though) and you will either get an error in the database connection or when GL trys to access windows scripting host (it uses this to do the regex checks on readmes as VB itself does nto have a regex engine, but vbscript does). more info is available http://www.ttlg.com/wiki/wikka.php?wakka=GarrettLoaderIssues

Just thought I would let you know I released version 1.31 of GL on the 5th March. Its much improved and handles doom 3 maps much better now (direct loading rather than going through menus in doom 3). There was a slight bug with it in that if the map files inside the PK4 files were in sub folders of the maps folder GL would not pick the map name up correctly to launch it directly. This should be fully fixed now. Its also got custom game support for pretty much any game that uses the same technique of zip extraction to known places for FMs (e.g. Half Life 1 and 2, Deus Ex, etc), with the added advantage of allowing scoring, reviews, etc of each Map/FM. I know its still too early for The Dark Mod to use it but its available should you want it now.

Thats ok, I have enjoyed programming GL, and taught myself a huge amount of tricks with VB, and hopefully encouraged the Thief community to start building more T3 FMs. With regards to TDM, this is something I am really looking forward to so I will be quite happy to do any development tweaks needed to get TDM FMs running easily (hopefully there shouldn't be much needed). When you are ready with a test map or something let me know if it installs ok (I would also like to go through the install line by line in the code to make sure there are no possible pitfalls). Although I appreciate it will be a long time before you can release TDM although I would hope it wouldn't be too long before trying a test install, even if everythiing is not there.

Just release version 1.22 of GL, lots of bug fixes and extra features.

Ok, I think GL should work on those as well (if you are meaning something other than TDM ).

Thats ok, I understand that, but has anyone tried for normal Doom 3 Fms (not Dark Mod ones). I wanted to make sure I didn't need to make any changes to the Doom 3 process for the next release.

No one?