[Beta] UT 3 Magick builder v1.0

[JaFO]

Name: UT3 Magick builder
Purpose : smart UT3 script compiler
Version: 1.0 [Beta]
Compatibility: UT3, UT3 v1.1 needs testing

Description:
Are you tired of manually editing UnrealEditor.ini and hoping that you've added the right directoryname to the ModPackages-section ?

Here's the solution : UT3 Magick Builder

What does it do ?
It automagically locates your version of UT3.
It detects which packages you've got in
"[My Documents]"\My Games\Unreal Tournament 3\UTGame\Src
And it edits UnrealEditor.ini to make sure all of them are added to the list, while the missing directories are removed.

How do you use it ?
Simple ... install and then run the console-application whenever you need to rebuild your mutator.

Options ?
none
Well ok ... if for some reason it fails to locate your version of UT3 then you add the proper location as an argument.
ie :
if you've got UT3 installed in "E:\MyUT3\"
then you start the build like this

UT3Magickbuilder E:\MyUt3\

Easy, isn't it ?
It should save coders quite a bit of time as the UnrealEditor.ini is correctly modified.

Screenshot: it's a console-application, output is no different from UT3 Make itself.

Known issues ?
The ModOutputDir-setting is ignored.
The ModPackagesInPath-setting in ModPackages-setting should work as advertised, provided you use a relative path.

Credits: me, Microsoft for delivering Visual Studio Express 2008 and of course Epic

Homepage: none at this time.

Download (v1.0.0.0) :
Unreal Central : download here

updated version (v1.0.0.1) :
Is at the BeyondUnreal-forum-topic.
topic : http://forums.beyondunreal.com/showthread.php?p=2411948
Fixes :
= Magickbuilder would assume the location of UT3 was "D:\Unreal Tournament 3" even though it did find the correct location in the registry.
= more info on the locations found is shown

Requirements :
= UT3 (of course)
= Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0
= Microsoft Windows XP or Vista

[Hedge-o-Matic]

This deserves more attention. Bump!

[JaFO]

I think people are a bit too afraid of me posting it as an alfa-status

In fact it probably could have gone straight to release, but since I'm the only one that has tested it and this is my first public .Net-based application I don't know what it'll do on other systems.

(heck it's been barely 6 hours since release )

Anyways ... for those that may not yet understand how useful this is, let me explain in more detail :

// manual mutator creation workflow :
= create classes and scriptfiles
= open UnrealEditor.ini
= locate [ModPackages]-section
= add a "ModPackages=<packagename>" for every package you've got
= make sure packagename matches the directory-name ...
= save
= run UT3 make

// Magick builder workflow :
= create classes and scriptfiles
= run UT3Magickbuilder

Easy & foolproof, isn't it ?

// Things that may be added in the future :
= passing parameters to the UT3 Make-commandline
= taking care of the -nohomedir setting ?
= allow change of ModOutputDir with a simple setting (most users won't touch it, but if anyone has a reason to use it)
= ditto for ModPackagesInPath

[çyßêrhåwk]

Great work JaFO! I'll host it on Unreal Central for ya.

[JaFO]

Great work JaFO! I'll host it on Unreal Central for ya.

That'd be great
If you've got a link then I'll add it to the top post.

[JaFO]

It's still the same download, but since no one has reported any serious problems I'm guessing that it's good enough for a beta-status.

v1.1 will have additional features :
= it'll tell you where your sources should be
= it'll tell you where the output can be
= autorun (start UT3 after a successful build)
= dryrun (no changes made, just a check to see if everything is available)

The goal remains to make sure that you can compile without having to worry about any settings at all.
For complete control you'll still have to call UT3 Make with all the options you require yourself.

[çyßêrhåwk]

I sent a PM to you JaFO containing UC Links to your file.

[CVROY]

SCHAWING! I've been waiting for something like this, excellent

[JaFO]

*bump*
Almost forgot to mention that I've added the Unreal Central-link to the first post.

And please let me know anything you experience while using MagickBuilder.
Just keep in mind that my goal is to keep it as simple as possible, because too many options would make it too complex to let it do what it does best : compiling scripts without having to search through dozens of options just for a simple compile-action.

[General.Jung]

Hello JaFO,

a good job, this could be a very usefully Asset.

[JaFO]

Thanks for the comments

However it looks like I had a hidden error that was easily circumvented in the alfa-version.
Magickbuilder would assume the location of UT3 was "D:\Unreal Tournament 3" even though it did find the correct location in the registry.
The version at the BeyondUnreal-topic is the 'fixed' variant (v1.0.0.1)

[Green_Day_584]

sweet! this is every scripters dream! (sad i dont script anymore XD_)