Help with the PBEM helper

[The Schwabian]

i know this isn't in the right section, but i wasn't truly sure of where to put it...

uhhh so my problem is that when i press "play" on PBEM helper it will go to the list of scenarios instead of multiplayer.

and after i save the file, it goes to the scenario editor.

i have the downloaded version of CMAK/CMBB, could that have anything to do with it?

thank you all for any help

~Schwabian

[ramagel]

The dl'd version works fine for me (I assume you dl'd it from Battlefront?). Have you maybe modded the start-up screens already?

[GJK]

Modding the start up screen BMP's wouldn't have any effect, it's something in the CMBB.VBS and or CMAK.VBS (maybe shared), which is the visual basic script that tells Pbem Helper how to manipulate the screens by sending the appropriate key presses.

Is this something that just started happening, or has it never worked? Did you download Pbem Helper recently or try to download it again?

[ramagel]

Don't some modded startup screens have buttons in different (relative) locations? Doesn’t the vbs script essentially create a mouse click in a specific location? These symptoms (especially the first) indicate to me that a mouse click is made in the 'wrong' location. Perhaps some 'non CM standard' screen resolution is the problem - à la widescreen issue described elsewhere ......

[The Schwabian]

"Have you maybe modded the start-up screens already?"

yes i have the dark steel mod and then another couple...

"Is this something that just started happening, or has it never worked? Did you download Pbem Helper recently or try to download it again?"

it has been like this since i downloaded it. i downloaded it once like 6 months ago, but this and a couple other things made me stop. then again about 2 weeks ago i re-downloaded it.

"These symptoms (especially the first) indicate to me that a mouse click is made in the 'wrong' location."

ya that would seem like it. it does the same sort of thing in terms of wait, the clicked button icon, etc. that it does when the mouse is clicked on the buttons

[The Schwabian]

does anyone know any way to fix the .VBS file?

[Other Means]

Originally posted by The Schwabian:

does anyone know any way to fix the .VBS file?

ramagel is right, it's the modification of the menu screens. I've got tarkus' mod (grey steel?) and everything still works, however some other mods do move the buttons and PBEMH relies on faking screen clicks, therefore it's missing the correct areas.

[Other Means]

Just to re-enforce, I'd back up the mods you want and re-install, then re-apply them. NOT including interface mods other than Tarkus'

[ramagel]

Originally posted by The Schwabian:

does anyone know any way to fix the .VBS file?

If you know VB I wouldn't have thought it was that difficult - "just" change the mouse click co-ordinates, test, retest, test again, test some more, change the screen res and start testing all over again.

OTOH assess how long you spend actually looking at the start-up screens, how much pleasure they give you; how much easier it is to play many games at the same time using PBEMH and how much "better" fast+trusted mode is.

Then make the right decision for you.

[Cabe Booth]

I just tested the theory of the problem being the splash screen modded to cause this issue....because I have it too.

I opened CMBB and took a screen shot, then I did the same with CMAK

opened both images in Photoshop and sat them side by side and guess what?

The CMAK splash screen buttons sat lower on the screen which would, of course ,cause the spot where the CMBB.VBS file causes a mouse click right above the "multi player" button. And what is right above the multi player button? the START GAME BUTTON, so then it sends you to the scenario select screen! So I removed my splash screen mods (I use Mcmmm so it was easy)and put in only the Tarkus Dark steel interface for CMBB and the Tarkus Dirty Olive for CMAK. Took screen shots... and they lined up. Then I started CMAK from PBEM helper and it loaded straight into the multi player game. It was fixed.

So if you have this problem , I would suggest either going with the default splash screen or use Tarkus's Interfaces, because they line up the buttons on the screen correctly for the PBEM helper. If you experiment with other splash screens or interfaces I would definitely do some similar investigation to see if they line up the button correctly.

[GreenAsJade]

Great find!

[dieseltaylor]

Cabe: A credit to the Band of Brothers club : )

[Cabe Booth]

Credits!

as I fart around with this PBEMH program I am learning more and more about why things don't work. Like setting the "additional working folder"

FYI,

don't make the folders yourself or they don't work because the program didn't create the path itself. And then if you try to set the folders Windows will see folders of the same name and block them from being created just like you would see on screen if you did it in any other situation when trying to name a file identical to another in the same area. But you never see this failure occur when PBEMH tries, because it is behind the scenes. You have to let PBEMH make the folders by using the option in the PBEMH option menu. Then you have to do this for BOTH games, once for CMBB then switch the game selection in the top window of the PBEMH console to CMAK and hit the same "Set additional working folder" button again.

Then you save your received CMAK and CMBB txt and zip files IN the CMAK or CMBB "my documents" alternate working directory folder, NOT OUTSIDE it. The hit refresh in PBEMH, it should then give you the play option. So save everything besides actual PBEMH files inside the the CMAK my docs directory for the corresponding game.

When getting actual PBEMH files, instead of saving them in your CMBB or CMAK actual directory PBEM file, just open the file while it is still attached to the incoming email and it will go into the PBEMH program and be updated/recognized automatically, you will then see a "play" option. If not, hit refresh, but you shouldn't have to. If you did decide to save your PBEMH files instead of doing what I just mentioned, you will be overwriting other games you may have in progress.. because PBEMH files are named the same and are not numbered (no extensions to differentiate them from other PBEMH game files) and you would end up overwriting some other PBEMH game file, not good. So open them in the email (in the attachment), if it asks what what program you want to use to open the file choose the PBEMH program and it shouldn't ever ask again.

Now I still don't understand why I get weird time stamp errors where it says this game is in the future "Corrected" blah blah ect. I have my time zone set correctly in the PBEMH program. All I know is it woks anyway so I don't worry about it until I stumble across a solution.