peachykeen

I'm looking up docs on VB now, so I'll be able to tell you what's up with translation soon. For the ESD (Elder Scrolls Datafile) library I wrote, it uses 3 classes. I don't know yet if VB supports those, but if it does, then there aren't many functions used other than ReadByte and WriteByte. Everything else is pretty simple. As for code on the INI, I'll see if I can get something working. I may have my Visual Studio Express disc running around, so I'd be able to install VB if I can find that. I'll update more later when I figure out how to use VB. Edit: I remember why I don't use BASIC! It seems that for the most part it'll work. Let me make sure the lib itself works in C#, and I'll send a copy and we can get translating. I'll also mock up INI-reading code and send that over too. The INI code will only work with Morrowind, but the library will work on all games that use that filetype (mostly just Bethesda's recent RPGs).

There are a few issues ATM with this desaturating the screen (I broke bits of the HDR code accidentally). Good thing it's a beta! It does not include any DoF, so use whatever you like. As for rev116: yes, you need the revision 116 off the MGE site, then download phal's DLL.

Just for anyone who didn't notice, I've uploaded this here. It takes a new MGE dll to run with all the fancy features, but if you have that, it'll look like those videos: http://tesalliance.org/forums/index.php?app=downloads&showfile=103

I looked earlier and C# has a lot of VB.net classes in it, so there seems to be some kind of connection between the two. I also wrote a simple version of libESM (more generalized, so it'll work for all 3 games, and in C#). It's not working quite right yet (some trouble with flags and such) but if translating from C# to VB is easy, I'll send you a copy of that and we can work on getting it into your native language. As for comparing those, that's pretty easy, if you don't mind going a little slow. All you need to do is make an array, read in all active datafiles from the INI. Next, read in the contents of the Data Files folder. For each ESM/ESP you find, add it to the list unchecked, then test its name against each element of the active files array. If you find a match, check the box. When you write it out, run through the elements in your list (however VB handles those) and check each one for a checkmark. If it's checked, write a line to the INI with "GameFile"+(cFile++)+"="+element.Text I don't know if the description works, but I can put up code for that method. It's not the fastest, but it'll certainly work and is simple.

Unfortunately, when playing with the load list, you'll have to rewrite it to the INI each time. That'll also mean clearing it out first. Morrowind keeps it in a series of GAmeFile0=, GameFile1=, etc. So you'd have to erase each one, then rewrite the list. Also, I've been looking at libESM, and I think it can be re-made with C#. It'll be a single class for the file, with a load function and what-not. I think it'll be simple to use a vector for the records, with each having a 4-byte type, 4-byte flags and vector of subrecords, each of which will have a 4-byte type and n-byte data section. With a class like that, all you'd have to do to search for meshes or something would be (say you're checking for statics, in the MODL subrecord): foreach file.record { if ( file.record.type == STAT ) { foreach file.record.subrecord { if ( file.record.subrecord.type == MODL ) { // handle isntallation or whatever } } } } Of course, you'd need a few ORs in there for different types, but that's the idea of what I've got so far.

I don't know much about VB.NET, but I think C#.NET (Microsoft VC#) shouldn't be too hard to pick up. I'll look into it later.

I'll see if I can find the link for libESM. If you can work with STL iterators, you can use that to read them. It takes out all the messing with crazy stuff. However, I'm not sure how to connect between a C# GUI and C++ library, that would take some Googling. That or I'll rewrite something similar in C#. As for the INI... YEah. It might be nicer for the user. And it's basically just read line, split at the =, show, repeat. To handle sections you could add a row, but no value, and keep the []. Then for writing, just write key (add an =) value, and if there isn't a value (value == "") then don't add the =, and section headers would be preserved.

An idea I had last night for your toolkit, InsanitySorrow, was a smart installer. - libESM can read all ES* files: Morrowind, Oblivion, and Fallout 3 - There is no unified installer for Morrowind, and hardly for Obvs or FO3 - But, the ESM/ESPs that come with any mod tell which files have to go where - And most mods are packaged with a Data Files or Data directory and subdirs - By reading the ES* and directories, placing all the files properly wouldn't be too hard - It wouldn't take any prior packing by authors and would work with all current mods, including some that don't work with current installers Plus, reading the INI and making a tweak tool would be extremely simple. Just dump all the data to a two-column datagrid and set key on the left, value on the right. Let users edit it, and commit changes when they're done. It would also double as a mod manager to some extent (letting you install, maybe uninstall mods, and tweak the INI (which contains the enabled mods list)). Plus, it would work for all 3 games. Thoughts?

MWSE may hook when used alone (or may still from within MGE). I haven't worked on it. I do know, though, it's almost done with a complete core rewrite, so you'd be far better off not doing anything with it. You also shouldn't need to do much hooking for an installer. I know Mash has an installer, but some kind of intelligent installer would be nice. Not a lot of MW mods are packed for installers, so something that can look and try to place files that aren't packed would work. Yacoby wrote libESM which would help parse the ESM/ESP files for installation that's guaranteed to match the plugin. Plus, this would be nice for the people who don't use Mash. [raises hand]

Most of Timeslip's apps (at least the GUI ones) are written in C#. I know MGE's gui is, and I think the others are too. MGE itself, though, is C++ and has no hooks (it completely wraps DirectX). So is MWSE. I like the idea of a Morrowind kit like this, and I'll help if possible. I'd suggest C# for writing it, it's a pretty easy language for simple stuff like this. If you need the source for MGE (which contains MWSE), it's in the subversion repository in the SF project. MWSE probably has it's own code in its svn. You won't be able to grab a zip of source for either, but SourceForge's system will generate a tarball of the current revision for you if you ask (link is at the bottom of any svn page).

Just wanted to announce this here, if anyone cares. If you've ever wondered how these work or what goes into one, I'll be going over it step by step in detail, but keeping it simple. This is basically a beginner's course on shaders.

Here's a little update on how it looks: New shots: http://s4.photobucke...rueBloom/g6/s2/ Best shots: Off: http://i4.photobucke...reenshot023.png On: http://i4.photobucke...reenshot023.png http://i4.photobucke...reenshot025.png http://i4.photobucke...reenshot028.png Notice the light shift/scatter around the trees and buildings. I just recently added that feature, but it was well worth it. It can also generate highlights underwater on the floor: http://i4.photobucke...reenshot031.png http://i4.photobucke...reenshot032.png That's logically caused by the shell there, being a bright spot and scattering it's light around, but I like to imagine it's from the sun.

I've never gotten all the artifacts, or finished all the Daedra quests. Never had vampirism cured. And I don't think I've finished all 3 main quests with a single character (I'm not sure on that one though, there's a chance it may have happened unbeknownst to me).

Hm. I like parts of this far better than Visual Pack XT. Not sure about the fort (it looks like pebbles?), but I think I'll have to download and combine when you're done.

The underwater effect isn't quite done yet, I still have to make it look a tad better before release. But I'm almost done with everything except for the night effects. I hope to release within the week. Maybe here before PES and such (bring some MW folks this way, if y'all would like).

To help populate your Morrowind section, here's one of my current projects. It's almost done, so you may be seeing a release thread soon. It's a shader, so MGE is required. It's also (at least, the enhanced version) a cutting edge shader, requiring the newest version of MGE. Features: Reasonably fast (no more than 5 FPS lost on my system)Not blinding outsideSeparate, configurable bloom and HDR settings for inside, outside, and underwaterAdds atmosphere and effects insideHDRSimulates pupil dilation between light and dark areasConfigurable focal rangeNarrows the color range before stretching it, based on the current HDR value given by MGERequires the supply HDR to shader option to be turned on in MGEUses a cubic curve to push extreme values away and normalize midranges [*]Bloom Modified gaussian blur, iterated twice, for 361 effective samples (a 19x19 pixel radius)bloom automatically disables in menus to avoid blinding blurrinessConfigurable lower limit (focus cutoff)Configurable multiplierBleeds bright areas out into their surroundings, simulating the glare seen in real life (especially off cars in sunlight)Properly brightmasked to prevent annoying blurring of dark areasLinked to HDR to increase glare based on average brightnessIn a bright room, glare is hardly visibleIn a dark room, a lightbulb will be blinding [*]Water-sensitive Underwater, sun highlights are appliedColor for the highlights uses powers, so blue water will have blue highlights Depth-senstive (g6e only)Decreases bloom on surfaces with little change in depth (perpendicular to camera)Increases bloom on slanted surfaces and around edges [*]All settings provided at the top of the shader with full descriptions And for the more visually oriented (and those who didn't understand a word of the above ), pictures! http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/peachykeen000/trueBloom/g6/ Water: #1 Off: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/peachykeen000/trueBloom/g6/MGEScreenshot022.png #1 On: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/peachykeen000/trueBloom/g6/MGEScreenshot023.png #2 Off: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/peachykeen000/trueBloom/g6/MGEScreenshot020.png #2 On: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/peachykeen000/trueBloom/g6/MGEScreenshot021.png And two others: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/peachykeen000/trueBloom/g6/MGEScreenshot019.png http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/peachykeen000/trueBloom/g6/MGEScreenshot018.png I've implemented and tested the depth-bloom effect. It works beautifully when it works. In caves, especially underwater, it fails epically. Occasionally, in certain interiors, it works amazingly well (think Source engine bloom). There are also issues with depth and transparency. http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/peachykeen000/trueBloom/g6/MGEScreenshot028.png http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/peachykeen000/trueBloom/g6/MGEScreenshot030.png http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/peachykeen000/trueBloom/g6/MGEScreenshot035.png Depth based: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/peachykeen000/trueBloom/g6/MGEScreenshot036.png http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/peachykeen000/trueBloom/g6/MGEScreenshot043.png Example of shift: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/peachykeen000/trueBloom/g6/MGEScreenshot044.png http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/peachykeen000/trueBloom/g6/MGEScreenshot045.png http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/peachykeen000/trueBloom/g6/MGEScreenshot046.png Note the shift of the bloom and difference on scale on the sword. At a more extreme angle, it shines brighter. Skeleton (note the edges): Off: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/peachykeen000/trueBloom/g6/MGEScreenshot058.png On: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/peachykeen000/trueBloom/g6/MGEScreenshot059.png Edges: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/peachykeen000/trueBloom/g6/MGEScreenshot057.png The edges there bloom greater. All taken with the latest version of phal's water shader. I've been asked about porting it to Oblivion, which, if I can figure out how, I will do. IMO it's much better than Oblivion's bloom effect (which isn't all that bad, except in certain areas and on metal). This shader is still in progress, but you can get a test version of the code over here: http://mgeshaderlib.50.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=28

You can run MGE with almost no FPS hit, if you set it up right. You can even use a few shaders without hurting speed. Of course, if you want to make it look really good, you'll need a few good shaders and distant land. http://planeteldersc...ge.php?id=85780 http://planeteldersc...ge.php?id=85770 And an absolute favorite of mine: http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f386/vtastek/morrowind/Morrowind2009/sc01/Morrowind-MGE-caldera23.jpg

Thanks all for the welcome. I'll be posting things here and there as I get the hang of this place. Y'all seem reasonably nice. Unfortunately I don't do work on that new O-blivions game, although I've been considering it. I'll just be making the good ol' Morrowind look even better. You've got some quite clever mods here, though. I may just have to download them. Anyways, I'll certainly be sticking around.

Heh, thanks. I knew I'd been here before (well, not really, figured but wasn't sure). But hey, it's been so long...! And WhoGuru, my wiki is in my sig now. Though it's getting updated every which way with the new stuff being added these days.

Well, I think I made one of these a while back, but I'm not really sure, and since you all have apparently redone the site, let's say I didn't. So anyways, greetings and what-not. I came here cause of the grand re-opening (caught the thread on the Morrowind officials). I'm one of the folks who occasionally plays with MGE (in fact, I have a whole wiki on it). It's loads of fun, especially the new stuff.

Are you only able to do TES-style things, or is post-nuked/modern a valid request too?

Thanks for the welcomes. Quote Thank you, we hope to get the school underway soon! I shall certainly visit it. Always new things to learn, or people to help. Quote And welcome to the Alliance, I hope you'll make yourself at home! Will try.

Hey folks. Just signed up here. Some of you official forumers, or GHF people might recognize me. The place looks interesting, especially your modding school section.