[NM] *.PGSCN Files

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CONTENT LINKS
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Introduction
viewtopic.php?f=100&t=562#p9143

*.PGSCN (Part I)
viewtopic.php?f=100&t=562#p9153

*.PGSCN (Part II)
viewtopic.php?f=100&t=562#p9155


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The topic's contents may be modified or progressively added upon as time goes by.

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INTRODUCTION
==============

This topic should be of interest to Novice Modders (NMs).

Kindly review:

Introduction
viewtopic.php?f=100&t=535#p8923

AND

Tab-Separated Unicode Text Files
viewtopic.php?f=100&t=535#p8925

Such files are sequentially segmented in strict order (i.e., Sections). Sections are separated by single empty lines. Do not:

a) Change the order of Sections; or
b) Remove empty lines or insert new empty lines; or
c) Use the keyboard to introduce hard tabs, spaces or any other delimiters.

Such unfortunate... edits invariably result in rendering the whole file unreadable by PGF's engine.

Improved Column Labels

PGF's programmer has left "us" with a template applicable to SSI's converted "classic" content. Frankly, from a NM's standpoint, much can be improved in this area. To this effect, the pieces of a way more modder-friendly template will be progressively and methodically introduced.

File Sections

Each *.PGSCN file contains ELEVEN (11) Sections. They are:

00. File Type Description
01. Miscellaneous Scenario Data
02. Side-Wide Data
03. Participating Nationalities
04. Turn-Specific Prestige Allotments
05. Supply Hexes
06. Objective (i.e., Victory) Hexes
07. Victory Conditions
08. Campaign Deployment Hexes
09. Purchasable Unit Classes
10. Unit Specs at Scenario's Start

A single, blank line separates any two successive File Sections. No blank line or multiple blank lines crash PGF's engine. Yes, the engine is that "sensitive".

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*.PGSCN (Part I)
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Absolute Prerequisite

Tab-Separated Unicode Text Files
viewtopic.php?f=100&t=535#p8925

File Section 00 -- File Type Description

Code: Select all

# PG_FOREVER
# SCENARIO_FILE

From PGF engine's "point of view", this is an empty table which is totally ignored for code processing purposes.

HOWEVER:

NMs are urged to pay close attention to the following key points which are widely and repeatedly applicable across the board.

1) Navigation from column to column should always be done with the keyboard's Arrow keys. Never use the keyboard's Tab and / or Space keys.

2) Columns are separated by Soft Tabs. Soft Tabs are "white space" and, hence, invisible to the human eye. It is tremendously good practice to use underscore (_) characters to indicate the absence of a Soft Tab.

3) All comment lines are preceded by the Octothorpe / Hash (#) character. It makes no difference whatsoever whether the said character is (or not) separated from the comment's text by a Space character.

4) Readability and modding are often greatly enhanced by resorting to multiple, successive comment lines.

File Section 00 sports only ONE (1) column. To this effect, navigation is not an issue at all. Readability has been enhanced by employing TWO (2) successive comment lines.

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*.PGSCN (Part II)
========

Absolute Prerequisites

Tab-Separated Unicode Text Files
viewtopic.php?f=100&t=535#p8925

*.PGSCN (Part I)
viewtopic.php?f=100&t=562#p9153

File Section 01 -- Miscellaneous Scenario Data

Code: Select all

# MISCELLANEOUS
# DATA	
# VARIABLE		VALUE

Name			(Text)
Description		(Text)
SET file		(Text)
Year			(Number)
Month			(Number)
Day			(Number)
Turns			(Number)
Turns per Day		(Number)
Days per Turn		(Number)
Weather Zone		(Number)
Current Weather		(Number)
Max Unit Strength	(Number)
Max Unit Experience	(Number)
Allies Move First	(Number)
Hidden Scenario 	(Number)

Preliminaries

File Section's 01 readability has been enhanced by employing THREE (3) comment lines. The Section sports TWO (2) columns. The first column contains a vertical listing of FOURTEEN (14) variables, the names of which are hard-coded into PGF's engine. The second column contains a vertical listing of the values correspondingly assigned to the variables listed in the first column. Note that the FIRST THREE (3) variables assume (alphanumeric) text values. The rest assume (decimal) numerical values. A modder may change the variables' order in the listing at will with absolutely no adverse consequences.

Variables & Their Values

Code: Select all

Name

Alphanumeric data.

Code: Select all

Description

Alphanumeric data.

Code: Select all

SET file

Legal file name descriptor.

Code: Select all

Year

The intended values range from 10 to 99 (i.e., 1910 to 1999). Values outside this range yield nonsensical results.

Code: Select all

Turns per Day

The intended values range from 0 to 9. Values outside this range yield nonsensical results. Value 0 has no effect whatsoever. Values 1 to 9 do two things. First, they always start the day at 8:00 hours. Second, they progress through the intra-day timetable in intervals measured in hours. Midnight is not necessarily reached.

Code: Select all

Days per Turn

Value 0 is "interpreted" to be 1. Indirectly, values should not cause the visual calendar progression to go beyond 31 December 1999. A negative value stops the visual calendar progression cold (but not the successive progression of turns).

Code: Select all

Weather Zone

Intended values and their meanings follow:

0 ==> LEAST INCLEMENT
1 ==> SOMEWHAT INCLEMENT
2 ==> CONSIDERABLY INCLEMENT
3 ==> MOST INCLEMENT

Code: Select all

Current Weather

Boolean. Intended values and their meanings follow:

0 ==> STORM FRONT ALREADY PRESENT AT START
1 ==> STORM FRONT ABSENT AT START

Code: Select all

Max Unit Strength

Detailed explanation pending.

Code: Select all

Max Unit Experience

Detailed specifics are covered here:

Restricting Unit Experience Gains
viewtopic.php?f=100&t=540#p8966

Code: Select all

Allies Move First

Boolean. Value 0 prompts the "Axis" Side to go first.

The variable's descriptor explicitly mentions by name a historical Alliance encountered in SSI's converted "classic" content.

Code: Select all

Hidden Scenario

This is a... dud. PGF's engine just ignores this setting.