For those having trouble with CMMOS 4.00

[Sitzkrieg]

OK. This is as detailed and basic as I think I can make it.

1.) Download a RuleSet zip file to any directory you want on your hard drive (C:\Download\CMMOS for example). You do not need to extract this file, just download it.

2.) Start CMMOS.

3.) Switch to "Combat Mission Barbarossa to Berlin" from the list in the lower right hand corner.

4.) Click on the Configure button.

5.) From the configuration window, make sure you have the RuleSet tab selected.

6.) Click on the Add button. Now browse to the directory where you downloaded the RuleSet zip file to in step 1 and double-click on that file.

You should now have a RuleSet installed. Repeat steps 1 and 4 through 6 for each RuleSet.

Now to install a mod.

1.) Download a mod to any directory you want on your hard drive (C:\Download\CMMOS for example). You do not need to extract this file, just download it.

2.) Start CMMOS.

3.) Switch to "Combat Mission Barbarossa to Berlin" from the list in the lower right hand corner.

4.) Click on the Configure button.

5.) From the configuration window, make sure you have the Mods tab selected.

6.) Click on the Add button. Now browse to the directory where you downloaded the mod zip file to in step 1 and double-click on that file.

You should now have a mod installed. Repeat steps 1 and 4 through 6 for each mod you want to install.

Hope this helps.

Keith

[SaTyR]

Just to add something I noticed: when installing the CMMOS the program makes a folder x:/.../cmmos/cmbb/Mods DO NOT put the .zip files of your mods into this folder ! Somehow they will not work. Had this happen to me and my friend, discussed it via irc and found this to be the problem. Downloaded the .zips again, put them into a different folder and CMMOS worked just fine. IIRC there is no mention in the ReadMe about this, maybe because it hasn't been noticed ? I'm not sure if this happens to everybody, but it happened to me and my friend almost at the same time. For somebody having problems, hope this helps...

[Gordon]

SaTyR,

CMMOS is actually supposed to handle this case, but it's possible that there's a bug that was introduced since the last time it was verified.

I'll enter it in my buglist and try to reproduce/fix it.

Thanks,

Gordon

[Hortlund]

*sigh* That is exactly what happened to me.

I Downloaded the cmmos.exe file and all zip files into my "mods"-folder. (You know the folder where I keep all my downloaded mods...ALL of them) I ran the .exe file and viola...the install failed and all the files were deleted...yayy

[Gordon]

Hmmm.

I just tried installing a mod from within CMMOS' CMBB mod sub-folder and everything worked fine.

Leutnant Hortlund,

You placed the mods in the CMBB mod sub-folder?

Please e-mail me at "gordonemolek@poboxes.com" as I'd like to completely understand what happened.

Thanks,

Gordon

[Rob Murray]

Thank you!!! Now we're finally getting somewhere.

[Alsatian]

I got the hang of the last CMMOS last weekend just in time for CMMOS 4.0.

OK, so I started over.

DL 4.0, made sure I had all the rulesets, and DLed some mods.

I follow the steps and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I'm only successful with German vehicle mods, but not all German vehicles.

When it works, I hit configure my cursor whirs, and the new mod pops up very nicely in its preview. (Then I'm able to pick the mod, launch CMBO and there it is in the game). When it doesn't work, I hit configure and all I get is "dink." No preview and still slashed out on the selector window.

Why do some work, and others don't?

[Sgt Steiner]

Hi Gordon

Originally posted by Gordon:

Hmmm.

I just tried installing a mod from within CMMOS' CMBB mod sub-folder and everything worked fine.

Worked fine for me this way too with all the Zip files now resident in Mod folder within Cmmos. Maybe players are Unzipping the files into this Mod folder ?

Much kudos once more on an excellent prog and some super mods. Mind you you your preview shows a Winter BT7 with rust I dont see it in DL section as yet ?

Salutations

[Gordon]

Originally posted by Alsatian:

I got the hang of the last CMMOS last weekend just in time for CMMOS 4.0.

OK, so I started over.

DL 4.0, made sure I had all the rulesets, and DLed some mods.

I follow the steps and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I'm only successful with German vehicle mods, but not all German vehicles.

When it works, I hit configure my cursor whirs, and the new mod pops up very nicely in its preview. (Then I'm able to pick the mod, launch CMBO and there it is in the game). When it doesn't work, I hit configure and all I get is "dink." No preview and still slashed out on the selector window.

Why do some work, and others don't?

Are you trying to install CMBO mods while you've selected CMBB in CMMOS? Pick one of the mods that fails to install, try to install it, exit CMMOS and then e-mail the file CMMOSLog.txt (from within the CMMOS install folder) to "gordonemolek@poboxes.com" and I'll take a look.

Thanks,

Gordon

[Gordon]

Folks,

One other point to note (that's discussed in the User_Readme.rtf) is that there are 2 kinds of CMMOS mods. "Old-style" and "New-style". "New-style" basically covers all the CMBB mods that have just been released. "Old-style" covers all the CMBO mods.

"Old-style"/CMBO mods are still installed by unzipping the archives directly into the CMBO BMP folder. They don't contain all the information that's necessary to allow them to be installed by CMMOS. Once they're installed, they work the same as they did in CMMOS v3.02. Also, "Old-style" mods can be converted to "New-style", and the instructions on how to do so are included in the User_Readme.rtf.

Gordon

[Lt Bull]

Gordon,

I too have experienced problems IF I place the actual zipped RULE-SETS and MOD files in the "GEM Software Productions\Cm Mod Option Selector\CMBB\Mods" folder.

I did this as a trial for the "Der_Schweinestall_Dunkelgelb_RuleSet.zip" and for the "DS_PzVIE_Early_Yellow_CMMOS_hr.zip" MOD. I used configure to locate the RULE-SET then again to locate the MOD. When I went to the "Der Schweinestall Dunkelgelb" tab in CMMOS, it only had a button to install the default BFC mods. There was NO button for installing the "DS PzVIE Early Yellow CMMOS hr" MOD.

I used CONFIGURE to both remove and delete the ruleset and mod from the CMMOS folders. I then placed the same RULE-SETS and MOD zipped files somewhere else on my HDD and tried and repeated the process. This time the button to install the "DS PzVIE Early Yellow CMMOS hr" MOD was available in the "Der Schweinestall Dunkelgelb" tab in CMMOS.

Conclusion seems to be that placing the RULE-SETS and MOD files in the "GEM Software Productions\Cm Mod Option Selector\CMBB\Mods" folder does not allow CMMOS to function the way it should.

I am just curious. The "GEM Software Productions\Cm Mod Option Selector\CMBB\Mods" folder is empty when you install CMMOS. What is the purpose of that folder? It does seem to imply and suggest that it is a folder where you should place your downloaded RULE-SETS and MOD files.

Because I want to keep all the files together, I have decided to create another folder "GEM Software Productions\Cm Mod Option Selector\CMBB\Mod Archive" folder to place my RULE-SETS and MOD files. Is this OK?

Oh yeah...and I really like it now not having to unzip the files!!!! Great feature!

Lt Bull

[edited to correct a minor error, replaced "Grey" with "Yellow"]

[ November 18, 2002, 11:50 PM: Message edited by: Lt Bull ]

[Old Dog]

Originally posted by Lt Bull:

...I am just curious. The "GEM Software Productions\Cm Mod Option Selector\CMBB\Mods" folder is empty when you install CMMOS. What is the purpose of that folder? It does seem to imply and suggest that it is a folder where you should place your downloaded RULE-SETS and MOD files.

Because I want to keep all the files together, I have decided to create another folder "GEM Software Productions\Cm Mod Option Selector\CMBB\Mod Archive" folder to place my RULE-SETS and MOD files. Is this OK?

Oh yeah...and I really like it now not having to unzip the files!!!! Great feature!

Lt Bull

Lt, if I may answer for Gordon, the purpose of the \mods folder is to hold the mods once CMMOS installs them. This may perhaps explain why CMMOS seems to be having trouble with them already being there before it installs - an overwrite issue related to the version number on the mod that it "sees" there. CMMOS is well behaved in that it only installs a later version number of an existing mod. It may "see" the uninstalled copy laying in the \mods folder and refuse to overwrite. Just guessing, but from my understanding of the version thing, this could be it. We'll let Gordon give the final answer.

As far as putting them somewhere else to keep them, yes, anyplace is OK, as is NOplace, since once CMMOS installs it has made a copy of the zipped mod in the \mods folder. If you choose not to keep a backup copy of the zipped mod, just delete your downloaded ones once CMMOS has installed them - you can always go back and copy them to another folder or a CD later if need be.

- Old Dog

[Lt Bull]

OK I have seen that CMMOS does copy the MOD files to the "GEM Software Productions\Cm Mod Option Selector\CMBB\Mods".

Still, it seems unusual that if you manually put them there yourself (and then tell CMMOS that they are located there), they will not work with CMMOS.

I will now abandon my "GEM Software Productions\Cm Mod Option Selector\CMBB\Mod Archive" folder idea.

Lt Bull

[Gordon]

Old Dog is correct in that the CMMOS Mods folder is where CMMOS stores the mods that have been installed (as well as the configuration information for the installed mods and the backed-up BFC textures from mods that have been applied).

I can honestly say that I've never tried putting a rule-set zip in the mods folder, but I can try it to see if that might be what is causing the problem.

Gordon

[Gordon]

Originally posted by Lt Bull:

Still, it seems unusual that if you manually put them there yourself (and then tell CMMOS that they are located there), they will not work with CMMOS.

Lt Bull,

It is designed to work that way, and it does work that way on my system. I also just verified that I could install a rule-set and then a mod when both were in the mods folder, so that doesn't seem to be an issue.

One question for the people who seem to be having problems, what OS are you running?

Thanks,

Gordon

[Lt Bull]

Gordon,

As I have said, I have conducted what appears to be the same "test" as you (having the rule-sets and mods originate in the "GEM Software Productions\Cm Mod Option Selector\CMBB\Mods" folder) but had the issues I described.

I am using Win XP Home (SP1).

Just another question on CMMOS. From what I gather, you can not use CMMOS to check what MOD is actually installed (if any) in your current CMBB or CMBO setup. This would be a very good feature. Is there any chance that such a feature could be incorporated into CMMOS. IIRC, I remember using a similar mod manager program for EAW and it was able to "remember" and display what mod set was currently installed.

Lt Bull

[Gordon]

Originally posted by Lt Bull:

Gordon,

As I have said, I have conducted what appears to be the same "test" as you (having the rule-sets and mods originate in the "GEM Software Productions\Cm Mod Option Selector\CMBB\Mods" folder) but had the issues I described.

I am using Win XP Home (SP1).

Just another question on CMMOS. From what I gather, you can not use CMMOS to check what MOD is actually installed (if any) in your current CMBB or CMBO setup. This would be a very good feature. Is there any chance that such a feature could be incorporated into CMMOS. IIRC, I remember using a similar mod manager program for EAW and it was able to "remember" and display what mod set was currently installed.

Lt Bull

Yes, we've definitely got a discrepency here somewhere. I believe several members of the test team have tried CMMOS on Windows XP. If you could try to repeat the experiment and e-mail me a copy of the CMMOSLog.txt file from the CMMOS install folder that might be helpful.

"gordonemolek@poboxes.com"

Regarding CMMOS "remembering" which mod options have been applied, that's problematic. Given that several different Icons/buttons can cause changes to the same BMP, it's not as simple as it would seem. In fact, CM Mod Manager also tended to lose track of which mods were actually applied if you applied mods individually.

It's something I'll continue pondering, however.

Thanks,

Gordon

[Lt Bull]

Gordon,

The file is it's way.

I can see that having CMMOS "remember" what has been installed could be tricky given that different buttons can change the same BMP.

Now I can't say exactly how CMMOS works, but I would imagine that it might be possible to use an "installed mods log file" that gets updated whenever a certain "FileList" type relating to a certain mod is called up and accessed when a user clicks on the button in CMMOS. When this occurs, the name of the mod that is being installed is put into a "slot" on the "installed mods log file" relating to THAT particular "FileList" type. If there is the name of a previous mod in the slot, it can be either deletd and replaced, or simply moved down the list and the new name added to "active" slot position (so as to retain a complete install history).

The program could then scan the "installed mods log file" and read what mod had been installed for each "FileList" type (if any). This could then perhaps trigger a format change to that particular mod button in CMMOS to show it in a highlighted colour (indicating that it was the LAST mod installed to have exclusively accessed the complete "FileList" type for that vehicle/terrain etc.

Just a half assed idea of something I don't really know too much about. Any sense in it?

Lt Bull

[jKMkIII]

One problem.

CMMOS needs to have "Barbarossa to Berlin.exe" in order to work, but european version has CombatMission2.exe ...when created copy with correct name everything started working.

Before created that copy I couldn't install any rulesets, it just made clicking noise, and every time started CMMOS it asked where Barbarossa to Berlin.exe is located..

[jKMkIII]

Oh and one question. Not really an problem, but anyway..

When you select mod you can select what options you choose and then you have Done and Apply buttons. Does anyone else think that when you press Done your selection should be applied and window closed? With current funtionality it should be Apply and Close.

Heh. Can anyone quess what I do for work?

[Lt Bull]

Originally posted by jKMkIII:

When you select mod you can select what options you choose and then you have Done and Apply buttons. Does anyone else think that when you press Done your selection should be applied and window closed? With current funtionality it should be Apply and Close.

Yeah, I looked at that as well and could reason for confusion. Perhaps the "Done" button should be renamed "Exit" or "Close". Clicking "Done" may imply that something has in fact been done, but this button just exits from that screen, regardless if anything at all has been done. Considering that there are just two buttons as it is, I do not think that one of them should "apply and close" the window. What would you make the other button? If it is "Done" (or close/exit) then the user will ALWAYS exit the screen upon applying the mod. If it is "Apply", then the user will have to apply a mod change to exit.

Originally posted by jKMkIII:

Heh. Can anyone quess what I do for work?

Software engineer/engineer? I am the later. We are a painful lot on a never ending quest trying to find ways to improve things (until we stuff something up at which point we walk away and blame it on some other engineer).

Lt Bull

[General Tacticus]

Just one problem....

...I've successfully installed and used various "pigpen" mods - no problem there (so, I seem to know what I'm doing )...however, while I can install the rule set and mods for the "Winterfarhzeuge, dunkelgrau", CMMOS does not create any buttons for me to use the mods...

here is a excerpt from the log

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">WARNING: Key file "53470.txt" has an invalid extension

WARNING: Key file "57240_ww.txt" has an invalid extension</pre>

[Hortlund]

Originally posted by Gordon:

Leutnant Hortlund,

You placed the mods in the CMBB mod sub-folder?

Please e-mail me at "gordonemolek@poboxes.com" as I'd like to completely understand what happened.

Thanks,

Gordon

I'll answer here instead since I cant access my mail from work.

After I installed CM2, I created my own folder inside the CM2 folder. I thought it would be convinient to have all mods in one place. I named this new folder "mods". During the past weeks I've downloaded all mods into this "mods"-folder. I have kept all the zip files there (including the 250+Meg realcolor mod).

So, anyway. I downloaded the cmmos file, together with all the mods that are avaliable at the cmhq-site. I also downloaded all those "rule sets".

Ok, so now everything is inside my "mods"-folder inside my "cm2"-folder.

Next I decide to install cmmos, so I run the .exe-file. I can see how it unpacks alot of zip files. "Good" I think.

Next thing I get an error message. I dunno exactly what it said. I figure "ok, I'll just try that again". But my "mods"-folder is empty. Everything is gone, all zip-files, all txt-files and that cmmos.exe file.

"Hoorayy" I think.

No worries though, Im sitting on broadband at home, so it will only take an hour or two to download all that stuff again.

Regards

Steve

[jKMkIII]

Originally posted by Lt Bull:

Yeah, I looked at that as well and could reason for confusion. Perhaps the "Done" button should be renamed "Exit" or "Close". Clicking "Done" may imply that something has in fact been done, but this button just exits from that screen, regardless if anything at all has been done. Considering that there are just two buttons as it is, I do not think that one of them should "apply and close" the window. What would you make the other button? If it is "Done" (or close/exit) then the user will ALWAYS exit the screen upon applying the mod. If it is "Apply", then the user will have to apply a mod change to exit.

First two times I pressed Done and on third time when pressed Apply noticed much longer delay..

Well considering that there is no input in mod option selection screen I think Cancel and OK (which also applies selection) would be correct.

If there would be several preview pictures and CMMOS would show one that has selected options, which would be great, then I would put Cancel, Apply and OK (which again applies selection)

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by jKMkIII:

Heh. Can anyone quess what I do for work?

Software engineer/engineer? I am the later. We are a painful lot on a never ending quest trying to find ways to improve things (until we stuff something up at which point we walk away and blame it on some other engineer).

Lt Bull[/QB]</font>

[SaTyR]

My OS is Windows 2000 Pro (with SP3).

When I placed the mod zips in ...\cmmos\cmbb\mods, added the rulesets and the mods in CMMOS (the preview images were shown at this point), it never gave me the options on the mod selection screen, I alt+tabbed, went to ...\cmmos\cmbb\mods and manually examined the mod zips... they were all EMPTY. And by empty I mean they had a size informed in the description but when tried unpacking nothing showed inside. Went back to the CMMOS, tried viewing the mods again and the previews were gone too (I could remove the mods but couldn't then add them back, for the zips were EMPTY). I am no guru so I do not know what causes this on my (and by the posts here, some of yours) system, but the problem for me is minimal, just re-downloaded the zips and relocated them to a different folder (aptly named modzips... clever me ) and PRESTO ! everything works just fine.

And I repeat, I'm no guru, but I've worked with PC systems from the days your main OS was DOS, so I just tried again, tried different solutions and came up with a way that works (for me), didn't feel the need to start the umphteenth HELP! of ANGRY! thread about it. Can see how modem users and PPL used to modern PC "plug&pray" tech might get a bit upset tho' (this rant brought to you by: "Nerves: tell me why to bumb the FAQ thread again just for it to descent back to the oblivion because of idiotic whiney threads").

Glad to see you intended the ...\cmmos\cmbb\mods folder to work the way I first tried to use it and glad that on some PPLs OS it does. I't doesn't on mine for some reason and just wanted to give a warning or an advice to those having problems like me. Thanks again for the CMMOS 4.0, it's great now that I got it working.