[OTTD] NARS ADD-ON SET (3 OCT 2016 - r0042) Dev Thread (Help wanted!)

[NekoMaster]

GO HERE FOR THE LATEST NARS ADDON SET 2CC STUFF!!! THIS SET IS LONG DEAD





nothing to see here (anymore)

~ NARS ADD-ON SET DEVELOPMENT ~
---------------------------------------------
(Currently being remade for better sprite positioning and balancing)

Now Available on our favorite online content downloader Bananas! (INDEV VERSION)



Welcome to the development page for the NARS Add-on Set. This is where I, Nekomaster
and possibly others will be releasing updates and providing support for the project.

The NARS Add-on Set is a project that aim's to add more North American style locomotives
to be used in game along side PikkaBirds North American Railway Set [2.51 April 2015]

Here is a current list of helpers and credits

Project Coordination : Nekomaster (probably sucking at this job)

Coders : Nekomaster
Graphics : DanMacK, NekoMaster, Pack Man, PikkaBird

More credits will come later as more people work with the set as well as peoples works being
added to the set. I intend to give people full credit for their work, be it code or graphics, or
what ever else is needed.

And a big thanks goes to Sylf for helping me understand how to code NML and get a set going.

Current Vehicle List (As of version -r0042)



(Various colors obtained from piecing together various screen shots, the whole set is 2CC for the most part)

~ You can download the GRF and/or the Data Sheet below! ~

Just place the NARS_ADDON_SET_r####.tar into your OpenTTD NewGRF folder

Windows users, this is in "Documents/OpenTTD/newgrf"

Linux Users, this is in "~/.openttd/newgrf"

For Mac Users, this is in "~/Documents/OpenTTD/newgrf"

[NekoMaster]

At the moment while I wait for a reply (if anything comes at all) I'm setting up the data sheet for the stuff I plan to add. This may also help anyone that wants to help me so they know the specs for the things I want to add in.

[Sylf]

I suck at learning programming/coding and I really want to make a addon for NARS 2.5 and I need assistance

I offered to help American Train Pack project. I did a simple code sample, but that project quickly lead to a silence. I can offer the same help here.

I don't draw.
I can code.
Also, I normally don't do researches - it helps if vehicle specs are provided to me. You mentioned you're preparing the data sheet, so that should help.

[NekoMaster]

I suck at learning programming/coding and I really want to make a addon for NARS 2.5 and I need assistance

I offered to help American Train Pack project. I did a simple code sample, but that project quickly lead to a silence. I can offer the same help here.

I don't draw.
I can code.
Also, I normally don't do researches - it helps if vehicle specs are provided to me. You mentioned you're preparing the data sheet, so that should help.

So far I've spend most of my day searching up crap tons of data, though for now I only have a handful of sprites I can use, with more to come if I get permission from people or I draw up stuff.

Thing I'm finding though is that the electric locomotives and EMU's drag on for me... for some reason I really don't like electric locomotives even if they're better then Diesels.

At the moment I've got probably over 100 entries (though as I said I only have a handful of sprites).

What I have in the Diesel sprites folder are sprites I already have permission to use and I'm sure Paulicus25 would enjoy having their work put to good use for once, and I would enjoy having a Company coloured NARS 2 style EMD F/FP45 and GP40/GP40-2

[NekoMaster]

So I have the Data sheet 80% finished now, the only thing that needs to be filled out is data for Railbuses and Multiple Units in both Diesel and Electric flavors.

Not all of the locomotives that I've included in this list will be making it into my NARS Addon but I figured that while I'm doing all this research and data entry for my addon I might as well look up just about everything I can find in case I want to do something bigger then an Addon in the future (say, if I finally learn how to code NML for my self).

Things may not be 100% accurate considering I got most of my numbers from the Internet, and a few locomotives I had to resort to using Data from OpenTTD Mods that included a locomotive thats on my list that I couldn't find data for online.

Its in MS Excel XLSX format but if someone needs it in a different format just let me know. If things get busy enough with the NARS addon or future sets I'll look into using Google docs so that everyone can help out with providing accurate data.

[andythenorth]

Just get one vehicle done and do a release?

Then add another and release, then another, then another...

[Sylf]

I can come up with a taster release quickly - just need a sprite set

[NekoMaster]

Just get one vehicle done and do a release?

Then add another and release, then another, then another...

Thats basically what I wanna do for now, I would like to know how to set my self up for multiple engines but the simplest way possible. From what I'm seeing to make a basic Rail vehicle GRF I just need the Main PNML file to set up the GRF Header block, the list that includes the Vehicle_Graphic and Vehicle _Item, and tell the PNML to look at the Vehicle ID and Vehicle sort Nml files in the src folder

So what I need for the nml files is
/NARS ADDON.nml
+ /src/VehicleSort.nml
+ /src/VehicleID.pnml
+ /src/diesel/EMD_F45_GRAPHIC.NML
+ /src/diesel/EMD_F45_ITEM.NML

Then I just tell NARS ADDON.PNML (the Main file) to load up VehicleSort.nml, VehicleID.nml, my vehicle graphic and item nmls, and I guess thats it.

Though I'd like to know how the offsets work, do I need a template nml like the 2cc set or can each VEHICLE_GRAPHIC.nml have its own offsets without referring to a template in Template.nml?

[paulicus25]

Just to let you know, I did not draw the EMD F45 sprite you have shown there. No idea who drew it but is wasn't me. The only american style sprites I drew were 4 steam locos. This is not me.

[NekoMaster]

Just to let you know, I did not draw the EMD F45 sprite you have shown there. No idea who drew it but is wasn't me. The only american style sprites I drew were 4 steam locos. This is not me.

Could have sworn it was you when I started setting up the sprite sheets but I guess the F45 and FP45 as well as a couple other sprites I downloaded where done by pack man. I'll have to fix that.

Though Paulicus, I hope you don't mind if I use your steam locomotives in the addon so we can have a AC-12, Daylight, and Big Boy in the addon

ANd no I wont be editing the sprites or anything, just putting them into a standardized sprite sheet for the project.

[NekoMaster]

With the Data Sheet mostly done, I've been working on putting together sprite sheets to make coding easier in the future, at least in my opinion.

Heres a couple of sprites just to show I have something to work with once I get a grasp of coding for my self. I feel I'm close to understanding it I just need someone to help me with a few things in coding.

[Sylf]

...

For those sprites, I assume RS18 has 7/8 size?

There are some 1- to 3-pixel size difference between FP45 and E9. (I've only taken a look at A-unit only so far) For a starter, I'm going to make a spriteset template using the bigger one of the two (FP45).

[NekoMaster]

...

For those sprites, I assume RS18 has 7/8 size?

There are some 1- to 3-pixel size difference between FP45 and E9. (I've only taken a look at A-unit only so far) For a starter, I'm going to make a spriteset template using the bigger one of the two (FP45).

It actually forgot about sprite sizes and what not, but I do believe the MLW RS-18 7/8 Size, or the size of a GP9 or Alco RS-3 in NARS 2.

I kinda just figured that once I started coding I would adapt and fix what ever came along.

Anyways at the moment I'm doing my best to put what I know for NML into code, but I doubt anything I can do will work.

[Sylf]

Anyways at the moment I'm doing my best to put what I know for NML into code, but I doubt anything I can do will work.

I thought I was helping with the code.
I can't really help if you're making your own code, and I'm making my own.

On another note, for the FP45 sprites, the northwest facing sprite (6th one) is 1 pixel wider than other diagonal sprites.
I know you didn't draw them, but I'm just pointing it out, not knowing yet what this will do to the final outcome.

Edit:
Anyway, here's something you can take and code things yourself, if you want.

[NekoMaster]

Anyways at the moment I'm doing my best to put what I know for NML into code, but I doubt anything I can do will work.

I thought I was helping with the code.
I can't really help if you're making your own code, and I'm making my own.

On another note, for the FP45 sprites, the northwest facing sprite (6th one) is 1 pixel wider than other diagonal sprites.
I know you didn't draw them, but I'm just pointing it out, not knowing yet what this will do to the final outcome.

Edit:
Anyway, here's something you can take and code things yourself, if you want.

Well if you want to code thats fine, though I would like to learn how to code my self because I would like to be able to do my own stuff eventually. Though if you want you can set up the code the way you want and I'll see if I can help so that your not the only one doing all the heavy work.

Ill see about fixing that sprite once I get some other stuff done

Also, everytime I try to compile what I have or the 2ccts code, NML Codec complains about illegal characters like # or " when I use say "nmlc.exe 2ccts.nml" or "nmlc.exe narsaddon.nml"

One example of a line in my code that uses # and " would be #include "SRC/DIESEL/EMD_FP45.nml"

If I remove the # and " then NML codec freaks out about SRC or anything after Include

EDIT : Oh and thank you for posting the test grf and source, I should have mentioned that first but I'm busy with a million things here (and I'm a little distracted watching netflix on my 2nd monitor)

[NekoMaster]

ALright, looking at the sprite sheet for the FP45 I see the error, It was because I copied over the FP45 sprites onto another sprite sheet that already had sprites and I guess I ended up pasting the North West sprite a pixle to the right leaving behind 1 line of pixels from the previous sprite that was there.

[Sylf]

Well if you want to code thats fine,

I want to code, but I can't code for a project where there are multiple coders without a project repo.

Also, everytime I try to compile what I have or the 2ccts code, NML Codec complains about illegal characters like # or " when I use say "nmlc.exe 2ccts.nml" or "nmlc.exe narsaddon.nml"

One example of a line in my code that uses # and " would be #include "SRC/DIESEL/EMD_FP45.nml"

Those code, as well as the source I attached, assumes you have GNU Make, and C compiler, not just NML compiler. On Windows, you can either use MinGW or cygwin.

[NekoMaster]

Well if you want to code thats fine,

I want to code, but I can't code for a project where there are multiple coders without a project repo.

Also, everytime I try to compile what I have or the 2ccts code, NML Codec complains about illegal characters like # or " when I use say "nmlc.exe 2ccts.nml" or "nmlc.exe narsaddon.nml"

One example of a line in my code that uses # and " would be #include "SRC/DIESEL/EMD_FP45.nml"

Those code, as well as the source I attached, assumes you have GNU Make, and C compiler, not just NML compiler. On Windows, you can either use MinGW or cygwin.

Alright I'm setting up the tools and what not so I can compile my self.

Also where can I set up a project repo? Is that one of the things DevZone is for? I'm all very new to this stuff.

I feel like I should just be leaving this stuff to a coder and just go back to setting up the sprites and data sheet, but I'll never learn how to do stuff for my self if I just give up now.

[Sylf]

where can I set up a project repo? Is that one of the things DevZone is for?

Yes. DevZone comes with a repo.
If you're new to interacting with repo (mercurial software), http://dev.openttdcoop.org/documents/28 is a good read, minus the section about VirtulBox and Fedora.

[NekoMaster]

where can I set up a project repo? Is that one of the things DevZone is for?

Yes. DevZone comes with a repo.
If you're new to interacting with repo (mercurial software), http://dev.openttdcoop.org/documents/28 is a good read, minus the section about VirtulBox and Fedora.

So I set up all the stuff i need for NML (and while I was at I set up the stuff to be able to compile openttd and make patch packs while I'm at it)

but when I goto compile the code I made

"Parsing ...Illegal character '#' (character code 0x23) at "nars_addon.pnml", line 9, column 1"

Which is :

Code: Select all

#include "src/header.pnml"

in your nars_addon.pnml

ALso I guess I'll go set up a DevZone project now, since it seems that shortly we'll have some work underway and content to post in the near future, that is if your coding.

Lastly, let me know if those sprite sheets don't work out properly for you, I can always redo everything as I've only done like 15 sprite sheets so far (I would have had more done already if it wasn't for the fact windows 10 died on me for no reason and if GIMP wasn't so clunky sometimes)

EDIT : I already have an account on DevZone it seems, and I found an old old sprite I made many years ago that I'll be using for the EMD GP60M until a better NARS Styled GP60M sprite is available.

It has the same specs as a regular EMD GP60 aside from maybe being 1-2 tons heavier due to having a wide short hood rather then the narrow short hood on the GP60 (and other EMD jeeps and sd's)

This sprite is free for everyone to use.