Command and Conquer Editing Suite / News: Recent posts

I've put CCES' code in our SVN repository, so it'll actually be available as I update it.

On another note, I realized that the XCC Utilities (link below) are open source, so I'll be able to use them as a starting point for some of the file format stuff I'll need to do eventually. Hope that's alright with Olaf ;)

http://sourceforge.net/projects/xccu

I have switched to C# (as the screenshot shows) and I'm now working on some under-the-hood stuff for data storage. A lot of it is essentially copy/paste from the C++ version and then a quick search & replace or two to change things from pointers to regular variables, and so on.

The work rolls on...

I'm thinking about switching to C# for the development of the Editing Suite, I hope it could speed up and simplify development. If anyone has any comments, they would be greatly appreciated.

Click "Screenshots" up there to see a screenshot I took of the basic layout of the program. The idea is to have all the editable options and units in the tree to the left, and to the right will be a preview (in the frame showing in the screenshot), and when you double-click an item in the tree a dialog box will open to allow you to edit the appropriate options.

Just a little tidbit so you know I'm not completely slacking off ;)

So I suppose my efforts on this project recently (read: in the last three years) have been, well, laughable, but my excuse is that I got married. Does that count?

In any case I noticed Zero's post from a year ago in the Open Discussion forum... At least I know *someone* used what I've done and liked it.

Anyway, I've been reading up on some stuff so I can start the re-design. First I'm going to set up most of the menu items and windows and whatnot with limited (read: no) functionality, then I'll put Red Alert functionality in, since I've already written RAEdit. That doesn't mean I'll use even *any* of the same source code, but hey... at least I have a frame of reference.... read more

Well I get home on September 6 of this year, and while I'm really not sure anyone has ever read any of this, the download count on raedit 1.5 surprised me so I may as well note something or other.

I've had on occasion some spare time to think about the design of this editing suite, and I've decided to take it in a slightly different direction. Until now I had been thinking short-term in my design for the editing suite; I had planned to write each game's editor and then combine them later. However I've realized it would be far better to simply design the suite as an all-in-one sort of package right from the start, in a Microsoft Visual Studio sort of look, with perhaps a bit of inspiration from StarCraft's StarEdit map editor. ... read more

And, of course, I neglected to mention a year ago that this project would be inactive for two years. I'm currently serving a mission for the LDS Church in the Dominican Republic, so I don't exactly have time to work on the C&C Editing Suite, but approximately August of next year I'll get going again.

I was about to update the site when I found a few bugs in RAEdit 1.5, so I decided I'd update both RAEdit and the site at the same time.
1.6 will include fixing the Artificial Intelligence dialog and reset buttons on all the dialogs (except perhaps the General dialog). If I have time I'll rewrite the file loading parser so it'll work correctly (it currently breaks on Westwood's default Rules.ini file, not a good sign, though RAEdit-generated Rules files work fine).

Well, school's out, and I have two months to kill... so I'll hopefully be getting a complete first version of TSEdit done, as well as making the following changes to RAEdit (and putting them in TSEdit where applicable):
- Revamp the GUI, particularly the unit editing pages
- Add audio and video previews, all you'd need is the game CD

If anyone's paying attention to this project, send me an email, I could use the encouragement :)

Well, I *thought* I would have time to work on it over christmas break. So much for that idea. Well, maybe after this semester... But, knowing me, I'll probably say that every semester until I graduate.
Someone email me and pester me about it so I get this done :)

i've decided to post my source code compressed files in 7zip format. I was using .tar.gz, but I decided that since 7zip gives much better compression and excellent reliability i'd just use it. (Heck, I was using 7zip to make my .tar.gz files!)

So anyway, you'll need 7zip, it can be found here on sourceforge.net I think.

i'm still in school, and I'm still working on Stargate SGC, but I think I'll have time now. Anyway, I have resumed work on TSEdit, so look for TSEdit 1.0 around Christmas or shortly after!

i am starting school this wednesday, and I am working on another more important project (Stargate SGC, a HL/HL2 mod, http://sgmod.hl2central.net\) at the moment, and as a result I have taken all members but myself off the project until I can find time to resume this project. I apologize for any inconvenience, if any of you were looking forward to TSEdit, but if you send me an email it might convince me to change my mind ;)

okay, i've released another source archive. I've switched to the 7zip format for better compression, so 7-Zip will be necessary to unzip the source.
birdjames left the team, thanks to him for the work on AudioVisual.

In this release, the GUI is almost halfway finished. I hope to finish at least the GUI before August 27.

I just tripled my workforce! pcward and birdjames just joined me. Hopefully, TSEdit will finish sooner for it.

I have been working on the interface in TSEdit, but it's slow going. But, AP tests are over now, so I hope to finish by the 7th of June or so.

I have finished entering the default Rules.ini values into the source code. I have begun creating the user interface, which as you may know from looking at RAEdit v1.4 could take a while.
Fortunately, I learned from my mistakes writing RAEdit, and TSEdit should progress somewhat more smoothly.
I'll upload the current source as soon as I get the chance.
In the meantime, have fun playing your much-modified Red Alert! :D

I have finished RAEdit v1.4, skimpy as the update is, but I have also made excellent progress on the Tiberian Sun editor. There is not an actual executable as of yet, but you have to design the bridge to build it ;)

I've finished version 1.3. It seems I have sped up my production of new versions; my English teacher is out of town ;)
See the new readme for changes!

I have completed version 1.2!
Admittedly, there are fewer differences from 1.1, but that's what high school will do to you...

Well, I have finished version 1.1. See the release notes for changes.

Also, I just realized that I accidentally included a duplicate .zip copy of the v1.0 source code inside the .tar.gz source file. Oops. I won't do it again.

As soon as I finish updating the readme file for v1.1 I will post it. Happy editing!

I am nearly finished with version 1.1 of RAEdit. I've converted the General dialog boxes into one property sheet, changed a few inputs to be easier to use, and just all around made life easier.

Next up: Removing units with no image from the image lists.

Well, I finally finished the documentation for RAEdit v1.0. It took several hours of repetetive typing, often copying text right from Westwood's original Rules.ini file, but it is done. You can download the Readme now!

I have completed the Rules.ini editor for Red Alert, but have yet to add in the nifty features I want, like sound and graphic previews. I also need to finish the documentation for all the options the editor can change.

Also, I need information on how to edit the other Command and Conquer games... I know the original C&C has a Rules.ini-type setup, but that's about it. Any help would be greatly appreciated!