utility to quickly add HAKs to a module ?

[Legacy_MrZork]

               Sorry if this question is one that's been asked a hundred times, but my searches haven't turned anything up. Is there a utility that lets one quickly add HAKs to a module? I don't mean that it necessarily makes the rebuild quicker, but the actual process of choosing which haks to add and then adding them.

My basic issue is that the GUI in the Toolset's Module Properties -> Custom Content widget is sort of clumsy. I was recently adding the CEP 2.3 HAKs and some other custom content to several modules and it can become a bit tedious to add nine or ten HAKs when they don't necessarily show up in the right order by default and adding each one requires clicking on the drop-down list; scrolling to the right HAK; clicking it; clicking the Add button; possibly moving it up or down; then starting over for the next HAK.

I was wondering if there might be some other interface for this process. It would be fine if it was necessary after to open the module in the Toolset and rebuild it. Initially, I was thinking along the lines of (beware of crude mock-up to follow!)


But, it might be more useful for a simpler utility that accepts a text list of HAK file names and adds them to a module. That way, the same HAKs could be added to several modules without going through the add-one-at-a-time process.

Anyway, is there anything like that available?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Eradrain]

               Not that I'm aware of, no.

I've never heard complaints about this particular thing before.  Even if you're adding 30 haks to a module, it still takes less than a minute to do so (Not counting the rebuild/error check, and you can skip the error check without penalty).

I'm not saying your complaint is without merit, not at all, just that I think most other folk don't consider the existing interface to be all that inconvenient.

Then again, maybe I'm wrong and there is some brilliant visual-basic program that mass-loads haks onto modules and everyone but me uses it, which would also explain the lack of complaint.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Eradrain, 17 septembre 2010 - 09:29 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Shadooow]

               There is some utility that can manage .hif files and some project like PRC made the hif file for that. However I don't know how to use it, where to download it anyway, it seems abadoned. Anyway someone must make the installation hif file which tells that program what hows to put into what module etc.

MrZork wrote...
I don't mean that it necessarily makes the rebuild quicker,...

Maybe you know this, but for others, rebuilding module is useless. I always cancel it from the start, would otherwise spent half a day with it... And it just don't have any effect.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MrZork]

               

Eradrain wrote...
[...]Even if you're adding 30 haks to a module, it still takes less than a minute to do so (Not counting the rebuild/error check, and you can skip the error check without penalty).[...]

You are significantly faster at this than I am! I just did a pretty simple test by adding just 18 of the CEP2 HAKs to one of the OC chapters and it took me over two minutes. Of course, I was trying to go quickly, but also keeping in mind that many of these have to be added in  a certain order (which, inconveniently, often show up in the drop-down list such that the next one to add requires scrolling to see). I'll admit that even the 2+ minute time is a little faster than I thought it would be and it was helped by having a list of the HAKs to add visible in another window so that I wouldn't have to stop and think about that.

For the original purpose I had in mind when I asked about this, I was thinking to add ~30 HAKs to modules totaling 12 or so chapters and the prospect of spending ~40 minutes adding the same HAKs over and over seemed very tedious to me. That's when it occurred to me that module builders might have to do this quite often (to update their module chapters with newer versions of HAKs, etc.) and that there might be a utility to automate the process.

ShaDoOoW wrote...

There is some utility that can manage
.hif files and some project like PRC made the hif file for that. However
I don't know how to use it, where to download it anyway, it seems
abadoned. Anyway someone must make the installation hif file which tells
that program what hows to put into what module etc.

I will look into that again. I think I ran across a HIF file utility for CEP 2.1 at some point and modified it for 2.3, but I never quite got it working.

MrZork
wrote...
I don't mean that it necessarily makes the rebuild
quicker,...

Maybe you know this, but for others, rebuilding
module is useless. I always cancel it from the start, would otherwise
spent half a day with it... And it just don't have any effect.

Wow! That's a useful bit of information to save a huge hunk of time. Is the custom content rebuild process just for error/conflict checking or does it do something else that would be useful if one is already sure the HAKs are okay?


BTW: Bioware - PLEASE add a preview button for these forums! It's hard to believe forum software even exists nowadays without that feature. Criminy!
               
               

               
            

[Legacy__six]

               "Building" the module just checks for minor errors and inconsistencies within the module. Script that hasn't been compiled? Creature given a conversation file name that doesn't exist? Build will spot it. Practically any custom content related error, build won't help.



The only time its of any real use is if you're adding or removing a hakpak that has scripts in it. But, really, that's not what (custom classes aside) hakpaks should be for IMO.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_omen_shepperd]

               When i need to have more than one mod with all the same haks in it i make a basemod with all my haks . then i work from copies of the basemod. saves me some time just working off of one basemod.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_B_Harrison]

               There is a way to associate multiple haks to a module without even opening the toolset.

1) Open module file in BioWare's ErfEdit
2) Export the file module.ifo
3) Open module.ifo in GFF editor, add new entries to Mod_HakList
(string value = hak filename, string 0 is the highest [top] position in the list)
4) Save module.ifo, export module.ifo into module in ErfEdit, save module in ErfEdit

You could also store hak lists in .ifo format and copy them over to any number of modules by replacing the Mod_HakList data as appropriate.

But that's pretty crazy. I just click fast and make sure my haks are properly organised (eg, priority never matters because there are no duplicate files).

Edit: omen's suggestion is a great way to work too.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par B_Harrison, 17 septembre 2010 - 05:17 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_rafhot]

               i personally use the bleeding edge hak installer

http://nwvault.ign.c...r.Detail&id=720



inside the .hif text file are stored the list of haks, tlk and even event scripts if you want to add



i use it to my main nwn directory
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MrZork]

               Those sound like great suggestions. Thanks!
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Mavrixio]

               
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Mavrixio, 18 septembre 2010 - 09:34 .