BCXtreme

Thanks!  The XP bug was actually not due to XP itself, but rather due to a difference in the way 32-bit and 64-bit Windows store the SoaSE directory path.  I have set up a 32-bit testing environment now, so hopefully I can avoid similar problems in the future.  I am also working on some failsafes for the next version, to be sure the user always remembers to specify the Sins version.

Glad to hear the program is working well for you!

Thanks again!  Kind of surprised though that not many people seem to be interested in this ... I had thought there was significant demand for a not-in-place converter GUI...

Unfortunately, no.  I have no way to track it.  On this forum, though, it seems that people typically leave feedback if they like something.  I plan on giving it some more time of course, a lot of people probably don't even come here during the work week.  Still optimistic here!

By the way, weren't you the one that expressed disappointment about the requirement of having Sins installed?  Before the forums crashed?  If so, does the ability to "import" ConvertData.exe from a custom location in v1.1 resolve that for you?

I think the modding community is significantly smaller than the visible player/poster base and something else pertinent may be that you posted during the great server reset and crash.

There are a lot of pretty teeny (and very trivial) posts now and then that push new threads down and I have found it takes awhile to get the knowlegeable base into a conversation sometimes.  Bump this now and then as it is hands down the best converter for the game.  It is certainly bump worthy until someone pins it.

If you really want to get noticed and praised, come up with an improvement for Galaxy Forge (indeed, I drool at the thought)--they may make you the hero of the year for that.  Broken templates, dated galaxy file syntaxes, incomplete or incorrect item lists--a major improvment there would be wonderful...and if that isn't a gui in need of a stylish makeover then their ain't one. 

Even just developing an appender that adds templates to the raw galaxy files would be great.  Make a map in GF then use the appender to create and add a properly formated template (they are nicely at the very end of the simple text files).

Notheless, Kudos again good sir!  Kudos I say!

Very cool sir.  regarding GF, I am not a programmer but whatever engine drives the graphics for it is horrible.  When you zoom in really close to stars for precise planet placement--and especially on large maps--the cpu cycles the thing uses are ridculous.

Mainly though, from my own experience, the various versions and betas introduced small changes to formatting in the galaxy files and over time there are enough variations to make proper template scripting a problem.  While GF allows template creation, it uses some of the old syntax and doesn't format properly.  The two key areas where the major issues are are the appendage to the planet info part of the galaxy file and the other area is the template script itself.

The template scripting can be pretty easily corrected (if you know the proper corection to be made) but the planet entry info has nuances that are not explained well or even at all on the forum.  Certainly the format and structure of the planet info has been changed enough to break some older templates and maps as well.  Harpo is very knowledgeable in this area and I am sure many of the actual modders must be as well.

It would be wonderful to see a collaboration or brainstorm here with you guys.

Here's hoping he and others will jump in on it.  I have some of the patched ones for mods but the whole GF template/experience could use a serious kick in the arse towards usability.

I was actualy hoping that Harpo would come in here and say something along the lines of "I give you the hand of peace, capitulate to my desires and you and all your people shall live".

Of course BCX would reply with something like "We will never give up our freedom to convert, especially not to the likes of you!"

Which would elicit the response "This is madness!"

Inevitably requireing "No, THIS. IS. BCXTREME!" *kicks harpo out of thread*

But Nooooo. Had to be all normal. And Boring.

An another note your utility works like I expected it to. Which is a good thing.

That's what happens when I trust GF to make my map.  It looks at my concept and goes, "A map!? This is Galaxy Fooorge!!"...then it kicks my file into a dark pit. 

I think BCX's utility is great! (and I'm writing a .mesh export/import tool for Max).

Don't worry about it.  And thanks!

To everyone else: the Sparta reference is hilarious.

The GF replacement idea is being investigated, but please don't expect anything soon, because it is extremely complicated and will take some time to even work out a development plan.

For now, let's keep this thread on the Sins Data Converter, for which a major update is currently in development, and for which I am still open to suggestions for improvement / new features.

That would probably be pretty simple to implement.  Definitely worth a shot.

BTW, one of the new features in v1.2 will be a checkbox that sets the output to the same folder as the source, to automate in-place conversions.  By default, it will be unchecked; if you want to do an in-place conversion, you can just set the source, check the box, and you won't have to set the output folder manually.

THANK YOU