Difference between revisions of "User:Demolishun"

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imported>Demolishun
 
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== What I am working on... ==
== What I am working on...Actually it is DONE!!! ==
Developing a mod to tweak weapons.  Yes, vague, but purposely vague.


=== Current feature being working on: ===
I am working on a plugin for OBSE.  It will allow UDP communication between Oblivion and an external app.  The plugin will allow for data to be converted to and from JSON messages that will convert to and from oblivion objects.  It will also have the ability to launch an external app to connect to the engine and handle more advanced processes like databases, remote resources, and other tasks.  The plugin will just be a transport.  That will be the scope of the interface.  This should allow modders to add significant functionality to the engine without extraneous features.
I am making the decision to bag the parser and use variables to set features on specific effects.  I will document on how to add a new effect by creating a mod.  I will also show how to add the function call for the new feature into the original mod so that extensions can be made without messing with the original mod.  This gives us the full power of scripting and keeps me from doing a ton of work on a crappy parser.  For now I will store variables so the existing features can be tweaked.  I will also allow for storing variables for add on mods too.  This should satisfy anyone's need to expand while not making it unbearable to code.


Along with these changes I am making the decision to make this mod require Pluggy version 125.  This is because I am lazy, the plugin makes it so much better, and it satisfies a need to make persistence across game characters.  I really like the idea that some things in a new game will be influenced by past actions in a different life so to speak.  Expect weapons and NPCs to be affected.  Won't say how, but they will.
I am using the boost framework to get a reliable networking code base.  I am also using a very mature JSON library to handle parsing of data both to and from the engine.  I have just finished the parser and am testing it.  I have simple UDP up and running in a thread and I can send and receive data to the engine.


=== Past features: ===
Notes:
==== May 8th 2010 ====
In order to convert a FormID or RefID number I needed to build a TESForm and set the ID against it.  So this is the code needed to do so if you have the ID:
Wow, learned a lot about Pluggy and what can and can't be done.  I also learned something about what can and can't be done is OBSE.  One thing that threw me was you can't convert a Pluggy string to an OBSE string in the 125 version of Pluggy.  To get around this I used StringSetName from Pluggy to set the name on an object.  Then I used GetName to turn it into an OBSE string.  This allows me to get a string with a maximum length of 255 characters out of an INI file.  Good enough for what I need.


==== May 1st 2010 ====
UInt32 tref;
The main feature currently being worked on is running a 'script' of sorts from a setting in a Pluggy INI file. What I am planning on now is creating a stack processor.  This will allow me to create finite stack commands stored in the INI file to manipulate a value.  Here is an example:
  g_serialization->ResolveRefID(tint,&tref);
<pre>
TESForm *formref = LookupFormByID((UInt32)tref);
; in OBSE:
[[User:Demolishun|Demolishun]] 16:32, 14 June 2012 (EDT)
let attackValue += baseAttack + (weaponHits/1000)
</pre>
Okay, that code makes some assumptions like variables being there and stuff.  I can store that string in the INI file, but I cannot execute it.  So to do that I create a stack:
<pre>
; stored in INI file
script0="get#weaponHits"
script1="/#1000"
script2="+#baseAttack"
script3="+=#attackValue"
</pre>
Now the code to parse that and generate an output will take some work.  It will be stored in an array.  The array will be parsed at the appropriate place in the mod script and applied to values stored in StringMaps.  Not as quick as script, but doable to have simple code embedded in an INI file.  The main goal is extensibility and uniformity of implementing features in the mod.  It forces everything to be organized and consistent leading to better more extensible code.  At least that is what I tell myself when getting the brain damage to implement this.


==== April 24th 2010 ====
Equip and unequip modification of the weapon.  Drop the weapon and it looks normal.  Pick it up and it is "tweaked".  For this to work the weapon has a script attached to it.  I also developed a spell that will add this script to any weapon.  I was inspired by the OBSE AddScript command, but followed the directions to use a base weapon with the script already, make a clone, and copy the attributes of the weapon to be copied.  So no actual usage of the AddScript command.  OBSE 18 has been instrumental for the features needed to accomplish this.  My favorite feature of this equip/unequip tweak is the 'stack' I implemented to allow detection of what was previously equipped.  I will be creating an article on this later.


Mostly just learning to script in Oblivion and lamenting that the language is not: C, C++, Perl, Python, Basic, etc.  Really, I am over it, but still.
=== Wild ideas: ===
Implementing logic outside the engine using Python.  This is done too!


== Things I would like to see in OBSE 19 ==
=== Current feature being worked on: ===
The ability to run an external command line application like you can when you run 'cmd' in the 'Run' command under Windows.  The ability to parse what is returned could be excellent for interfacing to a huge amount of external tools.  For instance, sqlite, which is a file based database that can be run from the command line.  The interface would be simple: command to run plus args, return whatever the tool sent to stdin in a string_var.
Plugin for OBSE to realize the stuff I want to do.
* Plugin for network access.
* Use plugin to attach to external resources through Python.
* Ability to store objects and restore them, or even create new objects.
* Potential for a master server run by groups of individuals to do actual pen and paper role play through the engine.  Note: I am NOT going to write this.  I am going to provides the tools so someone else can.
* Pull data off of websites to affect content in the game.
* Use a database to store relational data that can be persistent between games/characters.  You could potentially use it to meet up with your other character somewhere in the game world.  This could also be used to add persistent gameworld features.
* Create plugins that store items that you can access by other players.
* Control the game externally.
 
Let me be clear on the scope of the plugin.
* It will provide access to the local machine by providing a UDP port on the 127.0.0.1 address.
* It will NOT have any kind of security features.
* I do not recommend allowing external machines to access the UDP port.  Firewall it off and only allow programs on the local machine to access the port.
* Use a program to access the port on the same machine that provides any services for getting data external to the machine.  This means use a program that is designed with security in mind and can handle possible external attacks to the machine.
* Using this approach keeps the code in the plugin very simple and robust.  It will do whatever it does very well and nothing else.  Otherwise you end up never finishing and have a buggy implementation nobody can use.
* KISS is the approach I am taking: Keep It Simple Stupid.  Less is more.
 
== Things I would like to see in OBSE 21 ==
Animation triggers that can be tied to events like Sound keys.

Latest revision as of 00:02, 16 April 2013

What I am working on...Actually it is DONE!!![edit | edit source]

I am working on a plugin for OBSE. It will allow UDP communication between Oblivion and an external app. The plugin will allow for data to be converted to and from JSON messages that will convert to and from oblivion objects. It will also have the ability to launch an external app to connect to the engine and handle more advanced processes like databases, remote resources, and other tasks. The plugin will just be a transport. That will be the scope of the interface. This should allow modders to add significant functionality to the engine without extraneous features.

I am using the boost framework to get a reliable networking code base. I am also using a very mature JSON library to handle parsing of data both to and from the engine. I have just finished the parser and am testing it. I have simple UDP up and running in a thread and I can send and receive data to the engine.

Notes: In order to convert a FormID or RefID number I needed to build a TESForm and set the ID against it. So this is the code needed to do so if you have the ID: 

UInt32 tref;
g_serialization->ResolveRefID(tint,&tref);
TESForm *formref = LookupFormByID((UInt32)tref);

Demolishun 16:32, 14 June 2012 (EDT)


Wild ideas:[edit | edit source]

Implementing logic outside the engine using Python. This is done too!

Current feature being worked on:[edit | edit source]

Plugin for OBSE to realize the stuff I want to do.

  • Plugin for network access.
  • Use plugin to attach to external resources through Python.
  • Ability to store objects and restore them, or even create new objects.
  • Potential for a master server run by groups of individuals to do actual pen and paper role play through the engine. Note: I am NOT going to write this. I am going to provides the tools so someone else can.
  • Pull data off of websites to affect content in the game.
  • Use a database to store relational data that can be persistent between games/characters. You could potentially use it to meet up with your other character somewhere in the game world. This could also be used to add persistent gameworld features.
  • Create plugins that store items that you can access by other players.
  • Control the game externally.

Let me be clear on the scope of the plugin.

  • It will provide access to the local machine by providing a UDP port on the 127.0.0.1 address.
  • It will NOT have any kind of security features.
  • I do not recommend allowing external machines to access the UDP port. Firewall it off and only allow programs on the local machine to access the port.
  • Use a program to access the port on the same machine that provides any services for getting data external to the machine. This means use a program that is designed with security in mind and can handle possible external attacks to the machine.
  • Using this approach keeps the code in the plugin very simple and robust. It will do whatever it does very well and nothing else. Otherwise you end up never finishing and have a buggy implementation nobody can use.
  • KISS is the approach I am taking: Keep It Simple Stupid. Less is more.

Things I would like to see in OBSE 21[edit | edit source]

Animation triggers that can be tied to events like Sound keys.

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