Custom Xml files for mods.

[freaks_r_us 0]

There so many new and good mods coming out every day. The trouble is, some mods require type.xml or event.xml script to be added. Like vehicles, clothes, food, ect. Then when Dayz devs puts out an update it sends these .xml files back to default. Then I was thinking what if we had a custom type.xml and a type.xml file (same with the event too), where we can put the mod script into and have the game call from both files.

example:

All the mod's type.xml scripts will go into "custom type.xml" 

The dayz update new data will stay in the "type.xml"

So we can continue to get all the new update items and it wont effect the mods that we have on our server, and vice versa. This would be a win win for the Devs and the modding community. I was thinking of just adding custom type.xml call script, but cant find where the type.xml call script is located at in the pbo files. "Any Ideas" on how to go about doing this will be very helpful and appreciated.

 

Edited October 15, 2019 by freaks_r_us
misspelling

[helpthedeadwalk 179]

On 10/15/2019 at 6:28 AM, freaks_r_us said:

There so many new and good mods coming out every day. The trouble is, some mods require type.xml or event.xml script to be added. Like vehicles, clothes, food, ect. Then when Dayz devs puts out an update it sends these .xml files back to default. Then I was thinking what if we had a custom type.xml and a type.xml file (same with the event too), where we can put the mod script into and have the game call from both files.

example:

All the mod's type.xml scripts will go into "custom type.xml" 

The dayz update new data will stay in the "type.xml"

So we can continue to get all the new update items and it wont effect the mods that we have on our server, and vice versa. This would be a win win for the Devs and the modding community. I was thinking of just adding custom type.xml call script, but cant find where the type.xml call script is located at in the pbo files. "Any Ideas" on how to go about doing this will be very helpful and appreciated.

 

It would have to be all the XML files and you'd need some way to include multiple extra XML files to make it work. You could have a types_include.xml which lists the extra mod_types.xml to include.

Anyway, it's not too hard to simplify now, but you need to be skilled at some scripting. I did it a generally lazy way, but you'll get the idea.

1) I try not to update the vanilla types.xml too much since its makes it a bit harder to diff and update. It's not too bad since types.xml is alphabetical, but some of the other files are not (cfgspawnabletypes.xml) and they have moved entries around in releases. The concept is good for all files.

2) The same issue you call out can be said for the mods themselves. Maybe you want only SOME of the guns or gear or vehs in a mod, not every single variant.

3) take the vanilla types.xml, strip the <types></types> from the top and bottom. Do the same with any mods. If you don't want something, comment it out, so its easy to diff when a new version is released. Concatenate <types>+modified_types.xml+mod1_types.xml+mod2_types.xml+</types>. I've gone and created versions of all the vanilla and mod XML files I update, then I just run a script to create the final.

4) I could script this 100% to strip the <type></types>, but there aren't that many releases of the game and/or mods. Now that I've done it once, its relatively easy. I could put some #include pragmas and preprocess types.xml, but too much work.

Related to this I have my server auto-download and update mods every restart. I'm thinking about doing the same for the server too. In that case, I wouldn't bother with the types.xml (really any of the mission files). I'll assume that they aren't changing or if they do its to add a new asset or change a spawn quantity or location which is not game breaking. I'll get to it later. What is game breaking is the release today when NOTHING changed in the mission, but SOMETHING was FIXED?/BROKEN?  and the version number changed. Same thing happened a few weeks ago.

 

[freaks_r_us 0]

Please forgive my southern grammar first off. When I say pbo DB it will mean the db file found in worlds_chernarusplus_ce.pbo, then I say mission db it will be the one in the mission file. I found this build.xml file in the mission files. that runs this script 

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<project name="Addon worlds_chernarusplus_ce.pbo" default="main" basedir=".">

  <!-- Project specific properties -->
  <property name="addon.filename" value="Addons\worlds_chernarusplus_ce"/>
  <property name="PRODUCT" value="dayz"/>

  <!-- Execute the common data pipeline-->
  <import file="${src.root.dir}/build/buildData.xml" />

</project>

So I looked into the worlds_chernarusplus_ce.pbo file I found a copies of all the xml files in there. Then I notice they were all default. If you change the values in the mission db and it effects the game there, not in the pbo db. Is this build.xml script even being used by the server? 

Next I can not find this file anywhere build/buildData.xml I have search for over an hour, I may have over looked it. (My eyes are not as good as they were when I was in college learning programming.) 

Can I use this file to complete my goal like this. 

Example:  

<!-- Execute the common data pipeline-->
  
<import file="${src.root.dir}/build/buildData.xml" />
<import file="db/custom_types.xml" /> 

or

<!-- Execute the common data pipeline-->
  
<import file="${src.root.dir}/build/buildData.xml, db/custom_types.xml" /> 

Do you think this may work or the build.xml file is an left over from .63 version?

[Uncle Zed 272]

I've created a custom types.xml that put all of the vanilla items into categories, so all the pistols are together, all the rifles, all the food, etc. It made it easier for me to customize my loot. I then just add any new itesm from mods to the end of the types.xml. I keep a full copy of the current DayZ server files so when an update comes out, I can run a compare on the old types.xml and the new types.xml and if there are any additions or changes, I modify my custom types.xml accordingly.

[freaks_r_us 0]

BetterDeadThanZed doing it that way do you lose any modded items after an update? Like I use to run mike_tigr mod, great mod by the way, I had the truck parked at my base. Then the update came in with new weapons and I lost my truck and all trucks case the type.xml script wasn't for the truck wasn't there. Then when I put all the scripts back in the spawn up again. So I lost like 2 days of work. Over all I trying to do is, keep this from happening so we can download great mods, and not worry about updates resetting our work.

[Uncle Zed 272]

2 hours ago, freaks_r_us said:

BetterDeadThanZed doing it that way do you lose any modded items after an update? Like I use to run mike_tigr mod, great mod by the way, I had the truck parked at my base. Then the update came in with new weapons and I lost my truck and all trucks case the type.xml script wasn't for the truck wasn't there. Then when I put all the scripts back in the spawn up again. So I lost like 2 days of work. Over all I trying to do is, keep this from happening so we can download great mods, and not worry about updates resetting our work.

I use OmegaManager, which auto updates the server but modified files like the types.xml don't get overwritten. I have to manually update those files on my server. If you don't use OmegaManager, just don't start your server with the update until you've updated your types.xml file.

[freaks_r_us 0]

BetterDeadThanZed I guess at this current time thats what I have to do. Maybe when dayz expansion get released it will bring better hope. They got custom vehicles, custom basebuilding, even AI coming. They might have something or at least a good starting point. I might even just start a post in the Suggestions. It might not even get notice but its worth a try. how hard can it be to make a mod DB folder and files and a string code to call from it. 

Edited October 22, 2019 by freaks_r_us

[freaks_r_us 0]

Please disregard the Oct 16 post. After a closer review, I learn that build file creates the data base. When you first setup your server, it calls those files to be written from .pbo files. I said it was a long time since I was in college learning programming. Alot of language changes since then. In other words "oops my bad."