Need Help with John Tuckers StuG Mod

[Sequoia]

I recently downloaded John Tucker's CMMOS StuG Mod from Combat Mission HQ (I'm still using CMMOS 4.03 so it should be compatible) but I can't install it into CMMOS. The Log file reads as follows:

ERROR: "D:\Program Files\GEM\CMBO\Mods\John_Tucker_StuG.zip" is not properly formatted for installation by CMMOS

ERROR: ? is not a CMMOS mod.

Any one have a suggestion on what the problem is?

Thanks

[junk2drive]

The zip contains the bmps and a readme.

From the readme:

Also, CMMOS users, be sure you have

downloaded the RuleSet for this MOD and follow the simple instructions included in that archive. (Current RuleSet IS included in this package).

No it is not. Nor is there info.txt

[Philippe]

Curious. Are you quite sure that you have the latest CMHQ version of 4.03 ? I only ask because that is what I have, and that mod is working for me. It's been a while, but the old cmbo cmmos mods come in two parts. The bmp files with altered extensions are what gets listed as the mod, but you won't be able to get the mod to work unless you have the ruleset from Gordon's last release (at the top of each page). Note that in later versions of cmmos the textfiles are included with the mod -- but up until 4.03 they weren't.

It is possible the CMHQ version is defective and that mine works in spite of it for several reasons (my version tends to be more complete than other people's because I was one of the ruleset writers, or I just automatically fixed something that wasn't working without thinking about it). But Gordon was incredibly careful about what he posted on that site, and I would be seriously surprised if he put a mod up there that didn't work. One of the testers or one of the users would have picked up on it and said something. So I think something may be missing from the equation. I'm sure the necessary text files are in the 4.03 support package at the top of the page.

[Sequoia]

Originally posted by Philippe:

Curious. Are you quite sure that you have the latest CMHQ version of 4.03 ?

I am using the version that came with the CMBB special edition which I am almost certain is 4.03. I haven't had problems with any cmmos mods from CMHQ previously (except that darn spotted SS Panzer cap of Andrew's, couldn't get that to work).

Thanks for your reply.

[Philippe]

Are we talking about CMBO CMMOS or CMBB CMMOS ? If we're talking about CMBO CMMOS my next question would be did you download the CMMOS_German_RuleSets_v1.03 which can be found at the top of German RuleSets and Mods page in the CMMOS section of CMHQ.

CMBO CMMOS and CMBB CMMOs work differently, even if they're the same version. In CMBO the rulesets have to be installed separately.

[Philippe]

I can't remember if the spotted cap works for me, but I'm pretty sure it does. The trick is to remember that you have to apply the cap, and then apply the corresponding rule for the uniform, in that order. All the cap rule does is to change the content of the bmp file with its extension, it doesn't change anything in-game unless you apply the new bmp file. All the advanced rules work that way. Very easy to forget.

[Sequoia]

Originally posted by Philippe:

Are we talking about CMBO CMMOS or CMBB CMMOS ? If we're talking about CMBO CMMOS my next question would be did you download the CMMOS_German_RuleSets_v1.03 which can be found at the top of German RuleSets and Mods page in the CMMOS section of CMHQ.

CMBO CMMOS and CMBB CMMOs work differently, even if they're the same version. In CMBO the rulesets have to be installed separately.

Yes, sorry, we're talking about the CMBO CMMOS. I can look at the contents of the German vehicle Rule Set under Configure and it includes John's StuG and Jdpz IV mods.

[junk2drive]

I am using 4.05

When I try to add the mod in the configure screen I get the error.

Error log shows:

CMMOS log when I tried to configure the mod

ERROR: "D:\cmmods\new mods\John_Tucker_StuG.zip" is not properly formatted for installation by CMMOS

ERROR: John_Tucker_StuG.zip is not a CMMOS mod.

[Philippe]

Now I'm really confused.

I don't think the configure function works with CMBO CMMOS 4.03. Configure is something that you do with CMBB CMMOS. Or in CMMOS 4.05. This could be the problem. Are you quite sure you aren't mixing programs ?

I think the John Tucker stug mods are fairly old and venerable, that's why they use the second icon on the control panel in the CMBO stug section.

I'm not in playing mode right now (won't be for another month or so) so I can't really run any tests, but I just hit the apply button and according to my cmmos log things seem to be working (a few missing files here and there, but no error messages).

CMMOS 4.03 for CMBO at CMHQ was thoroughly tested. CMMOS 4.03 for CMBO at CMHQ is not the same thing as CMMOS 4.05 for CMBO at CMMODS. Don't assume that you can mix them unless you're prepared to wade in and rewrite some of the textfiles.

[junk2drive]

I'm not trying to confuse things here. I am using 4.05. Sequoia is using 4.03 that comes with the SE disc. Both work fine with BB.

I updated to 4.05 and am using the cmmos4 mods from cmmods.

I cannot use the old cmmos CMBO mods with 4.05.

My observation is that the zip that I downloaded from CMHQ does not have enough files in it.

The bmps seem to be properly named.

[Philippe]

Did you download the ruleset file, or just the mod? Those old mod files weren't supposed to have anything except the altered bmp's in them. The textfiles with rules and info, along with the icon bmp, should be in the Ruleset download at the top of the page in the relevant section at CMHQ.

Having said that, I'm doing this from memory and the grey matter ain't what it used to be.

[Sequoia]

Hi Philippe,

Thanks for your help and sorry about the confusion. I thought the way to install a CMMOS mod, even with CMBO, was to click on Configure, then click on ADD. Is that incorrect?. It seemed to have worked on all the other CMBO CMMOS mods I installed. I am getting the message in the log file listed in my first post when I click on "Add". Under Configuration I see two tabs on top. One tab says MODS and the other Tab says Rulesets. Under the MODS tab I see all the Mods I've been able to apply so far. Under the RULESETS Tab I see all the Rulesets I have applied, one of which is German Vehicles and Guns. I can view the details of the Ruleset and it includes John's Mods.

Thanks again.

[Philippe]

When you download the rulesets for the german vehicles from CMHQ they should self install. Just don't let them go off to some weird place, and don't mix them with cmbb files.

The first thing you do after installing the ruleset that you download from CMHQ is go to the control panel and look at the icons. Forget about the configure button -- it wasn't part of the older CMBO CMMOS, and the mod you are talking about is one of the older ones.

Towards the bottom of the vehicle page you'll see a horizontal row of icons for stugs. The second one should be the one in question.

If you don't see an icon, you didn't do the first step correctly or you allowed it to install to the wrong place. DON'T USE CMBB SHORTCUTS.

If absolutely necessary you'll have to do it totally manually, which is not a bad thing because it teaches you how things work.

All the German vehicle rules for non-winter vehicles are in one ruleset. That ruleset should include (from memory): two icons (one installed, one not installed), a description file, and a rule file. The description and rule textfiles will all have the same number on them.

The Ruleset you are concerned about is the CMBO Ruleset 004 that goes in the CMBO Ruleset folder.

The Rule that you are concerned with is Rule004-361 that reads something like this:

#! Version 01.00

#! Name John Tucker's mono/tri-color StuG III/IV & StuH 42

#! Files Vehicle_StuG.txt,Tracks_and_Treads.txt

#! Icon JT_StuG_options.bmp

#! Key 0000

#! Options 7

## Tracks

#$ Original Track

4020_orgt_jt.bmp 4020.bmp

4021_orgt_jt.bmp 4021.bmp

3270_m_orgt_jt.bmp 3270_m_jt.bmp

3276_m_orgt_jt.bmp 3276_m_jt.bmp

4600_m_orgt_jt.bmp 4600_m_jt.bmp

3270_t_orgt_jt.bmp 3270_t_jt.bmp

3276_t_orgt_jt.bmp 3276_t_jt.bmp

4600_t_orgt_jt.bmp 4600_t_jt.bmp

#$ German Brown

4020_gbt_jt.bmp 4020.bmp

4021_gbt_jt.bmp 4021.bmp

3270_m_gbt_jt.bmp 3270_m_jt.bmp

3276_m_gbt_jt.bmp 3276_m_jt.bmp

4600_m_gbt_jt.bmp 4600_m_jt.bmp

3270_t_gbt_jt.bmp 3270_t_jt.bmp

3276_t_gbt_jt.bmp 3276_t_jt.bmp

4600_t_gbt_jt.bmp 4600_t_jt.bmp

## Body Style

#@ Mono with Flag

_m_f_jt

_m_jt

#@ Mono Plain

_m_nf_jt

_m_jt

#@ Tri-color

_t_jt

## MG Options

#$ Original MG

3256_smg_org.bmp 3256.bmp

#$ Juju's MG

3256_smg_ju.bmp 3256.bmp

#$ New MG

3256_smg_jt.bmp 3256.bmp

[Note: if the textfile doesn't read that way it may mean that I rewrote my own version of it to make it work and forgot that I did it].

There is a Description file with the same number.

The icons in question are JT_StuG_options and JT_StuG_options_disabled.

Contrary to what I may have said earlier, you shouldn't have to worry about info and credits files, because they go with the ruleset rather than the rule.

So if you downloaded the ruleset (did I mention that you should download the rulesets from the top of the relevenat cmhq cmmos page?) from CMHQ you will be able to make the mod work. Just don't go anywhere near that configure button or I'll have to hurt you. I don't know why you can see all those things when you play around in there, and I don't want to know. I can guess, though, and it will make our lives difficult if you try and mess with it. I have a strong suspicion that you've somehow managed to dump CMBO files in the CMBB folder, or that you've confused the program somehow and got it looking for CMBO files in the CMBB folder, where it won't find them.

I don't remember exactly what the special edition gives you in the way of CMBO CMMOS, but my recollection is that the CMBB special edition doesn't give you anything at all beyond the space in which to dump the folders.

If you've never gotten a CMBO cmmos file to work before (I don't think you said anything about that) what you really need to do is to download and install the core cmmos 4.03 from the website, then download and install the four ruleset packages (Allied, German, Terrain, Miscellaneous).

This won't hurt your CMBB cmmos. By the way, I think a lot of the cmmos cmbb material on the website is more recent than the cmbb special edition, so if you have broadband you'd do well to download it anyway, but install it case by case. But I didn't work on the cmbb side of the project, so I don't know what I'm talking about.

[ September 17, 2005, 01:14 PM: Message edited by: Philippe ]

[Sequoia]

Hi Philippe, I'm back. I'm really perplexed as to why it's not working. From your description it certainly seems like it should. I do have the button For John Tuckers Stug under the German vehicles and guns Mod option selector. It has options for track, body type and mg. I found the rules under program_files/GEM/cmbo/ruleset04 and it matches what you posted here. I am able to use Gordon's and Fernando's CMMOS Stug mods and switch them back and forth. However when I click on John's Stug options, nothing ever changes. I'm quite sure I have the Mod bmps in the cmbo/bmp folder. Do you think I should reinstall the German vehicle ruleset?

Thanks for your help and patience.

[Philippe]

Re-installing the German vehicle ruleset can't hurt.

Could you take it from the top and tell me exactly what you have installed where? I don't have a clear idea about how you have set up CMMOS or even if you have ever used CMMOS for CMBO successfully before. I suspect that you have, but I just don't know.

And I'm assuming that you have the bmp installed, otherwise you wouldn't be able to see the options.

Do the reinstall, just do it CMBO-style and don't go anywhere near that configuration button. And please give me a pornographically explicit description of how you go about it. You're making some assumption in your installation methods that is peculiar and that is throwing the system off. Because it is peculiar to you I can't guess what it is unless you tell me.

With a little patience we can get to the bottom of this.

By the way, where, exactly, do you have the programs installed? Any funny paths or weird partitions to your hard drive?

And have you had any problems with CMBO CMMOS other than with the Tucker Stug?

[Sequoia]

Originally posted by Philippe:

And have you had any problems with CMBO CMMOS other than with the Tucker Stug? [/QB]

Nope,no other problems (except, as I mentioned the SS dotted Panzer cap). I use CMMOS to swap Mods for uniforms and almost all the other German vehicles succesfully.

I have a suspicion. Let me check it out and I'll get back to you with more detail if it doesn't work. I'm begining to catch on how CMMOS operates.

Thanks,

[Philippe]

It's been so long I can't remember if there was ever a problem, but what you do in a case like the hat change not working is to take a look at the rule textfile line that changes the hat. Sometimes a space creeps into the text and that throws things off. Then compare that to the exact name of the bmp file extension that it is invoking. Be aware that extra spaces can slip in to those file extensions that are hard to find because they are virtually invisible. If the line of text is there, and the bmp file with the right extension is there, when you invoke the advanced rule (aka hit the advanced rule icon and apply) the only thing that will change is the bmp file with extension. So hit the advanced rule and see if anything changed in the bmp folder. If it didn't, something's wrong.

By the way, CMMOS works better if there isn't a lot of stuff running in the background eating up memory. And don't hit the buttons too quickly.

[Sequoia]

Okay, I figured it out and it’s working fine now. Embarrassingly simple. The bmps were zipped inside a folder so when I unzipped the download it was putting them into a folder inside the bmp folder. Guess I should have looked there first. . Anyway thanks for your help and sorry to put you through all this work for something so simple.

[Philippe]

No, thank you for asking the question and thank you for following up. For every person who asks a question there are probably ten lurkers too shy to embarass themselves in public.

I'm especially pleased with your follow-up. I wouldn't have thought of that, and it has been added to my mental list of why things don't work the way they're supposed to.