Unit Files (Full Version)

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Curtis Lemay -> Unit Files (12/14/2019 5:55:13 PM)

I'll try to illustrate a "how to" on this, since so many are having issues.

First, in the Editor, with the Force Editor invoked, pull-down the File menu. Note the "Save Unit As..." option:

[image]local://upfiles/14086/46404AB5336C4E37953800158A3AD979.jpg[/image]



Curtis Lemay -> RE: Unit Files (12/14/2019 5:57:15 PM)

This shot shows that the Unit file will be saved in the current scenario folder (Pre-WWI - even though the scenario is from the WW-I folder.)

[image]local://upfiles/14086/A592E19671AA4C8BB6B15CE64DFFF725.jpg[/image]



Curtis Lemay -> RE: Unit Files (12/14/2019 5:59:10 PM)

After saving the current unit, delete it using the delete button.

[image]local://upfiles/14086/994882F2D6294BE48C7AE733CD9D2C1C.jpg[/image]



Curtis Lemay -> RE: Unit Files (12/14/2019 6:00:10 PM)

After deleting, the KGV BB is gone.

[image]local://upfiles/14086/B8978009F1A04033A07602242B29E11E.jpg[/image]



Curtis Lemay -> RE: Unit Files (12/14/2019 6:01:36 PM)

Now, from the same pull-down, select Open Unit. The Unit file is waiting:

[image]local://upfiles/14086/AD9F9EC76FF1441589FC554773CBADD4.jpg[/image]



Curtis Lemay -> RE: Unit Files (12/14/2019 6:02:31 PM)

After opening the file, the KGV is restored:

[image]local://upfiles/14086/68C096692C5D4BDFADD6898E3614E847.jpg[/image]



Curtis Lemay -> RE: Unit Files (12/14/2019 6:03:18 PM)

Let's take a closer look at the path to the Unit file. Note that it is via the Documents path:

[image]local://upfiles/14086/1A730CBDB93D40EEAE02819B8F14307D.jpg[/image]



jmlima -> RE: Unit Files (12/14/2019 7:06:59 PM)

Does not not work on my install (fully clean install with latest patch applied). Never saves any file and dialog box for file saving shows randomly (ie, one time you pres the save menu and it shows, then you repeat the process and it doesn't and so on).



Curtis Lemay -> RE: Unit Files (12/14/2019 8:09:49 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: jmlima

Does not not work on my install (fully clean install with latest patch applied). Never saves any file and dialog box for file saving shows randomly (ie, one time you pres the save menu and it shows, then you repeat the process and it doesn't and so on).

Check your version using the "About..." thing.



Lobster -> RE: Unit Files (12/14/2019 9:32:07 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: jmlima

Does not not work on my install (fully clean install with latest patch applied). Never saves any file and dialog box for file saving shows randomly (ie, one time you pres the save menu and it shows, then you repeat the process and it doesn't and so on).


Here's another look at it. Because what just got explained is not accurate.

First of all, let's begin at the beginning. Lets say you play a scenario in the Pre WWI folder. Then you decide to make a new scenario so you go to the Scenario Editor. Because all of your newly created scenarios are supposed to be put into the Documents folder you make a folder for your new scenario there and name it New Scenario. Going back to the Scenario Editor and New Scenario. You begin by opening the Force Editor and creating a unit and you want to save it because you'll be using that same type of unit again and again. You leave the name 1st Cadre. Now you go to save it.

To save While having the Force Editor open you go to the File menu in the Menu Bar at the top of the Scenario Editor window. Click on the File menu so you get the drop down and one of the items is Save Unit as... So you click it and it takes you to the folder of the last scenario you played in Pre WWI in the Documents folder. That won't do. It's going to be a modern scenario. So you click on folders until you get to New Scenario and save it there.

After more editing and saving of units you need the 1st Cadre unit so you do the same thing you did to save the unit but instead of clicking on Save Unit As...you click on Open Unit. And you are back to the Pre WWI folder. Not the folder where your scenario is saved. In fact, every unit you saved is in the WRONG FOLDER. You have to physically move them all to the correct folder, New Scenario. So you do that. Why would anyone have the units in the wrong folder right?

So now you go to Open Unit to add a 1st Cadre unit to your OOB and go to the New Scenario folder. Ah there are your unit files just where you moved them to and just where you need them. Great. You click on the 1st Cadre to insert one of them into your OOB and...nothing happens. It fails to insert any unit. Why? Because the program is looking in folder of THE LAST SCENRIO YOU PLAYED in Pre WWI!!! Not the scenario you are working on at all. It is impossible for you to insert any units from your New Scenario folder.

So then you realize in order to access your New Scenario folder while editing you have to copy a playable scenario into the New Scenario folder and play it. Only after you open that playable scenario that you put in the New Scenario folder in the game and then go to the Scenario Editor will saving or opening your units or your scenario ever work properly. Only then will the game program immediately look in the proper folder for anything having to do with the New Scenario scenario you are working on. So any time you play a scenario you can't work on any New Sceanrio scenario project without first opening that playable scenario that you put in the New Scenario folder then going to the Scenario Editor.

But hey, don't mind me, I'm just throwing a tantrum. [:D]



Hellen_slith -> RE: Unit Files (12/14/2019 9:42:50 PM)

All of that is WAY beyond my low level of just playing the game....

For me, I am just trying to nail down compatibility issues w/ older patches re: PBEM / online.

Hoping shadrach will help me with that issue, is a whole other ball game in my arena.

But I share your pain (FWIW)

Good luck!




76mm -> RE: Unit Files (12/14/2019 9:42:52 PM)

I have the same problem as jmlima--no unit files are saved at all as far as I can tell. I have version 4.1.0.40. Although while I didn't get a file save dialog the first time I tried to save a unit, now I seem to get one pretty much every time. It just doesn't do anything.

I'm on Win10 64bit.



Shadrach -> RE: Unit Files (12/14/2019 10:09:53 PM)

From what I've been able to figure out, it sets the folder of the save dialog to the current folder chosen for scenarios when starting a new game. So for instance if you've chosen "WW II - East Front" it will open that folder.

HOWEVER, if you choose "Open Scenario", and choose say "Ardennes 1944.SCE" from "WW II - West Front" it will STILL use "WW II - East Front" as the save folder. I can imagine this might cause some of the confusion maybe?

Also there's something VERY wrong with that save dialog. Sometimes I get the "old Windows" style save dialog with some Chinese-looking characters:

[image]https://i.imgur.com/UeVV67T.png[/image]

Other times I get the modern Win10 dialog with either a completely wrong title or some gobbledygook:
In examples below, where does "Sample Music" come from? And WTH does "ValidateRegItems" and then some weird text, and then "C:\users" mean?

[image]https://i.imgur.com/6tOSc0r.png[/image]



Lobster -> RE: Unit Files (12/14/2019 11:29:02 PM)

The scenario editor has been making the folder of the last game played the default folder for so long I can't remember when it started doing that. We have asked time and time again to get that changed to no avail. It makes no sense.



76mm -> RE: Unit Files (12/15/2019 2:23:27 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Shadrach
Also there's something VERY wrong with that save dialog. Sometimes I get the "old Windows" style save dialog with some Chinese-looking characters:

Boy, that's weird. I get the standard, white windows save dialog, and in the top left corner it says "Save Unit"...pretty much every time, at least I've not noticed any weird Chinese characters. This seems to be some pretty quirky stuff.



Shadrach -> RE: Unit Files (12/15/2019 9:13:19 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: 76mm
Boy, that's weird. I get the standard, white windows save dialog, and in the top left corner it says "Save Unit"...pretty much every time, at least I've not noticed any weird Chinese characters. This seems to be some pretty quirky stuff.


You can even see it in the titles from Bob's screenshots. "¬:\Users\Public" and "?ampleVideos". So it's not only on my system.

I guess it's just a cosmetic issue, but it might indicate something is going wrong when creating the dialog, and it might lead to follow-on errors for all I know.



jmlima -> RE: Unit Files (12/15/2019 10:21:03 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay


quote:

ORIGINAL: jmlima

Does not not work on my install (fully clean install with latest patch applied). Never saves any file and dialog box for file saving shows randomly (ie, one time you pres the save menu and it shows, then you repeat the process and it doesn't and so on).

Check your version using the "About..." thing.


4.1.0.40.



jmlima -> RE: Unit Files (12/15/2019 10:23:11 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Shadrach

From what I've been able to figure out, it sets the folder of the save dialog to the current folder chosen for scenarios when starting a new game. So for instance if you've chosen "WW II - East Front" it will open that folder.

HOWEVER, if you choose "Open Scenario", and choose say "Ardennes 1944.SCE" from "WW II - West Front" it will STILL use "WW II - East Front" as the save folder. I can imagine this might cause some of the confusion maybe?...


There's no confusion here. On my side, there are no units being saved anywhere.



jmlima -> RE: Unit Files (12/15/2019 10:30:15 AM)

This is actually an interesting point. Should that folder have any scenarios? Because I just did a new install and patch and that folder now has got no scenarios whatsoever. The game is searching and using the scenario folders inside the game installation folder, not any other scenario folder.


quote:

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay

Let's take a closer look at the path to the Unit file. Note that it is via the Documents path:

[image]local://upfiles/14086/1A730CBDB93D40EEAE02819B8F14307D.jpg[/image]




Shadrach -> RE: Unit Files (12/15/2019 10:50:34 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: jmlima
This is actually an interesting point. Should that folder have any scenarios? Because I just did a new install and patch and that folder now has got no scenarios whatsoever. The game is searching and using the scenario folders inside the game installation folder, not any other scenario folder.


That folder's supposed to be empty after installation, and to be used for your own/downloaded scenarios. Because most users don't have write permissions to the "Program Files" folder where the game is installed by default. And so you won't lose your custom scenarios when uninstalling the game.



Curtis Lemay -> RE: Unit Files (12/15/2019 1:58:06 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Shadrach

quote:

ORIGINAL: jmlima
This is actually an interesting point. Should that folder have any scenarios? Because I just did a new install and patch and that folder now has got no scenarios whatsoever. The game is searching and using the scenario folders inside the game installation folder, not any other scenario folder.


That folder's supposed to be empty after installation, and to be used for your own/downloaded scenarios. Because most users don't have write permissions to the "Program Files" folder where the game is installed by default. And so you won't lose your custom scenarios when uninstalling the game.


The original release (4.0.0.11) saved the scenario suite there. They will still be there, unless one has done something screwy. Note that you have to have TOAW IV installed before installing the update.



jmlima -> RE: Unit Files (12/15/2019 2:23:21 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay

...
... Note that you have to have TOAW IV installed before installing the update.


Which was obviously done.



76mm -> RE: Unit Files (12/15/2019 2:48:52 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Shadrach
You can even see it in the titles from Bob's screenshots. "¬:\Users\Public" and "?ampleVideos". So it's not only on my system.

Weird...which version of windows are you using?



Curtis Lemay -> RE: Unit Files (12/15/2019 4:42:50 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: jmlima


quote:

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay

...
... Note that you have to have TOAW IV installed before installing the update.


Which was obviously done.


No. It's not obvious at all, if you don't have any scenarios in the Documents path.



jmlima -> RE: Unit Files (12/15/2019 5:48:31 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay


quote:

ORIGINAL: jmlima


quote:

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay

...
... Note that you have to have TOAW IV installed before installing the update.


Which was obviously done.


No. It's not obvious at all, if you don't have any scenarios in the Documents path.


If it should then that's my problem (as a consumer I have a defective product) and Matrix's problem (as the software originator Matrix produced a flawed product), since a new install did not create any scenarios in that location.

Since we both know the truth is in the middle, if you want to help solve the problem, great, if you don't then also fine, just say it and I'll raise a support ticket.



Shadrach -> RE: Unit Files (12/15/2019 6:12:48 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay
The original release (4.0.0.11) saved the scenario suite there. They will still be there, unless one has done something screwy. Note that you have to have TOAW IV installed before installing the update.


That's not actually true. If a user does a clean install, with an empty Documents folder, using first the main v4.1.0.20 installer then patching with v4.1.0.40, the Documents folders will be empty. That's just what I did. There were no scenarios in those folders, apart from the ones I've downloaded who are not part of the default install.

I think the problem with BMPs and DOCs might relate to this. If a user has patched the game all the way from the original v4.0.0.11 then the scenarios, including BMPs and DOCs, will still be in Documents and will be found. But users are NOT required to install from the original, as the only files available are the base .20 install (800MB) and the .40 patch (150MB).

Anyway that's a different problem from what's being discussed here (Editor saving units) and should probably get its own thread.

@76mm: I'm on Windows10. But Bob is on Windows7 and still has the weird titles.



Curtis Lemay -> RE: Unit Files (12/15/2019 7:15:50 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Shadrach

That's not actually true. If a user does a clean install, with an empty Documents folder, using first the main v4.1.0.20 installer then patching with v4.1.0.40, the Documents folders will be empty. That's just what I did. There were no scenarios in those folders, apart from the ones I've downloaded who are not part of the default install.


Alright. Then don't do that. Uninstall and then reinstall 4.0.0.11, then install the patch. Let's see what happens.

quote:

@76mm: I'm on Windows10. But Bob is on Windows7 and still has the weird titles.


Huh?



Shadrach -> RE: Unit Files (12/15/2019 7:34:24 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay
Alright. Then don't do that. Uninstall and then reinstall 4.0.0.11, then install the patch. Let's see what happens.


The 4.0.0.11 installer is no longer available. We are supposed to install first the full v4.1.0.20 and then patch v4.1.0.40.
And yes, installing v4.0.0.11 would probably leave the scenarios in the Documents folder, and I'd not even notice the game won't find the BMPs or DOCs. But that's kinda besides the point right?

EDIT: What I *could* do just to test is to install the v4.1.0.20 and patch to .21. That might show if there something wrong in the .40 release.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay
quote:

@76mm: I'm on Windows10. But Bob is on Windows7 and still has the weird titles.

Huh?


You are on Windows 7 right? That's what it looks like at least.

And by "weird titles" -- have a look at the titles for those save dialogs you show above.

[image]https://i.imgur.com/YPWzkte.png[/image]

Could you explain those?




Curtis Lemay -> RE: Unit Files (12/15/2019 8:12:24 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Shadrach

The 4.0.0.11 installer is no longer available.


It should have been provided when you bought the game.



Shadrach -> RE: Unit Files (12/15/2019 8:17:40 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay
It should have been provided when you bought the game.


Sure but I don't have it any more. As I downloaded the "TheOperationalArtofWar4-SetupRelease-v4.1.0.20.exe" released EDIT: Nov 15, 2017 which is the full game so why have the old installer lying around [:)]



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