"eventadd.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close..."

[TeamStar]

"... We are sorry for the inconvenience."

I managed to install Windows XP SP 2 on my Intel based Mac. It runs smoothly! No crashes yet. hehe
Problem is, eventadd/get are not running -- the main purpose for me to install Windows was to use it.

There is a big error report provided by oncle Bill. What kind of info should I post here so you guys could help me sort this one?

[Coconut Kid]

> Blind Leading Blind <

First of all you [we] need to round-up someone else here who knows Windows XP SP2 from a "Wiffleberry."

Then: eventadd.exe and eventget.exe are - I believe/suspect - MS-DOS programs ; I think you have to do something to alert XP that it has to throw a gear somewhere into connection so antique DOS stuff will run.

That's my guess.

[CafeDave]

Teamstar, I think the problem is understanding how these programs work.  You do not run them as a regular program in either windows or a dos box.  Re-read the instructions in the file EDITOR.TXT in your main Tropico directory and follow them and it should work.  Basically, you drag a map .MP2 file onto the eventget.exe icon on your desktop and it creates the events directory for you.  Then you drag the map onto eventadd.exe icon and it adds the edited events to the map file.  It's been a while since I had done this so I was scared it was a new problem but I just tried it again and it works fine on my PC running XP SP2 (Version 5.1).   

[TeamStar]

Hi Cafe Dave, and you are right! I did read the scripting chapter of EDITOR.TXT but not with enough attention. I somehow interpreted "click + drag the file onto the application" as being the same as "file/open/browse for file..."

I extracted some events from a map and it worked fine! Only if Intel Macs came out earlier... But I have the will, or at least the duty, to release the first "Made in a Mac" scenario.

Me is going to check the old sripting folder, Presidenté.

[Coconut Kid]

Well, I tried. But no cigar, eh?

Thank goodness someone else is actually reading stuff.

 

[CafeDave]

Glad to hear it worked!  Looking forward to the new stuff.   

[TeamStar]

Right, I'm halfway there. Meaning that I can extract the events from an existing scenario, edit the events or even add new ones.

But if I start from scratch, in other words, if I use a random map, eventadd doesn't work. It reports the same error I mentioned above. Any tips?

Plus, if a scenario makes the game crash to desktop, is it caused by a syntax error?

[Brf]

Eventadd should work OK on a new map as long as you have created a subfolder  of the folder containing eventadd.exe  with the exact same name as the map.mp2 you are using... and you have created a Name.oth and Desc.oth.

A CTD is usually from a syntax error of some sort.

[TeamStar]

Exactly! I do this:

1. Create a map
2. Move it to the same folder as eventadd/get.exe
3. Extract it's events (name.oth and desc.oth)
4. Rename the scenario and change description
5. Drag map onto eventadd.exe
6. Windows reports an error, although eventadd stays in the background.

I then load the map in the game but nothing has changed...

Is there a short key for taking a screenshot? My keyboard doesn't features printscreen key.

[Coconut Kid]

... Is there a short [cut] key for taking a screenshot? My keyboard doesn't feature printscreen key.

Step 1 - How to take screenshots in Tropico/Tropico2
...
Option 2:  An alternate method is to use a screenshot program like Hardcopy (shareware) which you can set up to open when you press print screen or some other hotkey and directly save the file from there.  You can also set up a hotkey to open a rectangular screen capture tool to crop your image right in the game.  Besides that it is also a wonderful graphics editor program.  Heyreddin also suggested the shareware program ClipMate which operates similarly.

http://www.the-nextlevel.com/tropico/cafe/index.php?topic=9770.0

What specialized keys does your keyboard have?

[Coconut Kid]

... 1. Create a map
2. Move it to the same folder as eventadd/get.exe

Why do you move it to that folder? You should be able to have several small windows open with the two short-cuts to eventadd/get.exe on the desktop. When did you change the extension from .GM2 to .MP2?

e.g.:
1. Create a random map, and save it as an ordinary saved game file. It is then in \program files\tropico\games.
1a. Change the extension from .GM2 to .MP2, and move the file into \program files\tropico\maps. (Personally, I don't think that is a good place to keep eventadd/get.exe.)

3. Extract its events (name.oth and desc.oth [are the only files associated with the map before you add actual events) by dragging it onto eventget.exe])
4. Rename the scenario and change description

Is this just a simple test of editing the text files? You are not changing file extensions here are you?

5. Drag map onto eventadd.exe
6. Windows reports an error, although eventadd.exe stays in the background. ...

I may be totally off-base, but I think eventadd.exe works only on files with .MP2 extension.

I don't see where you have performed that step.

[TeamStar]

Yes, I'm changing text just for testing purposes.

No, there's no way I din't rename the file to MP2. Windows adds a generic icon for GM2 files and a Windows Media Player icon for MP2 files, so it's easy not to forget that.

[Brf]

At the point you rename it, do you have a mapname.mp2 and a subfolder with the exact same short name?
What are you using to edit the .oth files? Are they nice clean text files afterward?

Are you naming the files: name.oth and desc.oth and putting them in the subfolder?

[Coconut Kid]

... No, there's no way I didn't rename the file to MP2. Windows adds a generic icon for GM2 files and a Windows Media Player icon for MP2 files, so it's easy not to forget that.

O.K., and you moved the file into \program files\tropico\maps. Yep, the icons are a big red flag.

Well, I no longer have anything to contribute, so I will shut-up.

 

[TeamStar]

O.K., and you moved the file into \program files\tropico\maps. Yep, the icons are a big red flag.

Remember, I don't have the Windows version of Tropico. Windows can't identify mp2 files, that's why my icons are different.

SO, I'm using a Mac running Windows and eventadd/get. Then I use another Mac running MacOS and Tropico, for scenario testing. They are both sharing Windows "Shared Folder", I think that's the name of the folder. It's raining cats + dogs here, so it's the perfect moment to try this.

[TeamStar]

At the point you rename it, do you have a mapname.mp2 and a subfolder with the exact same short name?

Yes.

What are you using to edit the .oth files? Are they nice clean text files afterward?

Notepad. Yes.

Are you naming the files: name.oth and desc.oth and putting them in the subfolder?

Yes. I copy a random map file to the folder, rename it .mp2 and extract the built-in events (name + desc). Then I change the name.oth content, just for testing purposes. But when I drag the map file onto eventadd.exe, it reports the error on this thread's title.

Idea: could this be due to the absence of Tropico?

[TeamStar]

Please note that eventadd.exe works fine while editing existing (predesigned or player made) scenarios.

Sorry for triple posting!!

[Brf]

What happens if you dont change the name.oth, but simply drag the mp2 file immediately?

[TeamStar]

What happens if you dont change the name.oth, but simply drag the mp2 file immediately?

It still doesn't work.
This is sooooo frustrating, I thought I'd finally had this one on a go.

[Coconut Kid]

Remember, I don't have the Windows version of Tropico. Windows can't identify mp2 files, that's why my icons are different.

SO, I'm using a Mac running Windows and eventadd/get. Then I use another Mac running MacOS and Tropico, for scenario testing. They are both sharing Windows "Shared Folder", I think that's the name of the folder. ...

another day:

I copy a random map file to the folder, rename it .mp2 and extract the built-in events (name + desc). Then I change the name.oth content, just for testing purposes. But when I drag the map file onto eventadd.exe, it reports the error on this thread's title.

Whatever it is that you are dragging is not what eventadd.exe is looking for and probably not what you think it is.

I have highlighted in red the parts of the quotes which I don't understand.

What do you mean by, "Windows can't identify mp2 files"? (As I understand Windows, it recognizes the .MP2 file name extension as some sort of idiot music player file rather than a Tropico map file. That means the Windows File Icon looks silly, but doesn't interfere with the way the Tropico program uses such files. Perhaps that is to say that the Windows file icon doesn't control anything important, sometimes misleading but not controling.)

Firstly, I think you are the only one who is working with MACs, so the rest of us have to learn the basics of the manipulation you have to do on the MACs.

From your statement, it appears you have two separate and distinct MACs ; but somehow those two machines "share" a windows folder. The mechanics of this escape me. It would help if you broke that down into very elementary steps.

Second: You COPY a random map file (Windows extension=.GM2) --- Why copy? Why not just move/drag? But in any case, from where to where? And how?

Again, it's a matter of breaking everything down into carefully defined/stated steps - very elementary. That's so we can communicate sufficiently to discover the point where you are introducing something that eventadd.exe can't handle.

 

[Brf]

Hmmm... Maybe if you told us exactly what you are doing, instead of just describing it....

For instance....

1. Under my \program files\Tropico folder I created a subfolder called \mymaps
2. I unzip eventadd.exe and eventget.exe into \mymaps subfolder.
3. I create a new map and save as Thismap.GM2
4. I copy Thismap.GM2 to \mymaps subfolder.
5. I rename Thismap.GM2 to Thismap.MP2
...

[Coconut Kid]

Remember, I don't have the Windows version of Tropico. Windows can't identify mp2 files, that's why my icons are different.

SO, I'm using a Mac running Windows and eventadd/get. Then I use another Mac running MacOS and Tropico, for scenario testing. They are both sharing Windows "Shared Folder", I think that's the name of the folder. ...

O.K. I came across a newspaper column about how to do home networks with a mongrel collection of machines, so I am a tiny bit smarter. (Contact Jim Coates at jcoates@tribune.com )

Each computer has a name and is assigned to what is called a workgroup. Naturally, MS-Windows and Mac are going to do it differently. Rather than batter that to death, I am going to assume that you have got through that. That means you have each computer named individually and that each "MSHOME" or "Workgroup" to which they are assigned is named exactly the same per network.

Now you have to go through each of the computers to establish a separate but identical folder on it to which you will drag and drop [sub-]folders on each separate computer so it can be used by the other computer(s). If the computer is defined on more than one network/workgroup, then it has to have a "share" folder for each network.

This step is similar but distinct between MSWindows and Apple's OS. I interject that my opinion is that the reason for these files folders is to use data which which can be run on either MSWindows or Apple OS; therefore, there is no reason to put executable programs which can run on only one of the operating systems in the share folder.

The description for each operating system is going to take me a lot of typing. So before I plunge in, let me suggest that I fear that you are dumping too much into the share folder and wires are getting crossed between operating systems. I believe that the Apple OS should never get to see eventget.exe or eventadd.exe - that is, they should not be in the "share" folder, but restricted to the machine running MSWindows.

Of course, Brf will take off my head for such a thought. <grin>

[Brf]

eventadd and eventget are dos-based command-line programs. They should not need to be installed on each computer. Though, without knowing how his shared folder is named and such, it is hard to diagnose the problem.

[Coconut Kid]

How his "shared file" is named, etc. is what I am searching for, so we are on the same page there. And that is a good thing.

From TeamStar: Remember, I don't have the Windows version of Tropico.

Smacking forehead with heel of hand, If you do not have the MS version of Tropico, how do you have the "Editor?" The "Editor" is not a stand-alone program. Everything I have seen indicates that, since patch 1.02, the "editor" has been available as an integrated part of the main program. Patch 1.02 added/opened the editor. Patch 1.03 updated the editor. The PI expansion also updated the editor. I have never seen anything (that I can recall) that said go here and down-load only the "Editor" which you can run and/or look at independently of the main game program. So what is this business, "I have the editor but I don't have the MS version of the game?"
At this point, I have formed an opinion. Since computer stuff is not my work as it is Brf's, it is more correctly a wild guess.

When working between two machines (for whatever reason) with one running Apple OS and the other running MS Windows ; and with the main purpose related to the Tropico game:
The shared folder should contain ONLY two sub-folders and no "unfoldered" files. One each for the MS designated .GM2 files and their Apple OS equivalents, and for the MS designated .MP2 files and their Apple OS equivalents.

To edit Apple OS game or map files, step one is to use the Apple OS machine to put the file created on that machine in the appropriate sub-folder of the shared folder.

Step two is to go to the MS Windows machine -- and close mind to the existence of wonderful Mac machine with Apple OS.

Step three is to drag the subject file out of the sub-folder of the shared folder and the shared folder to a comfortable butcher room of the MS Windows machine. This is typically the "Desk Top" but a specially created and named folder will do. There one can work one's will on the file.

Step four - when the hacking and hewing are finished, the file is dragged to the eventadd.exe program (shortcut rather than actual program in butcher room recommended).

Step five - the result of processing by eventadd.exe is dragged to the appropriate sub-folder in the shared folder.

Step six - go to the Mac with the shared folder and open the Tropico game and play your heart out.

[Brf]

Yes. You should have a dedicated folder for your scenerio work. It should contain only the eventadd.exe, eventget.exe, your victim MP2s, and whatever subfolders you create for your individual scenerios.

My dedicated folder is a new Myscenerios folder under my Tropico directory.

Personally, I have never tried to run eventget on a GM2 file. I have always setup my folder manually and created the name.oth and desc.oth with notepad.