TacEdit is used to edit Tactical Engagement and Campaign files (also should work on all savegame.cam files and training files etc).

It uses very powerful TCL scripts which you can use to create, delete and modify any and all objects and units found in the tac/cam files.

Here is quick summary of how to use TacEdit menus.

File menu is the first menu available with basic functions.

This runs the TCL script. Just use Run Script… and choose a script, its automatically ran when you click open, no questions asked.

You will be greeted with final status dialog when the script as completed running.

File → Properties

This is where you configure few important parts regarding how Tacedit reads the files.

Theater Strings

This shows you for example D:\games\f4\Theaters\PMCKorea\campaign/korea.wch which means that the korea.wch file is used to load the campaign strings (names, etc).

General Strings

Honestly, we are not sure :)

In our example case it says: D:\games\f4\Theaters\pmckorea\campaign\/strings.wch which is kind of weird.

Theater Directory

This tells the program where to point the file browser dialog when you use File Open or Save As… for example. In our example case its: D:\games\f4\Theaters\pmckorea\campaign\

Object Directory

This is the directory where Tacedit reads the database. For example we have this mysterious dir of: D:\games\BACKUP-f4-SP42\terrdata\objects which is our backup directory where stock default Falcon 4 + SuperPAK (SP) v4.2 database files are located.

If you have several databases in your Falcon installations, like OF, AF etc… you need to specify the currently used database in this properties line.

Its been said that in this crazy AF, RV and OF world of editing you should use the original SP v4.2 database as its the most compatible between each of the different Falcon versions. Of course for highly tuned campaign editing you should select RV database if you're making campaign for it etc. PMC has used SP v4.2 database when creating the 2008 theater development cycle theater releases, they seem to work fine on all Falcon versions.

Current Dir

This is the directory where you loaded your current campaign file, it doesn't need to be necessarily the same as the theater dir, it just shows where your current .cam or .tac file is opened.

Edit menu is the second menu available.

File → Delete All

This command simply deletes all entries you have listed in the current screen. Being it the campaign window, mapview, object list or units window.

Edit → Base Coords

This dialog sets the base latitude / longitude settings for your theater, which then can be seen properly in the mapview when using a mouse pointer.

Edit → Base Objective ID

Is the first objective ID given to any new objectives placed by user. For any new objectives created Tacedit uses the first free objective ID number, sometimes user needs to have gap in the objective ID's for example for bridges and so on. Setting this base objective ID value will cause Tacedit to only issue ID digits from above this setting.

Insert menu is mostly for objectives and units adding.

Insert → Add Objective

Simply brings up the Objective Dump dialog, where you can add new objective.

Insert → Add Unit

This simply brings up the New Unit Type dialog, where you can add new unit.

Insert → Build PAK Map

This feature only works in mapview window. It builds the “invisible” PAK map for you, then you need to use File → Save PakMap to save the file.

Insert → Build Occupation Map

This will build the occupation map which you can see on the Falcon ingame squadron selection map and in the news blip map where the colors are changed according to who controls which part of the theater territory.

When you use this feature, it asks a proper .THR file from you which it uses for source (somehow).

Objectives menu is all about objectives.

Objectives → Reset Parents

It will reset all parent links (green lines).

Objectives → Remove Bad Links

Removes bad links.

Objectives → Recalculate Links

Not working.

Objectives → Check Objectives

Checks all objectives against any errors it might detect, this is very nice feature to go systematically through all objectives. Notice that when it finds an error, it only brings up the objectives dump window, it doesn't tell you what is wrong, you'll need to figure that out by yourself.

Objectives → Repair Objectives

Will repair all objectives, so they won't be “damaged” or destroyed in the campaign/mission start.

Objectives → Auto Flag Objectives

It automatically puts proper flags for certain objectives, for example airbases all need to have X and Y set (just an fictional example), so this feature does that automatically.

Objectives → Calculate Radars

Calculates the radars.

Objectives → Clean Objective Flags

Cleans the objective flags, dialog comes up asking Is GCI and Is Radar feature.

Objectives → Export Objectives

Exports all objectives into a CSV file.

Objectives → Import Objectives

Imports new set of objectives from a CSV file. Make sure your campaign is empty if you are importing fresh full CSV file, or if you only import partial new objects then you can proceed with existing objectives loaded.

Objectives → Create POL

Its only available when you are in the POL window, its the political objectives, created from priority objectives (I think heh).

Units menu is all about units.

Units → Check Units

Checks units that they are ok… (gee whiz).

Units → Auto Fix Units

Always ran when making a new campaign.

Units → Rebuild Squadrons

When new squadron is created, or existing one moved etc, run this feature to make it properly into the Campaign window list.

Units → Export Units

Exports all units into a .uni file.

Units → Import Units

Imports all units from a .uni file.

View menu is most part of what view settings is used for the mapview window.

View → Name Font

Very useful to make the font smaller as in large campaigns the name labels get very cluttered when the font is big.

more to come later, remind me on the forums to keep active on this update and not slacking around like I always do, hehe — Snake Man 2009/05/14 20:08