Windows Only. V2.1.4. Correction of a big bug introduced in 2.1.3 I think. This small application allows to use custom tlk files with a module :D, and use them in 2das, similarly to what Bioware has introduced in 1.59. Why update it now? Well, some people find it usefull since it can modify the existing dialog.tlk StrRefs (without modifying the file itself), and not only add new ones. Also it works in multiplayer, and you can use one tlk per hackpack. Just double click dupdemo.exe to install demo and program, then click the shortcut on the desktop to launch the demo in NWN. Note: the demo overrides 20000+ dialog.tlk StringRefs, as a consequence some text of NWN GUI is replaced when you launch the game or toolset through it (the demo); that is 'normal'. No Bioware file is mofified, nothing is permanent, it will occur only when you launch the demo. See messages below for version specfic comments. French version: http://www.proctophantasmist.cjb.net/
Since I know one person (besides me :D ) that will continue to use this system for his module, for the reason stated in the message bellow, I've decided to make a 1.33 specific update, if the program can still work... Hopefully the 2 systems will be compatible. changes will be: tlk files will go in the folder set up by Bioware for this purpose (concerns both the installer and nwdup.exe itself). Demo module will be updated to include: 1) a custom tlk the Bioware way 2) a new dup custom tlk (in addition to the 4 already used) , just to show that it doesn't have to be a copy of dialog.tlk :D. 3) a sytem to get the effective StrRefs in scripts, from a tlk ID and the RelRef in the concerned tlk (ie the internal index of the string in the file). Be that sor a Bioware custom tlk or a dup one. And a few other small cosmetic changes to the programs.
Posted by Sir at 2003-11-2708:45:00
I remembered one use of my program the Bioware system won't allow: modifying existing Bioware entries (without modifying the original dialog.tlk file, as usual) qo I'd thought I post it :). Of course if you want to change the feedback strings in game the right way to do it would be to edit the 2das, and I won't say a word about what Bioware change will allow that my program cannot do (StrRef in toolset...). Oh and considering the custom tlk implementation there is a chance that my program won't be compatible with 1.33 (it would surprise me, but it is not impossible).
Posted by Sir at 2003-10-1717:41:00
Hi mharb, You are absolutly right, the readme is a mess :). That said it is intended for buiders, not players, and to be honest so is the package for now. Let me explain, the only way a player is going to use this program is with a module (either online or SP) that was specifically made for it, espeacially considering the demo is purelly technical and of no interest to a player. So my first goal was to give builders all the info. A seperate readme for players would be necessary, and if anyone is actually using this I'll be happy to provide it :). basically there are two ways for players to use the program: 1) The builder has provided a package to install his content - plus nwdup.exe if necessary - as I have done for the demo - I explain how to do this using an archiver and the installer I have provided in the readme for the installer. In this case the player just needs to double click the installer package, this create a shortcut on his desktop which will launch NWN for the module/connect him to the server. A note on installing this program: if you double click the demo package this will install the program along with the content for the demo. This would be true for any package done by a builder using the installer. Since nwdup.exe is very small, I saw no problem for buiders to include it with every distribution of their content. So the content installer first looks for nwdup.exe, if it's not there, or if it's an older version it "installs" the one found in the archive. 2)He can also launch the program directly (nwdup.exe) and choose which module to launch/open in toolset or what server to connect to via a GUI. Thanks for the feedback.
Posted by mharb at 2003-10-0900:41:00
Too much information. Players need to install this program? And the only way for them to figure this out is by reading through a readme.txt that is full of build notes, bug fix notes, and all other kinds of info that is going to scare the heck out of many players. Not likely. Builders might have a higher tolerance for reading lots of information scanning for what is relevant. But for players it needs to be cut, and clear. You need a webpage, that is easily found by players, and makes it crystal clear what the players need to do, in no more than 3 steps. Otherwise, players will be intimidated, and builders won't use a program that scares away players, no matter how cool and useful.
Posted by Sir at 2003-08-2602:47:00
Forgot to put the installer in the package (the one used by the technical demo is special, it creates copies of dialog.tlk, since distributing 4 copies wasn't really an option). Corrected
Posted by Sir at 2003-08-2515:46:00
V2.0 hakpacks that have not been created by the program can no longer be automatically overwritten. This will however wause a small inconveniance if you have been using this program before, the first time you will relaunch a module with this version you will be prompted to overwrite the generated .hak files, simply accept, you have to do this only once. You can now associate .mod files with nwdup.exe so they will open in the toolset -with all the needed StrRefs- when you double click them. This will work fine too if the module doesn't use any content specific to this program. Program/content Installer has also been updated. The demo has not. PS: if you are using modified tlks for a hack, and if you think other people might be interested by it, I offer my service to construct a package similar to that of the demo from your stuff :). The bigger the hack the better. Of course if I have a hundred demands I might not do them all (its a bit of a repetitive work), but somehow I doubt it :D.
Posted by Anonymous at 2003-08-0211:35:00
V1.9.4 is up there, the messge will be updated shortly, it now comes with an installer. Simply double click nwdupdemo.exe to install (program and demo) Its not fully tested and I'll be gone for 2 weeks. Sorry :).
Posted by Sir at 2003-07-2811:30:00
Links bellow to 1.9.2 reworking. There is a 1.9.3 but I'll skip the english version since 1.9.4 will be coming shortly with a basic program/content installer/updater.
Posted by Sir at 2003-07-2708:58:00
You might have noticed that the links bellow are broken, it is not voluntary on my part, the whole site (sharemation) is down, might be permanent I'm not sure. I'm trying to solve some communication problem with my provider in order to host the Beta files myself...
Posted by Anonymous at 2003-06-2017:21:00
"Well I think that you should make some command line options" I will probably do that in a near future. "And allow passing command line options to nwn." What options do you mean? I'm not sure I follow you there. Server options? my program isn't really intended for stand alone servers, not for launching them at least. As for nwmain.exe it already uses -dmc, +connect and +password. For the toolset, it passes the module so it is directly opened. Are there more that you would find usefull? Modifying Bioware entries in dialog.tlk, you are right of course that is a problem. I could simply offer the obtion to distribute a complete tlk, through a new keyword in the english description, and reroute nwn to use it. Since it wouldn't be patch proof, you might as well go the all way, and get rid of the .dup files that become useless. The problem with allowing modifification inside a tlk, is that you need to recalculate the offsets of everything after a modified string, not difficult, but it would probably slow down the algorithm quite a lot. Not to mention that I couldn't use the same IO technique, file mapping. There is an other efficient solution, but it is very edgy. I'm even a bit ashamed to mention it :D . Basically nothing states in a tlk that the strings have to appear in the same order than the entries, so theoretically, you could have entry 324 point to the 90000th string, of course nothing says it would work either. In this case I wouldn't need to delete the old strings, I would just put the new ones and reroute the entries towards them. It would be totaly unacceptable fo an editor, but for temp files :D... But then, there is a good chance it would simpy crash NWN.
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