Idea thread

About
Gmod Packager is a tool for installing mods for Garry's Mod.
The mods are packaged into the .gmp format.

The .gmp format is a .zip file wich has all the files packaged relative to the garrysmod folder. In the root there is a text-file wich is parsed by the installer so the user can get some information about the mod they're about to install.

Bugs
None, at the moment.
Please report all the bugs you find!

Features

Installer

• Automatic detection of the Steam-folder
• Option to delete .gmp file after finished installation
• One-click install

Package Creator

• Recursive adding
• Drag & Drop support for adding files
• Shortcut in the 'Send to' context menu

To Do

• A mod uninstall feature
• The file-chooser looks a little bit weird.

Screenshots

The installer


The package creator


Download

Looks nice can be pretty useful for newer people

Someone seems to have reported your file...

I think it was automatically reported since it contains .exe files.

Br files can be reported and not deleted and once a mod checks it out they will mark it safe and it cannot be reported again the the false reporter will probably be banned

What on earth is this written in? The interface feels clunky and horrible.

It's written in C++ and with FLTK

As the idea of this is to be easy to use I would suggest using something that isn't so non-standard and confusing. Where does it output .gmp files?

Personally I would have used the standard WIn32, but that's just me.

Why are you trying to save us 5 seconds extracting a zip file?

(User was banned for this post (Reason: Asshole) [event] 2054 [/event])

In the same directory as GmodPackageCreator.exe, but if you wish I could add a dialog asking where to save it.

I think the point was to create a sort of standard, not just save time.

Becuase some people seems to have big problems with extracting a zip file to the right place.

It's not put it there or anywhere else to be found.

Looks nice, downloading.

Personally, I think the standard Win32 interface (the programming interface) is messed up and hard to code in.

This isn't about you, it's about the (idiot) end user who will not know what the fuck is going on when they use this.

I don't see where this differs from standard Win32 so much that an complete idiot won't know what's going on.

But why discuss this? Let's just wait for an idiot to come here and say he doesn't know what the fuck is going on and then I'll change my mind.

It doesn't work

Crashes every time I launch

What the?
Do you get any error message?
Did you use the installer?

I tried with and without the installer.

No errors, just the standard windows crash dialog.
http://www.deez.info/sengelha/blog/w...rashdialog.PNG (that's just off google, I was lazy.)

Mine just stop responding.

Woah, that's weird! It works perfectly fine on mine and two other guys computers.
What OS are you running?

Windows XP SP1.

I'm on Windows XP SP2

Works Fine.
Can pack, and unpack fine. Good Job.

I would though, recommend several improvements.

When you create a .gmp , you should allow the user to choose the place where the .gmp file will be put, instead of it just being put in the Gmod Packer Folder.


That's my only real problem with it. I like the way that you can just click on a .gmp file, and it will just open up your program, then you just click "install" and it's done. That is just perfect for the complete novice or the Complete Lazy Dude of the modern day.

Good Job. But I do think brwarner has a point with the Standard Win32 interface. The way it is at the moment is still quite simple to use, but with the Win32 interface, even though it is hard to code in, it might be a good idea on maybe the next release, to allow the user to be able to change from
The way it looks now, and to the Win32 style (so they have a choice). Some Users Prefer different things, so why not make everyone happy? :)

I got Windows XP SP2 but that shouldn't make any difference.

Well, that works too.

You could just upload .gmp's to garrysmod.org inside a .zip or maybe garrysmod.org will be modified to allow .gmp's.

Oops. I have SP2

This actually looks good. But i guess it'll take to long for people to get used to. Rar and Zip will always be standard :/

Gripes:
It won't let me add files outside the garrysmod directory to my list :/?

Description doesn't have a scroll bar.

It doesn't install correctly, extracting to the folder it is in.

That's the intended behaviour.

I know, I will add that later.

What? Are you using the installer?

Yeah, I know that annoyed me to, because the fact that you have to add the mod into your own Gmod installation in the right place, then it knows where to place the files on someone elses Gmod game, if you get me. (Annoying, but works).


Totally agree. I want a scroll bar to! :(


The one I tried did.

Why wouldn't you have the mod in the right place in your own Gmod installation?

Say it wasn't there, and you had put the folder on your desktop, to throw it all together, along with other little bits and bobs, including read mes and so on, and you've got it all on your desktop, and it won't let you add it. You know. It Might not be. It's annoying that you can't add them from say your desktop.
I have no idea how you would do it if you packed the folder from the desktop and not in the gmod installation place. You'd have to add an option on the information part on the packer, on where to install the files. Isn't that easy enough to do?

I code and deploy all my releases in their own folders. I dunno if you code mods but if you don't it makes it a lot easier at the end.

Yeah, everyone puts them in their own folder.

It can't be that hard to just like, when you pack it, just allow the user to add on the end, where the files should be placed.

E.g. your forced to put it in garrysmod/something and the something is what you can pick. Then it lets the person who has made it, to put it in their own little folder. Then when the user opens it, and can then click the .gmp file, and it will know where to install the files.

Isn't that just better?

That sounds complicated to me.

Can you explain a little closer on how you've imagined it?

I coded the same sort of thing months back, But no one was interested so I stopped developing it and removed the download.
Was same principal, Zip files using root directory structure.

Good luck with yours. :)

You know when your on the packer, when you add the information in e.g. Title etc, on there. There should be like a box, which contains in it directorytosteamstuff/garrysmod/garrysmod/THEN IN THIS BIT, they can type the place where they want their files to be extracted to. The other thing is, the "directorytosteamstuff/garrysmod/garrysmod/ should be made so it cannot be changed, and so the only bit that can be added is the "THEN IN THIS BIT" part. If they don't put anything in the "THEN IN THIS BIT", this would mean they want it to be extracted straight into the Garrysmod folder. Get me now? :)

Yes, that's a pretty good idea in a way, but doesn't that make things much harder for the person who is packing it.

But hey, I don't really understand why you have to have your mod in a folder before packing it with this. I do understand it when you're packing it into a .zip.

Because nobody's going to stop using zips to use this, they're going to offer it as an alternative or not at all.

I got Windows XP SP2!

I don't think that's going to be a problem. I mean readmes and such could just be pasted in the mod description, so you could just add the files directly from the garrysmod folder.

Downloading ;)

Edit:

Messing around with it, seems to be working fine!
This will help alot of the "how i open the zip for gary mod?" people.

That's the point ;)

Seems like a great idea. I can think of a few enhancements though that might prove extremely useful to add more functionality to this program.

I would suggest an advanced/basic interface option. The basic interface option could solely derive it's information from the info file to show the mods name, version and description. Clicking on it gives some simple options, add/remove.

This could easily become an entire add on manager. This could insure complete and proper removal of add ons that may require files placed in data folders, maps, models, etc. This could also have an ability grab status updates from each add on authors web site. E.g. wire mod hud display is busted due to latest gmod update. The program could update when ran and check for any known issues or available updates.

It could be like a svn update system in that respect, except only handing out release versions.

A database of available mods could also be placed (like www.garrysmod.org) into the manager, allowing people to download and install them with just a click of a button.

That is actually what's planned!
My idea is that when you start the program a window will show with a list of installed mods and bladeblada. And then you have like an Install button (wich will show a window much like how Gmod Packager is today.) and an Uninstall button, wich will uninstall the selected mod.

That could be done actually, but probably it won't be in Gmod Packager for a while.

You mean like in the mod manager window (I was talking about a quote above) you have an Update button?

That isn't a very good idea, why reinvent the wheel? (Remember GMirror?)

An easy Steam Addon or something where searching for mods would be built into the Steam interface would present both a curse from people abusing it and an extreme time saver...

Example:
Something that went nice with the Steam Interface would be nice, but will most definitely never happen.

Edit:

Good luck with your mod manager, keep working on it and I think it will be one of the main things that could help out new users and prevent them from:

I think new users generally just join Garry's Mod and think they are supposed to be involved in some sort of Deathmatch game with advanced killing machines (mingebots) and players noclipping around and shooting eachother.

Mingebag has Joined the game.
Mingebag has Deathmatched you.
Mingebag has Been Banned.

I already have a program that does this, although it doesn't use a database, it's very slow, and is very limited.

awesome, does this include SVN mods and updates?

I made one specificly for SVN mods :D
http://forums.facepunchstudios.com/s...d.php?t=416672

(Please don't take this as stealing your thread at all, Mine is TOTALLY unreleated to yours.)

sorry dude but i think your looks like a copy of the one rockman did

Rockman, Who the fuck is Rockman?

Edit:
Dude, That one rockman "made" IS Mine.

sorry it`s hard to know who does things first

Honestly, it's harder for me to understand how to use this than to extract the dang thing myself, i wanted to try it because i thought it would be quicker installing my 50 addons with this, because i reinstalled gmod, but i guess not, considering i can't understand how to use it.

What is it you don't understand?