Custom items/blocks path and size needs a fix

[wraith]

Hello everyone

ok i am not back to TM just yet, just messing around with some guys on projects, But
why can not people load tracks when someone who as sat for days and days making a Custom Item
for the TM fans, only to see sorry can not load track "you do not have that custom item"

example testing a item for someone today, so i built a nice layout of a track, used his items
saved all my work, then sent the track to him, guess what he gets "you do not have that custom item"
WRONG he made them he does have the Custom Items.

So nadeo if the blocks are hosted somewhere and we have loc files, why does it not work ?
why let people make custom blocks when others can not see them ?
ok i know its maybe linked to copyrights etc, but hey i think its time for a change, if we can not host
them on maniapark, its time for you's to find a way/a host to vet items/blocks which can be seen in game
without "you do not have that custom item"

Sure to god this is a easy code fix "load custom item loc file" or something ?

[xrayjay]

Yep loc files could be a solution but may it´s way easier to fix this, even without loc files (these loc files ain´t work for the zip files for now, may they ain´t work at all at objects)

Yes sometimes it´s a bit annoying how items/blocks are handled, so i got a suggestion how this could be maybe a bit better (without using a TitlePack)


(some misspelling in this pic^^)
As you can see on this picture my suggestion is, that the game searches automatically in the supposed folders for the needed items.
It seems that the game stores the file-paths of items/blocks absolute, so if someone uses a different drive path or a different name for the UserData folder it ain´t work.

It´s maybe better if the file-path is not stored absolute, so the game searches the supposed folders and find the files which are needed and set the path automatically to this path, all works, everyone is happy

F.e. if someone uses C:\Program Files\TM2\MyData\Items\Common\Object1 and save a map, send it to someone else who uses this path K:\Trackmania2\UserData\Items\Common\Object1 it won´t work to use the same object because the filepath is different, a bit annoying.

It should be possible that the game uses non absolute pathes and just get into at this position ...\UserData\Items\Common\Object1 f.e.
The folder "UserData" is known by the game (click in the launcher "help" and you will see the "UserData" folder (no matter what´s his name), so the game should recognize that automatically.

The needed/searched block/item can be identified by the name (folder or file) or an checksum (md5) for an unique id and should be assigned automatically that you can open maps when you got the needed files inside the supposed folders (/blocks/ and /items/)

Way easier than creating a TitlePack for every thing you would like to use. TitlePacks and embed to gbx function should stay as it is, it works for other things well. But for opening a map that someone sended to you for editing it´s a pain that you can´t open the map in cause of error messages like "the needed items are not found, the map can´t be opened" (not the exact word but you know what i mean...)

Hopefully you know what i mean with all these paths etc.

An good example how this could work is totally different software (Ableton live), there´s an internal filebrowser which searches automatically in the user library or in a different location (which you could define for yourself) for the needed samples/sounds of the project. May a similar way in tm and all is fine^^

[wooloo]

Oooh yes, that's important! I got so often problems with this.

[angry_duck]

In fact, the way references to items are stored in maps is already exactly what xrayjay wants: paths which are relative to the "Items" folder (and not absolute paths). So there should not be any error message when you open your friend's map in the map editor after installing its items at the right location (no matter how your "userdata" folder is named).

But in other modes like multiplayer mode there is a restriction: only the data of the current title pack are taken into account to open a map, your userdata folder (generally called "MyDocuments/Maniaplanet") is ignored.

So in the example of the first post, I suppose your friend did not try to open your map with the map editor. Can you confirm that? Because if he tried and still got the error message, then it may be a bug that should be fixed.

[xrayjay]

nice to know that it´s the way i wanted it.

Not to anticipate wraith, but the friend was me in this case here what he was talking about

I sent wraith a few objects for testing and he built a map, sent it to me and i tried to open this map and it failed with the error message "..needed items not found.." (not exact word, but you know hat i mean)

At this time we just speculated that the reason is something i´ve written above here. May wraith or me used a different folder name or whatever, it just don´t worked.

Today we tested something similar and it worked, i could open/play the map (i don´t know if something in the background was changed in the last update?)

So the relative search is looking for the right folder name i guess? Or is there a different method (md5, item name or something like that).
Just speculation: If i change the folder name of the object folder where are the items (f.e. /Items/Valley/StoneBridge to /Items/Valley/Bridge), it will not work anymore?

May wraith used today the embed function, don´t know but he said he did not used it, so i presume it worked in cause that we both got the same folder names for the objects which were used.

Is there a way to check if the items are embedded (a list where you can see what is embedded f.e.)?

I´m talking something similar like on mx, example what i mean > http://tm.mania-exchange.com/s/tr/80272
Down left is the list with the embedded objects, is something similar inside the game already possible?

[angry_duck]

If i change the folder name of the object folder where are the items (f.e. /Items/Valley/StoneBridge to /Items/Valley/Bridge), it will not work anymore?

Exactly: the references of items are stored like this in the map file: "Valley\StoneBridge\MyItem1.Item.Gbx". So if you rename your folder, the game will be unable to find the item.

Nothing was changed in the last update, so I think the error you had last month was caused by a difference between the path of items in your computer and in wraith's (relatively to the Items folder).

Is there a way to check if the items are embedded (a list where you can see what is embedded f.e.)?

I don't know if there is a way to generate such a list, but in the map editor you can easily check if a specific item is embedded or not: press F4 to enter Items mode, then Ctrl-click on this item -> its icon will be found and highlighted in the inventory (at the bottom of the screen), and if the item is embedded, it will be written on this icon.

[wraith]

hello guys ^^^

very rare i use the tools inside the little hammer "icon" but i have been away from making stuff for over 1 year approx.
first time i made a track for xrayjay, i am thinking the path of folders was wrong, as i showed screen shots to xrayjay..
now for the last build i did not embedded anything in the "little hammer icon"

why it worked i do not know !

anychange of getting the KB size up to about 750kb or even more, i have plans for making a real life rally title pack but without the size like above its not going to work ^^ ?

bw wraith

[Demented]

Is there one folder for all items that can be embedded or is it one folder for each environment?

[wraith]

Is there one folder for all items that can be embedded or is it one folder for each environment?

one folder would be a great idea ! but right now its one for each environment !
thats why i have all xrayjays custom blocks/items in the Valley folder

NADEO is there anychance of a update for all blocks/items to one folder ?
coding would allow blocks/items from each world work no matter want world
they where made for, this could be a great thing..

I know yous may say this be alot of work in the coding side BUT i think the outcome
would be worth it, and would also stop conflicts for the future items in TM/MP Game
i also think down the line its the gamers trying to keep this great game alive, and if yous
came up with away of doing so, there be alot of Block/item makers very happy plus
track makers like me, because also the size of the kb allowed is far too small..

example i made a track and added a few custom blocks total size with track was 650
and my build was tiny, but still no one can play it..even with the Game GBX embedded

i really wish this matter can be fixed, as a lovely builder of the game, right now i think blocks/items
is no good..as we can not use them...

so why not just have this idea of path MP/ITEMS/Common
then we can use all no matter the world we in.
but i feel also the size limited

[Electron]

We already have the folders TMCommon, SMCommon and Common for normal Items. Don't they work with embedded Items?

Item authors should always build their Items for common use if possible (e.g. Items for decoration).