EQEMu Zone Previewer 0.2 released

[Mongrel]

Today I'm releasing the second alpha version of the EQEMu Zone Previewer. This will hopefully be the last alpha version, meaning that the next release should be beta and have almost all features.

I've rewritten the whole zone loading code and almost all zones work now (except those with SOEs l33t new terrain engine (Luclin and later). Those zones will have messed up textures.
Another zone that isn't working correctly is Windcatchers "Veldona". For some reason the trees show up as beds

Controls:
- Escape: Quits the program
- Up/down arrow: Move forward/back
- Left/Right arrow: Strafe
- Hold right mouse button: Look around
- Left click on a Mob: Select it and display the path grid if it has one
- Double left click on a Mob: Opens up an info dialog (very limited info atm)

Things that are new:
- Pathings grids are displayed for the selected mob. (selected mob ONLY!)
- A small green grid icon at a mobs feet indicates if it has a path grid assigned to it (ALL mobs!)
- Everything works a bit smoother than before
- The .ini entries have changed a bit (see below)

The INI file:
- eqdir: You MUST set this to match your EverQuest directory with the zone files in it

- viewer_mode: The mode the viewer runs in
Possible values are:
0 = Offlinemode (displays the zone with objects but doesn't connect to the DB)
1 = Onlinemode (displays the zone/objects with NPCs/paths/etc... from the DB;
falls back to offlinemode if it cannot connect to the DB)
2 = Modelview (displays only the available models without anything else)

- default_zone: The zone to load

- drawingDistance_zone: Distance at which the zone will be clipped (you can usually leave this at the

default)

- drawingDistance_obj: Distance at which objects/mobs will be clipped (for very object intesive zones

(Luclin/PoP) you should reduce this to 1000 or so (experiment with the values)

- db_name: The name of your mySQL EverQuest database

- user: Your mySQL user name

- pass: Your mySQL user password

- host: The address of the mySQL server

Source is available as well now, but for some reason the z-buffer seems to be messed up a bit when compiling against the AEngine.lib. The binary has been compiled against the actual source of the engine and doesn't have this problem (it's only a visual problem anyway so not that important)

Binary: http://camongrel.hbnet.de/files/eqzo...ha_0_2_bin.zip

Source: http://camongrel.hbnet.de/files/eqzo...ha_0_2_src.zip

[smogo]

Grabbed it !

Worked fine for arena zone, but got a crash on freporte : works fine in mode 0, but crashes on NPCTypes load when connected to the DB. Below is the drwatson dump.

[code]Une exception d'application s'est produite

[Mongrel]

Probably a DB issue. Could you post your npc_types table structure, please? (e.g.: c:\mysql\bin\mysqldump eq npc_types)

[Shadow-Wolf]

I really want to take my computer out back and beat it with a bat...
it crashed again.

[Mongrel]

What are your computer specs? (Vid card, processor, etc...)

[smogo]

Could you post your npc_types table structure

Sry, no, i don't have access to the machine atm.

i think it was 0.5.5 compliant, with feb-20 sql update, but without ZP.

If this can help, it worked just fine with the npcs in arena (there are 4 in this copy of MW database), mode 0 or 1 alike, but didn't work on a custom zone (freporte) in mode 1.

I'll post again when i can figure out more and give details about the DB.

[Mongrel]

Then it might have something to do with the grids. When exactly does it crash? Before, after or right in the middle of "loading NPCTypes"?

[smogo]

'twas after the middle, about 75% done.

in this zone i have several custom npc, so grids might not be fully set or even correct (though eqemu runs it well)

[Mongrel]

What happens when you try a different zone (say ecommons or qeynos2)?

[Mongrel]

Just tested it with the MW055_Alpha1 DB and it works fine, so it must be something in your DB. Can you somehow replicate what you changed in that zone?

Or maybe you could dump out your DB and send me a zip for me to test.

[Shadow-Wolf]

from dxdiag

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 3/19/2004, 00:09:09
Machine name:
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) (2600.xpclnt_qfe.021108-2107)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: n/a
System Model: n/a
BIOS: n/a
Processor: Intel(R) Celeron(TM) CPU 1300MHz
Memory: 254MB RAM
Page File: 285MB used, 338MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS



---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: Intel(R) 82815 Graphics Controller
Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Chip type: Intel(R) 82815
DAC type: Internal
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1132&SUBSYS_00820E11&REV_04
Display Memory: 4.0 MB
Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (16 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor: COMPAQ FS740 Color Monitor
Monitor Max Res: 1280,1024
Driver Name: i81xdnt5.dll
Driver Version: 6.13.0001.2872 (English)
DDI Version: 8
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 8/8/2001 07:13:35, 701597 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: No
WHQL Date Stamp: None
VDD: n/a
Mini VDD: i81xnt5.sys
Mini VDD Date: 8/8/2001 13:13:36, 158140 bytes
Device Identifier: {D7B78E66-5272-11CF-9966-8320A6C2CB35}
Vendor ID: 0x8086
Device ID: 0x1132
SubSys ID: 0x00820E11
Revision ID: 0x0004
Revision ID: 0x0004
Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_A ModeMPEG2_B ModeMPEG2_C ModeMPEG2_D
Deinterlace Caps: n/a
Registry: OK

[smogo]

@mongrel
sry, i can't access the client machine nor DB at the moment, so i can't dump that info. I believe it is related to changes i made to the DB, as you said, as it was fine using mode 1 on arena.

I suppose it is alright with any zone where grid info is correct and complete.

I'll help finding out what breaks the viewer when back home

[samandhi]

@Shadow-Wolf

Build 2600

You might start by adding at least SP-1......

Display Memory: 4.0 MB

And:

Page File: 285MB used, 338MB available

Kind-of go hand in hand on your machine. If you have Luclin models on you will crash. Try increasing your virtual memory (read page file). Also, while the readme.txt files says that the original EQ requires a minimun of 4mb vdo card, the newer expansions probably require quite a bit more... Plus the fact that the card is not fully DX9 compliant means that you probably WILL crash out when trying to play EQLive patched client up to and including GoD (because of them making the move to DX 9 after the 10 of Feb patch), as they dont make the games compliant with less than (guessing)geforce 1's (mostly) anymore (which tend to carry at least 16 to 32 MB of RAM)...

Also noticed that your vdo driver is WAY out of date.. From 2001... This can also be the cause of your issues...

[Shadow-Wolf]

actualy eq works just fine as of the new patch and i do not crash with luclin models.... i can run all of them but it would just take a while to load eq(right now all i hyavve is elves and vah shir with new models)....and GoD zones work jsut fine in fact they load faster than Luclin and planes zones for me.

[Shadow-Wolf]

and mongrel got it working for me so it doesn't really matter now.