New GME software

[sedenion]

 

OvGME  is no longer supported nor updated, I encourae you to move to my newer Mod Manager software:

 

 

Old post:

 

OvGME is a Mod manager based on the idea and concept of JSGME, it take the GME acronym from JSGME which stands for Generic Mod Enabler. The main purpose of OvGME is to provide an easy way to import and enable mods for games then restore original files when disabling mods. OvGME works by comparing the destination folder file tree with the given mod file tree, then identifies what files to replace, create and save as backup.

 

OvGME implements the following key features:

 

• Support for multiple destination folder (game, software, etc.) through the main GUI.
• Custom mods and backup folder for each configuration.
• Destination folder file tree snapshot and comparison based on xxHash.
• Zipped Mods files (Mod-Archives).
• Mods description (readme.txt).
• Mods versioning.
• Mods enabling profile for each destination folder.
• Mods network repositories.
• Mods online updating and downloading.
• Zip Mod-Archive creation tool.
• XML repository creation tool.
• Detailed embeded Help.

 

 

If you already use JSGME:

Please read carefully the "OvGME and JSGME" chapter in the embedded help before doing anything.

 

Edited July 22, 2021 by sedenion
Redirect to Open Mod Manager

[BitMaster]

What a great idea :)

 

Big THANK YOU !!!

[zaelu]

Awesome! Thank you for doing this!!!

 

Next feature would be (online or offline) sources for mods updates and in app notification of update available! :D

 

P.S. How is it doing the backups?

Edited August 7, 2016 by zaelu

[BitMaster]

It doesnt seem to accept .zip files. It works if I unpack them.

 

Any idea why it wont see zipped files ?

[sedenion]

It doesnt seem to accept .zip files. It works if I unpack them.

 

Any idea why it wont see zipped files ?

 

I think it's because your zip is not recognized as valid mod. Zip archive structure must follow some rules to be identified as a valid mod, this to keep a working standard:

 

( i copy past the help )

 

Mod archive (Zip)

So to say, the mod archive is only a zipped version of a directory mod. However, to be recognized as a valid mod archive by OvGME, it must follow some simple rules

 

- The archive must be compressed in ZIP format

OvGME does not support rar, 7z, gz or any other compression format.

 

- The archive must contain the properly named mod directory at its root.

The zipped archive root must contain the mod root directory (and not directly the mod files). Also this mod directory must have the same name as the archive itself but without the .zip extension. For example, if you have a mod archive named "My Super Mod.zip", it must contain the folder named "My Super Mod" where mod files are stored, like in the uncompressed version.

 

- The archive can contain a description text

OvGME automatically checks if a .txt file is in the archive root. If this .txt file has the same exact name as the mod directory, OvGME will take it as the mod description. For example, if you have a mod archive with mod directory named "My Super Mod", the description file must be named "My Super Mod.txt".

 

For example, if the game file tree is the following:

....Textures

........Landscape

............picture1.dds

............picture2.dds

........Vehicles

............picture1.dds

............picture2.dds

 

And if your mod consist of changing some .dds texture files in "MyGame\Textures\Vehicles" your mod archive should be structured as follow:

MyGame

{

....MyTextureModV1.0.txt

....MyTextureModV1.0

............Textures

................Vehicles

....................picture1.dds

....................picture2.dds

}

 

MyTextureModV1.0.zip

Edited August 7, 2016 by sedenion

[sedenion]

Awesome! Thank you for doing this!!!

 

Next feature would be (online or offline) sources for mods updates and in app notification of update available! :D

 

Argh... network code is totaly other... paire de manches...

 

P.S. How is it doing the backups?

 

The backup simply copy original files in the application home directory, in a game dedicated sub-folder. The backup data is unique by game (one game, one backup data tree) so to say: all mods shares the same backed files for the same game (this prevent some backup corruption when mods have files that overlaps). if you want more details ask me.

The backed game files are stored in a "root" named sub-folder in the game sub-folders within the OvGME application home directory indicated by your system. Usually "<User>\AppData\Roaming\OvGME\<game sub-folder>\backups\root"

My first apporach was to zip all backup data to reduce weight, but

1 - zip compression / decompression take time a lot of time (zip don't like 20Mbs DDS textures files... ).

2 - backup archive can become quickly very large (with textures).

3 - there is no efficient way to remove a file from a zip archive except by re-creating the entire archive (read the full archive, modify, then WRITE the full archive again).

 

1 + 2 + 3 = the backup process becomes quickly horribly slow... So i decided to keep a simple file to file copy, this take more space, but it is incomparably faster.

Edited August 7, 2016 by sedenion

[Strut]

Great mod thanks, i will give it a whirl !

[f4l0]

Which name should the mod description file have?

[zaelu]

Argh... network code is totaly other... paire de manches...

 

Maybe you find someone that knows and can help you. It would totally change the way we "mod" dcs now.

 

Do you know nexus mod manager? Something like it would be really powerful.

 

The backup simply copy original files in the application home directory, in a game dedicated sub-folder. The backup data is unique by game (one game, one backup data tree) so to say: all mods shares the same backed files for the same game (this prevent some backup corruption when mods have files that overlaps). if you want more details ask me.

The backed game files are stored in a "root" named sub-folder in the game sub-folders within the OvGME application home directory indicated by your system. Usually "<User>\AppData\Roaming\OvGME\<game sub-folder>\backups\root"

 

I found them. Looks Good! The only small downsize of this approach is is people have little space in C:\ and they manage multiple games/versions with big mods.. it might clutter the C drive. Maybe an option later to change the Backup Path?

 

My first apporach was to zip all backup data to reduce weight, but

1 - zip compression / decompression take time a lot of time (zip don't like 20Mbs DDS textures files... ).

2 - backup archive can become quickly very large (with textures).

3 - there is no efficient way to remove a file from a zip archive except by re-creating the entire archive (read the full archive, modify, then WRITE the full archive again).

 

1 + 2 + 3 = the backup process becomes quickly horribly slow... So i decided to keep a simple file to file copy, this take more space, but it is incomparably faster.

 

I agree and I think your choice is valid. It activates mods very fast (I have 51 active... :) )

[f4l0]

Argh... network code is totaly other... paire de manches...

 

 

Maybe a simple rsync might work?

[sedenion]

Which name should the mod description file have?

 

The exact same name as the mod sub-folder name with .txt, and zip archive name, see just more up here : http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=2867769&postcount=5 ;)

[sedenion]

Maybe a simple rsync might work?

 

Maybe, but i never really touched any network code in my life, so i have to learn before... maybe it's in fact simple, but i don't know...

[f4l0]

The exact same name as the mod sub-folder name with .txt, and zip archive name, see just more up here : http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=2867769&postcount=5 ;)

 

Yes found it in the code:

 

GME_IsFile(GME_GetCurGameModsPath() + L"\\" + name_list[0] + L".txt")

 

On my side is doesn't work, maybe because my mod has special characters(spaces and ~). I suggest to add

 

GME_IsFile(GME_GetCurGameModsPath() + L"\\" + "description" + L".txt")

 

to the condition thus 'description.txt' will work also.

[sedenion]

Maybe you find someone that knows and can help you. It would totally change the way we "mod" dcs now.

 

Do you know nexus mod manager? Something like it would be really powerful.

 

Nop... just watched... it is a totaly network based mod manager, with an online platform, right ?...

 

 

I found them. Looks Good! The only small downsize of this approach is is people have little space in C:\ and they manage multiple games/versions with big mods.. it might clutter the C drive. Maybe an option later to change the Backup Path?

 

This is on my "Maybe TODO list"... i had the same thought than you, i have the same usage of the C: disk... but i was waiting for somebody to ask me for that feature :D

 

I will considere it, since hopefully i prepared the groud with by-game custom backup path...

[sedenion]

Yes found it in the code:

 

GME_IsFile(GME_GetCurGameModsPath() + L"\\" + name_list[0] + L".txt")

On my side is doesn't work, maybe because my mod has special characters(spaces and ~). I suggest to add

 

GME_IsFile(GME_GetCurGameModsPath() + L"\\" + "description" + L".txt")

to the condition thus 'description.txt' will work also.

 

OvGME is coded for full wide-char (unicode) support, and has no other name restriction than the system's (windows) name restriction... however, the zip library don't support wide-char, (so i have to convert each path name to 8bit ascii)... maybe the bug is here... (also .txt files are 8bit encoded)

 

Can you give me your archive to take a look at the problem ?

 

PS: the part of code you copied is the one for mod-directory type description (yes, folder mod can also have description, if you let a properly named text file in the mods stock dir), the zipped mod code use another function.

Edited August 7, 2016 by sedenion

[f4l0]

OvGME is coded for full wide-char (unicode) support, and has no other name restriction than the system's (windows) name restriction... however, the zip library don't support wide-char, (so i have to convert each path name to 8bit ascii)... maybe the bug is here... (also .txt files are 8bit encoded)

 

Can you give me your archive to take a look at the problem ?

 

PS: the part of code you copied is the one for mod-directory type description (yes, folder mod can also have description, if you let a properly named text file in the mods stock dir), the zipped mod code use another function.

 

Ok, I just grep through your code and looked for description ;)

 

My mod's structure looks like this:

 

Controls ~~ Warthog_Custom_Controls
- Controls ~~ Warthog_Custom_Controls.txt
- Mods
  - aircraft
    - ...

 

Nevertheless, having the option to either have a description.txt or 'modname'.txt for the general mod description makes it more 'user friendly'. When using description.txt, you can rename your modfolder and still get a valid description...

[sedenion]

Ok, I just grep through your code and looked for description ;)

 

My mod's structure looks like this:

 

Controls ~~ Warthog_Custom_Controls
- Controls ~~ Warthog_Custom_Controls.txt
- Mods
  - aircraft
    - ...

 

Ok, your problem is that the .txt file is in your mod folder, the .txt file must be at the root of the zip file, in parallel of the mod folder, like this:

 

Controls ~~ Warthog_Custom_Controls.txt
Controls ~~ Warthog_Custom_Controls
- Mods
  - aircraft
    - ...

 

( think about that: if you put the description txt in your mod folder, the description txt is considered as mod file, so is copied to the game file tree, this is not the destiny of a description text :D )

 

Nevertheless, having the option to either have a description.txt or 'modname'.txt for the general mod description makes it more 'user friendly'. When using description.txt, you can rename your modfolder and still get a valid description...

 

I will considere a generic "description.txt" yes...this is not hell to code :)

Edited August 7, 2016 by sedenion

[f4l0]

Another feature request:

 

Right-Click on a mod with the option to open that mod in the file explorer

[GregP]

This is simply brilliant. I've used JSGME for many years now and it does get confusing when I've got 20 icons for different games, at least four of which are for DCS alone. Thanks for doing this!

[Aviators]

Great!! Thanks ;)

[sedenion]

* Support for generic "description.txt" and "readme.txt" in zip : done...

* Right-click pop-up menu for "open folder or archive" : done...

* Option for custom backup folder : wip...

 

New version will probably be available tomorrow...

[f4l0]

* Support for generic "description.txt" and "readme.txt" in zip : done...

* Right-click pop-up menu for "open folder or archive" : done...

* Option for custom backup folder : wip...

 

New version will probably be available tomorrow...

 

Great.

 

I noticed, that it is a bit hard to see which mods are active and which not. Maybe some color or highlight effect might be useful. In addition, ability to resize the window would be nice.

[uboats]

great job

[sedenion]

Great.

 

I noticed, that it is a bit hard to see which mods are active and which not. Maybe some color or highlight effect might be useful. In addition, ability to resize the window would be nice.

 

Yes i thought of that problem of visibility, however, changing single item colour in the list-view is a kind of winapi-hacking... it is possible, but twisted (thanks to Microsoft)... i will see for that if i have some courage.

 

For resizable dialog window, forgets... this is too painful to code, must implement resizing and placement of all items according window size (ho my god, i imagine the list of GetWindowRect and GetWindowPos to align elements toghether... i know some people do that, but they are paid for that :D )... but i can make the window larger once for all...

 

GUI is the most boring thing to code...

Edited August 7, 2016 by sedenion

[f4l0]

I'm just a Compiler Developer thus only dealing with console applications and on Linux which is very developer friendly ;)

I thought that one can use some relative layout and anchor elements to the border.

 

In ancient days, one could derive from the tableview and implement this behavior. But this knowledge is pre .Net :-)