[lemon42]

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


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.

[squadleader_id]

Wow...that was quick!
Thanks a lot for the effort, Bernd!
Will give the tool a try ASAP...

[Nomada_Firefox]

Well done, it answer to the problem that I asked on other thread.

[Nomada_Firefox]

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

[lemon42]

[CSO_Linebacker]

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)

[lemon42]

[CSO_Linebacker]

cool...again, nice job

[squadleader_id]

[schrecken]

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

[lemon42]

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.

[lemon42]

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 ...

[squadleader_id]

Thanks for the update, Bernd!
I'll be using your tool very soon

[squadleader_id]

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?

[Nomada_Firefox]

[schrecken]

Now available for download

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

[lemon42]

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 !

[squadleader_id]

Okay...thanks, Bernd.
Looking forward to that "future version" when you have some free time again.

[lemon42]

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 . 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 ?

[squadleader_id]

*raises hand*

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?