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Close Combat Series -> Close Combat Wacht am Rhein

#1: CC War Mod Installer Author: lemon42,

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 2:08 pm
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Close Combat Wacht am Rhein Mod Installer 0.03

Based on the wonderful Inno Setup Installer from Jordan Russel.
You can read more and download it here: http://www.innosetup.com/isinfo.php

This installer is meant to help the modding community with creating a unique structure for further mods.
A mod installed with this installer will create the mod directory beneath your Close Combat Wacht am Rhein folder.
It will create an additonal folder called mods with a subdirectory of the same name as the mod directory.
The reason for this is to store the uninstall files mod specific.
Additional the installer will create/use one registry setting (HKLM\Software\CCWaR\Mods\CCWaRPath) to store the latest selected Close Combat Wacht am Rhein installation directory.
The file readme.txt file and the mod.ico will be copied to the mod directory and shortcuts will be created.

Now what do you need ?

You need the CCWaRModInstaller.zip You can get it at http://www.closecombatseries.net/CCS/ and maybe later at Matrix.
Extract it.

Copy your mod directories (for example DATA, Games, GRAPHICS, localfx, MAPS) into the mod folder.

Edit the edits\install.ini file. There's an example already included.

If you wish you can create your own bitmaps for the left bitmap as well as for the icon of the installer or the desktop shortcut.

At the moment I have included stuff from the original Matrix Close Combat Wacht am Rhein game. I hope that this is ok.

In short, all files in the edits folder are to be customized but are needed !

When you are done please just run the file BuildMod.cmd
It will create a file in the output directory. Please test it Wink

Important !!!!!

If you know that you may create a second/third/... version of your mod please use always the same name
in the file install.ini

The file WizardLeftImage.bmp has to be: 165 * 315
The file WizardSmallImage.bmp has to be: 32 * 32

The Mod.ico is the windows icon for the desktop shortcut.
The ModInstaller.ico is the windows icon for the created installer file.

Suggestions or questions are welcome !

Bernd

Release notes:

Release history:

; History
; Original version released to the public
; 0.01
; 0.02
; Changed only the ModInstallerReadme.txt
; to give Inno Setup the well deserved mention
; 0.03
; Added the empty folders games\battles and
; games\save to avoid different saved games which will get mixed up and cause crashes etc.
; 0.04
; Added a folder customexe as well as a key customExe in the install.ini file
; If there's an entry in the install.ini file AND the file is found in the
; customexe directory the file will be copied and the shortcuts will be set to this
; exe file.

Last edited by lemon42 on Wed Nov 12, 2008 3:54 pm; edited 3 times in total

ccwarmodinstaller.zip

Description:

ccwarmodinstaller.zip verion 0.04

Download

Filename:

ccwarmodinstaller.zip

Filesize:

1.12 MB

Downloaded:

329 Time(s)

#2: Author: squadleader_id, Location: Soerabaja

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 2:24 pm
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Wow...that was quick!
Thanks a lot for the effort, Bernd!
Will give the tool a try ASAP...

#3: Author: Nomada_Firefox,

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 3:20 pm
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Well done, it answer to the problem that I asked on other thread.

#4: Author: Nomada_Firefox,

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 3:39 pm
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One small question lemon42. Can this program be edited for other games?

#5: Author: lemon42,

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 3:47 pm
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Nomada_Firefox wrote:

One small question lemon42. Can this program be edited for other games?

For sure. It's Inno Setup from here: http://www.innosetup.com/isinfo.php and you can do a lot with it. Unfortuntly it will not fit so easily with the other CC versions and Mod Swapping.

As soon as I will have to add something/change it I will add this to the readme because I have only done the install scripting. The great engine behind is all Inno Setup.

Just ask for what Smile

#6: Author: CSO_Linebacker,

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:18 pm
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Nice job, and thanks for contributing. It never hurts to have options, but as I mentioned in Nomada's thread, separate programs are not necessary for windows users with the /D Switch function of Windows XP....or are you basing this on a similar principal (just saw your post in Nomada's thread)

#7: Author: lemon42,

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:29 pm
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CSO_Linebacker wrote:

Nice job, and thanks for contributing. It never hurts to have options, but as I mentioned in Nomada's thread, separate programs are not necessary for windows users with the /D Switch function of Windows XP

There's a lot stuff which is not needed but to make mods installation simpler this is a windows installer when compiled which makes the desktop shortcut, show a readme.txt

For sure, it's no big problem to extract the files and to create the shortcut but I would say that it costs only one or 2 minutes to create the installer file with this and it's even a very compressed one so no need to zip/rar the file after this Wink

And I'm even thinking about a mod launcher Very Happy

Why ? Because after 10 mods it's easier to have only one shortcut and start the mod from there. Even I only use it for myself Smile

#8: Author: CSO_Linebacker,

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 7:30 pm
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cool...again, nice job

#9: Author: squadleader_id, Location: Soerabaja

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 10:14 pm
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lemon42 wrote:

And I'm even thinking about a mod launcher Very Happy

Why ? Because after 10 mods it's easier to have only one shortcut and start the mod from there. Even I only use it for myself Smile

Yes! I like that idea!
I'm using your CCStarter to load the multiple installs of CC4-CC5 mods I have stuffed in my HDD Smile

So A WARModStarter would be awesome!

#10: Author: schrecken, Location: Sydney, Australia

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 11:54 pm
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Feedback

The ModInstaller seems to work without any errors.

just created a full mod with it and it installed and played perfectly with a desktop shortcut.

well done

#11: Author: lemon42,

Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:16 pm
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schrecken,
I have changed the readme to add a link to the Inno Setup Installer as well as the openning text here and reuploaded it.
So if you want feel free to publish it on the matrix side. I'm not into mod making myself but maybe this helps a bit those who can do mods and it maybe helps to create a unique thing like the Modswap utility for older CC releases.

And thanks all for the kind words.

#12: Author: lemon42,

Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 11:37 am
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I have added the empty directories for save games to the mod folder so that by default a mod have it's own saves. The zip file has been exchanged. Sorry guys ...

#13: Author: squadleader_id, Location: Soerabaja

Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 11:54 am
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Thanks for the update, Bernd!
I'll be using your tool very soon Smile

#14: Author: squadleader_id, Location: Soerabaja

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 12:29 am
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What if the mod includes a patched CCE.exe (due to customized interface screens etc)?
What's the best way to install this? Are there special launch parameters for different CCE.exe's?

#15: Author: Nomada_Firefox,

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 12:52 am
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squadleader wrote:

What if the mod includes a patched CCE.exe (due to customized interface screens etc)?
What's the best way to install this? Are there special launch parameters for different CCE.exe's?

I think that if mod includes this, you will can not use the customize installation.

#16: Author: schrecken, Location: Sydney, Australia

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 4:50 am
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Now available for download

http://closecombat.matrixgames.com/WaR/WaRmods.html

#17: Author: lemon42,

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:04 am
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At the moment I'm working on a bigger project. But customised exe files, if needed, are possible with the installer. Not with this version because it would copy the exe to the mod direcetory but with another, future version.

Thanks schrecken. And of course you're right about the save game/battle folder stuff. It depends on the mod itself. If it's only a graphical or if it's changing game parameters.

Thanks guys !

#18: Author: squadleader_id, Location: Soerabaja

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 8:09 am
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Okay...thanks, Bernd.
Looking forward to that "future version" when you have some free time again.

#19: Author: lemon42,

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 10:55 am
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I'm thinking about doing some some sort of 'GUI help' to help customize the install.ini file and show you a bit the result on this GUI instead of editing and filling in the icons/bitmaps and let it compile and then wonder what the heck it looks like Very Happy

. And to add maybe a switch labeled 'Enable Custom Save Games'.
This version however is working and as soon as someone has a mod with a customised EXE please give me a sign and I will do some change to it to enable the use of it.
I assume that the customised EXE will have a different name ?

#20: Author: squadleader_id, Location: Soerabaja

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 11:07 am
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*raises hand* Wink

I'm working on a mod with a patched exe...it's just a demo version of my mod (single battles with no Stratmap and strategic layer)...so I'm disabling some of the menu buttons in the main screen. I also want to try to patch the exe to re-enable the BG Commander Photos in the interface.
So if you can add a patched exe feature that would be awesome!
Maybe make it an option of the mod installer and not a default feature?

Edit: My thinking is the patched/custom exe will be a different named exe...installed in the CCWAR root folder. The Launcher can then point to the custom exe instead?

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