Jeff Cronick

I just googled Python with wXwindows and Mac OS 9 and it seems like there is a version of those utilities for OS 9. What I found showed a OS 9 version of wXwidgets (which I got the impression that this is the new name for wXwindows) called wxMac (version 2.6.2 I think). I also found there are Mac OS 9 versions of Python as well. I'll be the first to admit that I don't know anything about Python or wXwindows (wXwidgets) and if the Mac OS 9 versions are so out of date that they may not be applicable. However, based on what I found using Google, I don't know if it's certain that there can't be a Mac version of CMC. I really hope it's possible because CMC looks very interesting. I'd love to be able to play it on my Mac. I think what we really need is for Hunter to let us know if it's possible to make a Mac version of CMC that will drive CMBB just like the Windows version. He doesn't have to commit to it just now, but I would imagine that he has at least looked into if it is even possible. [ October 17, 2005, 07:49 AM: Message edited by: Jeff Cronick ]

I think the interface looks great. It's nice to see the OS X interface to Biltaid. Suggestions: 1. Allow Biltaid to print to a USB inkjet printer in OS X. 2. Allow selection of Player Skill without requiring the custom setup option and having to enter all the starting units manually. 3. Calculate and display the average experience level for your infantry company based on each individual squad's experience. This is necessary to figure out what experience level to use in the Real QB. 4. Add some capability to handle whole units missing due to casualties setting per Note 5 of BCR. 5. Better handling of Emergency Reorganization of Attached Units. I've had some attached units completely wiped out in a battle (poor strategy on my part) and Biltaid just gave the attached unit replacements rather than eliminate the unit from my Battle Group as BCR states should happen. I've also not seen Biltaid use my attached HMG to rebuild any infantry squads from my infantry company, even when the attached HMG had 1 or 2 casualties itself. I thought I could use HMG personnel to resupply a infantry squad. 6. On an interface note, could you make the default( i.e. - no favor used) selection in all the "favor" related dialog boxes stand out more? More than once I didn't know which selection would not require spending favor points. After looking at the dialog boxes more closely, I saw that there is a slight highlight to the "no favor" selection. Maybe you could make this more pronounced. I think that's all I can think of right now. I really am looking forward to the new version of Biltaid. Keep up the good work and a big "Thank You" for maintaining/updating this very helpful program.

Thanks for the update Seahawk. I look forward to the next, new and improved version of Biltaid. Do you want to reveal any estimate of when we might see this new version?

Seahawk, I'm on my 10th battle with BCR and Biltaid and have to say I am quite enjoying this mode of playing. My current battle is a 3000 pt Axis Assault on a medium map with large hills and no trees. This one is going to take a while I think. Anyway, I would like to put in a request for the new version of Biltaid that you are working on. Could you have Biltaid calculate the experience level of the battle group infantry company as a whole. Now that I've played a couple of battles and had casualties and replacements, I need to follow the direction in Note 12 of BCR to get the average infantry company experience. It seems that since Biltaid has all that info, each unit and its experience, that it could calculate the average experience setting that is needed in the Real Battle QB. I know it's a small thing, but it would help speed up the process of figuring out what experience level to use. I have another question for you as well. This is the first battle where I've had initial casualties in my forces (I've been lucky so far, I guess) and I've noticed that there have been a couple of units from my battle group infantry company that have been eliminated (as well as having 1 or 2 casualties in the remaining ones). So my question to you is: Does Biltaid handle the whole units eliminated due to casualty settings per Note 5 of BCR? What I'm getting at is that according to Note 5 of BCR, there is chance that the units that didn't show up for battle will return with their current experience. Since I haven't fininshed this battle yet, I don't know how Biltaid will handle that. If I put in 0 men OK for the units that didn't arrive, will BCR roll on the table of Note 5 to see if I retain the experience of the original unit. If so, how does Biltaid know that the unit didn't show up initially vs. it was completely eliminated in combat during the battle (both would have men OK =0)? Cheers, Jeff

Seahawk, I have another Biltaid question for you if you don't mind. I just finished my 2nd battle (and even achieved a Total Victory, will wonders never cease?) and I ended up capturing some prisoners. My question is about how to enter these in the Biltaid favor section. In Biltaid there is a place for "prisoners lost" in both the friendly and enemy sections. If I captured 2 squads and 2 HQ's do I put these in my "friendly" section or in the enemy's section. The wording "Prisoners Lost" has me confused. Are these prisoners that I have taken and then they reverted back to the emeny side, is that what is meant by Prisoners Lost? Can a prisoner revert back to the enemy side? Or is this just referring to prisoners that I capture? By the way, I did put the right number in the AAR section (that one I just read off my AAR screen). Any help clarifying the "prisoners lost" fields would be most appreciated.

Thanks Seahawk for the update on the OS X printing issue. I look forward to hearing if you find a solution for USB printing. I'm not sure what the GIMP-PRINT thing you are referring to is, but if you test it and it works, I'd be willing to give that a try. One other update to Biltaid that I might suggest is to make the player experieince level selectable from the default setup. I definately need all the help I can get (I'm still new to CMBB) and I wanted to make sure I was a "Conscript" in BCR to get the benefit on the dice rolls. The only way I could find to change the player experience was to use the custom setup and then I had to manually enter all the units. Now I know I only needed to do this once, but it sure would make it more convenient to be able to change the player experience level on the main screen. Someday I hope to win 6 battles in a row and then I may need to increase my level from conscript to green. It could happen you know. Thanks for the reply and for your support on the Biltaid program.

Hi there. I've been reading these forums for a while now and trying to improve my knowledge of CM:BB. Boy do I have a ways to go. I feel like such a novice compared to those I read on these boards. Anyway, I've been trying to get up to speed on BCR to try my hand at that for a while now. I've decided to try the Biltaid program to aid in the bookeeping and have run into a problem. I can't print the sheets from Biltaid. I can run the program, advance the battle, just not print anything. Now for some background on my computer. I have a Macintosh QS 933 running OS X 10.2.6 (just upgraded) with all the default Java (1.4.1) current. I can't seem to be able to run the Biltaid jar file from OS 9 so I use OS X. I'm connected via USB to a HP Deskjet 830 printer that works for everything else I want to print (all OS X app can print to the printer), so I don't think the drivers are messed up. When I try to print out the Battle sheet from Biltaid, I get a print dialog box showing my printer by name (Deskjet 830c) so it knows the printer is there. However, when I hit the print button nothing happens. The print dialog box goes away, but the Print center app never appears and there is no print. Does anyone have any idea as to what it might take to get Biltaid to work for me? I really want to use it in conjunction with BCR to give this campaign a try. Oh, by the way, since this is my first post, I'd like to take a minute to say what a great game CMBB is. I've only been playing for a couple of months now and am having a blast. I still need to figure out how to use Infantry more effectively, but I figure that will come with time and practice. I currently play solo quite a bit and also play TCP/IP with a friend. So far we seem to split most of our battles so I think we are fairly evenly matched (you all would most assuredly categorize us a conscripts in CMBB) so it makes for some very fun battles. I keep seeing all the posts about how so many of you play PBEM but I haven't tried that yet. I don't think I'd be much of a challenge just yet. But just wait, once I get a bit more experience I'll offer myself up as cannon fodder to you to continue my CMBB education. Anyway, this is a great community and I hope you don't mind another newbie in your midst.