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TECHREP #00013

reported by Julien Vida on August 20, 2014

FROM: Tools Commissar
TO: Arma 3 Modders
MATERIEL CATEGORY: Tools
CIRCUMSTANCES: Version 0.72 (Game Updater, Buldozer Configurator, Miscellaneous fixes, Dedicated Server updates)
SIZE: ~28 MB / ~538 MB

STATUS

A sentence can be more readable then a wall of 'technical' info in a change log. So, after 12 TECHREPs, we've decided to make them more talkative. With 3 development branch updates behind us, the tools suite turns into its version 0.72 with a slew of fixes and changes, including new tools.

The first one is called “Game Updater”, which aims to improve the experience of switching between the Steam branches of Arma 3 by the avoiding hassle of additional downloads every time you change. In its directory, you will also find Arma3GU which is able to run your additional copy of the game (because some Arma 3 data are registry-driven). It accepts the same startup parameters as the game itself.

Artists may use the second new tool: "Buldozer Configurator". It enables users to configure the Buldozer viewer for Object Builder and Terrain Builder. In addition, they may consult the Buldozer manual released last week.

Thanks to your feedback, reports, forum threads, our Q&A and experience, we were able to fix and improve a lot of points. Included are some very frustrating redundant issues on the batch scripts (DevP, MapDisk and MapFolders). There are probably some remaining issues; if you experience any, let us know! By the way, documentation for the little-known MapFolders utility has been published on the Community Wiki.

Be aware that Buldozer (the viewer) will not work as expected if you run Object Builder from Steam or from Arma 3 Tools Launcher if this last was ran from Steam. The best case of use is to run Arma 3 Tools Launcher from the installation directory and run Object Builder from it. 

Finally, modding students have new samples to play with: functions inside an addon and fonts.

CHANGELOG

  • Publisher
    • Changed: Separate DLL for the Steam interface which is used by Launcher and Publisher
    • Fixed: Remove close on ESC key press
    • Changed: Log file has been renamed to RPT
  • Addon Builder
    • Fixed: Crash on first start, default EXE path was not set
    • Fixed: On hover issues with buttons (they tried to run away)
    • Fixed: Paths to EXEs were not properly initialized after fresh installation, which caused a crash
  • Game Updater
    • Added: First iteration, no UI skin yet
  • Object Builder
    • Added: Standard layout after first installation
  • Terrain Builder
    • Fixed: Missing DLLs on start-up
  • Buldozer Configurator
    • Added: First iteration
  • Arma 3 Tools Launcher
    • Added: Menu item to explore the samples folder
    • Added: Menu item to run MapFolders
    • Changed: Order of initialization during startup
    • Changed: "Temporary" deactivation of "Buldozer Check" because of a blocking issue when P drive path is not the same as the tools
    • Fixed: It was not possible to run DSSign utilities
    • Fixed: License check was frozen when the settings.ini file was missing or incorrect
    • Fixed: Loaded assemblies were not correctly displayed in logs
    • Added: License manager
    • Added: Check installation at startup
    • Added: Splash screen during loading
    • Added: EULA manager (used by other tools)
    • Changed: License management
    • Changed: Icon of Addon Builder
    • Changed: The application closed itself when -clearSetting argument was used
    • Fixed: It was possible to use it without agreeing to the license
    • Changed: The menus have been reorganized a little
    • Changed: If the "run mode" is entered (/mode=run) and the given tool is unsupported, it returns an error in Logs\Arma3ToolsOperations.log
    • Fixed: The generated settings.ini wasn't in UTF-8 charset (no longer with the system charset)
    • Known issue: The license dialog can be unresponsive when the license is not yet accepted
      • Run Buldozer Configurator or File assoc to validate the license
  • CfgConvert
    • Fixed: Crash while using array extension
  • Common Libraries
    • Changed: Updated assembly info
    • Fixed: Loaded assemblies were not correctly displayed in logs
    • Added: More common functions and modules
    • Fixed: It added wrongly some parameters in the registry (the next iteration will clean the wrong entries)
  • DevP
    • Changed: Improved logs (readability and relevance)
    • Changed: For safety reasons, -clearInstall is no longer executed on uninstall (mainly because Steam run uninstall scripts when it verifies the cache)
    • Fixed: Some systems added a whitespace at the beginning and/or end of strings retrieved from the registry
    • Fixed: DevP was spamming mapDisk and mapFolders logs
    • Added: Window has a descriptive title
    • Fixed: Copy of (PhysX) DLLs on some OS
    • Fixed: "the system cannot find the batch label specified - formateddate"
    • Fixed: Copy of Steam_api.dll
  • InstallScript
    • Added: Game Updater
    • Added: FileAssoc
    • Changed: Version
  • MapDisk
    • Added: Window has a descriptive title
    • Changed: Improved logs (readability and relevance)
    • Fixed: Some systems added a whitespace at the beginning and/or end of strings retrieved from the registry
  • MapFolders
    • Changed: Improved logs (readability and relevance)
    • Fixed: Some links were wrong
    • Fixed: Some systems added a whitespace at the beginning and/or end of strings retrieved from the registry
    • Added: Window has a descriptive title
    • Added: Symbolic link of Arma 3 path from Game Updater to P Drive (A3_dev)
    • Added: Symbolic link of Samples_F to P Drive (if P drive is not the Arma 3 Tools installation folder)
  • Samples
    • Added: Sound parameter for doors (house sample)
    • Fixed: Configuration of Lamp sample
    • Fixed: Configuration of House sample
    • Fixed: Configuration of Boat sample
    • Fixed: Configuration of Car sample
    • Fixed: Configuration of Character sample
    • Fixed: Configuration of Heli sample
    • Fixed: Configuration of Plane sample
    • Added: Sample for Functions Addon
    • Added: Sample for Font Addon
    • Fixed: There were some selected parts on first opening of Test_Boat_01.p3d
    • Fixed: There was some selected parts on first opening of Test_Car_01.p3d
    • Fixed: There were some selected parts on first opening of Test_Heli_01_Wreck.p3d
    • Fixed: There were some selected parts on first opening of Test_Heli_01.p3d
    • Fixed: There were some selected part on first opening of test_weapon_01_F.p3d
  • Settings.ini
    • Changed: Now used by Game Updater in some cases
    • Fixed: Arma 3 AppID for development branch
  • Diagnostic script
    • Fixed: “Cannot open file <report name>”
  • Updated: Stand-alone Windows Dedicated Server (1.26)
  • Updated: Stand-alone Linux Dedicated Server (1.26)
    • Known issue: When BattlEye is enabled, clients may get kicked immediately
    • Known issue: If you start the server without Steam running you'll get following log message:
      • "[S_API FAIL] SteamAPI_Init() failed; SteamAPI_IsSteamRunning() failed."
      • This is OK since running Steam is not necessary for Dedicated Servers
    • Known issue: Steam client modifies the steam_appid.txt file incorrectly. In case of issues, verify its content is: 107410
    • Known issue: Sometimes the add-ons are loaded from the wrong installation (e.g. main game)
      • Try adding -mod=curator;kart;dlcbundle to your arma3server.exe shortcut

NOTES

  • You can find the tools package in the Steam library (switch the filter to "Tools") - "Arma 3 Tools"
  • You can find the servers in the Steam tools library - "Arma 3 Server" (based on your OS, it will download the Windows or Linux version)
    • Administrators can also use the command-line SteamCMD utility. The app ID is to be 233780.

    • Physics simulation powered by NVIDIA® PhysX™. NVIDIA® and PhysX™ are trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation and are used under license.

  • You will probably need to start the primary tool once to add all needed registry entries for the rest of tools.

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