Confused about Bartons SA Mission Coder

[Bob Ghengis Khan]

I updated the sascm.ini with the newest one on that opcode thread. The new descriptions werent showing up, so I assumed it was because the table files were the same. So I opened up my scm with bartons editor and it converted it to a text file.

 

When I opened it the .txt, the new descriptions were there, but all of my code was missing. Confused why, I compiled it and put it in my san andreas data folder, assuming everything I had coded would be gone from the game.

 

But it all loaded.

 

Can anyone help explain why the code will not show up, but still somehow gets compiled, and what I can do in the future to not lose anything, beyond just backing it up and copying everything back over to where it belongs? (just doesnt seem like it would help, because I would lose all the new descriptions from the updated ini, right?)

Edited September 10, 2005 by Bob Ghengis Khan

[Demarest]

The reason why MB creates a text file for you to edit is for you to keep as your "source code". Doing this preserves any custom labels and/or vars you have. This text file is strictly for YOU. Compiled code doesn't even have lables. They're textual representations to make it more human-friendly.

 

MB only consults the scm.ini on decompile. That is the only time you'll automatically use the descriptions contained in that file. UNfortunately, code doesn't use labels or names for vars. So your custom data will not survive the compiling and decompiling. The code is still there, but MB had no way of differentiating original code from your mod so it named your labels and vars the way it normally does, which is representing globals via their memory position. How labels are named depends. In GTA3 and VC, their hex address was used. In SAMB, it's assigned a line number of THAT thread (by thread name).

 

What's the easiest way to subvert this? Assuming you still have your source code (or for others who would like to avoid this), copy and paste YOUR code into a blank text file. Search it by hand for any unnamed/unidentified opcodes it uses. Consult the scm.ini and adjust accordingly making sure to only change text labels. Now use your updated MB to decompile original code. Paste your updated mod code where it belongs. Unfortunately, that is the only way.

[Bob Ghengis Khan]

Thanks for the help. Do any of the other mission builders make it easier to update with a new scm.ini?

 

Bartons tool seems pretty nice, apart from that minor detail

[Demarest]

 

Other builders?

Demarest scratches headThe only other ones I know of is Sanny Builder which is like MB, but with an author actually interested in furthering it and Point which only works for creating fresh code and requires you to understand how to code. For quite a few reasons, I suggest sticking with the tool that offers DMA support

[dertyjerzian]

But Dem, I was watching the Sanny Builder topic doesn'tmit have DMA support, but the author called it something else? Something on those lines?

 

I've got to take a break from my current projects, pm me with some pictures of things you might want. And I'm making those bombs definately, but after my "break"

[Y_Less]

There is a convert code feature to convert code from older versions to newer versions, try running your code through that and see what happens, it preserves labels and variable names but updates all the code.

[Bob Ghengis Khan]

I go to compiler->Source converter and I get a message box telling me its disabled in my version (.33)

[Demarest]

Most likely because there was technically only one version released. Hard to convert previous versions when there were none

[Bob Ghengis Khan]

Right, well thats the only convert option I saw. Was hoping that since y_less mentioned there was a way, that that option was actually for coverting to a new scm, and not the builder like I assumed when I was first f*cking around with the builder

[Demarest]

Well I don't think that Y_Less was saying "This is what you do" but rather "maybe this will work".