[AnyOS] KSP Mod Admin v2 - Mod install with a few clicks

[Horman]

Hi Justin, right now, there already is a version check for those mods, that are available via spaceport.

To get this working, you just have to add the spaceport url of the mod into the "edit mod info" field (right click on the mod in the mod window).

If you check for updates after that (right click and "check for mod update" or "options" tab, using the big button "check for updates") there are two possiblities:

1. Mod Admin tells you that there is an update available and the ckecked mod in the mod list is turned blue

or

2. You might get an 404 page not found error.

That might happens, when the version number or release date of the latest mod version is included in the spaceport url. But you will know it that way, that there is an update for that one

MacTee told me by PM, that he is not going to be that active in the next few weeks (till about mid march) due to RL issues. But he will be around here and then, so keep up any issues or ideas, that you encounter while using Mod Admin!

[MacTee]

Hi Justin Kerbice,

below you can find a link and a short description of the current prerelease version that support mod version check.

Hi all,

[...]

Anyway, what's new ...

1.4.0 PR3

• KSP MA auto update:
  
  • New option on the Option / Update Tab that allow to choose if KSP MA should auto install the new downloaded KSP MA version.
    

  [*]Mod update check (KSP Spaceport Mods only):

  • New button on the Option / Update Tab to check all mods for updates (when a Spaceport URL to the mod is availabel).
    
  • New option on the Option / Update Tab that allow to choose when KSP MA should check for mod updates.
    If a update is available the mod will be displayed in blue (on the ModSelection).
    
  • New columns on the ModSelection TreeListView.
    There are a few new columns that will contains some mod related informations (mod infos - like SpacePortID, URL, Author, Rating, ...).
    If you use the integrated ModBrowser to download a mod from KSP Spaceport KSP MA will get those infos for you, otherwise you have to enter at lest the URL to the Mod).
    
  • Three new ModSelection contextmenu buttons:
    
    • "Edit mod infos"
      Opens the mod info edit dialog to edit mod spaceport infos.
      
    • "Visit mod download site"
      Opens the ModBrowser with the URL entered in the mod Infos.
      
    • "Check for mod update"
      Starts a update check for the selected mod.
      If a update is available the mod will be displayed in blue (on the ModSelection).
      

How to prepare already installed mods for the update fature:

If you already have installed mods, you can edit the mod infos with a rightclick and the "Edit mod infos" button.

The mod infos edit dialog will open where you can change the mod infos.

Enter the URL to the KSP Spaceport site of the mod and press the button next to the TextBox. KSP MA will get the mod infos for you.

Now the mod is prepared for the "Mod update fature"

(You can enter a URL to another site then KSP Spaceport but then KSP MA won't get the mod infos, but you can visit the site with a right click on the mod and the "Visit mod download site" option. NOTE: THIS MAY BE BUGGY WITH NON SPACEPORT SITES!)

How does the update feartue work:

I download the WebSite (with the URL from the mod infos) and search it for key words (like id, creationdate, author, ... )

If i find those key words i update the mod infos of the mod and compare the Creationdate of the site with the AddDate of the mod.

If a update is available the mod will be displayed in blue (on the ModSelection).

There is a problem with the guest account of KSP Spaceport. If you don't login with your created user account the infos of the mod won't be actuel!

They (KSP Spaceport) updates the mod infos you can see with a guest account in a very long interval!

So it may take a while that KSP MA notices a mod update. (Any ideas how to solve this problem?)

[...]

@diomedea:

Stupid question =) Do you use the integrated ModBrowser to download the Mods from Spaceport?

EDIT:

NOTE: There is a bug with adding mods where KSP MA (1.4.0 PR3) don't find a root folder for installation. In this case the mod won't be added to the ModSelection. I RECOMMENT TO USE KSP MA 1.3.11 till i can go on bug hunt. =)

Edited February 17, 2014 by MacTee

[diomedea]

@diomedea:

Stupid question =) Do you use the integrated ModBrowser to download the Mods from Spaceport?

Not stupid at all.

No, I sometimes check what the modbrowser will give, but only to test it works. I always find the most recent versions of the mods myself, looking at the various threads in the forum. I download those new versions myself, and then I fire up KSP MA and add the new downloaded versions to its list.

Please consider that A LOT of the mods I use are not hosted on spaceport, anyway: the author often provides a link to each new version, be it with dropbox, google drive, github, or any other file hosting service.

[MacTee]

OK, KSP MA can only add ModInfos for you, when you download the MOD with the integrated ModBrowser from KSP Spaceport. Otherwise you have to enter the infos by yourself.

But KSP MA could help you with that (for Spaceport mods only). You can enter the URL to the mod and then click on the button next to the URL KSP MA will then get the infos from that URL for you.

The save way to update a outdated mod is to remove (uninstall) the old one and then install the new mod.

(KSP MA won't delete new created files of a mod. like new cfg or save files)

Edited February 17, 2014 by MacTee

[diomedea]

The save way to update a outdated mod is to remove (uninstall) the old one and then install the new mod.

(KSP MA won't delete new created files of a mod. like new cfg or save files)

Understood. Sensible choice, when no other possibilities exist. However, I hope something could be done also to help with all those mods not hosted on Spaceport. I will wait when you can get back on this after your holidays (enjoy ), if you concur on the possibility to make for:

1) the removal of only the xml entry about a mod in the modlist (leaving all files in gamedata, in particular about files with the same name);

2) copying modinfos from one xml entry to another.

The above features would allow some easier management for those mods where auto-update will never work, due to them not being distributed via Spaceport. Or, maybe, you have even better ideas.

[MacTee]

Surprise

1.4.0 PR4

New / Fixes:

• Copy ModInfos button added to ModSelection ContextMenu.
  This Button opens a Copy ModInfo dialog to copy the ModInfos from the selected mod to the choosen destination mod.
  
• Bug with non Spaceport URLs during the mod update check fixed.
  Now you can enter any URL to the ModInfos without errors during the update check process!
  
• Adding of Mods where no RootNode was found bug fixed.
  Mods with no destination will be added again =)
  

Edited February 19, 2014 by MacTee

[diomedea]

Surprise

New / Fixes:

• Copy ModInfos button added to ModSelection ContextMenu.
  This Button opens a Copy ModInfo dialog to copy the ModInfos from the selected mod to the choosen destination mod.
  ...
  

Very nice surprise indeed. Thanks a lot!

[Horman]

Mac, this works really smooth to me

[TheClassiestMedic]

This mod looks wonderful, it's really versatile and has a lot of features. However, it won't start KSP when I click Launch! It gives this error:

"Launching KSP faild. Unknown error (0xfffffffe)"

Anything I'm doing wrong? It detects all my saves, parts, crafts, and mods just fine, but won't launch.

[MacTee]

Hi TheClassiestMedic,

please send me the KSPMA.log from the same folder as KSPModAdmin.exe.

[Oznerol256]

MacTee, you are kidding me.

This piece of software is fantastic. One of the best tools i ever found for any game. Intelligent management of mods including the "special" ones. I couldn't believe all the amazing stuff as i read the features list in the readme.

Apart from that, i found a typo: When you try to uncheck a red mod, the message says: "Cancel - Abourt unchecking."

[MacTee]

Thanks for your replay Oznerol256! If you find more typos or other problems let me know.

[diomedea]

I am really happy of the features offered by this tool, and especially like the "copy ModInfo" capability from version 1.4.0 PR4.

But, I feel it would be an improvement to also be able to copy what is within the "Note:" field, as I use that quite a lot.

But, while the above is probably easy to implement, I have a further desire that may require some more effort (please bear with me).

I would like a way to make hyperlinks active within the "Note:" field, as I often use that to keep track of the thread dealing with a mod (especially useful when a mod is not uploaded to spaceport) and it would be a boon to be able to open that thread just clicking in that field.

[MacTee]

Hi diomedea,

i have implemented your suggestions and they will be released with the next KSP MA update.

Thanks for your ideas and sry for my late replay!

[Glyph]

Hello MacTee, great program! I've been using it for months now.

Some minor suggestions:

Update the main post with your latest version. I had no idea there was an update available because the old version of the program I was using didn't tell me.

In the "Welcome to KSP Mod Admin" dialogue, when selecting a folder, allow the user to type the address. I think there is a separate windows dialogue that is similar to the one you use but also allows typing in a path. Similarly, the dialogue boxes in "Options" for "Backup Path" and "Download/Mod Path" don't allow you to type / paste an address.

It is not clear to me what the "Process Mod Selection" buttons actually do. "Selected mods" for example is ambiguous; does it mean the mods I have selected with shift-left click (they'll be highlighted in blue), or does it mean the mods that have a check box next to them? Does "All mods" include the mods that don't have the checkbox? Why the need for both options?

When I went to delete all the stock crafts, the program got in a weird state where it wouldn't delete the last craft. The craft appears deleted when I go to another tab and come back, though.

[MacTee]

[...]

Some minor suggestions:

Update the main post with your latest version. [...]

In the "Welcome to KSP Mod Admin" dialogue, when selecting a folder, allow the user to type the address. [...]

It is not clear to me what the "Process Mod Selection" buttons actually do. [...]

When I went to delete all the stock crafts, the program [...} wouldn't delete the last craft. [...]

Hi Glyph,

1.

The new versions of KSP MA (1.4.0 +) are preresleases to find Bugs and add functionality i haven't thought of.

The offical KSP MA 1.4.0 will come when i have implemented the auto installation for outdated Mods.

Then i'll update the first post but thanks for the hint!!

2.

I don't want to check and validate the Userinput at this point so no free writing allowed.

I'll add the drag & drop ability again with one of the next updates.

3.

Ok, i think the Tooltip of those buttons is misleading. I'll change that with the next update.

The "Selected Mods" button proceeds all selected (blue marked) mods.

The "All Mods" proceeds all Mods from the TreeListView (checked or unchecked don't matter)

During processing of a mod it will be Installed or deinstalled depending of the checked states of the coresponding TreeNode.

I hope that clears things up

Thanks for pointing this out!

4.

Maybe there is no update of the UI when you have deleted the last craft.

I'll have a look on that.

Workaround: Just klick the refresh button to restart the scan for crafts.

[zapman987]

Found a bug.

You ignore the Squad folder in Game data, now you also need to ignore NASAmission folder as well.

[Glyph]

For the "Process Mod Selection" buttons, I didn't even know there was a tooltip . Maybe both buttons could be combined into a simple "Process Mods" button? Your program seems to process mods very quickly when the mods have already been processed previously, and I haven't run into a case where it helps to process only a couple mods. Also, maybe it could automatically process mods when you add them (so long as it knows where to put the mod inside the ksp dir).

Also, how about making a copy of a mod's .zip file to the "Download/Mod Path" folder when using the "Add" feature? That way users could add mods from their downloads folder without worrying about deleting them later. I can see how this would be a problem for larger mods, but it would probably be fine 99% of the time.

[Glyph]

Oh, found another bug! When I used "Import new Flag" to import a flag from disk, and then tried to use the "Delete Flag" button, I got this dialogue box saying it is in use: http://i.imgur.com/jH0ULvu.png

When I go to delete the file in Windows, it says it is in use by KSPModAdmin. This was my first time adding a flag, in case that's relevant.

Closing and opening KSPMA solved the problem.

It would also be nice to add a zip file of flags, and/or to allow multi-selection when adding flags.

Edited April 4, 2014 by Glyph

[diomedea]

For the "Process Mod Selection" buttons, I didn't even know there was a tooltip . Maybe both buttons could be combined into a simple "Process Mods" button? Your program seems to process mods very quickly when the mods have already been processed previously, and I haven't run into a case where it helps to process only a couple mods. Also, maybe it could automatically process mods when you add them (so long as it knows where to put the mod inside the ksp dir).

I hope you don't mind, but I'd like the two buttons to "Process Mods" be kept separate. I regularly use to process only mods I selected, and that allows me to have mods recognized and loaded with KSP MA mod list, but not installed in KSP. I routinely find performance issues or some incompatibilities with mods, and have to operate choices keeping some mods out. The current design allows me to do just that (also, I use the note field with each mod info to keep track of the reason it was to not be installed).

[MacTee]

Found a bug.

You ignore the Squad folder in Game data, now you also need to ignore NASAmission folder as well.

Thanks for the report! (Where the hell can i download this NASA Mission?)

For the "Process Mod Selection" buttons [...] Maybe both buttons could be combined into a simple "Process Mods" button? [...]

As you can see in the replay of diomedea, there are users that actually uses the "Selected Mods" Button (like me).

So just ignore it if you don't need it =)

Oh, found another bug! When I used "Import new Flag" to import a flag from disk, and then tried to use the "Delete Flag" button, I got this dialogue box saying it is in use: http://i.imgur.com/jH0ULvu.png

When I go to delete the file in Windows, it says it is in use by KSPModAdmin. This was my first time adding a flag, in case that's relevant.

Closing and opening KSPMA solved the problem.

It would also be nice to add a zip file of flags, and/or to allow multi-selection when adding flags.

Thanks i'll have a look on that later.

Edited April 4, 2014 by MacTee

[ROFLCopter64bit]

Thanks for the report! (Where the hell i can download this NASA Mission?)

Part of the new KSP update.

[Taki117]

Question: Does this plugin automatically check for mod updates regardless of location? (i.e on the forum vs spaceport)

[MacTee]

Hi Taki117,

this isn't a plugin, it's a stand alone software for Windows

Till now KSP MA (v1.4.0 PR1-4) has only a update check for Spaceport mods.

In the next release v1.4.0 PR5 (this weekend) i have implemented the auto update support.

But for now you have to trigger the update manually for each outdated mod.

I'll changed that with the KSP MA v1.4.0 PR6 release.

[MacTee]

[...]

It would also be nice to add a zip file of flags, and/or to allow multi-selection when adding flags.

You can add zipped flags with KSP MA if you add it to the ModSelection AND the zip folder structure looks like

<AnyNameYouWant>/Flags/<PictureFile>

Then you can handle them like a normal mod.

"Multi select" is on my ToDo list now.

EDIT:

Ups, sry double post =(

Edited April 4, 2014 by MacTee