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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> The Operational Art of War IV >> Tech Support >> File Format

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File Format - 1/7/2019 3:25:43 PM

Colinwhittaker

Posts: 9
Joined: 1/4/2019
Status: offline

Hi

I am trying to use TOAW to help run campaigns for tabletop battles.

A key requirement is to be able to update the unit strengths from the casualties suffered in a tabletop battle. I have discovered that the .sal file is a gzip file format and if uncompressed I can read and amend the various equipment strengths etc. (A little more work is needed, but it is certainly doable)

However I cannot seem to set the compression for Gzip correctly so that the file can be recompressed and then loaded back into TOAW. When I do so TOAW does not recognise the file and refuses to load it.

Does anyone know more about the file compression used in TOAW and offer any suggestions as to how to solve this.

I know I can save the .sal file as .sce and modify the scenario. But this restarts the scenario at a new game turn 1, which confuses the events!

regards

Colin

Post #: 1

RE: File Format - 1/7/2019 6:09:09 PM

cathar1244

Posts: 1003
Joined: 9/5/2009
Status: offline

Based on your comments, I took the "Baltic Fury" scenario file that my .11 version would not load and was able to unzip it. It produced a scenario file of a beastly 66 MEGABYTES in size ... uh ... scenario files have become rather larger in the latest versions of TOAW IV! I'm guessing the latest versions of TOAW IV use compressed data to allow much larger file sizes.

Cheers

(in reply to Colinwhittaker)

Post #: 2

RE: File Format - 1/8/2019 8:28:33 AM

Colinwhittaker

Posts: 9
Joined: 1/4/2019
Status: offline

The reason the file is so massive is that there is a lot of empty space. To keep it straightforward the designers have structured the file with all the available possible spots for the maximum number of units and equipment types the game will support. When you scroll through the file you will see for example empty formation and unit spots labeled for example "999th Cadre" etc.Therefore compressing the file format to save it becomes essential

regards

Colin

(in reply to cathar1244)

Post #: 3

RE: File Format - 1/8/2019 11:26:46 AM

cathar1244

Posts: 1003
Joined: 9/5/2009
Status: offline

Thanks Colin, interesting information.

Cheers

(in reply to Colinwhittaker)

Post #: 4