IL-2 Campaign Installer v1.0

[TheEnlightenedFlorist]

Originally Posted by Gamekeeper

To help campaign builders out there can you tell us what files need to be in place for campaigns to install and work correctly?

I don't make 'em, I just install 'em.

Look here. Starting at #4.

It seems you need to create a file named Campaign.ini and put the order of the missions in it. Then you need to create a base mission called "Campaign" and make a briefing in a certain way. Also, a picture can be used for the Campaign menu.

I've attached the campaign I used while testing. Hopefully, along with the post I linked to, it will make things clearer.

Originally Posted by Gamekeeper

Steam will wipe any installed campaigns when checking integrity of files a back up utility would be a good additional feature or even separate utility.

If I remember correctly, Steam only overwrites the campaigns.ini file. The actual campaign data remains. What we really need is a second campaigns.ini file in addition to the original. That way campaigns can be easily added, but there is no risk of accidentally deleting the original campaigns and if it does happen, they can be restored using Steam.

[von Pilsner]

Great idea, hopefully soon there will be lots of (English language) campaigns to use it with.

Thanks for putting this together.

[TheEnlightenedFlorist]

Updated: An uninstaller has been added. I cannot guarantee correct uninstallation of campaigns not installed by this program. Added a function to backup and restore the campaigns.ini file. Also, renamed program to work around Microsoft's BS.

As Airwarfare is currently down, I will update that link later.

[Gamekeeper]

We're back up now, our hosts had a power outage

[Ataros]

After the recent patch there is no need to edit campaign xml manually.
http://www.sukhoi.ru/forum/showthrea...=1#post1646257

Here is an example of how to make your campaign:
TstCampaign.rar http://www.sukhoi.ru/forum/attachmen...4&d=1309250431

put everything in the root of the game >> AddIns. Respectively, add tst.campaign.xml item containing menu path and the path to the campaign handler, which is to be located in 'parts' directory (the game scans all the xml in folder AddIns). In your mission folder will actually be the campaign files. In parts \ tst \ src \ Campaign - sources, TstMission.cs - base class for the mission, TstCampaign.cs - campaign handler. When working in the campaign "My Documents \ folder games \ mission" will create a folder "tst" in which ini file with campaign progress is located, and of all that is needed for the progress and statistics can be written there. Thus no need to change any source configs for your campaigns, Steam updates will not overwrite anything, and installers do not have to split hairs overwriting stuff.

[TheEnlightenedFlorist]

Originally Posted by Ataros

After the recent patch there is no need to edit campaign xml manually.
http://www.sukhoi.ru/forum/showthrea...=1#post1646257

I wonder if there's a world record for least amount of time a piece of software was relevant.

[dflion]

Originally Posted by Ataros

After the recent patch there is no need to edit campaign xml manually.
http://www.sukhoi.ru/forum/showthrea...=1#post1646257

Thanks 'Ataros' for this post and thanks 'TheEnlightenedFlorist' for all your efforts to get the campaigns working.

I have just been looking at the three Russian BOB campaigns in detail and they have done an excellent job. I am now busy converting my 'single mission' campaigns (Spitfire Dawn and JG26) to proper campaigns.

One thing I did notice, is that for some reason, when you finish a mission in the campaign, then come out of the simulator, when I came back to carry on with the next campaign mission, I had to start from scratch again, in two cases. At other times it went onto the next campaign mission ok.

Have you any thoughts about what is happening here?

DFLion

[Ataros]

Sorry, I do not know anything about campaigns as never flown nor created any yet. I just translated a post from a developer.

.cs files are usually related to missions I think. At lease to make a script working in online mission it has to have the same name as mission file.

In the campaign Spitfires over Dunkirk you can see the same, each mission has a .cs file with the same name. And yes, these .cs files are created manually in C# Visual Studio for instance. Check out the (1) link in my sig.

[dflion]

Originally Posted by Ataros

After the recent patch there is no need to edit campaign xml manually.
http://www.sukhoi.ru/forum/showthrea...=1#post1646257

Do you have to manually create a .cs file, or if all the .msn file are put into a file structure within COD, does this action automatically create the campaign's .cs files?

I am not a 'programmer' but willing to learn. I know the .cs files activate the campaign mission's actions, triggers etc. Can you just put a 'copied' basic .cs file into the game structure to get the campaign activated. When I learn the programming language, I will alter them later?

DFLion

[TheEnlightenedFlorist]

Originally Posted by dflion

Do you have to manually create a .cs file, or if all the .msn file are put into a file structure within COD, does this action automatically create the campaign's .cs files?

I am not a 'programmer' but willing to learn. I know the .cs files activate the campaign mission's actions, triggers etc. Can you just put a 'copied' basic .cs file into the game structure to get the campaign activated. When I learn the programming language, I will alter them later?

DFLion

For the most part, you can just recompile naryv's example. You just have to edit a few path variables depending on where your campaign will be stored and change some names. Naryv says he will create a generic .dll that will make it easier to make a campaign. However, it will take away a lot of the customization possibilities and you will still probably want to write scripts for your missions. If you don't know Java or C#, I suggest waiting for that.... And learning C# in the meantime.