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- The Lone Wolf Development Team
AB Sources?
- Thread starter Immrsam
- Start date
As far as I'm aware, there are no other sources available yet. We made this functionality more prominent in AB3.3 because we're interested to see users coming up with their own content and sets of updates - when someone does, we'll make sure to post it here for everyone to check out. 
One way this can be used is if a data file author wants to manage all aspects of a set of data files completely separate from AB's integrated Updates mechanism. In the past, all updates have been registered through Lone Wolf's server via an author account. Then the product checks for updates by contacting our server whenever a user launches AB and displays the list of available updates to the user.
The new Sources mechanism allows you to completely remove Lone Wolf from the equation if you wish. In the past, this mechanism has been available as the "Secondary Updates URL", for which only one URL was supported. It was used in some cases for pre-release testing of data files. In V3.3, we've generalized and expanded the mechanism to support any number of URLs, plus we've made it more visible within the product (instead of being buried beneath the Settings menu).
No author account is needed to utilize this mechanism. You simply need to setup a URL that returns the proper information, then provide that URL to your users. Those users need to add that URL as a source for AB to check. Thereafter, anytime AB checks for updates with the Lone Wolf server, it will ALSO check the provided URL for any additional updates you provide. Your updates will be merged with those from the Lone Wolf server into a single list shown to the user.
So how does this all work? You'll find the technical details in the Authoring Kit documentation. From the main page, scroll to the bottom and you'll see the "Design and Playtest Support" section. In there, you'll find the structure of the XML file that needs to be returned by the URL you setup. The XML file will contain all the details of the custom updates you want shown by AB. Other than that one additional file, everything works exactly like you're already used to as a data file author.
For the 40K files, you could use this as a way to automatically notify users of hotfixes if you want. Just add the new hotfix to the XML file and it will automatically appear in the list of updates for users. The only thing those users need to do is add the URL you provide as a Source. Once that's done, it will all work automatically from that point forward for the user.
I hope this all makes sense. If you have further questions, please let us know!
The new Sources mechanism allows you to completely remove Lone Wolf from the equation if you wish. In the past, this mechanism has been available as the "Secondary Updates URL", for which only one URL was supported. It was used in some cases for pre-release testing of data files. In V3.3, we've generalized and expanded the mechanism to support any number of URLs, plus we've made it more visible within the product (instead of being buried beneath the Settings menu).
No author account is needed to utilize this mechanism. You simply need to setup a URL that returns the proper information, then provide that URL to your users. Those users need to add that URL as a source for AB to check. Thereafter, anytime AB checks for updates with the Lone Wolf server, it will ALSO check the provided URL for any additional updates you provide. Your updates will be merged with those from the Lone Wolf server into a single list shown to the user.
So how does this all work? You'll find the technical details in the Authoring Kit documentation. From the main page, scroll to the bottom and you'll see the "Design and Playtest Support" section. In there, you'll find the structure of the XML file that needs to be returned by the URL you setup. The XML file will contain all the details of the custom updates you want shown by AB. Other than that one additional file, everything works exactly like you're already used to as a data file author.
For the 40K files, you could use this as a way to automatically notify users of hotfixes if you want. Just add the new hotfix to the XML file and it will automatically appear in the list of updates for users. The only thing those users need to do is add the URL you provide as a Source. Once that's done, it will all work automatically from that point forward for the user.
I hope this all makes sense. If you have further questions, please let us know!
I've tried implementing this, the update shows in the AB updates list fine, but after selecting it and pressing Download and the progress bar completes I keep getting an error from AB3.3/AB3.3a:
I've tried downloading the file direct from the URL I've used in the XML using Firefox and IE8 and I can download the ab file fine, and I can import this file into AB3.3, so the actual ab file is fine.
I'm running on Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit, and have tried running as administrator with the same problem.
Is the secondary file download location the same as WL update files, or could it possibly be trying to write to a folder that doesn't exist?
I don't want to publish the URL of the secondary location as it's still undergoing testing, but I'm happy for Rob or Colen to contact me via PM (either here on on AB40k.org) and work with them to see if I've done something wrong, possibly in the HTTP headers when the file is being sent, although I'm using code modified from our current download system that works fine with all web browsers.
EDIT: I've checked both the web server logs, and used Fiddler2 to intercept the request from AB to the web server to download the file, and I can see that the file is being retrieved correctly - the problem does appear to be right at the end of the download, when AB is trying to write the file to a location on the hard disk, so appears to be an AB bug.
EDIT: Another updates - tried it on Windows XP SP3 using an admin account and still the same issue. Fiddler2 again shows the file is sent to AB, but it appears AB is trying to move the downloaded file to a folder that does not exist.
I've tried downloading the file direct from the URL I've used in the XML using Firefox and IE8 and I can download the ab file fine, and I can import this file into AB3.3, so the actual ab file is fine.
I'm running on Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit, and have tried running as administrator with the same problem.
Is the secondary file download location the same as WL update files, or could it possibly be trying to write to a folder that doesn't exist?
I don't want to publish the URL of the secondary location as it's still undergoing testing, but I'm happy for Rob or Colen to contact me via PM (either here on on AB40k.org) and work with them to see if I've done something wrong, possibly in the HTTP headers when the file is being sent, although I'm using code modified from our current download system that works fine with all web browsers.
EDIT: I've checked both the web server logs, and used Fiddler2 to intercept the request from AB to the web server to download the file, and I can see that the file is being retrieved correctly - the problem does appear to be right at the end of the download, when AB is trying to write the file to a location on the hard disk, so appears to be an AB bug.
EDIT: Another updates - tried it on Windows XP SP3 using an admin account and still the same issue. Fiddler2 again shows the file is sent to AB, but it appears AB is trying to move the downloaded file to a folder that does not exist.
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I investigated this with some help from Spack - it turns out that Army Builder isn't handling updates with certain filenames properly. I've put this on our bug fix list, and let him know how to work around the problem for now.
Does that mean I was being a little naughty by using "_" in the filename?
Nope shaggai, _ is fine
We've now got a fully working secondary update system at http://www.ab40k.org/abupdates - I've figured out a workaround until the AB filename bug is fixed, and it seems to be working ok.
Thanks to Colen for suggesting using a redirect, I'm using mod_rewrite on the server so that the URL contains the filename but the backend code still handles the tracking of downloads and file security.
I've posted up a notice in the Warhammer 40,000 forum here: http://forums.wolflair.com/showthread.php?t=12204 - any chance of making it a sticky?
Hmm, am I the only member of the AB40k "staff" that doesn't have a custom rank?
We've now got a fully working secondary update system at http://www.ab40k.org/abupdates - I've figured out a workaround until the AB filename bug is fixed, and it seems to be working ok.
Thanks to Colen for suggesting using a redirect, I'm using mod_rewrite on the server so that the URL contains the filename but the backend code still handles the tracking of downloads and file security.
I've posted up a notice in the Warhammer 40,000 forum here: http://forums.wolflair.com/showthread.php?t=12204 - any chance of making it a sticky?
Hmm, am I the only member of the AB40k "staff" that doesn't have a custom rank?
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To expand on Spack's answer: _ were fine, the issue was characters like ? which aren't allowed in Windows filenames. I'm hoping to get a fix for that into AB3.3b.