OAW+Explained-Knegel

Explaination about OAW by Ralf Knegel.
Hi,

at first some clarifications regarding OAW, OAWunified and its correlation to EAW and its addons.

Very often peoply refer to OAW, if they have problems, while in most cases the EAW filestructure or buggy addons are the cause.

Therefor, who want to change his OAW setup successfull, need to understand the EAW file structure and its problems at 1st!

Most EAW addons base on default files, which by default are stored inside of the 29 *.CDF files in the EAW root. Wen EAW run, the EAW.exe use this files. This files represent most things we see while gaming, from plane skins, over flight models, to groundobject graphics and target setups, all this got stored inside the *.CDF files. As benifit to the EAW community, the EAW.exe got programmed to look at 1st into the EAW root for the same files that are located in the *.CDF´s. So when we extract the files out of the CDF´s, edit them and place them in the EAW root, EAW use this files and so we will see differents while gaming. This is a easy way to change the game by the customers, whithout to lose the default settings. The problems start when we have two different addons using the same file. Of course we cant use this addons at same time, so we need to replace one with the other. And here addon manager tools appear to be usefull and the OAWselector also is such a addon manager. The early EAW addon managers simply did load one file over the currently loaded file and this work without problems for many addon´s. But, many other addons, specialy the very important skins, dont use all available files, or use new created filenames, as result a skin(for example) for the same plane can have a different number of files and different file name, than a other skin for the same plane. As result this addons cant overwrite each other, so its needed to unload the unwanted addon, before the new get loaded. As result addon managers get most important, cause its almost impossible to unload one skin by hand, when the related files are hidden between many hundret other files of other addons( a skin can have 15 files and more).

OAW have a folder name logic to store related addons in folders with the same initial designation. By this folder name logic, it also keep track of the last loaded addons. So it "know" when it have to unload a addon, when a new addon of the same type shal get loaded.

Since EAW have many different types of addons, OAW have many different folder designations(i dont wanna get to deep into here), and people who wanna store a new addon in a sencefull way need to follow this foldername logic(this for sure isnt easy in the beginning, but its worth to learn how to do it!).

One of the biggest problem regarding EAW addons are bug´s in addon´s or that people try to use special addon´s in general setup´s. Example: Many older EAW skins, but also skins specialy made for one static campaign skin setup, often refer to skinfiles of different plane slots. This skins work, as long as the needed other skin also got loaded, but if the skin file in the other slot isnt the right one(thats the case in general), the skin is messed up while gaming. Sometimes even a crash to desctop can happen, if the needed file isnt available. Since some years the addonmakers keep an eye on this, but the lot of addons, the normal human failsure quote, but also the sequential need of special addons for special solutions make it impossible to eleminate this problem completely.

Ok, this was the basics to the EAW related problems regarding the addon manager part of OAW, but OAW is more than a addon manager!! OAW also include a "game confuigure enhancement". You can edit the EAW.ini (by default you edit this file without to know it, when you go to "configure game") with different buttons, but also with a implemented text editor. !Use the in OAW implemented "browser" and read the Help file, if you wanna know more about this!

Now to the most powerfull and innovative tool in OAW, the "Autoscript" and "Magical Number" system!

Autoscripts in general are simple txt files, without file extension, which keep a list of folders( where addons are in) to be loaded.

To create a new customized Autoscript, you simply need to load the wanted folders, then got to the "Autopscript" table, insert a new name for this new setup and click "save as an Autoscript". After you did play other setups, you can use this Autoscript to load exact this setup again. Since OAWslector500LSC Autoscripts also can include a key controll setting and a AI pre-selection!!

For OAWunified we did develop a special kind of Autoscript, the *.GUP Autoscripts. This autoscripts are preprogrammed by the OAWunified team and shouldnt get altered!! GUP´s are supposed to provide many different setups to be played online, while most of them also work offline. GUP stands for "ground up" and refer to groundstarted online missions with only two home bases per side, which are located close to each other(within 2-10 min flight time).

Another special Autoscript, usabe only with OAWselect 500LSC and later, are the ~ scripts. This files are supposed to keep customized online related setups, shal be shared with other online players and can be used like a "Magcal Number" with help of the clipboard and the "Auto Set-up" button.

Another special kind of Autoscripts are the *.set files. This "set" files are offline related Autoscripts, to be loaded from the "Complete Sets" table, which is also available when the user run the "Basic Interface".

NOTE: Its wanted by the OAW team that people install their own addon into their setup, as long as they follow the OAWunified folder logic. And its specialy wanted that this new addons get offered, in best case together with some ***.set or ~*** Autoscripts, so the users can take benifit right away, by this new addon(new for OAWunified, it dont have to be new in general).

But please, offer the addons in cooperation with the OAW team, to keep track what addons are already available and to prevent compatibility problems. Every addon should get tested by different people in different setups!!! We also have some D/L space where the new packed OAW addons can find place for D/L.

If you have questions regarding this, please contact me us on Frugals ( http://forums.frugalsworld.com/vbb/forumdisplay.php?f=24 ) !

"Magical Number"

A Magical Number is a code to be shared, to load a even more complex setup than a simply Autoscript.

A Magical Number consists of 1. -a number for the used GUP setting, Go to the "Autoscripts" table, look left hand and be sure the button "Gup files" is marked. Now a bunch of M.gup and P.gup files are listed. Above the "load this Gup combination" button is a field displaying "0000". Clck to one of the M.gup´s, you will see that the "0000" will change to the related number of the M.gup. Do the same with a P**.gup and also this related number will find place in the field. 2.-a number for the used key controll setting, On the "General Settings" table you will find the "Kex Controlls (KC)". By default the KC code in the magical number is "00", only if you enable the "cheatcheck" and one of the 30 settings, the related number will get added into the "Magical Number". Only then ALL players need to use your setup!

3.-a number of the preselected Ai´s Right hand on the "Autoscripts" table you will find the list of the currently loaded planes and below this four buttons + fields to keep the designation of the pre-selected plane. If you now mark the "Allied Fighter" button, you can choose a allied fighter in the plane list. If you did so, automatically the "Allied Bomber" button get marked, so right away you can select a allied Bomber, then a Axis Figher and at last a Axis Bomber. But you also can enable any of this buttons afterward to make changings. The slot number of each plane get implemented into the "Magical Number" if you click to "Load and copy to clipboard". If you dont select a plane, the "Magical Number" will be much smaler!!

4.-a character for the season. Left had of the "Load this Gup combination" button you will find Summer, Winter, Desert and Ignore buttons. If you mark "Summer", a "S" find place at the end of the "Magical Number", if you choose "Desert" a "D" find place, etc. Note: If one of the seasonal setups isnt available, the Summer setup get loaded instead!

Example: The most simple/basic magical number you can think off get created, if you reset OAWunifed("Reset All"), go to the Autoscripts page and click right away onto "Load this Gup combination" and afterward onto "Load and copy to clipboard"

The resulting magical number is: 000000S and represent a complete setup of the default EAW world + the 30 default EAWrp2.6 planes + the related ground and plane graphics. This setup is very good for online mayhem games, but also to play the default campaigns.

This number you can enhance by and endless number of plane pre-selections and/or one of the 30 keycontroll setting. You also can click to winter, to get the Winter setup(same world setup and plane FM setup). To bind the new settings into the "Magical Number" click to ""Load and copy to clipboard".

Greetings,

Knegel