Exultstudio is only half working?

[Korneluk]

First of all, thanks to all of you folks who've been putting so much effort into the Ultima games. It's exciting that tools have been developed that let's one play around with the worlds of Britannia and the Feudal Lords...
But Houston...Studio seems to be set up correctly in that I can open it with the ctrl+alt+M. I can place objects and change chunks. I'll chalk up my inability to open up a new "blank" world as per Jeff's instructions in the studio docs to my colourlessness about, well, alot of things. If I can get the basics happening I'll try again.

When I say Studio is only half working this is because, for example, when I should be able to double-click an NPC or object to edit there attributes/position/quality, nothing happens other than them being surrounded by a red outline. I thought perhaps I had to select them first, than switch back to the studio page and 'edit properties' or something but....

Could it be that while I can get Studio to run, I have neglected to place a certain file or specify a path manually?
Thanks in advance to anyone kind enough to help a noob.

[Dominus]

What's your OS? Are you running the Exult snapshot?

[Korneluk]

Windows XP and I have 1.4.05 for exult. Am I right in thinking that the Exult studio windows snap shot(work in progress) would be a part of the studio already since I downloaded the studio yesterday? I thought that this might be what's missing, but when I went to save\run it it stated that It already exists.

[Korneluk]

Now I see that 'Edit', for example, doesn't work on Windows systems. Is windows just too lame to properly use the studio?

[Dominus]

I take a look later on, in the meantime, make sure you have both the latest snapshots of Exult and Exult Studio installed, also that both are installed to the same folder.
Also please post the contents of the *.log files found in the Exult folder (should be four).

Taht edit is also not working is a sympton of the same problem. I should work.

[Korneluk]

OK, i'll have a look at what you said later. I appreciate that you've taken time to help me. What I am hoping for eventually, is that I can use Exult+Studio to learn how to use the U7 usecode. I am wanting to learn how these basic building blocks work. With the studio, plus simple usecode, I imagine I could take an empty NPC and get it to walk back and forth. 'talking' to it would initiate dialogue where I could ask 'what are you doing?' and the NPC responds. 'walking.' ends dialogue.

Anyways. Usecode for U7 is a basic programing language? Or has it been built with something like c++? Can the usecode let me understand how to program? Or is it like a matrix on top of the real bones and muscle of the program?

By the way, while i may ask these questions, I am looking for the answers myself and experimenting however I can. I don't expect that even making simple things happen 'in-game' is easy and don't expect to be able to just click a magic wand to build a world. I recognize and respect that you must have spent alot of time to learn what you know. If there are any very basic resources to learn from that you can point me towards I would be very thankful.

[Dominus]

Usecode is a C-like language which was conceived by the original Ultima 7 team, decoded by many people and greatly enahnced since then.
Examples are in our sourcecode in the /content folder. An old list of stuff can be found at http://web.archive.org/web/200712172338 ... .de/exult/

[Dominus]

Just tested current snapshot of Exult + Exult Studio and it is working fine for me on Windows XP SP3 (all current updates installed).
So something is wrong on your end.
Please check whether you are using the latest snapshots, installed to the same folder, copy/aste the contents of the log files.

[Korneluk]

Again, thank you Dominus. The strange thing is that I can't see any log files within the Exult folder. I can find such things in other programs so I think it's not my noobishness causing me to miss seeing them.

However....I uninstalled Exult and did a fresh install of 1.2, plus the current snapshots, 1.4.05 and used the snapshot of the studio on the download page. Now I am able to access NPC's and objects. I am still missing the .logs, and there are remnants of what I had done with exult studio this morning, but it seems I can proceed with trying to write some basic commands.
Thanks for the last link by the way, it looks like that's something I can play with. I am going to spend some time trying to make sense of the Exult documentation. If you can think of why, other than drunkenness, that I can't see the .log files, please let me know.

[Dominus]

My bad, we changed location of the files being written to away from the program files folder since these are by default not writeable to by normal users on windows vista and newer. I forgot that because windows is not my main OS these days
Edit: and while we are at it, the files are not called *.log but stdSOMETHING.txt
Sorry, out of practice

http://exult.info/docs.php#path_config_nt5 is describing where you find exult.cfg (and there will be the error logs as well)

By the way don't ever bother with the 1.2 version, it's not needed at all anymore.

[Dominus]

As for Usecode, I still advise you to also look at the examples in our sourcecode, since these (especially SI-Fixes and BG-Keyring) are much newer and up to date with what Marzo did to the Usecode language

[Korneluk]

I think these are the 4 error logs, but rather, they are called .txt, no?

stderr.txt
Warning: configuration file 'exult.cfg' is being ignored in favor of file

'/exult.cfg'.
Warning, trailing slash in path: "\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "\"
Illegal egg itype: 0
Called usecode function 403 with negative number of arguments.
The mod/game was likely compiled with an outdated version of UCC
Called usecode function 402 with negative number of arguments.
The mod/game was likely compiled with an outdated version of UCC
Called usecode function 403 with negative number of arguments.
The mod/game was likely compiled with an outdated version of UCC
Called usecode function 402 with negative number of arguments.
The mod/game was likely compiled with an outdated version of UCC

studio_err.txt
Warning: configuration file 'exult.cfg' is being ignored in favor of file

'/exult.cfg'.
Warning, trailing slash in path: "\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "c:\uc\serpent\static\map01\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "c:\uc\serpent\patch\map01\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "c:\uc\serpent\static\map02\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "c:\uc\serpent\patch\map02\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "c:\uc\serpent\static\map03\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "c:\uc\serpent\patch\map03\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "c:\uc\serpent\static\map04\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "c:\uc\serpent\patch\map04\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "c:\uc\serpent\static\map05\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "c:\uc\serpent\patch\map05\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "c:\uc\serpent\static\map06\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "c:\uc\serpent\patch\map06\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "c:\uc\serpent\static\map07\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "c:\uc\serpent\patch\map07\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "c:\uc\serpent\static\map08\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "c:\uc\serpent\patch\map08\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "c:\uc\serpent\static\map09\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "c:\uc\serpent\patch\map09\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "c:\uc\serpent\static\map0a\"
Warning, trailing slash in path: "c:\uc\serpent\patch\map0a\"
Shape num out of range: 233
Shape num out of range: 233
Shape num out of range: 233
Shape num out of range: 233
Shape num out of range: 233
Shape num out of range: 233
Shape num out of range: 233
Shape num out of range: 233
Shape num out of range: 233
Shape num out of range: 233
Shape num out of range: 233
Shape num out of range: 233
Shape num out of range: 233
Shape num out of range: 233
Shape num out of range: 233
Shape num out of range: 233
Shape num out of range: 233

stdout.txt
Executing: exult_studio -x data -g serpentisle &
Connected to client
Game paused
Game resumed
Game paused
Game resumed
Game paused
Game resumed
Game paused
Game resumed
Sent npc data to ExultStudio
Game paused
Game resumed
Sent npc data to ExultStudio
Game paused
Game resumed
Sent npc data to ExultStudio
Game paused
Game resumed
Game paused
Game resumed
Sent npc data to ExultStudio
Game paused
Npc updated
Game resumed
Sent npc data to ExultStudio
Game paused
Game resumed
Sent npc data to ExultStudio
Game paused
Npc updated
Game resumed
Sent npc data to ExultStudio
Game paused
Npc updated
Game resumed
Und sched. opcode 0x00
Current weather is 0; setting 2
Cloud: start_time = 248258
Cloud: start_time = 250445
Cloud: start_time = 252346
Sent npc data to ExultStudio
Game paused
Displaying container's gump
Game resumed
Game paused
Game resumed
Sent npc data to ExultStudio
Game paused
Game resumed
Game paused
Game resumed
Game paused
Game resumed
Game paused
Game resumed
Npc updated
Client disconnected.
Connected to client
Client disconnected.
Executing: exult_studio -x data -g serpentisle &
Game paused
Game resumed
Game paused
Game resumed
Game paused
Connected to client
Game resumed
Sent npc data to ExultStudio
Game paused
Npc updated
Game resumed
Sent npc data to ExultStudio
Game paused
Npc updated
Game resumed
Current weather is 2; setting 1
Cloud: start_time = 594917
Cloud: start_time = 596995
Cloud: start_time = 599304
Sent npc data to ExultStudio
Game paused

studio_out.txt
Looking for 'blackgate' at 'c:\uc\ultima7'... found game with identity

'FORGE'
Looking for 'serpentisle' at 'c:\uc\serpent'... found game with identity

'SILVER SEED'
Looking for '.' at 'C:\Documents and Settings\John&Izumi\Local

Settings\Application Data\Exult\.'... but it wasn't there.
Looking for 'BlueIsle.' at 'C:\Documents and Settings\John&Izumi\Local

Settings\Application Data\Exult\BlueIsle.'... but it wasn't there.
Looking for 'exult.cfg' at 'C:\Documents and Settings\John&Izumi\Local

Settings\Application Data\Exult\exult.cfg'... but it wasn't there.
Looking for 'BLUETEST.' at 'C:\Documents and Settings\John&Izumi\Local

Settings\Application Data\Exult\BLUETEST.'... but it wasn't there.
Looking for 'forgeofvirtue' at './forgeofvirtue'... but it wasn't there.
Looking for 'silverseed' at './silverseed'... but it wasn't there.
Black Gate : not found (\.)
Forge of Virtue : found
exult_bg.flx : found
Serpent Isle : not found (\.)
Silver Seed : found
exult_si.flx : found
Connected to server
Read 19 bytes from server
ID = 6
Read 2 bytes from server
ID = 30
Read 2 bytes from server
ID = 30
Read 2 bytes from server
ID = 30
Read 110 bytes from server
ID = 3
In save_npc_window()
Sent npc data to server
Read 2 bytes from server
ID = 30
Read 2 bytes from server
ID = 30
Read 116 bytes from server
ID = 3
Chose schedule 1
Chose schedule 1
Chose schedule 1
Read 6 bytes from server
ID = 34
Read 6 bytes from server
ID = 34
Read 6 bytes from server
ID = 34
Read 6 bytes from server
ID = 34
Read 6 bytes from server
ID = 34
Read 6 bytes from server
ID = 34
Read 6 bytes from server
ID = 34
Read 6 bytes from server
ID = 34
Chose schedule 2
Chose schedule 2
Chose schedule 16
Chose schedule 28
Chose schedule 11
In save_npc_window()
Sent npc data to server
Read 2 bytes from server
ID = 30
Read 2 bytes from server
ID = 30
Read 244 bytes from server
ID = 3

[Dominus]

Yes, I had edited my above post that I was also wrong about the file ending of the log files.

If I were you and you haven't yet done much, I'd nuke all my stuff again. This means
- delete C:\Documents and Settings\John&Izumi\Local Settings\Application Data\Exult
- delete C:\Program Files\Exult
- do NOT install exult 1.2
- install both the snapshots again
- also download and install the "Exult win32 Tools snapshot" as well, your log files indicate that you used an old usecode compiler (this could also be because you installed an old mod or patch, though)

I'm saying this because I'm not sure whether it (either Exult or Exult Studio) uses the correct cfg file.
Also you either started Exult per command line or did not copy/paste the whole contents of stdout.txt.

[Korneluk]

Ok, i will try this plus look back over the documentation.
Now, I just played the patch for BG that talks about Usecode. I'd like to view the source code but if I use, say notepad, it's a bunch of crazy smiles and odd shapes....so I figure I need some kind of program to view/edit/write properly. Is this Javascript or something similar?
What program have you folks used to write the usecode?

[Dominus]

Now, I just played the patch for BG that talks about Usecode.

Which patch, where did you get it?

I'd like to view the source code but if I use, say notepad, it's a bunch of crazy smiles and odd shapes....so I figure I need some kind of program to view/edit/write properly. Is this Javascript or something similar?
What program have you folks used to write the usecode?

usecode is just written with any text editor, BUT and this is your problem, after writing usecode it gets compiled with ucc (usecode compiler) which comes with the above mentioned tools snapshot. After compilation it's not much use anymore
Uncompiled usecode is generally saved as usecode.uc which will look like a normal code textfile

[Korneluk]

http://exult.info/snapshots/patch.zip.

This was where I found the patch...you're in it!

So, if I write usecode with say note pad, and compile it with ucc, it will get added into the game itself? If so, it can be accessed with the studio and attached to an NPC?
Again, I know it's not gonna be just point and click...I think I have alot of work ahead to understand this.

After installing the toolset, studios abilities have improved, that is, I can alter an new NPC's usecode. I made gargoyle who acts like Wilhelm(from the patch). Good times! To bed now, but I'll be back at it tomorrow.
Thanks again Dominus for all your help!

[Dominus]

he he, that this version of the patch is working is a miracle
That's an old (8 years) snapshot, you are better off with grabbing the one in our sourcecode.

So, if I write usecode with say note pad, and compile it with ucc, it will get added into the game itself?

No, not automatically. You need to point Exult at the usecode by adding it through a patch or a mod, just like in that islad patch.

If so, it can be accessed with the studio and attached to an NPC?

Not directly again, you have to assign an NPC the specific usecode you wrote. Studio cannot browse usecode or even understand it.

[Korneluk]

Thanks for you help again Dominus. I hope someday I can actually understand/use what you folks have put together enough to help it progress. Take care and if you come to Montreal I'll buy you a drink.