Triad Patcher
 Triad Patcher out of the box after basic configuration. | ||||||||||||||
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Triad Patcher is a Ragnarok Online auto-patcher, written in Borland Delphi 6 and currently available in French and English. It is divided into the patcher executable itself and tools for creating configuration and patches. Works on all 32-bit Windows versions, Windows Vista and Windows 7 may require running as administrator, though.
Contents |
Features
The patcher is able to patch local files, as well as multiple GRF archives (only version 2.00 is supported). The user interface offers displaying of patch news, full skinning with transparency support, support for additional languages, background music during patch process and usage of a static or dynamic banner in formats BMP, JPG, PNG and SWF. It has the capability to update itself and the configuration automatically. The patches are provided using a proprietary file format (Triad Patcher Patch, .tpp).
Initial Setup
After extracting the release archive, following steps are required, before the patcher is ready for distribution:
- Configuration of the patcher parameters, skin, language and patches.
- Setting-up a web-space for patch list, patch news and patch files. The last one being preferably in a sub-directory of the location, where patch list and news reside to avoid clutter. Details on installing and configuring a web-server and/or web-space are beyond the scope of this article.
Then completed, files config.tpc, Triad Patcher.exe and GRF.dll are distributed to the players as part of the other client files.
Configuration
Most of the configuration is required to be done only once, unless something client-side or connection-related requires changes. After setting all options in config.ini and languages.ini, and preparing related files such as skin and background music, everything is packed into a single file called config.tpc using a included tool located in Configurator\Triad Configurator.exe. The tool is pretty straight-forward, thus does not require further explanation. Configuration files should be kept after building the config, as there are no means to decompile it. Default configuration can be found in directory Configurator\Default.
All mentioned configuration files follow the schematics of an INI file.
Configuration (config.ini)
This file defines the main aspects of the patcher's behavior, such as visual and aural appearance and remote resource locations.
Section [baseoptions]
The section baseoptions recognizes following values:
- language
- Defines the interface language. Value is one of the section names in language.ini.
- about_lang
- Defines the interface language for the "About" window. Can be either 0 (French) or 1 (English).
- about_header
- Custom text in the about box, which appears before other credits. Character | can be used as newline.
- bmpskin_path
- Specifies the path for bmpskin_file. If blank, location of config.ini is assumed.
- bmpskin_file
- Sets a file to be used as skin. Magenta (#FF00FF) is used as transparency color. Position of skin elements is defined in section skinmap.
- banner_width
- Defines the width in pixels of a banner, if any. The height is automatically set to 88.
- banner_path
- Specifies the path for banner_file. If blank, location of config.ini is assumed.
- banner_file
- Sets a file to be used as skin.
- banner_type
- Specifies the type of the file specified in banner_file. Can be 0 (no banner), 1 (SWF), 2 (BMP), 3 (JPG) or 4 (PNG).
- bgm_enabled
- Defines, whether background music should be played (1) or not (0).
- bgm_file
- MP3 file to be used as background music.
- btnsnd_enabled
- Specifies, whether click/button sounds should be played (1) or not (0).
- create_log
- Whether a debug log file should be created by the patcher (1) or not (0). Note, that the logs are only available in French.
Section [urls]
The section urls recognizes following values:
- news
- Absolute URL to the patch news to display.
- register
- Absolute URL to the page, which is used for registering. It is displayed in the "About" dialog.
- patchs_list
- Absolute URL to the patch list.
- exec_file
- File name of the client to execute, when "Start" is clicked.
- exec_args
- Parameters to pass to the client set in exec_file, like 1rag1 or 1sak1. Can be blank.
Section [skinmap]
The section skinmap specifies meaning of areas in file defined by bmpskin_file.
- Values body_* represent the background image.
- Values button_start_*, button_quit_* and button_about_* represent areas used for buttons (normal state).
- Finally, values button_startb_*, button_quitb_* and button_aboutb_* represent areas, which are used for buttons when the mouse pointer hovers them.
For an example, check the default skin.bmp together with default config.ini.
Section [interface]
The section interface specifies the size of the patcher window and layout of buttons, progress bar and patch news.
- Values body_* set the patcher window size.
- Values webbrowser_* specify the position and dimensions of the patch news.
- All width and height values should be same as specified in section skinmap. If larger values are specified, the surplus space is rendered in white.
- The "About" button must be always visible, thus at least 5x5 in size.
Section [interface_options]
The section interface_options recognizes following values:
- button_start_enabled
- Specifies, whether the "Start" button should be enabled (1) or not (0).
- button_quit_enabled
- Specifies, whether the "Close" button should be enabled (1) or not (0).
- progressbar_enabled
- Specifies, whether the progress bar should be displayed (1) or not (0).
- webbrowser_enabled
- Specifies, whether the patch news should be displayed (1) or not (0).
Note, that the "About" button cannot be disabled.
Section [progressbar_webbrowser]
The section progressbar_webbrowser recognizes following values:
- progressbar_bordercolor
- Specifies the border color for the progress bar.
- progressbar_backcolor
- Specifies the background color for the progress bar.
- progressbar_forecolor
- Specifies the bar color for the progress bar.
- webbrowser_bordercolor
- Specifies the border color of the browser.
All color values are written as hexadecimal RGB color values in format RRGGBB. For example full red being written as FF0000.
Section [textfont]
The section textfont recognizes following values:
- button_name
- Font name to use for button text.
- button_size
- Font size to use for button text.
- button_color
- Color to use for button text.
- button_bold
- Whether the text in buttons should be bold (1) or regular (0) type.
- body_name
- Font name to use for status text.
- body_size
- Font size to use for status text.
- body_color
- Color to use for status text.
- body_bold
- Whether the text in status line should be bold (1) or regular (0) type.
For button_name and body_name use only fonts, which can be expected on every Windows installation, otherwise it might lead to undesired or unreadable results. All color values are written as hexadecimal RGB color values in format RRGGBB. For example full red being written as FF0000.
Example
[baseoptions] language = english about_lang = 1 about_header = MyRO.ORG (http://myro.org/) bmpskin_path = bmpskin_file = skin.bmp banner_width = 545 banner_path = banner_file = banner_type = 0 bgm_enabled = 0 bgm_file = myBGM.mp3 btnsnd_enabled = 1 create_log = 0 [urls] news = http://myro.org/p/news.htm register = http://myro.org/register/ patchs_list = http://myro.org/p/patchlist.ini exec_file = myro.exe exec_args = [skinmap] body_left = 0 body_top = 0 body_width = 545 body_height = 469 button_start_left = 0 button_start_top = 0 button_start_width = 0 button_start_height = 0 button_quit_left = 0 button_quit_top = 0 button_quit_width = 0 button_quit_height = 0 button_about_left = 0 button_about_top = 0 button_about_width = 0 button_about_height = 0 button_startb_left = 1 button_startb_top = 470 button_startb_width = 84 button_startb_height = 22 button_quitb_left = 86 button_quitb_top = 470 button_quitb_width = 84 button_quitb_height = 22 button_aboutb_left = 171 button_aboutb_top = 470 button_aboutb_width = 84 button_aboutb_height = 22 [interface] body_width = 545 body_height = 469 button_start_left = 395 button_start_top = 69 button_start_width = 84 button_start_height = 22 button_quit_left = 395 button_quit_top = 90 button_quit_width = 84 button_quit_height = 22 button_about_left = 395 button_about_top = 111 button_about_width = 84 button_about_height = 22 progressbar_left = 18 progressbar_top = 438 progressbar_width = 509 progressbar_height = 18 webbrowser_left = 17 webbrowser_top = 161 webbrowser_width = 511 webbrowser_height = 252 [interface_options] button_start_enabled = 1 button_quit_enabled = 1 progressbar_enabled = 1 webbrowser_enabled = 1 [progressbar_webbrowser] progressbar_bordercolor = C0C0C0 progressbar_backcolor = FFFFFF progressbar_forecolor = C0C0C0 webbrowser_bordercolor = C0C0C0 [textfont] button_name = MS Sans Serif button_size = 8 button_color = 000000 button_bold = 0 body_name = MS Sans Serif body_size = 8 body_color = 000000 body_bold = 0
Interface Language (languages.ini)
This file specifies to the patcher all available languages, which can be enabled in config.ini. Only one language can be active at a time, but the configuration can be distributed in different flavors; each with different language set. Each section name corresponds to the language name being set, see baseoptions -> language above for details.
In each language section, following values are recognized:
- button_start
- Text for button "Start". Can be empty, for example when the text is part of the skin.
- button_quit
- Text for button "Close". Can be empty, for example when the text is part of the skin.
- button_about
- Text for button "About". Can be empty, for example when the text is part of the skin.
- progressinfo_msg1
- Message, when the associated client fails to start.
- progressinfo_msg2
- Message, when patch news are being downloaded.
- progressinfo_msg3
- Message, when patch news finished downloading.
- progressinfo_msg4
- Message, when patch list is being downloaded.
- progressinfo_msg5
- Message, when patch list finished downloading and is about being processed.
- progressinfo_msg6
- Message, when patches are about being downloaded.
- progressinfo_msg7
- Message, when there are no patches available at time being.
- progressinfo_msg8
- Message, when patches finished downloading and are about being applied.
- progressinfo_msg9
- Message, when patches were applied.
- progressinfo_msg10
- Message, when a patch is being downloaded.
- progressinfo_msg11
- Message, when patches are applied to a GRF archive.
- progressinfo_msg12
- Message, when a GRF archive is being repacked.
Patch List
This configuration file is the only one, which is not part of config.tpc, but is hosted remotely, on a web-space. It specifies, whether the patcher is allowed to patch and start the client, and what patches are to be applied. The name of this file can be chosen in config.ini, in section urls -> patchs_list.
Section [options]
The section options recognizes following values:
- deny_getpatch
- Specifies, whether patching is allowed (0) or not (1).
- deny_play
- Specifies, whether the associated client can be started (0) or not (1).
Section [patchs]
Section patchs contains a list of all available patches, where the key name specifies the absolute location of the patch file, while the value enables (1) or disables (0) given patch. Note, that patches are not identified by any patch ID, as usually done, but by their base name, thus it is preferable to start the name with their release date, followed by keyword, which describes the patch, like 2010-09-21palettefix.tpp.
Example
[options] deny_getpatch = 0 deny_play = 0 [patchs] ; fix for bards looking strange with some cloth colors http://myro.org/patches/2010-09-21palettefix.tpp = 1 ; disabled, because it is broken http://myro.org/patches/2010-09-22newclient.tpp = 0 ; fix for crash in party window http://myro.org/patches/2010-09-25newclient.tpp = 1
Creating Patches
Patches are created with a included tool located in Packer\Triad Packer.exe in the original distribution. This tool allows to bundle multiple patches into a single patch, which uses a proprietary format, with extension .tpp. Note, that there are no means to extract the patch after it has been created, except using it with the patcher. After starting the tool, a window with four buttons can be seen, which have following functions:
- Ajouter / Add
- Adds GPF patches and local files to the compile list. If a GPF file is selected, destination archive must be specified (ex. adata.grf), otherwise for local files, their final destination must be set (ex. myfolder\myfile.ext).
- Empacter / Pack
- Compiles the added patches into a triad patch file.
- Sauvegarder / Save
- Save the current compile list into a triad patch list, which can be loaded later for either reusage or resuming the creating of a patch. The patch list has the extension .tpl and is only meaningful to the packer.
- Ouvrir / Open
- Opens a previously saved triad patch list. If there already was a filled compile list, it is discarded.
Finally after creating the triad patch, it has to be added to the patch list into the section [patchs] and uploaded to the location specified.
