Images by Set

[friarsol]

Alright updated the Script and pushing the 75 timeshifted cards with updated SetInfo now. Should have just done that before you started updating all the cards.

[Chris H.]

I attempted to update my local copy but at modem dial up speed .... ouch, it was going to take me far too long. So I am re-downloading the entire project and that appears to be much faster.

[Rob Cashwalker]

LOL... Sorry...

[slapshot5]

I wasn't going to wait for that either. I've got DSL, but I ended up just nuking cardsfolder and re-syncing it.

[Rob Cashwalker]

It took me almost 10 minutes to sync up my laptop at home.

[friarsol]

I just noticed an issue where cards from Scars of Mirrodin were also being marked as being from Mirrodin. I thought this bug wasn't around when Rob was uploading but apparently it was. I just fixed all those cards and the few that were in both should now have fixed images.

[slapshot5]

I just noticed nothing got marked as being in Alpha. Is that expected since Alpha and Beta were largely the same? Or not?

-slapshot5

[PhoenixAvenger]

Just so I know what's going on, how should my res/pics/ folder look like from now on? From how I think Rob set it up, the card images should now be in set-specific folders by 3-character set code. If this is in error, please tell me how it should be set up. (I didn't bother using the auto-download with the latest revision since I have all the HQ picture zips on my computer already.)

Furthermore, if I want to include a picture that isn't part of the sets auto-recognized by Forge (say, the Garruk v. Liliana duel deck for Rancor), could I set up a res/pics/GVL folder and include the appropriate line in rancor.txt and have that pic show up? Or does the python script need to be updated for something like that?

[Chris H.]

I guess that we should consider releasing another beta sometime in the near future. I understand that Rob is busy, but I am hoping that he could put together a short explanation on how to use the new sets feature. I will include it in the change list for the next beta.

[Rob Cashwalker]

There's a Image Base folder, by default {ForgeFolder}/res/pics, but you can change that in the forge.properties file. Under that, the three-letter set code as a folder, then the card_name.jpg. I'm giving some thought to also try the alternate mostly 2-letter code that the HQ archives use, if the other doesn't exist..

In either case, if the set picture can't be found, it also tries in the image base folder, as if LQ.

Right now, there's no support for promo sets or duel decks. The primary impetus is to enhance the booster pack generation, (for draft and quest) with pictures being a somewhat secondary benefit.
At the moment, it randomly assigns a set membership when launching a new game. I'll have to find a way to persist that sort of information in deck files, so that it would be worth it to be able to specify the set yourself.

[friarsol]

I just noticed nothing got marked as being in Alpha. Is that expected since Alpha and Beta were largely the same? Or not?

-slapshot5

Yep, mostly that they are both "Limited/1st edition" and that Beta fixed a handful of issues that Alpha had including missing cards and rounded corners. It wouldn't be horrendous to add Alpha, but there isn't really anything gained by doing so.

[PhoenixAvenger]

There's a Image Base folder, by default {ForgeFolder}/res/pics, but you can change that in the forge.properties file. Under that, the three-letter set code as a folder, then the card_name.jpg.

Okay, that's how I thought it worked. Thanks for clarifying, Rob.

Also, that's interesting about the folder assignment (I assume you meant main.properties, though, as that one contains the image folder key). Say I have my unofficial beta version in C:\Games\MTGForge\ and the auto-build SVN version in C:\Games\MTGForge\forge\. How would I write the key so that the SVN version grabs the requisite card pics from the beta version's res\pics\ folder?

EDIT: Never mind that question, I figured it out. (../../res/pics, btw.) Go CECS 174...

Right now, there's no support for promo sets or duel decks. The primary impetus is to enhance the booster pack generation, (for draft and quest) with pictures being a somewhat secondary benefit.
At the moment, it randomly assigns a set membership when launching a new game. I'll have to find a way to persist that sort of information in deck files, so that it would be worth it to be able to specify the set yourself.

All right, that's what I feared. So the solution for the time being would then have to be setting the alternate pics as rancor1.jpg, rancor2.jpg, etc. in the pics\ULG\ folder, and similar for other cards. Thanks for the heads-up, and keep us posted for when that support does come.

[Chris H.]

Thank you Rob. I pasted your comments into the change file for the next beta. This should help the user base in using this new feature.

Should we merge into the /res/pics/ folder in the SVN a number of empty folders that are properly named for each of the sets? This might help to limit the amount of assistance that we have to give to get people up to date.

[zerker2000]

I guess that we should consider releasing another beta sometime in the near future. I understand that Rob is busy, but I am hoping that he could put together a short explanation on how to use the new sets feature. I will include it in the change list for the next beta.

I'm pretty sure the beta should be released on the 30th/31st, so that everything coded by then is usable for the ODBC.

[Chris H.]

I'm pretty sure the beta should be released on the 30th/31st, so that everything coded by then is usable for the ODBC.

`
Thank you Zerker. I had forgotten about the cut off date for the deck contest. I hope that they will enjoy the next beta release.