[obsolete] SS2 Modmanager 0.0.4.048

[676a4923ebd59The Brain]

Attention: This modmanager is not compatible with current SS2 releases anymore, do NOT use!
Click here to read about modern modding


Features

• Easy (de)activation of mods and fan missions
• Provides an overview of active / existing mods
• Automatic conflict check between mods and FMs
• Custom savegame sets, e.g. for fan missions, mods, original game
• Supports .7z, .zip, .rar and .ss2mod files
• Registration of multiple mods at once. From the menu choose: [File] -> [Add Mods...] and select the mods you want to register.
• Added automatic registration of LGVID.AX whenever program is started. This option can be turned off.
• Fixes the SS2 problem where *.DIF files would override a custom hydro2.mis or shodan.mis file.
• Fixes that infamous Broken Use/Shoot Mode Problem (Menu -> Tools -> "Fix Use-Mode keybind file (user2.bnd)")

Check change.log and readme.txt files in packages for futher information.
The modmanager is based on Zombe's modmanager with many bug fixes and new features added.

Do I need to know anything before installing the Modmanager?

• Before installing the SS2 Modmanager you should install the official patch and merge the CRFs, using the SS2Tool (Option: "Patching Up")
• Note that the SS2 Modmanager is not compatible with ShockEd - the editor for SS2. If you wish to use ShockEd you should make another installation of System Shock 2.
• SS2MM has to be installed from a windows Administrator account.

How do I make a downloaded Mod/FM work with the Mod Manager?

• Add your downloaded mods via the File menu.
• Mark the mod in the Mod List.
• Click the Activate-button.
• Start the game.

Thanks to PiotrW for this useful screenshot.

Alternatively:

• Change the file extension from .7z,.zip or .rar to .ss2mod (the file icon will change)
• Doubleclick the file. It will get extracted to the Mod Manager directory at Sshock2\SS2MM\MODS\. This process may take some time as the mod may also get re-packed. At the end the Modmanager window willl come up.
• You can delete the Mod/FM after that. Or keep it for new installs or friends.

Most Mods/FMs on SMA are prepared to work perfectly with the Modmanager. That is they show their name, author's name, mod-description and mod-homepage in the Mod Manager. The information is stored in the included mod.ini. Other mods may produce a message in the Modmanager ("This mod was not a ss2mod - therefore it could happen that it won't work exactly as the author of the mod had in mind."). But they work just as well.

How do I create a new save-game set?
Click on [Manage]. The save game management window will pop up. Enter a name for your new save-game set. Click on [Create new set]. You can choose save-game sets from the dropdown list. The saves contained in the selected set will show up in the window below.

How do I create a Mod for the Modmanager?
Informations on how to create and customise mods for the SS2 Modmanager can be found in the Upload Guide.

Troubleshooting
The SS2 Modmanager may sometimes get confused. If this seems to be the case, deactivate all Mods within the Modmanager, then search your SS2 folder for any files of the form *.ss2mmbak. Delete all of them. After that reactivate the Mods you wish to use. Alternatively: Use the CleanUp feature via [Tools-->CleanUp].

Uninstallation
From the Modmanager menu choose [Tools] -> [Uninstall]. You can now check the "Clean Up" setting. There was a bug in the previous version of "Clean Up" that broke your game. It is now fixed and it should remove leftover folders and files properly. If you want you can still clean up manually yourself before you uninstall the Modmanager by deactivating and deleting mods in the Modmanager.

DOWNLOAD
See attachments of this post. Source code is available in a separate package.

[676a4923ec2c4The Brain]

Code: [Select]

Changelog:
================

In this changelog dates are in this format: day.month.year.





26.2.2007
==========
// TheBrain
(1.10) 0.0.0.xx+ : Private test build.

           * Many major changes made to code.
           * Few changes made to user interface.
           * Uses LGPL:d Delphi Zip v1.79-component for extracting zip files.
             Therefore program requires to have DelZip179.dll in same directory.
           * Added feature to register multiple mods at once. Go to File->Register Mods... and select which mods you want to register with it.
           * Added "Create New Set"-button to savegame set-dialog.
           * Uses files.dat-file to install program and it's support files. Remove function isn't implemented yet.
           * Few oddities and minor bugs still exits.
             - When you install program, it claims that it can't copy few files to installation directory. However they are copied.
             - files.dta-file may contain paths like this "mods/modname/dir/file".
               I'm not considering this a bug at all, since I have wrote special code to handle this oddity.
               So files are copied in right directories.

16.3.2007
=========

// TheBrain
(1.10) 0.0.0.100+ : Private test build.

           * Added support to 7zip format by using TSevenZipVCL - component.
           * Added feature to register lgvid.ax automatically whenever program is started.
           * Fixed a bug in installation process. Now shortcut does point to right working directory.

(1.10) 0.0.1.0+  : First public beta release.
           * Added new option menu under Options-main menu to switch on or off automatic lgvid.ax registeration on startup.

17.3.2007
=========

// TheBrain
(1.10) 0.0.1.13+  : Beta Release
           * Fixed bug where logfile would appear in wrong places.
           * Fixed bug when there was only one mod in list and user was trying to delete it. Now it really does delete it.
           
21.6.2007
=========

// TheBrain
(1.10) 0.0.1.16+ : Beta Release
           * Now it shows message dialog when you try install files with unsupported file extensions.

23.6.2007
=========

// TheBrain
(1.10) 0.0.1.39+ : Beta Release
           * Now there is check if resname_base already points to RES-folder. If resname_base does point to it then there is no need to add it.
           * Minor code changes.

// TheBrain
(1.10) 0.0.2.0+ : Beta Release
           * Now manager packs mod files again to conserve disk space. Uses 7zip-component for this.
              - You can disable this functionality by going to Options->Pack Mods.
                If you wish to disable this feature, you need to re-register affected mods.
                There is need to do this, because manager deletes MOD-folder after its done with repacking your mods.
                There will be fix in future for this.
              - After you have disabled this feature, remember to delete .7z-file archive in mod directory if you don't need it.
              - Uses normal compression method. It might take time to finish compression process but extraction is faster than compression.

24.6.2007
=========

// TheBrain
(1.10) 0.0.2.27+ : Beta Release
           * Minor bug fixing and code changes. No fix for that when you don't need mod repacking.
           
26.6.2007
=========

// TheBrain
(1.10) 0.0.2.47+ : Beta Release
           * Fixed severe bug which pervented succesful installation.
           
26.7.2007
=========

// TheBrain
(1.10) 0.0.2.89+ : Beta Release
           * Fixed nasty bug in Clean Up functionality.
             - Now it does delete leftover files and folders properly.
           * Now it brings up dialog window with progress bar so you can watch how fast it repacks your mods.
           * Major other code changes.

// TheBrain
(1.10) 0.0.2.91+ : Beta Release
           * Minor bug squashed.

17.8.2007
=========
           
// TheBrain
(1.10) 0.0.3.12+ : Beta Release
           * Fixed bug in code section that modifies install.cfg-file. Now it does check whenever first path definition in resname_base points
             to game folder and if it does then adds location of RES folder after game folder path definition. Rest of other path definitions are preserved.
           * Few changes made to UI.
           * Other minor code changes.
           
1.9.2007
========

// TheBrain
(1.10) 0.0.3.15+ : Beta Release
           * Fixed minor bug in code section that modifies install.cfg-file.

2.9.2007
========

// TheBrain
(1.10) 0.0.3.20+ : Beta Release
           * Fixed bug when you have several installations of game and you tried to run game via manager, it started wrong game executable. Now it does start right game.

11.9.2007
=========

// TheBrain
(1.10) 0.0.3.37+ : Beta Release
           * Fixed bug in code section that handles extracting of rar archives. Now it does create proper folder and file stuctures.
           * Added "binds"-folder to special folder list which is used to create proper folder structures if there is none in archives.

12.5.2008
==========

// TheBrain
(1.10) 0.0.3.56+ : Beta Release
* Fixed bug when user aborts installation process, program overwrites configuration file thus loosing all previous settings.
* Removed useless archive copying to MODS-folder thus increasing mod registeration process dramatically.
* Lots of small bugs fixed.
* If mod includes full version of hydro2.mis and/or shodan.mis, manager makes new copy of those files and renames them to hydro2.dif and shodan.dif.
  This pervents major bugs to occur begin with.
* Updated DelZip179.dll to version 1.79.11.1.
* Updated 7za.dll to version 4.57.0.0.
* Updated unrar.dll to version 3.80.1.87.


13.5.2008
==========

// TheBrain
(1.10) 0.0.3.80+ : Beta Release
* Added option to set compression levels for mod repacking.
* Added .bnd-file extension to special list, so manager recognizes them and puts them under MODS-folder.
* Now you can install latest version of manager over previously installed one.
  When it detects previously installed manager, it asks permission to continue installation.
* Now you can do reinstall without a fear of losing previous settings.
* Now you can fix easily that infamous Use-Mode bug which occurs when user rebinds game keybidings, by
  clicking on Tools menu and selecting "Fix Use-Mode keybind file (user2.bnd)"-menu item.
  See this link for more information about this bug : https://www.systemshock.org/index.php/topic,78.0.html
  This bug only occurs under Windows NT-based operating systems (Windows 2000/XP/Vista).
* Lots of other improvements.


10.9.2008
==========

// TheBrain
(1.10) 0.0.4.10+ : Beta Release
* Fixed bug when manager refused to start after installation under Windows XP.
  This even happened under Windows 2000 with SP4, too. And it wasn't caused by Service Packs, either.
* Manager is now compiled into Inno Setup package which allows much easier and cleanier installation process.
  Open SS2MM_1.10_Beta_Build_x.x.x.x_installer.7z in 7-Zip or other archive program which supports .7z format
  and doubleclick on setup-ss2mm.exe-file to start installation process.
* SS2MM_1.10_Beta_Build_x.x.x.x_bin.7z-file contains manager and all its support files for those who likes messing with plain archives.


22.9.2008
==========

// TheBrain
(1.10) 0.0.4.24+ : Beta Release
* Minor bugs fixed.


05.01.2009
==========

// TheBrain
(1.10) 0.0.4.27+ : Beta Release
* Updated DelZip179.dll to version 1.79.11.3.
* Updated 7za.dll to version 4.63.0.0.
* Updated unrar.dll to version 3.80.100.259.
* Now it's much easier to add mods (by using File->Add mods menu) without need to change mod archive file extension to .ss2mod.
  However it's recommended to do it anyway so manager can install mods by clicking on them.

06.01.2009
==========

// TheBrain
(1.10) 0.0.4.39+ : Beta Release
* Minor tweaking made to code.
* Now manager always applies archive file attribute to all extracted mod files.
  This removes certain bug when author of the mod have somehow applied read only file attribute on certain important files and manager refuses to copy/move them.
* Minor tweaking made to uninstallation code so it removes more files when Clean Up is checked in uninstallation dialog.