[C4:AC][Programming] C4 Directory Layout

[Darsnan]

Hi All,

attached is my first attempt at documenting the Civ4 subdirectory structure. Note that

a) it is incomplete - would like feedback as to whether this is the correct approach or not first before going to the effort of completely documenting everything.

b) The document is in Excel. All colored boxes are subdirectories, and non-colored boxes are files. Because there are subdirectories off of subdirectories, I've made each major subdirectory into its own sheet with hotlinks pointing the way. From there each page drills down thru the subdirectory hierarchy detailing where all the relevent files are kept.

Please let me know if this is beneficial and I will continue. Feedback for improvement is appreciated as well.


D

[wgabrie]

Nice work so far! But I think there is too much space wasted in the spreadsheet. Also I'm having some trouble navigating the list with some of the data lying off to the side. Could you format it with the Files and Directories going down the first column instead of across the row? Maybe if you had a screen for each directory like below it would be clearer, or are there too subdirectories for that for that?

[Sid Meiers Civilization 4]

binkw32.dll (339kb)
boost_python-vc71-mt-1_23.dll (172kb)
Civilization4 (App) (11.4MB)
hapdbg.dll (56kb)
Mss32.dll (378kb)
python24.dll (1.8MB)
Readme (html) (72kb)
ThemeParseLog (1kb)
vort_dls.dll (65kb)
zlib1.dll (55kb)

[Assets]
[Miles]
[Mods]
[Pak]
[PublicMaps]
[Resource]
[Shaders]

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by wgabrie
Nice work so far!

Thanx. Had a heck of a time trying to figure out the best format for this, as theres a ton more subdirectories than I anticipated!

Originally posted by wgabrie
But I think there is too much space wasted in the spreadsheet. Also I'm having some trouble navigating the list with some of the data lying off to the side. Could you format it with the Files and Directories going down the first column instead of across the row? Maybe if you had a screen for each directory like below it would be clearer, or are there too subdirectories for that for that?

I can do this. However note that I think this aspect is transitory in that the only real reason I am making this effort is for those that don't have access to cIV yet (such as Blake and binTravkin). This way they can "see" the subdirectory structure. This, in conjunction with the Python files I E-Mailed out, should give them a good idea of the structure of how the game is put together.

Have you gotten cIV yet wgabrie?

D

[Blake]

Why don't you just use the command prompt go to the root Civ4 directory and use

dir /B /S > blah1.txt

dir /S > blah2.txt

Then post blah1 and blah2 here.

[wgabrie]

No Civ4 yet. It's stuck at the post office till monday.

[wgabrie]

Wow, Blake it's been done already on the Civ4 creation form. The list is... unbelievably long.

http://www.apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=140496

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by wgabrie
No Civ4 yet. It's stuck at the post office till monday.

Well hopefully by then Firaxis will have a majority of the problems sorted out and you'll be able to run the game np after loading. Note that what I did to get my nVidia 5200 working was to first change my screen res to something low like 600 x 800 (I got a crash to desktop if I tried to run a higher res). FYI in case your system is on the low end of the requirements spectrum.

Originally posted by wgabrie
Wow, Blake it's been done already on the Civ4 creation form. The list is... unbelievably long.

Yeah. After I did the "Recommended install" and started looking thru the various subdirectories I was like "wtf!" . Especially note the "Mods" subdirectory structure: from my understanding this substructure was established to preserve processor speed, however at this point it isn't really intuitively clear as to the structure. Hopefully the cIV Creationists will publish something here as well to help us along.


D

[Blake]

Ah sweet I forgot to check back on that thread.

Everything under
\Civ4\Assets\Python\
Seems to be Python install files (ie the same you get by installing python), with the exception of files starting with Cv, I also noticed wx which I assume means Civ4 uses wxwindows for windowing.

D, I don't suppose you could zip up the entire "Desert War" mod folder and email it to me? I think it'll zip to under 2mb.

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by Blake
D, I don't suppose you could zip up the entire "Desert War" mod folder and email it to me? I think it'll zip to under 2mb.

411kb. Just sent.

D

Edit: gmail kept rejecting the original. I therefore broke it into several parts and E-Mailed that way. Let me know if you don't get the pieces.


D

[wgabrie]

I read that the mods folder is for placing custom versions of the game files we want to change. For a total conversion we'd be recreating the whole directory structure. BTW, This can also be done with SMAC by saving a scenario, custom alpha.txt, units.pcx, and whatever else in its own folder.

[wgabrie]

Darsnan while you're at it can I get the Civ4\Assets\XML folder? If it's too big I'd like the following:

Units
Terrain
Interface
Art

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by wgabrie
Darsnan while you're at it can I get the Civ4\Assets\XML folder?

Sent in 3 chunks....

[Darsnan]

Just a couple more followup thoughts here: for consistencies sake should we all have the same subdirectory structure as far as where we're placing the various modules for the SMAC Mod?

Also, I opened the Scenario Editor and played with that a little this morning. I placed a battleship on top of a mountain, and another in a desert. The battleship on top of the mountain gave me the option to move it into an adjacent lake! The battleship in the desert just sat there, so I gave it the fortify command.

I am currently thinking of just doing a C4 only mod but with the thought of conceptually replacing barbarians with NL's (i.e. they'll still be barbarians, but at least it'll give us some ideas/ fun while we work on the project to get something playable!). I plan to use Saladin to replace Lal. Anyone have any interest in playtesting an effort of this nature?


D

[wgabrie]

Sure Darsnan, send it along. I don't have Civ 4 yet but I should, I hope , have it up and running in a few days.

[Addled Platypus]

got civ4 yet?

ie BUMP