Marathon File Manager

Marathon File Manager
Group and automatically load Marathon  files.
Copyright 1995, Robert Cassidy

Version 1.0 - April 3, 1995


Description
-----------

Why does the Marathon  File Manager exist?

Marathon  can be customized by having it load different Map, Sounds, and Shapes files than the ones originally shipped with the game. In addition, Music and Physics Model files can be added to the above group to further customize the game. Marathon  File Manager (MFM) was created to allow the user to create groups of files (one each of Map, Music, Physics Model, Shapes, and Sounds) that can be automatically loaded together.

How will it achieve this amazing task?

MFM will locate a copy of Marathon  (that you specify) and delete the Map, Music, etc. files in the same folder. MFM will then locate the files in the group you wish to have loaded and *copy* them to the folder containing Marathon. MFM will then rename these files 'Map', 'Music', etc.


System Requirements
-------------------

MFM is a compiled Hypercard stack that performs most of it's operations via Applescript. As a result System 7.5 is required (it may work with the scriptable 7.1, but that has never been tested) as well as having Applescript installed.


Using Marathon  File Manager
---------------------------

There are a number of steps involved before you can begin using MFM.

When you open MFM you will be greeted with a splash screen. Simply click to dismiss it. You will be presented with the Group Chooser:


























This screen will list the name of every group that has been created. There are three buttons here for creating a new group ('New Group' - bet you couldn't guess that), for moving to the 'Default Files' screen (that would be the 'Default Files' button), and for moving to the preferences screen (yep, 'Preferences' button). 

On your first visit through MFM, select 'Preferences':


























Welcome to the currently sparse preferences screen. Near the upper left corner of the screen is an icon which may look remarkably similar to the Marathon icon. Beside that is a little bitty trash can. By clicking on the icon, an 'Open...' dialog will appear asking you to find your Marathon  application. MFM needs to know where Marathon  is so that it can delete the Map, Shapes, etc. files from the proper place. If you locate Marathon and not cancel the operation, the path to Marathon should appear in the field to the right of the icon. The little trash can can be clicked on to delete that field. 

Below that is a check box labeled 'Open Monitors'. If you have one of those cool multisync monitors you probably like to set it to 640x480. Checking this box will cause the Monitors control panel to open automatically so that you can set the resolution. (If anybody out there knows how to script this operation let me know and I'll put it in there.) 

At the very bottom of the screen is a button called 'Group Chooser' which will take you back to the 'Group Chooser' screen (I'm not losing any of you, am I?). There are two other buttons called 'Load Group File' and 'Save Group File'. 'Save Groups' will take all of your groups and export them to a text file. 'Load Groups' does just the opposite. It occurred to me somewhere along the way, that since Hypercard saves it's data in the application itself that in order for me to release revisions to this program and not force everybody out there to relocate all of their files, that this would be needed. So, use the load and save to export your groups from the old version of MFM and to import them to the new version. The load and save is also handy for you net players if you check the suggestion below. Use load and save if you end up renaming your hard drive or relocating your Marathon folder. By exporting all of your groups to a text file, you can do simple search and replace with your favorite text editor to change the paths, and then reimport your new groups.

Make sure you have located your copy of Marathon  for the preferences screen and let's go back to the Group Chooser screen. Once there, select the 'Default Files' button bringing up the 'Default Files' screen:


























Here we see five icons on the left side of the screen corresponding to (from top to bottom) Map, Music, Physics Model, Shapes, and Sounds (they're alphabetical for the icon impaired). Next to each of these is a little trash can. These buttons work exactly as the Marathon  button in the prefs screen. With these buttons you need to locate the Map, Music, Physics Model, Shapes, and Sounds (MMPSS) files that you want to be loaded in the event that no MMPSS file is specified for a group. That is, if for a group, say 'My favorite group' you fail to specify which Music file you want loaded, MFM will look at the 'Default Files' screen to see what Music file you specified to be loaded by default. This is a pretty cool feature for if you always use the same Music file, just specify it here and you never need to do it again! Now there is a rule here (sorry, not everything is a simple as the buttons). Marathon  *requires* a Map, Shapes, and Sounds file - so I *strongly* suggest specifying at least those three files. As for Music and Physics Model, Marathon  could care less about them, so if you do not want to be burdened with such things, leave them out of the prefs and MFM will make sure that there is no Music or Physics Model loaded with Marathon  (unless you explicity specify one with a group). Got it? 

Now, down in the lower right hand corner is a button called 'Set Comment'. Now, what this button does is to set the comment field (as you would see in a 'Get Info...' window) of each default file to contain the word 'Default'. This is a good thing because the way that MFM works is to go to the folder that contains the Marathon  application (that you set in the prefs) and delete the MMPSS files and then copy in the files that you specify in your group. If you always use the same Shapes file and always have it loaded as a default, MFM would throw out the Shapes file and then copy the *exact same file* back in! (wasteful, huh - and time consuming) So in an effort so eliminate this problem, MFM will check the comment field of the MMPSS files to be removed and if they contain 'Default' *and* the new file to be loaded in comes from the 'Default Files' screen, then MFM realizes that these should be identical and leaves it be. Now, as you mess around with what files are default you may end up with some files not being in the 'Default Files' screen and having 'Default' in their comments. This will confuse MFM and lead to wacky combinations of files being loaded. So be cautious to strip this from the comments of non-default files. Also be aware that after a desktop rebuild you will need to reset the comments. 

Alright, was that confusing enough? You should now make sure that a default Map, Shapes, and Sounds file has been selected and perhaps a default Music and Physics Model if you always want one of them loaded. Let's go back to the 'Group Chooser' and make our first group. From the 'Group Chooser' screen select 'New Group'. You will now see a group screen:


























At the top of the screen is a field called 'Group Name'. It should contain 'New Group' and you should change that to something useful or at least somewhat interesting. This is what will show up in the 'Group Chooser'. You then see the five icons representing our now well known MMPSS files. These work just like the ones in the 'Default Files' window. Near the bottom of the window is a field for notes. This is so that you can identify why on earth you thought these files should be loaded together - quite handy, I think. At the bottom are two buttons: 'Delete Group' and 'Load Group'. 'Delete Group' does just that. You might want to know that there is *no* warning involved with this operation, so be careful. (I'll probably add one in a later release) 'Load Group' actually does the loading. What will happen is: The folder containing Marathon  (the one located in the prefs) will open and Marathon  will be selected. Then the MMPSS files may begin getting deleted and the new file loaded in (you'll notice the distinct copy dialog) and then they are renamed to 'Map', 'Music', etc.. Files are deleted and loaded one by one in case you are low on disk space. Files are *really* deleted, your trash *will* get emptied automatically, *no* warnings whatsoever. <---- this is your WARNING, there will be no others. The Monitors control panel will open and stare at you if you have selected that option in the prefs, and then the program will quit. 
 
That's it.


Suggestions
-----------

1) Create a folder in your Marathon  folder called Backup and place the original Map, Music, Shapes and Sounds files in there. Create a group called 'Original' or something that will load those files in so that you can relive your first Marathon  experience.

2) Create a group called 'Prefs' or something equally original that has no files specified, just to load your prefs in (they must be good files or you wouldn't want them loaded if all else fails).

3) If you consistently use MFM, change your MMPSS files to more descriptive names like 'Section #13' or 'Cooler Weapons', this will make moving/editing files easier for you.

4) Use the 'Save Groups' option to backup your settings from time to time.

5) For net players: put all of your files on a file server that everyone can see, set MFM to get its files from the server and give everybody the same groups (via 'Save Groups', 'Load Groups' or by just copying the whole MFM application). Then you can just holler out a group name and everybody will be loading the same stuff.

Limitations
-----------

MFM doesn't use aliases in its file specifications. I opted against it as most people have 57 files named Map on their HD and aliases would probably cause more harm than good. As a result, if you rename a file, move a file, rename your hard drive, whatever, MFM will not be able to find your files properly.

If MFM cannot find a file that you have specified then it displays some stupid dialog. So like, don't do that or something, okay? (I'll fix that later)

If you specify a default file (say, Music) and then want a group that loads no Music file, then you're hosed. It won't do that. (Maybe in a future version)


Version History
---------------

Version 1.0     April 3, 1995     Initial release.


Credits
-------

I'd like to thank the following people: My wife Suzi for her tolerance, Johnathon Suker for all of his help in all of my projects including this one, Apple Computer for making such a cool computer, Bungie Software Products for making such a cool game, They Might Be Giants for keeping me entertained all of these years, Dairy Queen for just being there even though they taunted my wife and I on the freeway the other day with a sign only to produce a building that after an exhaustive search *was still under construction*, Philly's Best for making California a more tolerable place, Dunkin' Donuts for building up my sugar reserves, the Fox Network and all of the people that make 'The X Files' happen, and my employer for employing me.


Disclaimer
----------

Marathon File Manager is *nearly* freeware. Freeware is software freely distributed via local bulletin board systems (BBS), commercial on-line services, user groups, and between friends.  Individual users are allowed to use freeware as much as they like for as long as they like, for no charge. Marathon File Manager may not be distributed on Microsoft Network or any other network owned or operated in full or in part by Microsoft Corporation. Marathon File Manager may only be distributed as a complete package, including this file.

Marathon File Manager may not be sold or altered in any way without my written consent.  I will not be liable for any damages, including lost of data, lost profits, or any other special, incidental, consequential or indirect damages arising from the use of this program.


Hypercard 1987-1993 Apple Computer, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
AddColor XCMD 1993 Apple Computer, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Applescript 1992-1994 Apple Computer, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Marathon 1994 Bungie Software Products Corp.


Contacts
--------

The author can be contacted via the Internet at rmcassid@uci.edu for comments, bug reports, etc. I also regularly check c.s.m.g, so any comments there will probably get noticed. I will initially post this program to amug and leave it to the net community to distribute it to any other appropriate places.
