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ArmA 1 aka Armed Assault (ArmA)
by Mikero
Eliteness One-stop-shop GUI tool for all engine types OFP to ArmA.
Originally designed to assist with Flashpoint: Elite for the xbox and developed as such by Mikero and Hoz. We have become rather fond of the name, even though it is a much more capable tool than simply handling Xbox files.
Eliteness accommodates unique features found in the following BI engines
Eliteness does not work with the VBS1 & VBS2 engines.
General Functionality
OFP Elite Functions
ArmA Functions
Rapified Files
Config.bin (eg) Rapification for Armed Assault and Elite.
Binarised files for Armed Assault and Elite use a newer method of raPification. To convert a config.cpp (eg) to a config.bin for THESE engines, the tool must explicitly know which method to use since nothing in the text file (mission.sqm eg) tells it which way to encode.
The type of raPification is implicitly defined in the options panel, via the engine selection. Eg, Selecting resistance, will binarise using the older encoding.
The type of raPification can be explicitly defined in the text file concerned by stating:
#define _ARMA_ or #define _XBOX_ [withSignature]
Without the define, text files are assumed to be for Flashpoint. This means no files from and for OFP require any modification.
#pragma
As a nicety, the #pragma directive is synonymous for above. Eg
#pragma _ARMA_ or #pragma _XBOX_
Unfortunately the engine's C compiler will not accept pragma directives. Therefore, although more correct, use it only in config.cpp's (eg) that you do, indeed, intend to raPify as the engine will not accept this pragma and throw an error.
To cater for the various engines available, certain features are enabled / disabled according to selection.
For instance, since file signatures are only applicable to Elite, the options dealing with this (verification or creation) are only enabled when Elite is selected as the engine.
The drop down engine selection has particular significance when creating pbo's. or creating rapified files.
Arma and Elite pbo's cannot, for instance, be compressed.
No Make/Create confirmation
Creating and extracting pbo's can, naturally, be a dangerous process, simply because it creates files. Normally, you would want to be asked first. The option exists to turn this confirmation off, if you find it annoying.
No Query on Delete
Similar comment
Show CD Drives
Since these devices are read only, and since, filling the explorer tree can take some time, normally, cd drives are not shown in the navigation window.
When creating a pbo
None of the following options affect the external files. Thumbs.db however is never installed in a pbo.
Do nothing Special
No file is inspected or altered. The pbo creates a mirror of files in the target folder (except for thumbs.db)
Automatically Lintcheck
When creating pbo's, this application can check the syntax of description.ext, config.cpp, and mission.sqm for errors before making the pbo.
Alternatively, you can manually check these files via the right click in the file window.
*Automatically Rapify*
config.cpp, and mission.sqm can be installed in the pbo as binarised. This can significantly improve engine load times, to say nothing of the implicit error free state of successfully binarised text.
Automatically Rapify Keep Text
When enabled, the original mission.sqm text file (eg) is renamed in the pbo as mission.sqm.txt
Similar comment for config.cpp
If you are distributing your mission campaign or addon, NOT including the original text files is a mild form of intellectual property right protection.
Ask For Prefix
This option is enabled when Elite or Arma engines are selected.
Eliteness will automatically assign a prefix in the pbo header to the name of the pbo. Where the user wants a specific path and filename attachment. this option is available and will be requested during MakePbo time. Any other addons requiring access to this addon, must use the prefix name you supply, to do so.
Note also, that this option is not necessary if recreating official bi addons. Eliteness is aware of them…
Compress Files
When enabled, files are compressed inside the pbo. The exception list provides for typical file extensions (such as jpg) that have no benefit in doing so and only increase engine load times.
Compression is not currently implemented and may never be. It is a deprecated option for all engine types, being a “good idea at the time”.
RAPIFY and DERAPIFY controls
DeRapfiy
The application is aware of specific file extensions that are (or might be) in rap format. Examples:
Right clicking, or, double clicking on these files types (among others) allows the option of decoding them. When attempting to open these types of files as text (the default 'action' when double clicking), the application automatically checks first if, in fact, it contains raPified content and treats them appropriately.
Rapify
Any text file with the appropriate class syntax can be rapified for use as one of the above files. The name of that text file is (obviously) up to the author (you). To rapify a file, it must be opened in the window, and subsequently SavedAs… Eliteness cannot 'know' that a specific file.txt that you choose to use as a source for raPification is a config.bin, .rvmat file or whatever. it must be opened and viewed in the text window of Eliteness.
PBO Creation
The following functionality is a feature of the accompanying DLL. The Eliteness tool exposes these features.
Special file handling.
thumbs.db
$PBOPREF$
Eliteness attempts to maintain compatibility with other tools trying to wrestle with unique features of Armed Assault.
In essence, an arma/elite pbo uses the resistance header to contain file prefix information. The prefix is used for other addons to access this one.
The following comments apply when the full features of the dll are employed to automate the process of creating binarised missions and addons. To create plain vanilla pbo's with no special handling (eg just like any other pbo tool) simply select do nothing, in the options panel.
description.ext
config.cpp
confg.cpp.txt
config.bin
mission.sqm
mission.sqm.txt
mission.bin
This is one of the few utils that pack (rapify) cpp file into rvmat format.
Download here.