Did you know? All of these messages will likely be replaced before release.

Better "int" configuration files

For questions and discussion about UnrealEd, UnrealScript, and other aspects of Unreal Engine design.

Moderators: Semfry, ividyon

User avatar Dr.Flay
Skaarj Lord Skaarj Lord
Posts: 222
Joined: 23 Aug 2012, 06:24
Location: Kernow, UK
Contact:

Subject: Better "int" configuration files

Post Posted: 07 Dec 2012, 00:48

I have been editing UT "int" files for a long time, to add or access functionality via the GUI instead of manually editing the "ini" files or using command-line parameters.

Now I have my old Unreal CD again, I have been getting mods and extras for that.
Unfortunately as mutators are less standard for the old Unreal, many people have not made "int" files, or have not made them very useful.

Unreal coders have been putting their mutator configs in the "Game Types" section of the advanced options window. This is not good.
You can easily add new sections to this window in all Unreal engines. I have copied the UT standard of having a "Mutators" section.
*Please follow my example, and you will have a tidy GUI*
Image
I have changed a few existing mutator configs, and created some new ones.

Here are the ones I have done so far (feel free to add more to this thread).

AkimboMM MultiMag (NEW)
EnhancedDM6 (NEW) Wow this one needed taming! (feedback please)
UT BotPack (NEW) Tweaked to show Game Types in a UT branch.
UTWeapons (NEW)
UTInventory (NEW)
Relics (NEW) ChaosUT Relics
RealCTF (UPDATED)
RealCreeper (UPDATED)
PhysicsGun (NEW) No mutator, but now you can live-edit the prefs
BallisticBlood (inspired by Runestorm's Blood mod)
BeGoneNot (permenant decals and bodies)
DoomPawns (DooM2 Pawns) *YUCK THESE ARE AWFUL*
HDWeps (High Def Unreal weapons)
MonsterMut (Monster spawner)
MWepMut (Mutant Weapons) (UPDATED) Included test config for the PlasmaGun IntstaGib (this mod is a mess. I may give-up with the PlasmaGun mut)
UckkMutator2, UckkMutatorSuper2, MoverFix (Living decorations 3)
zcSabre (a fixed Light Saber, now I have fixed/enabled the game-types)

DOWNLOAD https://files.myopera.com/dr-flay/unrea ... t_files.7z (124 KB)

See my thread at UT99.org for more tips on better configurations (this works on all Unreal engine games).
http://www.ut99.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3625
Last edited by Dr.Flay on 10 Jan 2014, 09:53, edited 8 times in total.

bob
Skaarj Lord Skaarj Lord
Posts: 205
Joined: 23 Apr 2011, 02:24
Location: USA
Contact:

Subject: Re: Better "int" configuration files

Post Posted: 07 Dec 2012, 02:24

Alot of users i suspect dont look at preferences, often editing the ini files directly.
best practices are hardly ever followed, Half the mods i see have no int files at all. the other half has settings all over the place.
I personaly find the gui indispensable,being able to live edit is a more critical in servers where uptime is important and people expect instant changes.

Modders prespective:
when i write mutators and include int's, I tend to put them into preferences root,
for me it helps when you have really long data sets like structs becuase there is no horizontal scroll bar. also its easy when i can say find "mod123" and they can see it without expanding 15 sections.

one day i will make a int auto-creator that creates int files from any .u package..

User avatar Dr.Flay
Skaarj Lord Skaarj Lord
Posts: 222
Joined: 23 Aug 2012, 06:24
Location: Kernow, UK
Contact:

Subject: Re: Better "int" configuration files

Post Posted: 07 Dec 2012, 07:56

I never thought about a prog to churn them out. Good call.
That could easily be made to support all the Unreal engines and games. You could have the database of functions saved as an int file, so it can edit it's own configs.

User avatar Gizzy
Skaarj Berserker Skaarj Berserker
Posts: 450
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 12:55

Subject: Re: Better "int" configuration files

Post Posted: 07 Dec 2012, 16:56

Ballistic Blood and HDWeapons aren't finished yet, so ofc there isn't an .int file for them...

User avatar Buff Skeleton
>:E >:E
Posts: 4173
Joined: 15 Dec 2007, 00:46

Subject: Re: Better "int" configuration files

Post Posted: 07 Dec 2012, 17:03

Nice job Dr. Flay :tup:

Gizzy: An .int file only takes a few seconds to make, and having one handy even for incomplete stuff just makes things easier to access ingame. Can't go wrong, really. Besides, the best part about them is they are entirely optional and can be modified however you want on your own machine. I have all sorts of fun edits to stock .int files to disable mutators I never use or modify ingame messages and stuff.

What's funny is that my edits end up getting displayed to other people when I host test coop servers since the server is, of course, running off of my files. Confused the hell out of people, which was rather entertaining for me ;)
Image

User avatar Dr.Flay
Skaarj Lord Skaarj Lord
Posts: 222
Joined: 23 Aug 2012, 06:24
Location: Kernow, UK
Contact:

Subject: Re: Better "int" configuration files

Post Posted: 08 Dec 2012, 00:26

Thanks Waffnuffly, from an Unreal luminary such as yourself, that's just groovy.

My stance on this, and why?

During pre-production phase of any product, it is important to have quick and easy access to enable/disable and configure the settings.
So Gizzy, I am afraid your objection does not stand up. However it is still a valid point to raise, as I am submitting modified files for other peoples work.

This thread has been started also in an effort to provide other developers with the necessary info to use for the future releases.
The only way the simple int files would "break" new versions of a mod, is if the class name changes.
So if people get in the habit of following the standard of the newer U engines, it will be seen as"normal" for Unreal and always be included when necessary.

I saved Feralidragon a whole lot of work GUI building, by showing him how simple this is. Beta testing NW3 was made far easier for us by being able to tweak the weapons and settings without constantly quitting UT.
Once beta testing is done you can then easily remove the advanced options if needed.

The config of NW3 is split between the user GUI (he had to make), and the advanced panel just showing the class branches (UT automatically makes).
This way the main GUI is kept simple, with only the main settings on view for most users, and the advanced (or dangerous) settings available for the geeks and server admins.
HD Weapons and Ballistic Blood could do with config branches in the advanced panel, so they can be fine-tuned for performance on different spec PCs.
Spawner mutators such as MonsterSpawn benefit from being able to edit a massive config via a collapsible menu system.

If your mod is installed as a UMOD, then you can also add the default settings to the standard default.ini, so if a user trashes their config, they can easily reset it.
The Living decorations mod includes the defaults as extra ini files (so you even have options with how to store them).

The easier you make it for people with no knowledge of running Unreal from the command line (or making shortcuts), to just drop in several mutators at a time, the more feedback you will get from people finding clashes between game types and mutators.
So far I have found that mixing mutators and game types with Unreal, to be very unreliable and error-prone.
Where as UT developers get more feed-back from "Joe Public" with their random mixes of crazy setups.

"Joe Public" is who we develop product for, and they WILL do all the stupid things we never think of, and then bitch that we broke their fave game.

I have included a link in the first post, to my thread at UT99.org with many edits and examples of mutators, game types, and even stuff like the engine and renderers. :tup:
At least have a browse at the potential you can unlock, or how you can just make life easier.
We have a powerful little beast in our hands with the Unreal series, and ways to get at that power should be made as easy as possible.

User avatar Buff Skeleton
>:E >:E
Posts: 4173
Joined: 15 Dec 2007, 00:46

Subject: Re: Better "int" configuration files

Post Posted: 08 Dec 2012, 00:40

Wait, what? Edit .ini files from ingame? I gotta try that. That sounds hella useful.
Image

User avatar Dr.Flay
Skaarj Lord Skaarj Lord
Posts: 222
Joined: 23 Aug 2012, 06:24
Location: Kernow, UK
Contact:

Subject: Re: Better "int" configuration files

Post Posted: 09 Dec 2012, 23:43

Hell yeah it's damned useful !
Some settings will only be applied when you give the engine a reset by swapping to or from fullscreen, but it's better than reloading the whole thing.
With modern renderers this is quick and painless (unless you have precache set in your GFX renderer).

*EDIT*
I just updated the file with a fixed int file for the "fixed" light saber.
Now the game-types are editable from the advanced panel.

*EDIT*
More fixes and updates.
I have tidied RealCTF and RealCreeper, into it's own branch in the "Game Types" section.
The Mutants mod now has 2 mutators enabled, and I tried to enable the 3rd "PlasaGun InstaGib" but it is problematic.

There are 2 new int files included for the Unreal Tournament weapons pack, and the old Akimbo MultiMag mutator (which has 2 modes).

User avatar Shivaxi
Gilded Claw Gilded Claw
Posts: 1916
Joined: 24 Jun 2008, 19:51
Location: Behind You! =P
Contact:

Subject: Re: Better "int" configuration files

Post Posted: 18 Dec 2012, 00:48

just FYI...Ballistic Blood and HD Weps do include an INT file. Also Ballistic Blood is not by Runestorm. I only used their textures (with permission from them of course) but all in all it is my mod.
http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/9950/shivavatar2.jpg Image

Waffnuffly: If there is any purpose for the god damned ocean, it is for us to eat it.
Jet_v4.3.5: I want to be Lincoln and kick Satan's ass. Emancipate and Proclimate on his ass.

User avatar Dr.Flay
Skaarj Lord Skaarj Lord
Posts: 222
Joined: 23 Aug 2012, 06:24
Location: Kernow, UK
Contact:

Subject: Re: Better "int" configuration files

Post Posted: 26 Dec 2012, 23:37

I'll make some of the text in the original post bolder and larger, to help avoid confusion.
I have changed the reference to Runestorm to be clearer (my lazy mistake there).


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests

Copyright © 2001-2024 UnrealSP.org

Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Limited