GreenAsJade

This is a most-excellent idea. Such a display can be combined with the display of the internal structure of the Mod as well. It will take some re-layout of the display... so don't hold your breath, but this goes high on the "to-do" list... Thanks, GaJ.

Actually, this facility is already there, admittedly slightly hidden. If the Mod contains a .jpg file (or any other non-bmp file), McMMM can display it. When you first load the Mod, McMMM opens the "Mod Details" dialog. In the top-right, you will see the list of "other files" that McMMM found. Many many mods include the preview jpg file: here is where you find it. Simply click the checkbox for the jpgs and press the "Open" button. You have given me an idea, which is an option to have all jpgs that McMMM finds opened for you as you load the Mod. Is this a good thing? (I wouldn't use it myself, since it would slow down the loading of Mods. I use the "Quick Load" option already. Also these are usually the same picture that was on CMMODS, so if you got the mod from there you probably already saw the picture. But if you're not in a hurry, and want to check out the pictures each time, it might be nice?) Glad McMMM works for you. GaJ.

It's on the "to-do" list (which you can see under Help->To Do) Cheers, GaJ. (who, it appears, cannot make a post here and get it right first time!!) [ September 27, 2003, 06:33 PM: Message edited by: GreenAsJade ]

I hope I'm not commiting some breach of protocol by letting you know that there is this thread over in Tips & Tricks. GaJ. [ September 27, 2003, 08:31 AM: Message edited by: GreenAsJade ]

Oh - nobody offered me a Mac, so it's Windows only. Tested on XP and 2000. The Mac offer is still open. GaJ. [ September 27, 2003, 08:36 AM: Message edited by: GreenAsJade ]

McMMM 1.50 beta is available for download from CMMODs. (It is filed under the CMBB section, but it is not CMBB specific) McMMM: Martin's Combat Mission Mod Manager McMMM is pronounced Muh-Kum, rhymes with the way that I say "become". McMMM is intended to be easy to use and easy to write mods for. It has no rules about what mods it handles. It is intended to be compatible with all mods. So far it seems to be. You are supposed to be able to install a mod that you have downloaded with a couple of clicks using McMMM. McMMM does a backup for you, and can un-install a mod for you with a couple more mouse clicks. McMMM doesn't handle sound mods right now. McMMM 1.50 is "beta". This means "A number of people have tested it, it seems to work fine. We know that there are things that can be improved, and they will be improved before long". 6-7 people have used it, and loaded 2-300 mods from CMMODs with it. Hope you like it. GaJ.

<man, I'm having the ole double post problems tonight!> [ September 27, 2003, 08:25 AM: Message edited by: GreenAsJade ]

Where do I actually get BCR & Biltaid? I looked through this thread, and googled like mad, but everything points to one place. At that one place I get: The requested URL /~u21117402/biltong/ was not found on this server. Que? GaJ.

Blinkin eck! I guess you all got the message... I think the answer is 'no', No idea how I got so many repeaty things though!

No. GaJ.

No. GaJ.

No.

On my machine it installs where I bloody well tell it to install (normally c:\wargames). Virtually all games you buy these days will default to C:\Program Files, but it's only a default and mainly intended for people who don't understand directory stuctures. </font>

Um, hello everyone, can we come back to my question please. I wasn't asking where can you buy it. I was asking where it gets installed when you get it from CDV, if that happened to be your fate.

Of course, once McMMM comes out, there wont _be_ any effort, so this excuse will be gone GaJ (Couldn't resist, sorry about that)

Hi, I just heard that CDV installs CMBB at C:\Program Files\Combat Mission 2\ by default. So - do they put CMBO at "Combat Mission", and can one conclude they'll put CMAK at "Combat Mission 3"? Thanks! GaJ.

Calling "not using mods" "true blue" is akin to saying that the only way to drive from Perth to Sydney is in an antique car. Sure - it's authentic and nostalgic. But, those reasons aside, why would you do it? BFC clearly intended for the game to be Modded - heck they don't even provide you with a complete set of BMPs (at least in CMBO they didn't). So, nostalgia aside, one would tend to expect people to take advantage of improvements. Each to their own, of course. GaJ. (Just another sucker, swallowing the bait...)

This is on the "definitely must be done" list. At the moment you do have to tell McMMM which Mods you want to consider. (McMMM calls this 'loading' the mod). Then you get to choose to install the Mod(IE actually put the BMPs in place) and uninstall it (IE replace the Mod BMPs with the originals) whenever you want. It is unanimous that McMMM should automatically know about ('load') all mods in the Mod directory that it is pointed at. This is the kind of thing I will do once I'm confident the basic functionality is working. Most people seem to be finding it OK, but oI have one tester who is trying it out is still having problems... I need to get to the bottom of that before declaring it "ready" and making improvements. GaJ.

Cool! Another neat feature might be to make it be able automatically create a list of any mods that it couldn't find for a given scenario. That way it could cue one what mods he needs to go find and download. </font>

This goes on the to-do list. Just have to get over the hurdle of getting the existing thing to work on everyone else's systems! (It works fine on mine )

OK. Here is an Honest-to-God Fair-Dinkum I-am-not- kidding-even-if-you-were cross-my-heart-and-hope-to-die-if-I-ever-tell-a-lie offer: Someone provides me with a Mac-based GUI development environment that includes a Zip component and I will make it work on a Mac. Can't get fairer than that, can I? GaJ.

Yes yes yes!!! This is _definitely_ what it is all about! Thanks COG!! GaJ.

Thankyou thankyou thankyou!

I am in the process of writing a new Mod Manager application. (McMMM: "Martin's Combat Mission Mod Manager"). An overview from the help file is appended below. What I would really appreciate is someone who would be willing help alpha test. Of course, anyone who's interested and understands that it's a work in progress is welcome to take a look - all feedback appreciated. But most of all I need someone who's willing to spend a little time trying things out & swapping emails with me to figure out what (if anything) is going wrong. The current state of McMMM is that it seems really stable when I run it. My kind brother has been alpha testing for some time, and was having no problems also till recently, when his machine started playing up... at the same time that I did some significant changes to McMMM. Something went wrong for him with McMMM at this time... so we don't know if the problems are McMMM or his machine. Drop me an email if you're interested and/or willing to help. Thanks, Martin. <h2><font size="4"><a name="Preamble"></a>Preamble</font></h2> <p style="margin-left: 25">"Haven't you heard of CMMOS? Why do we need McMMM, whatever that is?"</p> <p style="margin-left: 25">Actually, yes, I have heard of CMMOS, and it sets out to achieve "Great Stuff" .</p> <p style="margin-left: 25">Unfortunately, it doesn't do what I would like it to do. </p> <p style="margin-left: 25">I looked at "The CM Mod Manager", too. It didn't do what I wanted either. </p> <p style="margin-left: 25">That's why I'm writing McMMM. It does what I want, and maybe does do what lots of other people want too.</p> <p style="margin-left: 25">"Hah - fussy! Well, what is it that McMMM does then?"</p> <p style="margin-left: 25">Glad you asked. This is what McMMM sets out to let you do... quite simple really:</p> <p style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 25; margin-bottom: 0">You download a Mod from anywhere, with a couple of clicks McMMM installs it and backs up the original BMPs. <p style="margin-left: 25">McMMM keeps track of what Mods are installed at any given time. <p style="margin-left: 25">If you don't like a Mod, at any time, McMMM can uninstall it again (restoring the original BMPs in the process), with only a click or two. <p style="margin-left: 25">That's it. </p> <p style="margin-left: 25">Oh, it also lets you look at the BMPs in the Mod, and look at the instructions, and pretty JPEGs in the Mod, without messing around with Zip programs, but that's just an added extra.</p> <h2><font size="4">Overview</font></h2> <p style="margin-left: 25">Well, the preamble pretty much gave the Overview!</p> <p style="margin-left: 25">McMMM is a program that is intended to help you install, keep track of, and un-install Combat Mission Mods.</p> <p style="margin-left: 25">It needs to know:</p> <ul> [*] <p style="margin-left: 25">where you will be putting the Mods after you download them, and [*] <p style="margin-left: 25">where the Combat Mission game files are installed. <p style="margin-left: 25">If both these are the "normal" place, then McMMM will find them on its own. Otherwise, you need to tell it: a job that is a couple of mouse clicks and you're done.</p> <p style="margin-left: 25">Then, you simply download Mods at your leisure, load them into McMMM when you are ready, and play around with installing and un-installing them as you like.</p>

Thanks COG - already I can now see the improvements... I was just unlucky when I selected a tank that didn't have the new info in it, I think!