Factorio Mod Manager 0.2.1

[narrowtux]

https://github.com/narrowtux/SmartModIn ... /tag/0.2.1
Source Code: https://github.com/narrowtux/FactorioModManager/

This tool allows you to create modpacks/groups of mods which you are then able to select and play with.
Right now, you still have to gather all the files manually into a specific folder, but after that, this tool will take care of everything else.

HOW TO USE
To run this, you'll need Java 8. Please uncheck the Ask toolbar box when you install Java. After that, you can just start it by opening the .jar file.

When you first open the tool, you might be asked to enter the data directory and the executable file. This happens if my automatic system can't find your stuff.

After that, it will move your mods folder to <factoriodata>/fmm/default/.
This will be your first mod pack.

To create new mod packs, click the "Open data folder" button to open a file manager window of the factorio data folder.
Navigate to fmm/
Then create a new directory. The name of the directory will be the name of the modpack in the GUI.
Put all the mod files into the new directory.
To see new modpacks or changes to existing modpacks in the GUI, you have to relaunch the tool. It will have the capability to do this automatically soon.

To launch factorio with a modpack, select one in the list and click play. It will now copy all the files from the modpack's directory to the mods folder and then launch the game.

KNOWN ISSUES

• Doesn't automatically detect executable on Windows
• Doesn't detect any folder on Linux (won't fix)
• Copies the mods all the time instead of looking if it's necessary (i.e. you have played with the same modpack before and it's still in the mods/ folder)

[ssilk]

Wow.

[StanFear]

well, I plan to release a more complete mod manager, but still,
nice Job !

seems to be interesting,
especially the way you handle modpacks !

maybe if you want us to work together for a more complete one ? just ask me !

[narrowtux]

well, I plan to release a more complete mod manager, but still,
nice Job !

seems to be interesting,
especially the way you handle modpacks !

maybe if you want us to work together for a more complete one ? just ask me !

Hey thanks for the kind words. Do you already have something to show? Code perhaps?

The next steps I would like to do are to allow the player to choose a savegame he/she wants to play and the manager would figure out what mods are needed to play the save.

I will happily accept pull requests if you want to implement features yourself.

[narrowtux]

I released 0.2.0, which includes some fixes and automatic scanning of the fmm directory even after the app has been launched.

That means that changes to the directory will be reflected in the app and you can edit your modpacks while the app is running while not having to restart the app after that.

Please note that updates are not instant, at least on my operating system (take up to 5 seconds).

[StanFear]

Hey thanks for the kind words. Do you already have something to show? Code perhaps?

The next steps I would like to do are to allow the player to choose a savegame he/she wants to play and the manager would figure out what mods are needed to play the save.

I will happily accept pull requests if you want to implement features yourself.

well, for now, just testing code, and in C# not Java...
as to your idea, that's a great one !
I don't think there is a way to tell the game to start a precise savegame though, that would have been great ! (maybe I will ask for this option, and for another one I need for mine, mouahahahaha ! )

[narrowtux]

I don't think there is a way to tell the game to start a precise savegame though, that would have been great ! (maybe I will ask for this option, and for another one I need for mine, mouahahahaha ! )

There is one to start a certain savegame in multiplayer mode, which is good enough. Might be able to do this with a mod as well to start in real singleplayer.

[Tardan]

cool project. i liked also this https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... mclauncher

the main problem with your launcher is: when there is a new mod version that you have in more modpacks, than you must update this mod more than one time

my resolution i use is a shell script. i have one folder with all my mods (MODREPOSITORYPATH) and a list of mods (modpack1).
- when i update a mod, i download it in my modrepository. than i start the srcipt.
- when i change the modpack, i change the modpack in this line: for i in "${modpack1[@]}" and run the script

short example script

Code: Select all

ThunderGui="ThunderGui_0.2.3.zip"
PneumaticTransport="PneumaticTransport_0.1.1.zip"

modpack1=($ThunderGui $PneumaticTransport)

MODREPOSITORYPATH="/drives/e/Factorio/ModRepository"
GAMEMODPATH="/drives/e/Factorio/0.11.x/mods/"

rm -rf  $GAMEMODPATH/*
mkdir $GAMEMODPATH

for i in "${modpack1[@]}"
do
  cp -r "$MODREPOSITORYPATH/$i" $GAMEMODPATH
done
cp $MODREPOSITORYPATH/mod-list.json $GAMEMODPATH
chmod -R ugo+rwx $GAMEMODPATH

it would be realy nice, when you find a way to make this with a java gui tool i tried it myself to code a modupdater. but this is not so easy and i have not enough time. but i can share my ideas

First i program a mod download modul. i defined every mod like this:

Code: Select all

name: FARL
URL: https://github.com/Choumiko/FARL/releases
method: GitHub
---
name: Rail Tanker
URL: https://forums.factorio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=6847
method: FactorioForumPostlink
---
name: Landfill
URL: https://forums.factorio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=4973
method: InlineAttachments

and implement different methods how to give the user a choice to download new mods. here the short code snippet for InlineAttachments. I use jsoup.org, scan the webpage and collect all donwload links in the first post and make a list of possible downloads.

Code: Select all

        loadModWebPage();
        Elements elements = modWebPage.select("div.inline-attachment");
        Elements elements2 = elements.select("a.postlink");
        for (Element attachments : elements2) {
            Download download = new Download(siteUrl + attachments.attr("href").substring(1), attachments.text());
            downloads.add(download);
        }

you can have the complete dirty code when you are interested. or more explanations per pm (than in german, is easier for me)
downsides: i analyze webpages with all the negatives effects off changing the html structure also a user must decide, what is the newest mod.

[narrowtux]

I intentionally didn't want to include automatic updates because that's super messy when there's no central repository.

I can however make it easier to update mods. As I want to read mods from savegames soon to collect all the mods needed to play a save and then launch factorio with those mods, this needs to happen anyway. The only problem I have is that I kinda like having it like this, you manage stuff with your file manager and it automatically scans everything. Zero-config.

Also, you may want to run older mods in some weird case. This all will make it super hard to make a nice GUI for it. I don't want a bazillion of buttons.

[StanFear]

I intentionally didn't want to include automatic updates because that's super messy when there's no central repository.

well that is exactly the point I want to try to adress in my idea of a modmanager
I will have my new computer tomorrow if everything go according to plan and will then be able to go deep into my code !
hope I'll have something to show in the next month (hopefully, it'll be earlier :p)

[narrowtux]

I intentionally didn't want to include automatic updates because that's super messy when there's no central repository.

well that is exactly the point I want to try to adress in my idea of a modmanager
I will have my new computer tomorrow if everything go according to plan and will then be able to go deep into my code !
hope I'll have something to show in the next month (hopefully, it'll be earlier :p)

We could make a central repository where devs can register their stuff and also updates. Then I would happily integrate this into my app.

[OBAMA MCLAMA]

Hmm, people still use my launcher? Interesting.
But good luck to your mod manager, I am interested in how you do your downloads, the temporary manual method in mine was supposed to have been changed when somone I was talking to was going to make a huge mod site that would allow mod managers and launchers to use. That was.... 7 months ago...

And dont forget about the linux users!

[narrowtux]

Hmm, people still use my launcher? Interesting.
But good luck to your mod manager, I am interested in how you do your downloads, the temporary manual method in mine was supposed to have been changed when somone I was talking to was going to make a huge mod site that would allow mod managers and launchers to use. That was.... 7 months ago...

And dont forget about the linux users!

Do you know if the site exists now? Otherwise I'd talk to the guy to maybe help launch it or something. Before that, I'd not implement anything that potentially gets messy.

My next step would be to implement scanning savegames, selecting the mods that are needed to play and then launch factorio with those mods. I think this would save some users a lot of time.

Linux should work, they just have to set the directories themselves because there's no standard paths for either data or executable.

[StanFear]

hey, maybe we should all meet up on skype or something to talk about what we need exactly for such a server and then set it up all together ?

[narrowtux]

hey, maybe we should all meet up on skype or something to talk about what we need exactly for such a server and then set it up all together ?

Yeah we can do that. I'll PM you my details.

[sadris]

It doesn't seem to detect mods that are just in folders. It only detects those that are in a zip file.

[narrowtux]

It doesn't seem to detect mods that are just in folders. It only detects those that are in a zip file.

Correct. The next version will have this.

[Talguy]

Please add support for factoriomods.com

[StanFear]

Please add support for factoriomods.com

well, it would be possible if factoriomods.com had some kind of API to use ... for now, there is none !

[Talguy]

Please add support for factoriomods.com

well, it would be possible if factoriomods.com had some kind of API to use ... for now, there is none !

There is or there are plans for it, at least: https://trello.com/c/eGPaTDu1/23-add-ap ... ds-updates

EDIT: See also: https://trello.com/c/gyKmOC00