Unit Browser

Frostion

I just tested it out. Seems like a usefull tool if it got tweeked a bit. I can imagine it being used when mapmakers compared units across maps, troubleshooting, looking at different nation unit sets etc.

I have experienced some problems using it, so I will just describe them, and add some of my thought to how the tool could become more convenient to use:

• I can’t get unit images to work. I have the maps unzipped (as I normally have when working on them).

• As there is a lot of stats shown in a long row, it would be nice if one did not have to mouseover to see a pupop of what the individual stats/pictures mean. I think it would be great if there was a fixed and permanently displayed bar between the “Show Misc”, “Show Combat/Cost” and the area where units are listed, so that when one scrolls down the list, the explanation bar would always be shown over the units list.

• There are some maps that make use of custom unit tooltips. Maybe you should implement this also? Tooltips can make use of images also, as seen here from AoT Cold War:

• As 99% of non-mapmakers probably always have the maps zipped, it would be excellent if the tool could read the XMLs of zipped maps also.

• If possible, you should make the tool automatically look for / know where the downloadedMaps dir is, so that one did not have to look browse your way through the computer to find it. Also, I think it is only developers and mapmakers that actually have reasons to know where this directory is located, normal players would not have a reason to know.

• When loading another XML / map, it would be cool if one did not have to browse to that new XML. It would be nice if everything going on in the UBr was happening in a single screen and if selecting was just a drop down list of maps/XMLs that could be selected. Meaning no browsing back and forth to/from a “load xml” screen.

(Maybe the two above mentioned things could be realized if the UBr was installed via an exe, placed in the downloadedMaps dir, with a shortcut placed on the desktop?)

Mahks

I don't see AoT Cold war, I loaded Cold War and it worked

Mahks

@frostion Said
"I can’t get unit images to work. I have the maps unzipped (as I normally have when working on them)".

Did you download the tool to your "downloadedMaps" directory? and run it from there.
Browsers are not able to use a computers file system for security reasons. So it is not possible to search the clients drive.
You should only have to load an XML once, the browser will remember it after that.
The change scenario list will show all the games you loaded.

@frostion Said
"As there is a lot of stats shown in a long row, it would be nice if one did not have to mouseover to see a pupop of what the individual stats/pictures mean. I think it would be great if there was a fixed and permanently displayed bar between the “Show Misc”, “Show Combat/Cost” and the area where units are listed, so that when one scrolls down the list, the explanation bar would always be shown over the units list."

Originally I had the stat titles showing, but found it was not needed, when you use the tool, you quickly learn the icons, and only ever have to access the tooltip for an icon that you had not seen for a while. I can put those titles back I guess.

prastle

@mahks AoT Cold War is part of age of tribes just open the modern? start if I recall correctly.

Mahks

@prastle Ahh, Ok found it.
Yes that map works fine for me too.

Mahks

@frostion Just realized that UBr does not work in IE or Edge, surprised? I'm not...

To run UBr from the downloadedMaps directory:

Right click on the UBr.html file
Select "Open with" and choose either Firefox or Chrome
Bookmark the location once it opens.

Images should show with that method.

Frostion

@Mahks Thank you I will try.

Mahks

Put titles back in:

UBr Update

Mahks

@frostion I see that the Age of Tribes map has most units getting added to production frontiers via triggers.
Am working on rendering the 2,271 trigger attachments down to a data set UBr can use.
Looks like I will have to implement some filters too, otherwise the unit list will be cluttered with all the "tech units".

Do you know of other maps that use a lot of triggers to add units?

General_Zod

@mahks

The unit browser is a neat idea too. Can it support unit bonuses too. The ones that come from a supportAttachment or techAttachment bonuses. Maybe even territory effect bonuses.

Mahks

@general_zod Haha currently working on that

General_Zod

@mahks

One thing TripleA lacks badly is a player friendly battle calculator. Maybe this idea can be used there as well.

Our current battle calculator is very limiting.

Mahks

Did you get UBr to display images?

General_Zod

@mahks I haven't tried yet. I only loaded the xml from an unzipped folder.

Mahks

Did you mean a zipped file?
How were you able to do that? when I click a zip file with UBr the contents does not show...

If the folder is unzipped then images should show, assuming you ran UBr from the downloadedMaps directory

General_Zod

@mahks

I copied the link to the Unit Browser into the "DownloadedMaps" folder and still no unit mages load.

Mahks

@general_zod are you running it from there with chrome or firefox?

General_Zod

@mahks MS Edge

Mahks

@general_zod IE & edge - no worky, they do not even load UBr on my system

Mahks

@general_zod Got the support bonuses working:

UBr Update

Filters may be configured under "Settings" (Not 100% happy with those yet)

The techAttachments do not look like they will be useful.
Since they are dependant on whether the player has the tech or not, it would be hard to display, unless there is a popup with all techs switched on, but ... messy...