Data Format

Maltrease · #1 September 5th, 2006, 10:34 AM

What format is the data in the game available in?

Can you access all of the current unit and spell informtion in an easy way (like XML)?

Can you get all the unit sprites directly? I know in Dom2, I had to make them by taking screen shots.

Lastly... is it possible to get access to any of this data before the game is released?

I'd like to make an online unit viewer (which could eventually grow into other things). I had planned this for Dom2 but process of extracting the data was tedious and my time was lacking. My knowledge of data driven applications had grown a lot in two years and if the data is easily available I don't think it would be a huge drain to create it now. Plus the timing would seem to be much better (getting it done close to the game release) vs months later.

Arralen · #2 September 5th, 2006, 10:42 AM

No, no, no and sadly, no.
There hasn't changed anything, because the game engine is basically the same, only expanded with some neat features and functions.
Because of that there are more and more powerful mod commands now, but those would only help with the actual modding, not getting all the info.

And before someone starts crying and cursing now, please keep in mind that this great game is basically made be 1 programmer and 1 artist in their spare time. No way they could start everything from scratch ...

Maltrease · #3 September 5th, 2006, 11:12 AM

Hmm... I am sorry to hear that.

Perhaps someone could write something that extracts the data and builds an XML file with the info? I (and many others) could do so much with that.

I could probably reconfigure my auto capture program to make the sprite screen shots. I had used an OCR program to get the data but the error rate was to high.

Any ways... thanks for info Arralen.

DominionsFan · #4 September 5th, 2006, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Arralen said:
No, no, no and sadly, no.
There hasn't changed anything, because the game engine is basically the same, only expanded with some neat features and functions.
Because of that there are more and more powerful mod commands now, but those would only help with the actual modding, not getting all the info.

And before someone starts crying and cursing now, please keep in mind that this great game is basically made be 1 programmer and 1 artist in their spare time. No way they could start everything from scratch ...

Yeah, and don't forget, the modding options will be very powerful compared to other games, and probably the IW lads will add more modding options in the future, if it will be needed. It is amazing that 2 devs could make an awesome and complex game like this.

Arralen · #5 September 5th, 2006, 12:57 PM

How powerful the modding options are now:

7.14 #copystats <from>
Copies all weapons, armors, stats, magic skills and
special abilities from an existing monster. The existing
monster can be a monster that has been created
previously in the mod.

7.15 #copyspr <from>
Copies the sprite from an existing monster to the current
one. Do not use this if you intend to change the sprite
using the #spr1 command as it would change the looks
of both monsters then.

Gandalf Parker · #6 September 5th, 2006, 01:28 PM

Maltrease said:
What format is the data in the game available in?

Its not immeadiately accessable.

Can you access all of the current unit and spell informtion in an easy way (like XML)?

Much of it you can. Well, I can. There is a linux command called "strings" which will extract the text of the game. Many huge lists can be generated and made available for download.

Can you get all the unit sprites directly? I know in Dom2, I had to make them by taking screen shots.

There are new commands which will copy things into a mod. In Dom2 someone worked out a macro to screenshot and save the sprites (initial image, not movement image) and we made them all available for download. Usually the move image is a simple cut-n-paste of part of the initial image so it saved alot of time for people.
http://www.dom2minions.com/~minion/icons/
I wouldnt mind seeing that done again.

Lastly... is it possible to get access to any of this data before the game is released?

I believe that any of it can be given to you by anyone that has the game. A beta-tester or a previewer. Im not sure if any of them want to but if you have very specific desires then they might.

I'd like to make an online unit viewer (which could eventually grow into other things). I had planned this for Dom2 but process of extracting the data was tedious and my time was lacking. My knowledge of data driven applications had grown a lot in two years and if the data is easily available I don't think it would be a huge drain to create it now. Plus the timing would seem to be much better (getting it done close to the game release) vs months later.

I agree with everything that you said. But there is a problem with it. For the same reason that the icon directory I just showed you was not linked off any web page. Making it too easy for people to get copies of the game icons is pretty much gauranteeing that they will show up in other games, as avatars, as desktop icons, etc. Having those things happen within the Dominions community is one thing but having it show up all over the net is kindof irritating.

I suspect that someone will need to create an all_units game like was done for Dom2.

Gandalf Parker

Maltrease · #7 September 5th, 2006, 03:34 PM

Hi Gandalf,

Good to hear from you again. I was the one that created the macro to capture the sprites.

I've preordered the game, once I receive It can create the sprites again (assuming my old method still works).

On the other hand it seems silly to have to go to these lengths to extract the images when the orginals are available somewhere. I mean if we are going to make them anyway... why make it hard?

If somone can provide me the data in a XML format I can create the unit viewer. I know absolutely nothing about digging around in an executable file. Ideally someone would write something that can take the exe and automatically build the XML. My application would read this XML externally. Then when an update occurs the XML is re-exported and my app simply links to the updated version. This way updates are easy.

I imagine a lot of other people could do all sorts of great things with the XML.

I can wait until after the game is released to release the viewer (assuming its done before then) if anyone is concerned about spoiling something...

Gandalf Parker · #8 September 5th, 2006, 04:58 PM

Well its up to Illwinter and Shrapnel whether or not we can make the images available online. I dont want to create a monstrous clampdown across the board.

Endoperez · #9 September 5th, 2006, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Maltrease said:
Hi Gandalf,

Good to hear from you again. I was the one that created the macro to capture the sprites.

I've preordered the game, once I receive It can create the sprites again (assuming my old method still works).

That depends... How big were the sprites your script extracted? The size hasn't changed since DomII, but I recall finding out the some of the extracted pictures were only half the size of the DomII originals, and thus while the units were identifiable, they still couldn't be used in mods.
I don't know how your script works. You might have to test out to see how big the commander icons should be, and if you used (virtual?) keyboard commands to scroll the command list you'll have to change it to +/- keys.

Maltrease · #10 September 5th, 2006, 06:53 PM

Its been a while, but I believe I captured the images at a very large size (like the size they appear when you look at the unit detail). I then cropped and resized everything to 64x64 pixels.

Most units used a very small amount of the 64x64 space as they were all relative to the larger units.

For example - The Great Mother
http://www.dom2minions.com/~minion/i...her%20copy.gif

vs
Old Centurion
http://www.dom2minions.com/~minion/i...ion%20copy.gif

Is that not how the units work now? Or do all of them fill the 64x64 block and size is determined by another variable?

If Illwinter/Shrapnel would prefer I don't make the images thats fine as well.

My idea was to create a flash version of a unit viewer. I know many of the people that would like Dominions are into all the nooks and details of things. I frequently read spell list, technologies or weapon details of games I'm interested in buying.

I just wanted to float the idea out there. I'd love to contribute to the community.