I want to show you all something that I've made. It uses the Community Content Pack 2.0 by jo-shadow. The application shows you a list of all the avaliable mods and then allows you a one click install. It puts the files into the correct folder (/data/Custom/[username]/[modname]/[version]/) automatically.
For anyone that's interested I'll tell you how it works; if you don't care just skip this bit... It takes the About.json files in the pack and puts all of the mods into a searchable mysql database. The application then sends a query to the database which returns the list of mods avaliable. When you click a version number it gets the list of files that makes up that mod (including where it is located on my server and what path it should be on the users computer when it's been downloaded). That's pretty much all it does so far.
Ok this bit's for everyone again... If you want to see it in action before you download it, take a look at this YouTube video.
Ok, how do you get it yourself:
- Make sure you have Adobe Air installed. If you haven't got it (or don't know what it is) take a look at the Adobe AIR download page
- Get the installer from this link. It should open the installer automatically but if not just save the file and open it once it's been downloaded. Don't worry about the warnings, that's becasue I haven't signed it properly (and don't really know how to )
- Open the application and select where you have Overgrowth installed (the root folder, the one where Lugaru2.exe is found. No idea where this is on the mac)
- Choose a mod to install by pressing on the version number (eg. "Version 1.0")
- Press download and wait. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes unless it's a mod with a lot of large files
- Press download and wait. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes unless it's a mod with a lot of large files
- Open up Overgrowth and admire your new levels, objects and other amazing bits
Because of where the levels are put I don't think you are able to load them in the latest Alpha (22). Maybe the developers could add support for levels that are inside the Custom folder in the structure described by jo-shadow, as it isn't a good idea to mix official and community made content in the same folders.
That's it! Enjoy the downloader and tell me what you think. See the todo list bellow to see what (might) be coming up:
TODO:
- Make it look nicer
- Show author information (Sorry to all the people who made these mods and haven't got there names on the interface. I'm not trying to steal your stuff... honest...)
- Make it so stuff that's downloaded can actually be used (this is down to the developers really)
- Make it so if a mod has dependensies it will download them automatically as well if you don't already exist
- Save the overgrowth folder so you don't have to select it everytime you load the application
- Get a list of mods that are already installed so that duplicates can't exist
- Allow mods to be uninstalled
- (Somehow) get some images to represent the mods (might have to get developers to take screenshots and add them manually at the minute
- Add search
- Add tag information (and view by tag)
- Add ratings (may be a long way off yet)
- Open up the database using an api so anyone can make an application using the information (this will be a while off because it is nowhere near done and I don't know if i have the resorces to cope with it at the minute)
- Add loads of other stuff I haven't even thought of yet
Edit: Take a look at some screenshots from the latest version I've got going. I haven't released the air package yet, but you can see what's on the way. Go here to see it.