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[Trapezohedron]

SELECT_CASTE is used like this:

Code: [Select]

[CASTE:FEMALE]
[FEMALE]
[CASTE:MALE]
[MALE]
[CASTE:FEMALE_BERSERKER]
[FEMALE]
[CASTE:MALE_BERSERKER]
[MALE]
[SELECT_CASTE:FEMALE_BERSERKER] <-- Selects the FEMALE_BERSERKER caste ([CASTE:FEMALE_BERSERKER])
[SELECT_ADDITIONAL_CASTE:MALE_BERSERKER] <-- Also selects the MALE_BERSERKER caste ([CASTE:MALE_BERSERKER]) This tag is used to add tags on both the FEMALE_BERSERKER and MALE_BERSERKER castes here.
[PRONE_TO_RAGE:100] <-- Makes the selected castes go berserk when seeing a hostile.

[SELECT_CASTE:FEMALE] <-- Using this tag deselects the above castes, because it isn't SELECT_ADDITIONAL_CASTE. Useful for defining tags the above two castes shouldn't have.
[MULTIPLE_LITTER_RARE] <-- makes twin births rare

[SELECT_CASTE:ALL] Selects all the castes in a creature's raws. Like the above, it deselects the above caste, but that's a moot point since you're selecting all the castes in a creature.
[NATURAL_SKILL:AXE:15] <-- naturally makes them have legendary with the axe skill.
In short, only the berserkers get the PRONE_TO_RAGE tag, the FEMALE caste gets the MULTIPLE_LITTER_RARE tag, and everyone gets legendary with the axe skill.

Hope I explained it well enough. I'm not good with this kind of thing.

[Vandala]

Vandala,

Some advice / constructive criticism from someone who earns his keep as a programmer / analyst...

When going from start to finish, you're going to have to load all the mod files into some sort of memory structures and then bind them to your UI.  I think you should, before coding any UI, figure out what method you will use to store the mod data in memory and what sort of UI would best bind to that method.  Something I know you'll use, but I saw not a one of in your screenshots, are grid views (I don't know what they're called in your toolkit). 

Your form is entirely too large, with too many things crammed on it.  I'm assuming the main object on your form is some sort of tab control widget.  What you're most likely going to want to do is, within each of those tabs, add another tab control widget with the tabs at the top.  So, for your DF: Game Setting tab you could have within it a tab for d_init, a tab for init.txt, and a tab for color.txt.  Actually I'd suggest splitting the d_init and init.txt into more than one tab each, because they'd still be pretty big.

Something else I just noticed, you don't have any check-boxes.  Typically Y/N items like temperature, weather, etc would be check-boxes not buttons.  If you're not going to use check-boxes I'm wondering how you'll indicate whether those items are enabled or disabled.

Stuff will be stored in .txt files if that's what your asking, otherwise I don't understand the question.
Also don't know what a grid view is. (don't recall spotting such a thing just yet.)
You probably don't have to worry to much, as I said I'v got a friend who knows this stuff, he works as a programmer himself, he'll know what's what when I get to that stage.
The buttons themselves are on/off switches, this takes less programming work.
I'll certainly keep the tabs in tabs idea in the back of my mind while I work.

Thank you, advice / constructive criticism is always appreciated.

[Vandala]

SELECT_CASTE is used like this:

Code: [Select]

[CASTE:FEMALE]
[FEMALE]
[CASTE:MALE]
[MALE]
[CASTE:FEMALE_BERSERKER]
[FEMALE]
[CASTE:MALE_BERSERKER]
[MALE]
[SELECT_CASTE:FEMALE_BERSERKER] <-- Selects the FEMALE_BERSERKER caste ([CASTE:FEMALE_BERSERKER])
[SELECT_ADDITIONAL_CASTE:MALE_BERSERKER] <-- Also selects the MALE_BERSERKER caste ([CASTE:MALE_BERSERKER]) This tag is used to add tags on both the FEMALE_BERSERKER and MALE_BERSERKER castes here.
[PRONE_TO_RAGE:100] <-- Makes the selected castes go berserk when seeing a hostile.

[SELECT_CASTE:FEMALE] <-- Using this tag deselects the above castes, because it isn't SELECT_ADDITIONAL_CASTE. Useful for defining tags the above two castes shouldn't have.
[MULTIPLE_LITTER_RARE] <-- makes twin births rare

[SELECT_CASTE:ALL] Selects all the castes in a creature's raws. Like the above, it deselects the above caste, but that's a moot point since you're selecting all the castes in a creature.
[NATURAL_SKILL:AXE:15] <-- naturally makes them have legendary with the axe skill.
In short, only the berserkers get the PRONE_TO_RAGE tag, the FEMALE caste gets the MULTIPLE_LITTER_RARE tag, and everyone gets legendary with the axe skill.

Hope I explained it well enough. I'm not good with this kind of thing.

Ok, but what is the point of this token? Why does it exist? Is there something you can only do with this that you can't do any other way?
The thing is I see no reason for it's existence unless it is perhaps used in conjunction with a token that can do something similar but instead copies an already existing creature.
If that is possible then I could see it's point because it would allow editing of a caste you can't physically get at from within such a creature file.
But is this the case?

[Interus]

You probably won't have to worry about the SELECT_CASTE and SELECT_ADDITIONAL_CASTE tags, because you'll export each caste with all it's tags when you're done.  They're more useful in situations where several castes are extremely similar, so that they can be modded at the same time instead of adding several lines of code to each one.

[Trapezohedron]

It's typically used for sorting tags, and add some appearance modifiers in a caste (beards on males, for example). Basically used to edit a creature after making the caste.

It's also used to return to editing the creature at creature level (via [SELECT_CASTE:ALL]), and not at caste level. For example, if you wanted to add a [SWIMS_INNATE] tag after you defined the castes, you need to put [SELECT_CASTE:ALL] to make the changes global and not caste exclusive.

FAKEDIT: And what Interus said.

[Vandala]

It's typically used for sorting tags, and add some appearance modifiers in a caste (beards on males, for example). Basically used to edit a creature after making the caste.

It's also used to return to editing the creature at creature level (via [SELECT_CASTE:ALL]), and not at caste level. For example, if you wanted to add a [SWIMS_INNATE] tag after you defined the castes, you need to put [SELECT_CASTE:ALL] to make the changes global and not caste exclusive.

FAKEDIT: And what Interus said.

Another thing you might know. Does it matter in what order I put tokens? Natural it matter wither you put them into a cast or not but does the order in which they appear matter at all? If so how?

[Trapezohedron]

It does matter, depending on the tag/token used.

Everything specified below SELECT_CASTE is exclusive to the selected caste(s), and SELECT_ADDITIONAL_CASTE must be below SELECT_CASTE, but above the other tags that you're going to put in the selected castes.

And for the record, SELECT_CASTE:ALL will return you to global creature modding.

Also, another example would be bodyparts. You have to define them first before applying the tissues to them, or the tissue won't be applied properly.

Basically, the order you see them put in the default raws should be the format you're aiming for.

[Vandala]

Sorry folks no pictures today, but don't worry I am still working on the program.

The reason why I don't have anything to show is because (for those who speak wxglade) I've bin editing the "Name" and the "Events" of EVERYTHING, which is a pain in the ass to do but it saves a lot of time once I start the actual coding which is going to happen rather soon I suspect. Don't get your hopes up to high though, I don't know how fast or slow of a coder I am plus the code that I'll be making will only allow for the limited functionality of the option you have seen thus far (minus the skills tab, that one is currently out of the picture, don't worry it's backed-up) so it's not going to generate any full creature files right away.

That could be changed if I where to understand the creature tokens in my earlier post, so hint, hint?

[Vandala]

Most of the editing work is now done, I'll probably be able to finish it tomorrow.

With any luck, my friend will visit me this week and I'll be able to start coding for real.

Fuck I'm tired...  Good night folks, and please do help me with those damn creature tokens.

[Vandala]

Finally done with those damn things.

Can start coding now, at least, once I can start coding. 

[neil_v]

Wow! nice job. Cant wait to see how things evolve.

[Xelanthol]

Here to offer no support other then that of-"Holy shit that looks awesome". Good luck man I will be following this thread.

[Trapezohedron]

I'd really like to help, but my raw-fu is rusty. It's been so long since the time I was fiddling around with [USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE] and [USE_TISSUE_TEMPLATE], so I can't explain how those work and such.

As for [CV_ADD_TAG] and other tags in the same vein as those ([GO_TO_START][GO_TO_END]), you might have luck trying to ask Nidokoenig (of My Little Fortress fame) how those tags work and how to use them, since he uses a lot of them to streamline his creatures.

Or you could try asking for help from either TomiTapio or Deon, for most of the tags.

[Vandala]

I've bin reading up on a good number of various threads on the forum and am discovering many posts of people discovering ever more specific factoids about the way dwarf fortress works, or doesn't, which is especially importuned.

I just want to ask that if anyone knows of great resources where such discoveries are accumulated please do not hesitate to post me a link to such a treasure trove. I ask this because eventually I'll be trying to make my program check for as many impossibilities and human errors as possible to prevent such things from happening in the first place. From max/min ranges of numbers you can give (such as the max 5000 in attribute scores), to conflicting creature tokens and other stuff.

Or if you know specific stuff you can also just post an explanation of your discovery if you find out I haven't fixed it yet. But that's for when the program actually comes out.

EDIT: Will do New Guy, thanks.

[Putnam]

Ask if you're ever confused about anything, and you shall get answers.

There are, of course, the obvious pages for token info:

Creature tokens
   Body tokens
      Bodygloss info
   Body Detail Plan tokens
   Tissue tokens
   Skill tokens
   Creature variation tokens
Entity tokens
   Position tokens
   Unit Type tokens
   Ethic tokens
   Language tokens
Biome tokens (Can be considered a subset of both entity and creature tokens)
Material definition tokens
   Inorganic material definition tokens (I.E can't be attached to living things)
Item definition tokens
   Ammo tokens
   Armor tokens
   Tool tokens
   Trap component tokens
   Weapon tokens
Reactions
   Building tokens
   Item tokens
   Labor tokens
   Material tokens
Interaction tokens
   Syndrome guide