ZDoom Executor new ZDoom (and related projects) Frontend.

[Tormentor667]

I am not sure yet what's already in but I have a "few" suggestions
http://www.doomworld.com/vb/doom-genera ... -together/

[Zhs2]

Oh god no. I respect the fact that this launcher doesn't try to do anything overblown or more than it needs to; simplicity is the key here. More than that, I respect that it leaves the workflow up to the user and Bloodbat's additions are helping to improve any quirks by the post. Automatically recording videos, what? Displaying titlepics, what if there are more than one - map wad and gameplay wad? Downloading from idgames, what else are browsers for? (I see various people are tackling this sort of thing in that thread, and that's cool, but separation of the state here please!)
Also, just because I'm posting, Bloodbat I love you

[Bloodbat]

Thanks for the comments, Zhs2 .
As for the "short" list of suggestions
-Complete list: I've been pondering adding a "WAD library" that you can fill by hand or automagically when you add an external file. I'm still not sure whether I want to implement it or if it's a good/useful idea, I do understand the desire to add all that err...curious data (year, type, author, personal rating, etc.) and I even have a quasiframework to do that in place for another program I did for personal consumption (my personal database of DOS games ). Having a complete list seems more in the realm of a database or, even better, a wiki...why not contribute to one of those or create one?
-Autoloading from text file: well, depends on what text file you mean. I've also been pondering reading the MAPINFO to fill the map names when using PWADS but, truth is, I've been too busy/lazy (depends on the day, mood planetary alignment and such) to write a .wad reader (Free Pascal is already provisioned to read zip files: the pk3 container).
-Displaying the TITLEPIC lump: hadn't thought of that, but I think it would add unnecessary clutter to the interface.
-Recording videos and making screenshots for the frontend (check D-Fend Reloaded for this). D-Fend Reloaded doesn't do that. What it does is read from a folder whatever you capture using DosBox. I think there are already enough tools to do that, some free (e.g NVidia Shadowplay), some paid (FRAPS).
-Search I'll assume for searching WADs with user tags (see the library remark above). I think this is the realm of a database that ZDE doesn't aim to be.
-Some kind of [exchange] format. The profiles for ZDE are XML files, they can be read, edited and used in any machine capable of reading/editing text. Provisions could be made to adjust for paths in different machines, yet the simplest way I can think of ATM (it's 5 am, bear with me) is something I don't like done and a lot of people don't like either: generate a "unique" key based on the machine the program is run, so...I'll think about it/ponder a different solution when I'm not as zombified.
-Configuration for sourceports, IWADs and stuff just like in ZDL3. That's the whole point of ZDE, already done
-An /idgames interface which can download stuff directly from the archive (search function and stuff). I agree with Zhs2: that's what web browsers are for. It could be done; but I think it adds unnecessary clutter, also a lot of people don't like their programs connecting to the net. I have a framework in place (from another of my free software programs) to alert the user when a new version is out so they can download it themselves, yet...I hesitate to add it to ZDE.
The beauty of free software is that the code is available for anyone wanting to add/remove/fix/screw features/look at it/compile their own after reviewing it doesn't do anything hamrful. ZDE is intended to be quite modular, and is getting more modular all the time (a lot of features function without the GUI even, you can write your very own text based launcher and use classes from it or a simple tool that does something from the command line (the wad identifier comes to mind)). The code is written in Lazarus/Free Pascal and designed to be quite understandable (for instance, it tries to avoid obscure variable names like I've seen in some other free software sources).
You can grab your very own copy of the most recent source here https://sourceforge.net/p/zdexe/code/ you don't even need a subversion client, you can download a snapshot; also the most recent release/stable source is always available in the sourceforge files repository as zde.src.zip.
Despite ZDE being mainly a Windows program I do believe the Linux philosophy works (for ZDE and most anything else): have a simple program that mostly does one task but does it well.
If someone wants to take ZDE and "fork" it to add all those net based/database features, I recommend the Ararat Synapse library: it handles all those eevil net tasks and is also free software; for the database stuff, I'd say the simplest way to go about it is using .XML files (D-Fend Reloaded, for example, uses text files-not-quite-XML to store your profiles...each in its own file (with a .prof extension) the advantage of having a lot of files vs. A single unified one is up for debate . People can do their own versions, the only thing the license (GPL v.3) requires is that if the program is made public its source must be released as well. Incidentally D-Fend Reloaded is written in Delphi (a non-free relative of Lazarus/Free Pascal).
So...people of the community, what do you think?

[Ed the Bat]

Will options be added to set IWADs that aren't already listed? As of v1.0.9, I am unable to set Freedoom's three IWADs, and there are a handful of other projects released as stand-alone that I would normally launch as an IWAD, but cannot set here.

[Bloodbat]

Freedom's there...at least 0.8 and 0.9, they are considered Doom 1 and Doom 2 IWADS (that's what they replace), though perhaps the program should be clearer about that.
Mind telling me the other IWADs and their versions? (Ideally with MD5 hashes, please [Hashcalc is a free app you can use to create them or I could write a quickie command line one if you want]), I thought only those listed were considered by ZDoom as IWADs, my mistake

[Ed the Bat]

Freedom's there...at least 0.8 and 0.9, they are considered Doom 1 and Doom 2 IWADS (that's what they replace), though perhaps the program should be clearer about that.

So you're saying I can't have both Doom and Freedoom Phase 1 in my list at the same time? Why even have a multi-entry list if I have to go back into it and change it when I want to change IWADs? May as well do that for every IWAD. ZDL let me define anything as an IWAD, so if it looks like I should just go back to using that...

Mind telling me the other IWADs and their versions?

You're missing FreeDM, Blasphemer, HacX 2.0, Adventures of Square, standalone projects such as Barista and Delaweare, and anything that may be developed in the future.

[Hellser]

One of the reasons why to have the ability to add custom IWADS. I my self have some older versions of Registered Doom (1.1 -> 1.9) that I occasionally load up.

[Bloodbat]

I'll separate freedoom for the next version, Hacx 2.0 is already accounted for, check the paths window or use the WAD Identifier, I'll add Blasphemer that I forgot for whatever reason. The rest (or multiversions): I'll add an option to the IWAD combo box (and implement a WAD header reader) to load the IWAD from the external files.
Would you mind posting the MD5 hashes for Adventures of Square, Barista and Delaweare for the WAD Identifier? Since I find out about their existence just now...would you kindly recommend one of those for me to play?

[Bloodbat]

ZDoom Executor 1.0.10 has been launched!
This new version includes a range of bug fixes and additions, including a number of community suggestions:
-Add: Freedoom 1, Freedoom 2 and Blasphemer can now be set by themselves in the paths menu (they include their difficulty names and map lists, too. Their WADs are also recognized by the WAD Identifier).
-Add: ability to use any file as an IWAD (provided it has the correct header) from external files.
-Add: a status bar.
-Add: tool to show the command line that will be used.
-Fix: Plutonia experiment maps were missing a couple
-Fix: maps should be filled when changing paths in options.
-Fix: message wasn't showing when VOICES.WAD is not found.
-Fix: DMFLAGS2 wasn't being passed correctly.
-Fix: setting the skill level from the combo box resulted in one level less than selected (ZDoom subtracts one from the number passed in the command line).
-Change: the launcher module is separate from the GUI and can be reused (it includes a quasi-abstract class to generate launchers for other games, too).
-Change: internal data handling, some more small bug fixes and optimizations.

[Zhs2]

Not to criticize your hard work, but what if someone means for a zip/deflate/LZMA/etcetera compressed pk3/pk7 file to be an IWAD? This is not to mention little of how much I doubt most indie IWAD creators do the special header tango in a hex editor...

[edward850]

As there isn't a single "IWAD archive" yet, that does not actually matter.

[Zhs2]

And if it does happen? Never hurts to be prepared, I should think.

[Bloodbat]

Indeed, it doesn't hurt to be prepared so I'll add a checkbox stating something along the lines of "Ignore IWAD header/use PK3" so the launcher will ignore if you have an IWAD or not when launching from external files.
This is what happens when you don' pass an -iwad parameter:

Code: Select all

Cannot find a game IWAD (doom.wad, doom2.wad, heretic.wad, etc.).
Did you install ZDoom properly? You can do either of the following:
1. Place one or more of these wads in the same directory as ZDoom.
2. Edit your zdoom-username.ini and add the directories of your iwads
to the list beneath [IWADSearch.Directories]

And this is one of a few things that happen when you pass a PWAD as an IWAD:

Code: Select all

Execution could not continue.
W_GetNumForName: PLAYPAL not found!"

So...behaviour will stay, though I'll make the program look for an IWAD inside .pk3.

[Bloodbat]

Version 1.0.11 has been released!
It is an important update as it fixes a profile saving bug: profiles were being saved with the wrong IWAD listed. If you were bit by this bug, open the wrong profiles; select the correct game and save them again. They should work properly. I'm really sorry.
Change: use less memory.

[Average]

Thanks for a new build. I have a request though if you're up for one.

Would you consider combining the 'Game' and 'Advanced' tabs and allowing the 'Advanced' option tick box state to be saved? As it stands you have to hit the tick box to use the advanced settings upon reload. Sometimes I may choose to play with no music for a few sessions but the next time I would like to play with music again. If I could have the setting remembered but also visible on the 'Game' tab that would be really handy.

For those that prefer a cleaner interface you could have the advanced settings invisible if the tick box is empty. Or perhaps give a three way option such as:

'Simple' 'Game' Tab
'Advanced' 'Game' Tab
or 'Advanced' Settings on another Tab

That could be another drop down box instead of a tick box or even in the main Options menu...

I'm probably being a little verbose and making it sound more complicated than it actually would be!

So, would you consider the above suggestion, at all?