Morrowind

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About this mod

To all downloaders: I am not the author of this mod. This mod was made by DW. ============================================================== Morrowind Plugin Manager 1.2 by DW ([email protected]) http://www.geocities.com/mpmhelp September, 2004 ====================================================== Table of Contents: ----------------

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To all downloaders:

I am not the author of this mod. This mod was made by DW.

==============================================================
Morrowind Plugin Manager 1.2
by DW ([email protected])
http://www.geocities.com/mpmhelp
September, 2004
======================================================

Table of Contents:
-----------------
1.1 Version History
1.2 Package Contents
1.3 Development Environment
1.4 Development Notes
1.5 Installation
1.6 Uninstallation
1.7 What It Is
1.8 What It Does
1.9 Usage
1.10 Not-So-FAQs
1.11 Disclaimer
1.12 Distribution and Copyright
1.13 Thanks
1.14 Contact


1.1 Version History:
-------------------
MPM 1.2, September 2004
- timestamp defect fixed
- support for nonstandard archive structure
- minor GUI defects fixed

MPM 1.1, August 2004
- RAR archive support added

MPM 1.0, May 2004
- Original release


1.2 Package Contents (mpm.zip):
------------------------------
mpm.exe (v1.2, 9/19/2004 13:39, 1,708,032 bytes)
unrar.dll (7/14/2004 21:11, 158,208 bytes)
readme.mpm.txt


1.3 Development Environment:
---------------------------
MS Visual C++ 6.0
Qt 2.2 (http://www.trolltech.com)
zlib (http://www.zlib.org)
unrar (http://www.rarlab.com)
WinXP SP1, Win98 SE


1.4 Development Notes:
---------------------
The zlib source was compiled for use as a static library, but not modified.
The unrar.dll is used by and packaged with MPM 1.2 in an unmodified state.


1.5 Installation:
----------------
Extract the Morrowind Plugin Manager archive to a folder of your choice (for
instance, your Morrowind folder). If you are upgrading from a previous
version of MPM, simply overwrite the old files. MPM 1.2 is fully backward
compatible - you do not need to modify an existing plugin database.


1.6 Uninstallation:
------------------
No changes to your registry or system folders are made by this application.
Simply delete the files that came in the install package, and any files
created by its use (mpm.cfg, mpm.pdb, mpm.log). Be sure to uninstall any
plugins before removing the application though, or you will be left with
all installed plugin files on your drive.


1.7 What It Is:
--------------
Morrowind Plugin Manager was developed for two main reasons. First, it was
simply for me to get experience using C++ with the Standard Template Library,
and GUI development using Qt. The second reason is that another mod utility
for Morrowind (I assume you know which) doesn't work as I'd expect, or wish.
It skips installation of files which it determines are not necessary (based
on a scan of the ESP and ESM files) for the plugin to operate (meaning, for
example, the plugin author's documentation is not installed). And the scan is
not reliable, as stated in the code (it doesn't detect certain dependancies),
so sometimes it fails to install and uninstall files which do in fact belong
to a given plugin. With MPM, I skip that complexity and instead install all
files in a plugin archive.


1.8 What It Does:
----------------
Morrowind Plugin Manager installs all files found in an archive to your
chosen Morrowind installation path, and associates them with the plugin
entry in the plugin management display. File collisions are handled by
allowing you to overwrite, skip, or rename the file (the plugin archive name
is automatically appended to the file, allowing you to try the file later
manually if you choose) with a click of a button. Plugin and file sizes are
displayed in the interface. Uninstalling a plugin removes all files
associated with the plugin except files shared with any other plugin, and
removes empty directories that are no longer needed.

A configuration file, 'mpm.cfg' is saved in the MPM folder. This file
contains your chosen Morrowind install path as well as the original file
listing at the time of Configuration. Do not delete this file unless
instructed to do so by the application. The application will prevent you
from reconfiguring if you have any plugins installed, however, if you
intentionally delete it to avoid this safety check and then change the
Morrowind path, you are asking for trouble. That is essentially separating
the plugin database from the indexed files.

A plugin database file, 'mpm.pdb' is saved to the MPM folder. Do not delete
this file unless instructed to do so by the application. It is written in
plain text and is in the format, '[archive name]:[file name]'. You can edit
it by hand but be sure to follow the format. Failing to do so could lead to
a damaged or inaccurate database. Make a backup copy first.

If 'Options -> Write Log To File' is selected in the menu, output shown in
the log window will be written out to a log file, 'mpm.log'. The setting
for this option is intentionally not saved, as log files can grow very
quickly. Simply set the option when you run Morrowind Plugin Manager if you
wish to log the session. You are safe to delete the log file at any time
when it is not in use.


1.9 Usage:
---------
MPM will prompt you to configure your Morrowind path on the first launch.
Depending on the number of files currently in your 'data files' folder and
the speed of your machine, this initial configuration process might take a
few seconds, so be patient. If you wish to reconfigure it later, choose
'Options->Configuration' from the menu (no plugins may be installed when you
configure). To install a plugin, click 'Install', and browse to a valid
plugin ZIP or RAR archive. If an unpacked file already exists, you will be
asked what action you want to take (skip, overwrite, or rename). If the
displayed filename is truncated due to length, hovering the mouse pointer
over it will show the full filename in a tooltip style popup. It should
be obvious, but I will say it anyway - use caution whenever using the "Yes
To All" overwrite option. Be very sure what you're about to overwrite, or
you could be overwriting default Morrowind files without knowing it. It is
always best to step through an install, manually verifying overwrites
file-by-file. To uninstall a plugin, choose the plugin from the list and
click 'Uninstall.' No shared files will be deleted. Registered file types
in the 'Files Used' list can be opened with your operating system's default
applications by double clicking the file or pressing return. You can choose
'Options->Write log to file' to log all activity to a file (mpm.log).

Before patching Morrowind, it is highly recommended that you uninstall all
plugins installed by MPM. After you patch, be sure to reconfigure MPM. This
will rebuild the base configuration for MPM, and will prevent the overwriting
of plugin files by new files added or changed by the patch, and vice-versa.

An advanced mode exists for MPM, for the sake of cleaning your 'data files'
folder in the event that an installation problem occurred which you cannot
undo, or you damaged or deleted your plugin database file, etc. It is
recommended that it be used only when necessary. To access the cleanup
functionality, run mpm with the '-advanced' switch. A new menu item,
'Clean Up', will appear in the File menu. If you wish to remove all plugins,
and clean your folder of unplugged files, or otherwise return MPM and the
'data files' folder to the state it was in when you last configured MPM, you
can use this advanced function. It will delete all files in the 'data files'
folder which are not listed in the MPM configuration file (mpm.cfg). If this
is not completely clear to you, do NOT use this functionality. To repeat,
ALL files other than those listed in mpm.cfg will be irrevocably deleted.
This includes all files not installed by MPM - for instance, a plugin file of
your own you might be working on would be deleted. Additionally, your plugin
database file (mpm.pdb) will be deleted. You've been warned and re-warned.
Use caution if you insist on using this advanced feature!

Note that the Clean Up process can be intensive and take several minutes
depending on the speed of your computer and if you have many plugins
installed. If MPM appears to have locked up during a Clean Up, chances
are it has not - just be patient.

One final caution: If you are manually copying plugin files to your 'data
files' folder frequently, be aware that these files will not be configured
as either the MPM base configuration or an MPM installed plugin. These files
could be at risk for overwrite or deletion, if you install or uninstall a
plugin that shares the file name(s). One of the principal design intentions
for this utility was to keep the 'data files' folder clean of junk files,
and keep all plugin files associated with their plugins. If you choose to
manually pollute the folder, MPM cannot be held responsible. The best way to
avoid this is to always use MPM to install plugins from zip archives (or
configure the PDB entry by hand if you are comfortable doing so). Besides,
you DO keep your own plugin creations separately backed up in zip archive
form, don't you?


1.10 Not-So-FAQs:
----------------
Q: What is different with version 1.2 of MPM?

A: Timestamps were not being written properly for extracted files in
versions of MPM prior to 1.2. I'm a bit surprised that 5 months and nearly
4000 downloads (as of 9/04) beyond original release, neither I nor other
MPM users had noticed or commented on this defect. Regardless, I believe
it is now fixed. Additionally, some support has been added for nonstandard
archive structure. MPM should now be able to install plugin archives it did
not previously support, namely those built up from folders other than the
"data files" folder or deeper. The 'File Exists' dialog has been changed to
no longer resize based on filename length. Long filenames are now truncated
in the display, with the full filename shown in a tooltip by hovering the
mouse over the displayed name. Finally, a few minor GUI annoyances have
been corrected.

Q: What is different with version 1.1 of MPM?

A: Support for RAR archives has been added.

Q: I am upgrading to MPM version 1.2 from a previous version. Do I need to
uninstall and reinstall my plugins?

A: No, the database for MPM has not changed for the upgrade to version 1.2.
It is fully backward compatible.

Q: Okay, but what about this timestamp thing? Is it important?

A: Yes, timestamps can be important for Morrowind plugins. If you have
been using an old version of MPM and have not had any problems with plugin
ordering, then you might as well leave them as they are. If you have had
problems, or want the timestamps for your plugins to be correct against the
original release archives, then you should uninstall/reinstall the plugins.

Q: What plugins can be installed using MPM?

A: MPM installs plugins from ZIP or RAR archives with directory structure
preserved. As of version 1.2, as long as an archive contains proper
directory structure, MPM should be able to install it correctly. For
example, MPM 1.2 will understand any of these following archive formats:

Example 1:readme.txt
/textures/flamesword.tga
/sounds/swordout.wav

Example 2:/data files/readme.txt
/data files/textures/flamesword.tga
/data files/sounds/swordout.wav

Example 3:/games/morrowind/data files/readme.txt
/games/morrowind/data files/textures/flamesword.tga
/games/morrowind/data files/sounds/swordout.wav

Support for archives built up from folders other than the "data files"
folder or deeper was added because, although it is silly to pack an archive
in such a manner, quite a few plugins do exactly that.

If a plugin archive does not contain proper folder structure or naming, or
has no folder structure at all where it should exist, it is not the fault
of MPM. That is the plugin author's choice of blunder.

Q: What about plugins that come packaged as a self-installing archive?

A: If you want or need to use MPM with a self-installing plugin (for instance,
GIANTS), you could simply install the plugin to a temporary folder and then
compress the files into a ZIP or RAR archive that MPM can use.

Q: I see that MPM lists installed plugins by the original archive filename.
Do I need to keep the archive file? Does MPM use it after installation?

A: No. The original archive filename is used to remind you of the exact
package from which the plugin was installed, the version which was installed,
an alternate name you may have chosen for the plugin, etc. After a plugin
has been installed, you can safely delete the archive file if you wish.

Q: Can MPM only use ZIP files? What about RARs?

A: As of version 1.1, RAR support has been added. An archive file can be
named anything - a file extension (or lack thereof) is unimportant - but it
must be a ZIP or RAR compressed file.

Q: I accidentally deleted my plugin database (PDB) file. Am I screwed or
what?

A: Pretty much, yes, but you can try to minimize leftover junk on your drive.
The best thing to do would be to try to remember each plugin you had
installed, and then reinstall them right over the old files. That way, MPM
will build an entirely new database from the plugins, and it will be as if
you'd never lost the database at all. In the worst case scenario, where you
cannot remember what plugins you had installed, you have the files leftover
on your drive. So basically, it's as if you had not used MPM at all. You'll
lose some hard drive space to those files, but it won't harm your machine or
your Morrowind installation. In this case, you could opt to use the advanced
cleanup functionality (see '1.9 Usage'). Or you could delete leftover files
manually.

Q: Files renamed with MPM's automatic renaming are not associated with the
plugin. Why?

A: When a file is renamed with MPM, the plugin name is appended onto the
filename. For example, "readme.txt" becomes "readme.txt.myplugin". These
files can be manually examined by you, deleted by you, or used to replace
the original by you. Trying to keep track of that in the plugin database is
unrealistic. Therefore, when you choose to have a file renamed during an
install instead of skipping it or overwriting the original file, you assume
control over it. You could for instance decide after trying a renamed file,
that you prefer the original version, and thus you only have to restore the
original and delete the unassociated renamed file. Doing so will not affect
your plugin database, so everything is kept in order.

Q: Is there any danger in installing a plugin by unzipping it myself? What
if I use another plugin installer?

A: Yes, this could be dangerous. Read section '1.9 Usage' - it's important.

Q: Does MPM do anything to change my system settings or the like?

A: No. MPM does not register or install any system files. It does not
change your registry. It does not watch you sleep at night.


1.11 Disclaimer:
---------------
I assume no responsibility for anything that happens to you, your PC or data,
or your love life due to the use or misuse of MPM. It shouldn't affect them
in any way, except perhaps for improving your love life.


1.12 Distribution and Copyright:
-------------------------------
MPM is copyright(c) me, DW. It may be distributed as is without modification
to this package or the contents, for use with the game Morrowind. It may
not be packaged and or sold by any money grubbing magazines and schlockware
distributers without my prior written consent. If you have a question
regarding distribution, contact me ([email protected]). Assume no rights
with regard to this package. If you have obtained this package through
distribution such as on a CD or with a game magazine, you and I both have
probably been ripped off. Please take a moment to inform me at
[email protected].

I am in no way affiliated with Bethesda Softworks. Morrowind and all
associated properties are their copyrights.


1.13 Thanks:
-----------
Special thanks to DB and TN for (almost tireless) assistance and suggestions.
Thanks to Dongle for the Oblivion v1.1 Daedric font.


1.14 Contact:
------------
This application has been virus scanned, tested, and used; however, no
software can claim to be perfect. If you find an operational defect, let me
know. To otherwise comment, praise, moan, etc., send email to
[email protected].