Creator newb questions

deadboy · February 5th, 2011, 09:40 PM

I imagine I'll have a lot of questions as the manual for creator doesn't come across to me as very intuitive to the neophyte.

First question. How/where do I specify compgroups and unit limits. I'm only working with one ruleset right now so just as sort of ironclad unit limits where do I need to be? The manual talks about setting the qualify tag but I haven't managed to find it yet.

Thanks in advance.

PS is there a forum specifically for datafile authors to ask questions? I hate to bug people that are just trying to use the AB program.

shaggai · February 6th, 2011, 07:53 PM

If you're going to try to do something, such as in the 40K files for example, such as the HQ group. You need to go into your definition file and have that profile set. Once in there you'll see the Min Value and Max Value you would set these to what you need, again using the 40K files as an example HQ limit is set as 1 for a minimum and 2 for the maximum.

You can then decide to do "tricky" things using the minmax section which can adjust the above. Such as, if a ruleset is designed to either increase or decrease this number if would go there. The final tab can also make scripting based adjustments such as if an HQ counts as 1/2 or 1/3 of a selection choice.

The best way to learn about the files is to go into either the 40k or fantasy files as they are the most established in Army Builder. As such, there probably isn't something that hasn't been tried already and solved (one way or another) in them.

deadboy · 02:12 AM

I was able to set the profile types in the def file but I'm unclear on how to specify that a unit is one type or the other. The manual talks about setting compgroup.whatever as a tag expression. In way of simplifying things I'll lay it out with names. There are three unit types in Malifaux. Master, Henchman, and Minion. I have them set in the Profile and Race tabs as Mast, Hman, and Mini.

Under Tag Group in the unit tab for each unit I have the Grp for each model to one of those three ids. But for whatever reason it still counts each model as being part of all groups. So every model is a Master, Henchman, and Minion despite having the Grp tag for only one of them. I even see it when I debug it in Army Builder. Group.Mini for example

I'm sure I'm missing something basic but I sure don't see it.

deadboy · February 7th, 2011, 02:21 AM

I'm sure this is relevant but I'm not sure how to change it. I have the def file set not to use squads but it seems to be using them somehow anyway. When I right click for debugging info on the squad there are no group tags.

shaggai · 02:32 PM

OK, from what I gather then, you'd like to have those three groups as your "categories". So then you'd have profiles for Master, Minion, and Henchman.
Then you'd have to make sure in the Qualify you have them defined as Group.Master, Group.Minion and Group.Henchman.
Then you need to actually define these Groups under the Group Tab. Which of course, probably would be the Group ID you'd set.
Using the above hopefully would allow you then to have the models show up under those tags.

Again, one of the best ways you have available in to how to use AB is to look at how one of the files works by using it and see if it does what you want and then take those elements to make your own. Just be prepared for a lot of trial and error as it will probably take you some time to figure out how to make even a minimal system appear in AB and outright modification to most any file won't necessarily work. Building the "gaming" files (the DAT files) is one thing, but making the framework (the DEF file) on which those files work is almost another thing entirely, but go hand in hand with each other.

deadboy · February 8th, 2011, 07:10 PM

Where is the Qualify at? I have in the Group tab a tag called Group with the group tags under it called Mini, Hman, and Mstr

Is that what you mean or should I have something different?

shaggai · February 8th, 2011, 08:17 PM

This is a small test that I whipped up in 30-45 minutes. It uses some of the framework of the 40k files to a small extent. Note that this is just a test, it isn't meant to be something you can base your files on - that's your job...

shaggai · February 13th, 2011, 03:20 PM

Did this give you enough to play around with? Haven't seen any comments since the example I wrote up for you...

deadboy · February 13th, 2011, 03:54 PM

I hate to admit I haven't had time to mess with it. I am very eager but I've had a history and trig quiz. Had a paper due in comp and the 11month old has been kicking me in the beiber. Hoping to get a chance tonight or tomorrow to dig in to it.

deadboy Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 14 February 7th, 2011, 02:21 AM	I'm sure this is relevant but I'm not sure how to change it. I have the def file set not to use squads but it seems to be using them somehow anyway. When I right click for debugging info on the squad there are no group tags.
#4

shaggai Senior Member Volunteer Data File Author Join Date: May 2005 Location: Matawan, NJ, USA Posts: 158 February 13th, 2011, 03:20 PM	Did this give you enough to play around with? Haven't seen any comments since the example I wrote up for you...
#8