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Need some guinea pigs (esp. Windows98 users)


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#1 the bigg

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Posted 06 June 2008 - 06:10 AM

Given the current finicky state of biffing routines (they must be installed in a forced order, and BGT-NeJ alone is difficult enough to bring grown men to tears), I've indipendently decided to write a fully generalized biffing tp2, that can simply be installed to the end of your tp2 stack and be fully handled by the tp2 stack routine when it comes to modifying other mods.

I've run I'm going to run the tests on XP SP3 once I've finished backing up my current override folder. However, the setup is largely OS-dependant, so I'll need some people running different OSes to run further tests.

Any OS BG2 can run on is welcome as a testing platform. I'd especially like to have W9x, WVista, Mac and Linux represented, but also having stuff like W2K is better.

EDIT: a Windows archive is available here, OSX and Linux archives are easily derived from that file.

Suggested testing procedure is:

do a full install of BG2 + ToB + official Bioware patch
start up the game once (make a save once Irenicus' cutscene ends)
install generalized_biffing (the two options are equivalent for my needs at this stage)
CLUA to ar0072
uninstall generalized_biffing
CLUA to ar0072
install generalized_biffing
CLUA to ar0072
uninstall generalized_biffing
CLUA to ar0072
install generalized_biffing
CLUA to ar0072
uninstall generalized_biffing
CLUA to ar0072

if you get persistent crashes at any stage while CLUAing, then generalized_biffing doesn't work without further work. If everything is fine, then generalized_biffing is very likely to work (barring those usual hard to discover problems).

Edited by the bigg, 10 March 2009 - 01:54 PM.

Italian users: help test the Stivan NPC!

Author or Co-Author: WeiDU - Widescreen - Generalized Biffing - Refinements - TB#Tweaks - IWD2Tweaks - TB#Characters - Traify Tool - Some mods that I won't mention in public
Maintainer: Semi-Multi Clerics - Nalia Mod - Nvidia Fix
Code dumps: Detect custom secondary types - Stutter Investigator

If possible, send diffs, translations and other contributions using Git.


#2 the bigg

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Posted 06 June 2008 - 08:12 AM

It Installs! It Works! It Uninstalls!

\me does the happy dance

[codebox]ACTION_IF ~%WEIDU_OS%~ STRING_COMPARE_CASE ~WIN32~ THEN BEGIN
AT_UNINSTALL ~for a in generalized_biffing/prod/biffs/*; do mv $a/* override; done~
END ELSE BEGIN
AT_UNINSTALL ~for /d %a in (generalized_biffing\prod\biffs\*) do move %a\* override > nul~ EXACT
END

<<<<<<<< .../list-of-files
>>>>>>>>

PRINT ~Would you like to biff only wav&tis files, or all files found?
0] only wav&tis (recommended by The Bigg and other Small World Dudes)
1] all files (recommended by the Big World Dudes)~

ACTION_READLN selection

OUTER_WHILE (~%selection%~ STRING_COMPARE 1) && (~%selection%~ STRING_COMPARE 0) BEGIN
PRINT ~You must be bone-headed. Please insert either 0 or 1.

Would you like to biff only wav&tis files, or all files found?
0] only wav&tis (recommended by The Bigg and other Small World Dudes)
1] all files (recommended by the Big World Dudes)~

ACTION_READLN selection
END

OUTER_TEXT_SPRINT myRegExp ~^[^ ]*\.\(wav\|tis\)$~
ACTION_IF selection THEN BEGIN
OUTER_TEXT_SPRINT myRegExp ~^[^ ]*$~
END

MKDIR ~generalized_biffing/prod~

COPY ~.../list-of-files~ ~generalized_biffing/prod/list-of-files~

SILENT
ACTION_BASH_FOR ~override~ ~%myRegExp%~ BEGIN
APPEND_OUTER ~generalized_biffing/prod/list-of-files~ ~%BASH_FOR_FILE% %BASH_FOR_SIZE%~
END

MKDIR ~generalized_biffing/prod/biffs/0~

COPY_EXISTING ~generalized_biffing/prod/list-of-files~ ~generalized_biffing/prod/list-of-files~
READ_2DA_ENTRIES_NOW ~list-of-files~ 2
currentTotal = 0
currentFile = 0
FOR (i = 0; i < ~list-of-files~; i+=1) BEGIN
READ_2DA_ENTRY_FORMER ~list-of-files~ i 0 file
READ_2DA_ENTRY_FORMER ~list-of-files~ i 1 size
INNER_ACTION BEGIN
ACTION_IF size + currentTotal > 30000000 && currentTotal > 0 BEGIN
MAKE_BIFF ~tb#gen%currentFile%~ BEGIN ~generalized_biffing/prod/biffs/%currentFile%~ ~^.*$~ END
OUTER_SET currentFile = currentFile + 1
OUTER_SET currentTotal = 0
MKDIR ~generalized_biffing/prod/biffs/%currentFile%~
END
ACTION_IF ~%WEIDU_OS%~ STRING_COMPARE_CASE ~WIN32~ THEN BEGIN
AT_NOW ~mv override/%file% generalized_biffing/prod/biffs/%currentFile%~
END ELSE BEGIN
AT_NOW ~move override/%file% generalized_biffing/prod/biffs/%currentFile%~
END
END
currentTotal += size
END
BUT_ONLY
VERBOSE
[/codebox]

Obviously, this requires W208 more than <comparison>. You should encourage me to spend time writing exceptionally complicated tp2s just to notice that missing Var.get_string or that killer typo :)

Italian users: help test the Stivan NPC!

Author or Co-Author: WeiDU - Widescreen - Generalized Biffing - Refinements - TB#Tweaks - IWD2Tweaks - TB#Characters - Traify Tool - Some mods that I won't mention in public
Maintainer: Semi-Multi Clerics - Nalia Mod - Nvidia Fix
Code dumps: Detect custom secondary types - Stutter Investigator

If possible, send diffs, translations and other contributions using Git.


#3 Azazello

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Posted 07 June 2008 - 07:49 AM

Obviously, this requires W208 more than <comparison>. You should encourage me to spend time writing exceptionally complicated tp2s just to notice that missing Var.get_string or that killer typo :)

bigg, your humor is beyond us mere mortals.

I'll pass on the testing this go-round, but if you're still at it come October, I'm in. 8)

#4 the bigg

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Posted 07 June 2008 - 08:06 AM

Obviously, this requires W208 more than <comparison>. You should encourage me to spend time writing exceptionally complicated tp2s just to notice that missing Var.get_string or that killer typo :)

bigg, your humor is beyond us mere mortals.

I mean that encouraging me to write highly complex tp2s is the fastest way to have me notice subtle bugs in WeiDU (like a variable not being evaluated).
Spoiler

Italian users: help test the Stivan NPC!

Author or Co-Author: WeiDU - Widescreen - Generalized Biffing - Refinements - TB#Tweaks - IWD2Tweaks - TB#Characters - Traify Tool - Some mods that I won't mention in public
Maintainer: Semi-Multi Clerics - Nalia Mod - Nvidia Fix
Code dumps: Detect custom secondary types - Stutter Investigator

If possible, send diffs, translations and other contributions using Git.


#5 SirLancelot

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Posted 13 July 2008 - 06:59 AM

Sounds good!!!
Where men gather, a bustle of chaos ensues. I would save them all, if I could.

#6 -erik-

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Posted 13 July 2008 - 04:28 PM

Looks good. Consider me a Linux guinea pig. You know where to find me.

#7 the bigg

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Posted 14 July 2008 - 02:34 AM

Wow, I've completely forgotten about this for a good while now. I'm going to run my debug-upload WeiDU cycle and then get back to this.

Italian users: help test the Stivan NPC!

Author or Co-Author: WeiDU - Widescreen - Generalized Biffing - Refinements - TB#Tweaks - IWD2Tweaks - TB#Characters - Traify Tool - Some mods that I won't mention in public
Maintainer: Semi-Multi Clerics - Nalia Mod - Nvidia Fix
Code dumps: Detect custom secondary types - Stutter Investigator

If possible, send diffs, translations and other contributions using Git.


#8 cmorgan

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Posted 10 March 2009 - 01:01 PM

Utility found Here...

So test, test, test, people - what's not to love? A stable, completely reversible .bif routine, for all those Mega-install folks who have seen the override balloon to astronomical sizes. It won't stop script stutters and incompatibilities (conceptual or real) and it won't make Megas magicallly easy to troubleshoot, but it will take one performance-cutting factor off of the table, in a way that will let you undo the .bif, make changes, and do it back up again safely.

I am experimenting with EasyTutu, though it doesn't matter much on our front because we seldom hit huge override sizes.

Test was smaller than required (full EasyTutu heavy mod loadout only made 300+MB override).

Win XP SP3, confirmed install and uninstall (left that stupid MONK 08.DLG, but no damage done... damn those silly QC folks for slamming a filename into the archive that is unused, unreferenced, and messes with DOS :) )

Vistax64, Ditto.

Checking a processed install in NI right now to see if everything is ok, but looks great so far. Override emptied and refilled, .bifs created and reverted.

I will work on getting a playing install of BG2 with a big override, but it will be a few weeks (probably Spring Break) before I can get it rolling, as other projects are screaming in my ears.

Edited by cmorgan, 10 March 2009 - 02:43 PM.


#9 the bigg

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Posted 10 March 2009 - 01:41 PM

I guess end_biff is good enough for most people. A good enough testing procedure is as follows:

do a full install of BG2 + ToB + official Bioware patch
start up the game once (make a save once Irenicus' cutscene ends)
install generalized_biffing (the two options are equivalent for my needs at this stage)
CLUA to ar0072
uninstall generalized_biffing
CLUA to ar0072
install generalized_biffing
CLUA to ar0072
uninstall generalized_biffing
CLUA to ar0072
install generalized_biffing
CLUA to ar0072
uninstall generalized_biffing
CLUA to ar0072

if you get persistent crashes at any stage while CLUAing, then generalized_biffing doesn't work without further work. If everything is fine, then generalized_biffing is very likely to work (barring those usual hard to discover problems).

Italian users: help test the Stivan NPC!

Author or Co-Author: WeiDU - Widescreen - Generalized Biffing - Refinements - TB#Tweaks - IWD2Tweaks - TB#Characters - Traify Tool - Some mods that I won't mention in public
Maintainer: Semi-Multi Clerics - Nalia Mod - Nvidia Fix
Code dumps: Detect custom secondary types - Stutter Investigator

If possible, send diffs, translations and other contributions using Git.


#10 DavidWallace

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Posted 10 March 2009 - 10:10 PM

What is it you're testing: the MAKE_BIFF command, or the macro you've embedded it into?

(If the former, I'm using it fairly extensively in IWD-in-BG2, and it hasn't broken yet.)

#11 Steve

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Posted 10 March 2009 - 11:52 PM

David, as long as you're here:
The Small World Dudes option biffs only .WAV and .TIS files. You indicated in a post on G3 that .BAMs in Override is also a cause of slower performance. Have you run across any other filetypes that are a problem?

#12 -Bigg-

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Posted 11 March 2009 - 12:30 AM

Large files mostly (but large BCS files don't seem to cause trouble). And I'm interested in the macro, not the MAKE_BIFF command.

#13 DavidWallace

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Posted 11 March 2009 - 05:59 AM

David, as long as you're here:
The Small World Dudes option biffs only .WAV and .TIS files. You indicated in a post on G3 that .BAMs in Override is also a cause of slower performance. Have you run across any other filetypes that are a problem?

Nope. And the only BAM files that seem to cause problems are animation files.

#14 Leomar

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Posted 05 April 2009 - 11:21 PM

At first, thank you the bigg, for your Generalized Biffer. We want to use this tool in the future. :)

We have made a full BWP installation and tested your Generalized Biffer. Here is our report:

We got much Warnings during the installation. Because there are much files in the override directory, normally the game-engine does not use them. The files are dummy files, audiofiles and not compiled scripts and dialogues (were compiled but the original files still remaining). All these files are not needed.

Attached is a textfile with a list of the not needed files in the override directory and therefore the Biffer gave us warnings. Additional there are problems with the following ones:

NO GUILSOP.BAM
NO IBOOTFOX.BAM
NO ICROWN.BAM
NO IHAT01.BAM
MONKTU 8.DLG
K#AureP&.wav
K#AureP^.wav
k#sara5^.wav
k#sara6^.wav

They remain lying in the override folder. The reason for the first five is, they have a space in their name and the other four, because of their special characters (also ^ and &).

We don't know how we can handle this issue or the Generalized Biffer could do. An idea was to delete all these files before the Generalized Biffer do his work. Or perhaps better, the files, which the Generalized Biffer can or should not handle are commented out.

Greetings Leomar

Attached Files


A Megamod does not mean that you can play all of the mods or all of their content,
but you have more choices or paths through the game.
- Chevalier

BiG World Project - Big Baldur's Gate World

#15 the bigg

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Posted 05 April 2009 - 11:40 PM

The author of those files deserves a slow, painful death for using spaces or special characters in file names. I will tighen my regexp to ensure only valid files will be biffed anyhow, thank you for your report.

Italian users: help test the Stivan NPC!

Author or Co-Author: WeiDU - Widescreen - Generalized Biffing - Refinements - TB#Tweaks - IWD2Tweaks - TB#Characters - Traify Tool - Some mods that I won't mention in public
Maintainer: Semi-Multi Clerics - Nalia Mod - Nvidia Fix
Code dumps: Detect custom secondary types - Stutter Investigator

If possible, send diffs, translations and other contributions using Git.


#16 the bigg

the bigg

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Posted 05 April 2009 - 11:56 PM

I've uploaded a new version. Can you test that (no modded game available ATM).

Italian users: help test the Stivan NPC!

Author or Co-Author: WeiDU - Widescreen - Generalized Biffing - Refinements - TB#Tweaks - IWD2Tweaks - TB#Characters - Traify Tool - Some mods that I won't mention in public
Maintainer: Semi-Multi Clerics - Nalia Mod - Nvidia Fix
Code dumps: Detect custom secondary types - Stutter Investigator

If possible, send diffs, translations and other contributions using Git.


#17 -Guest-

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Posted 06 April 2009 - 03:39 AM

Tested with Linux: http://img135.images...screenshota.png

It never gets past that point. Tried the same thing on XP with the same installation, worked fine. On Linux it never reaches the install phase.

#18 Jarno Mikkola

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Posted 06 April 2009 - 03:50 AM

Tested with Linux: http://img135.images...screenshota.png
It never gets past that point. Tried the same thing on XP with the same installation, worked fine. On Linux it never reaches the install phase.

From the screen... You might just have to manually update the the WeiDU.exe called 'setup-generalized-biffing.exe' with the v210 WeiDU.exe, and you'll do that by deleting the file and copying the 'setup-ub.exe' to the same directory so you'll get 'setup-ub - copy.exe' and then renaming it as 'setup-generalized-biffing.exe' and then starting it.

Deactivated account. The user today is known as The Imp.


#19 -Guest-

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Posted 06 April 2009 - 04:00 AM

I see. I already "fixed" it though, by running the setup from Windows. I will try and see if I can do as you said.

Thanks a ton for this mod, it completely removes the lag on Linux caused by the Fixpack.

#20 -Guest-

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Posted 06 April 2009 - 04:06 AM

That worked Jarno. Thank you. Will report this on the Wine bugzilla as a fix.