Manalink BETA update : 2000 limit NO MORE !

[Aswan jaguar]

Please erase your other topic it doesn't belong to patches,only official updates there!You can ask here what you want.

[Milod]

can some1 uplaod fully patched version that works for windows 7 x86 plz because i cant get it to work with all these manual updates u have to do

[oito]

For people having trouble getting the patch to run, you can try to check if it's the pictures in the "dbart" folder that are causing trouble:

1) Make a backup of the "dbart" folder (in case you mess it up);
2) Open a command-line (run "cmd"), go to the "dbart" folder and type this sequence of commands:

ren *.pic *.picTMP
ren *.bmp *.pic
ren *.picTMP *.pic

3) Test now to see if it works.

This worked for me, but your mileage may vary.

[Althuna]

I tried reinstalling, got the same errors. Not sure what else to try.

[Aswan jaguar]

Have you tried this (step guide by Stassy that might work) Althuna?
viewtopic.php?f=55&t=6059#p78504
I would only add don't forget to overwrite as usual.

[Sonic]

Most of the long dashes in the text had been removed.

That's unfortunately a side effect of a gatherer export I used. Sorry, I wasn't going to apply changes by hand, there were too many of them. If I noticed it before... but now it's too late

I'm also restoring 'cutoff' text for the Planeswalkers. Excel has been whinging at having a formula symbol in the rules text field and returns a error when you try to correct the text.

Interesting. Did it happen only in the cells that started with "+"? I guess when excel assumed it's not a string cell, it cut it off for some reason. If you switch the cell to a string, it will allow fixing it in excel, but I'm curious if it won't cutoff the text again later.

Actually, the dashes had been removed from the Oracle file I uses as well. But no problem, I didn’t mind correcting them by hand. I think I’ve found all of them now.

The Excel/Planeswalker text problem is somewhat confusing. If it was related to the plus symbol it would affect all the planeswalker cards, but it doesn't. As you say, converting the offending cell to 'text' solves the problem - but weirdly you can convert it back to 'general' after you've correct the text without problems (unless you want to edit it again).
It only affects csv file imports though - as once the text has been corrected and saved as an xls file it retains it on reloading. Even works saving and loading as an xls file in OpenOffice.
So to be honest with you I think we’re going to have to keep the Excel file, and possibly stop distributing the csv files as they only seem to act as a resource for the updating process now. Especially when so many people use Excel, and it doesn’t really work for importing csv files.

Remember I’m not a coder, so feel free if any of the following falls under the heading of ‘utter twaddle’.
A few questions about the Sleight and Hack codes; I noticed you'd enter them, but some seem incorrect to my understanding. I’ll correct them manually if needs be.

Hack

|H1 = relates to an instance of a named Land - Swamp, Plains, Island, etc.

|H2 = Land based ability - Swampwalk, Plainswalk, Islandwalk, etc.

I’ve found the codes in the ‘Type Text’ field - I was under the impression that Sleight and Hack only work on the 'Rules Text' field.

Sleight

According to the Text.res and Texz.res files – and using the ‘_BLACK’ entry purely as an example - Sleight would seem to work on the following 4 text strings.

@WORDSTOSLEIGHT_BLACK
4
black
Black
non-black
non-Black

I assume as part of the coding 'black/Black' relates to the relative colour and 'non-black/non-Black' relates to all colours other than the named colour - so inserting the ‘|S’ code mid string in the ‘non-black’ text – as in 'non-|Sblack' – could possibly cause problems.

Although, the ‘non-Black’ entry seems a bit strange anyway, as the colours are never written capitalized in the rules text, unless at the beginning of a sentence, and ‘Non-black’ would be more grammatically useful for the same reason.

Anyway, as far as I can make out from the Oracle file is all instances of ‘non-black’ have now been replaced with ‘nonblack’.
So would changing the text strings in WORDSTOSLEIGHT_XXXXX entries in the Text/Textz.res files be enough to adapt the Sleight codes to the new wording – or is there more coding involved?

[stassy]

Unfortunately, I just tried to update two 1.32 Manalink folder (xp sp3 family and win7 64 family premium) with my previous method and none worked (crash when duel option is selected).

To delve a bit further, I can add that on the xp3 computer I had a functionnal InnyV2 magic folder which got borked after beta2k+ update, I tried to reinstall a basic ML 1.32 but now I have the font problem.

On the win7 one, beta2k+ version has card image loading loop in the DeckEditor and crash at Duel option, going back to 1.32 make the game crash on image loading unless I rename/remove Medcart.cat and Smallart.cat

I will try to install my working beta2k+ Magic folder which is at work on both computer at home, which is weird since the working one is on a good ol' 8yo laptop with xp sp2...

Edit: Also it is not a path problem since laptop has C:\Program Files\Magic while at home I tested with C:\Magic, C:\temp\Magic to no avail

[Althuna]

Have you tried this (step guide by Stassy that might work) Althuna?
viewtopic.php?f=55&t=6059#p78504
I would only add don't forget to overwrite as usual.

Ok thank you I will try

[CirothUngol]

Fantastic update!
I'm sure everyone's excited that you've chosen to contribute again Mok... I've been using your updates since Manalink 1.3.2 way back when and I'm excited about trying the new Beta, happy day!

I was under the impression that Sleight and Hack only work on the 'Rules Text' field.

If you've received this info from the wiki entry about the contents of the .CSV files, please remember that it might be in error. I wrote that article without any real knowledge of how the .CSV works. All of my definitions stem from forum entries and examination of the .CSV files themselves. I was looking for an in-depth description before trying to write a program to break-apart and display the Manalink.CSV info.

So to be honest with you I think we’re going to have to keep the Excel file, and possibly stop distributing the csv files as they only seem to act as a resource for the updating process now. Especially when so many people use Excel, and it doesn’t really work for importing csv files.

I've been tinkering with the aformentioned program, a type of "Manalink Analyser" if you will, on and off for about a year now and would hate to see the .CSV files disappear, as those are the files I parse, break, rebuild, sort, search, edit, display, etc.

I'm off to finish my re-build .CSV routine and then examine the new .CSV files from this Beta version. Luckily, I've already prepared for this eventuality and the new files should pull right in without a hitch (I hope ^_^).
Thanx again for the awesome update, Mok! 16,000+ card slots should keep everyone busy for quite some time to come.

[oito]

Unfortunately, I just tried to update two 1.32 Manalink folder (xp sp3 family and win7 64 family premium) with my previous method and none worked (crash when duel option is selected).

To delve a bit further, I can add that on the xp3 computer I had a functionnal InnyV2 magic folder which got borked after beta2k+ update, I tried to reinstall a basic ML 1.32 but now I have the font problem.

On the win7 one, beta2k+ version has card image loading loop in the DeckEditor and crash at Duel option, going back to 1.32 make the game crash on image loading unless I rename/remove Medcart.cat and Smallart.cat

I will try to install my working beta2k+ Magic folder which is at work on both computer at home, which is weird since the working one is on a good ol' 8yo laptop with xp sp2...

Edit: Also it is not a path problem since laptop has C:\Program Files\Magic while at home I tested with C:\Magic, C:\temp\Magic to no avail

I've tested it now, using your step-by-step instructions and also got an error, but I found a way that seems to work:

1) Install any working version (like this one http://www.mediafire.com/?rtinudqev4u3bh3);

2) Follow the steps suggested by stassy (http://www.slightlymagic.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=6059#p78504), exactly in that order;

3) Very important part (at least, it seems to remove my "WinMain:couldnt load deck builder bitmaps" errors), replace your "dbart" folder by this one: http://www.mediafire.com/?4f21d8uw2x7zone

4) Should work now.

[stassy]

Well, tried again my path with the dbart added and the issue is still here on xp sp3 and 7, the main issue is cards.dat (800 Ko vs 5 Mo) but still I don't understand why work version is ok and another not, will have to make a byte comparison from folder to folder

[oito]

Ok, stassy. Found the mistake (my bad).

Instead of applying the patches by that order, do this instead:

- Any Manalink installation;
- Apply CardArtManalink-Dec2011;
- Apply 2000_no_more_beta;
- Apply MagicCDll-CardArtLib-20120102;
- Replace the dbart folder.

It should work this way. I checked now and it's true... the CardArtManalink-Dec2011 pack contains a 800kb cards.dat that overwrites the correct 5Mb cards.dat (contained in 2000_no_more_beta patch). If you do things in this order, it should work.

EDIT:

In an attempt to have a noob-friendly way of installing this:

1) Take a fresh 'Magic' (Manalink 2.0) folder (http://www.mediafire.com/?rtinudqev4u3bh3);
2) Install the new image pack (http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?7wqc0hu10s5jrl7);
3) Apply this combined patch (http://www.mediafire.com/?7izftktt240tihx), which contains 2000_no_more_beta patch with snacko's new CardArtLib and a (hopefully fixed) dbart folder.
4) If you haven't yet, install the Visual Studio 2010 SP1 update (http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=8328) and, if using Windows Vista/7, the necessary compatibility thingies (http://www.slightlymagic.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=4154).
5) That should be it.

[Aswan jaguar]

CirothUngol if you can make your "magic" with the decks at least the ones you have and make it compatible with this version since a lot of cards have changed ID numbers and are messed again would be great man.You did a great job with all this deck packages you have submitted before.
Also you may be interested to take a look at wiki to see csv definitions as Orion79 understood it so there are Orion's and yours there now.

Edit* Stassy why Manalink 1.32 (for test reasons?) or you mean Manalink 2.0?
If I am no wrong Mok said that this isn't compatible with older versions.

[stassy]

Well finally I was able to create a working beta2k+ at home for xp and win7

You were right, you need a clean ML 2.0 version before updating, because bruteforce overwriting 1.32 to 2.0 to beta2k+ will leave ton of unnecessary files which mess up the last update(still don't know why my laptop version work but heh)

The method of oito is the right one, but before you need to completely delete all your old Magic folder content and for win7 don't forget to reboot if you have the font issue.

Edit: Wow didn't notice but all the decks from 1.32 are working because their id are back to their original number, that is a good 1/3 of decks done before updating my total deck pool

[oito]

Well finally I was able to create a working beta2k+ at home for xp and win7

Cool strangely enough, I haven't got it to work on Windows XP, but works great on Windows 7. Not a single crash so far during gameplay