Traify

[CoM_Solaufein]

Can you traify a folder instead of painstakingly do it for each file at a time?

[Taimon]

No, but you can write a simple batch script that takes care of the job:

FOR %%f IN (folder\*.d) DO weidu --traify %%f

or, if you run it directly in the shell:

FOR %f IN (folder\*.d) DO weidu --traify %f

[CoM_Solaufein]

Now I see why I never bothered with translations. Until an easier way is made, this is the last time I'll do it.

[berelinde]

Might be a good time to point out that if you're going to traify, make absolutely certain that the files compile first. And always, always work with a backup. If you get a parsing error during traification, it will wipe out your dialogue file. Ask me how I know.

[Icendoan]

Heh, I can second Berelinde.

 

Icen

[Yovaneth]

At the risk of pointing out the obvious, don't hard-code dialog files in the first place. It really is almost as quick to construct the .tra file as you are working as it is to write a hard-coded .d file. At least, I think so!

 

-Y-

[berelinde]

Tried it. It wasn't easier for me. It's all right for NPC/NPC banters, but for NPC/PC talks, I found that it was making me too lazy about thinking up PC replies.

[cmorgan]

My "pie-in-the-sky" solution to this is stil not completely possible, I think - I am still trying for a single-.d-file mod. Tough to do, and murder on the big projects, but with ACTION IF allowed in .d files, it might be possible. Certainly with inlined files in the .tp2. Now *that* might be cool...

[berelinde]

Why wouldn't that be possible?

 

Perhaps it would depend on the mod, but the only reason for multiple D files is for modder convenience, to make it easier for the modder to find things if something goes wrong. There's noreason at all why you couldn't just stick everything in one file... except that when you get the bug report that says "Got a NVROL somewhere, don't remember what we were talking about, except that it was in a talk between NPC and the PC," you'll be spending the next six lunch hours trying to find the place you stuck an IF ~~ THEN EXIT before the END in a state with PC replies. If you've got a separate J file, at least you'll be able to narrow it down somewhat.

 

But then, having a single dialogue file would make it easier to find spelling mistakes.

[Icendoan]

You could always CTRL-F in a single file, for something like:

 

/* <NPC-NAME> J-FILE BEGIN */

 

Icen

[cmorgan]

Cool ideas - dunno if it really is possible. Under older versions of WeiDU, there were some actions that could not be completed in the same pass, but the bigg as rewritten and fixed so much now it might be possible. I remember a set of reports from Domi et. al. under the early bg1npc stuff (and a whole set of questions on PPG/WeiDU and PPG/Mod Help) that mentioned doing multiple actions to the same thing (multiple ADD_STATE_TRIGGER to the same triggers, or something like that) where only the first incidence was added (my memory is hazy, but the posts are searchable for everyone except me, as I can't access PPG/SHS/et al while at work due to blocking software ) -- but for many mods, who do much less manipulation, it would be possible to compress things into much fewer files. There is clearing the ids map, etc. for rebuilding the ids in memory, but i am not sure how many operations are set up like that. The bigg and Taimon might have to weigh in. BG1NPC, the "j_fix" files were set side as a separate component, and left that wy because they manipulate triers and transitions, and then other files come along later in the install and do additional things.

 

I don't know, though. While I type this, I get to thinking how much easier it is to do what Taimon suggests, or the whole batch file approach the bigg typed out for Domi and me on two successive passes at traifying big projects using windows. There is something to be said for having things in smaller chunks, for both troubleshooting and patching bugs.

 

 

On the typo/spelling mistakes I have found it really helpful to use the "find in files" sections of Notepad++, TextEdit, and such. A single search of "e:\myMod\" for whatever you want, and you are fine. It helps when you are looking for stuff like <CHRANAME> across all files, and gives you the ability to manually check the file in question before making a big mass replace.

[Ardanis]

My two cents about organazing dialogs.

 

I've found it to be incredibly convenient to follow the 'one dialog - one hardcoded file' rule. First, it's always much easier to read a hardcoded file than a traified one. Second, having short files makes bug hunting much simplier. Finally, once I'm sure they compile just fine, it's a matter of no time to merge them together and traify few big files.