lol... you have given this tool too much credit, I don't see how it helps me at all...



dude, duh, i have read the readme file, that's why i said it doesn't seem to help me at all...

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Oct 29 2008, 11:52 am by Angle Lock.

What a sad, sad day.

*/facepalm*

Have you even read the readme file?

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To everybody: Read the readme in the ZIP or die.

WinMPQ is just way easier and better

Aw, do you really think that? I am sincerely curious as to why you think so. I humbly ask you to enlighten me. I personally find this extremely useful in all stages of modding compilation, since it basically uses WinMPQ itself to compile everything into an MPQ file. Considering the simplicity of it and easiness of use, I think it surpass the time-consuming task of using WinMPQ itself. The nature of this program is only a script to automate WinMPQ's process of MPQ compilation anyway, so I don't see many advantages to use WinMPQ for compiling purposes.

Of course, you would still need WinMPQ to do certain things like opening MPQs.

You answered yourself.

You still need WinMPQ. Besides, I never found anything hard to pressing an "add" button and adding a file.

When you measure time in seconds like I do, it's really really hard.

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Oct 29 2008, 3:03 am by New-.Hydrolisk. Reason: Removed sex joke on second thought.

I find it very quick to open WinMPQ, drag my files into it, and save. But some people will definitely find it useful.

It's interesting. Once I establish my MPQ, though, I usually just update a few files in it at a time. Due to the volumn of custom sounds and other files I use, it's not practical for me to create a new MPQ every time I make a few *.dat or iscript changes and want to run a quick test. Still, thanks for the heads-up, I would have never known about this otherwise.

Okay, I come out of hiding to let you guys know this:

If you make an mpq with MPQCompactor and then try to put that mpq into an FG exe, it breaks. This is because to save time, MPQCompactor only makes a file table big enough for the files you are adding with the compactor(it might have a few extra spaces, but not enough for the FG files).

Just fyi.

See?

Everyone agrees with me....

what sounds harder? Make a new MPQ every time, or just drag ur files into ur exisiting mpq using Winmpq...?

Really...? I don't think so...

can be usefull, but (at least) I have no idea why and where I should use it

it just make errors when i first used it. then i find WinMpq that helps me more infinitely easy that i completely ignore Mpq Compactor.

Strange, this has never happened to me (over 4 years of no-problems). Where does it break, exactly? I haven't really ever gotten any errors using this. Normally, I drag the mod folder into MPQCompactor, and then I can use FireGraft to make whatever edits I need to use FG for, and then I save it as an EXE. So far, nothing bad has happened.

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Because a surprisingly large number of you appear to have no idea how to use it, I'll tell you.

Run WinMPQ once. Doesn't matter what you do with it, just RUN IT.
Have MPQCompactor placed in a folder. Mine is in the same folder as my mods.
Make whatever changes you need to, and save it into your mod.
(Now, you should have a mod folder, with its sub folders and files. EG: "NGGYU/[arr,rez,scripts,etc.]")
Drag the mod folder to the MPQCompactor and drop it there.
When done properly, MPQCompactor will compile the mod into an MPQ file, through WinMPQ to my knowledge.

As for the problem DoA reported, I've never come across it. I can't disprove or prove it, and I don't have any evidence or record of errors using this program. I'll view the compilation log next time and double-check around and crap, but I'm confident that it's only a human error.

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And in response to Angle Lock, it sounds a lot easier to me to just drag my mod folder onto an icon than having to use WinMPQ instead.
Whatever, though. It's just user preference.

I've had it reported to me before, and I duplicated it on my machine. It happens when you have just the right number of files in your mpq. What you want to watch is the param that is passed for the max number of files in the archive. It's either the exact number of files or a scaled number for the number giving the hash table size. Basically, at some point it should be too small for FG to save out all the files it needs in the mpq.

The computer's doing the work of "mak[ing] a new MPQ", so that's irrelevant. WinMPQ's a lot more work, as one has to have the file to be added viewable in their explorer window, else they have to navigate to it ( i.e. Hell if the files are organized into folders ) ; they have to have WinMPQ/the mod preloaded, or else take a long time doing so; then, after dragan'drop, they have to type in the directory for the file. MPQCompactor requires only three motions, at all - click, drag, let go. It's like the difference between using mouse for everything, and using hotkeys - and it's especially nice when doing lots of small changes in rapid succession. Especially since MPQCompactor has a script for auto-compiling with MPQDraft once it's done, which saves some more time, if I'm not mistaken... I haven't touched my modding tools for any relevant purposes in a looong time.

Post has been edited 2 time(s), last time on Oct 30 2008, 2:43 am by EzDay281.

DoA:
In that case, do you remember how many files you had before it broke, or etc.?
Anyway...

It appears that the e-mail address I sent my e-mail to was a bogus. Oh well.

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I could try to look around the program, but I really don't know what I'm looking for.

I've used MPQ compactor frequently last year, when I was most active in moddery. It works nicely and saves you a few seconds when compiling an MPQ. It's a small convenience if you are making a small ungrafted mod.

But seeing that it tends to muck up firegraft .exe's I don't use it anymore. Dragging and dropping files into WinMPQ is good enough for me.

WINMPQ opens MPQs, doesn't destroy Firegraft.exes, and doesn't create superfluous files(where if you weigh in the time it saves vs the time it removes files, you aren't saving any time).

WINMPQ 08'

... wut
"You still need WinMPQ."
Having MPQCompactor in no way affects one's ability to open mpq files; and 'tis an action that shouldn't need be performed especially often.
"It happens when you have just the right number of files in your mpq."
Neither Hydrolisk nor I have had any problems. In case it ever is run into, gogo throw-extra-tiny-filler-file.
I've never heard of it removing files. And if it's inefficient in terms of filespace, WinMPQ can be used to clean things up afterwards for release version - size should generally be pretty much unimportant except to download time.
What comes after the "08"? Or did you mean '08? ;P