next »

[jwvanderbeck]

Name: Auto Highlight
Version: 1.0
Date: 11/22/2009
Author: jwvanderbeck
Homepage: Beyond Ferelden Mods
   
Description
===========
Floats the name of placeables, and optionally creatures, above the object similiar to what holding the TAB key does.


Details
=======
Makes placeables, and optionally creatures, highlighted by floating the object's name above it. 

This AddIn can be configured by adding options to the DragonAge.ini file.
By default this file is located in:
My Documents\Bioware\Dragon Age\Settings\DragonAge.ini

Open the file and at the very end of the file paste the following text:
[AutoHighlightOptions]
ShowCreatures=0
ShowTags=0
Distance=20
Duration=45

Set ShowCreatures to 1 if you want creatures to be highlighted as well.
Set ShowTags to 1 to see the item's internal game tag.  This is useful for modders.
Set distance to how many meters away you want to highlight objects.  Farther distances may affect perfrmance!
Set duration to how long you want the name about placeables to remain before refreshing.  See note below.

NOTE: The AddIn will not display the name over placeables that have nothing inside them to loot.  However, when you loot the items out of a placeable, the name will still be floating above it until such time as the name is "refreshed" by the script.  By default this is every 45 seconds, which means you are usually gone.  If you want placeables you loot to have their name dropped more quickly, you can set the duration much lower.  However, lower settings will cause the name to drop for a few seconds between refreshes.

Install
=======
Extract the ZIP archive to any location you want.

1. Use DAUpdater.exe (located in your Dragon Age install directory, in the bin_ship subdirectory) and select the DAZip file.
2. Select the AddIn in the list and click install.
3. Once the progress says "Installed.", exit DAUpdater and run the game.
4. On the main menu, select "Downloadedable Content", and then select the "Installed Content" tab.
5. Ensure that the AddIn is enabled.

Uninstall
=========
Currently there is no user-friendly way to un-install a DAZip based Addin, but the AddIn can be disabled.
1. Run the game and on the main menu select "Downloadable Content", and then select the "Installed Content" tab.
2. Find the AddIn in the list and Un-check it to disable the AddIn.

Incompatibility
===============
This mod should be fully compatible with the base game.

Known Issues or Bugs
====================
None

History
=======
1.0, 11/22/2009 - Initial release.

Contact
=======
You can find me as "jwvanderbeck" on:
DAMods (http://damods.com/forums/)

My blog about Dragonm Age modding, called Beyond Ferelden, is at http://dragonagemodding.wordpress.com

Credits
=======
Credit is always due to Bioware for making such awesome games, and giving us the tools to bring our imaginations to life inside them.

Licensing/Legal
===============
Please do not upload this mod to any websites without my permission.  Contact me and i'll be glad to give you permission.
Use this mod at your own risk, I take no responsability for anything that results from its use.

[jwvanderbeck]

Ok now that I finally got that done, maybe I can get some sleep

[Ryuukon]

Oh man. I don't think I ever hit the download link so fast. Thank you SO much for this one!

[Lewtz]

now, to just get used to not hitting Tab every 5 secs with my pinky.  Awesome mod, thanks.

[rayvio]

firstly, I love the idea of this mod so thank you for taking the time to make and distribute it
I am, however, having a problem with changing the settings

"ShowCreatures=1" actually prevents the lootable creatures from being shown, while 0 shows them, which should be the other way around

and no matter what I set "Duration" to, the text is hovering there for... well, ever

also while this does show lootables, it doesn't show 'examinables' like bits of paper, etc for codex triggers

[jwvanderbeck]

Dead creatures might be handled differently in the game.  I'll have to mess with it a bit.

The duration is kind of hard to explain.  Heck the way this thing works is kind of hard to explain, even to myself!  The engine acts very weird.

In a nutshell though what happens is every 8-10 seconds the engine sends a "heartbeat" event out.  It isn't always exactly the same length of time depending on how much is going on and just plain randomness, but its roughly 8-10 seconds.  When it triggers, the script finds all the placeables in RANGE and set the text to show up for DURATION time.

If you set it to lower durations, say 10 seconds or so, it will generally have a short period when it drops, before the next heartbeat where the name will not be displayed.  Then when the next heartbeat hits, it will display the names again.  The advantage of this is that when it refreshes, it won't display the names of any placeables you looted.

[JoshuaRaven]

Dead creatures might be handled differently in the game.  I'll have to mess with it a bit.

The duration is kind of hard to explain.  Heck the way this thing works is kind of hard to explain, even to myself!  The engine acts very weird.

In a nutshell though what happens is every 8-10 seconds the engine sends a "heartbeat" event out.  It isn't always exactly the same length of time depending on how much is going on and just plain randomness, but its roughly 8-10 seconds.  When it triggers, the script finds all the placeables in RANGE and set the text to show up for DURATION time.

If you set it to lower durations, say 10 seconds or so, it will generally have a short period when it drops, before the next heartbeat where the name will not be displayed.  Then when the next heartbeat hits, it will display the names again.  The advantage of this is that when it refreshes, it won't display the names of any placeables you looted.

This will probably sound like something you already considered at the start and obviously didn't include because it isn't possible, but wouldn't there be an option to trigger a new piece of code on a "Loot" event that removes the text from the object? That way we could leave the refresh on a higher number.

[jwvanderbeck]

The idea had crossed my mind, but tbh it seemed like a lot of work for something that didint' seem that important :p

If it REALLY bothers everyone I can see what I can do, but i'd have to do some research before I could say for certain its even possible.

[Ergonomic Cat]

Very nice.

My life just got a lot easier.

My only request is that things like Elfroot don't highlight - is it possible to add those in?

[jwvanderbeck]

It should highlight.  Was for me last night.  Unless I broke something.  I'll take another look.

[Ergonomic Cat]

Nope, I was just coming back to correct.

It was a distance issue.  I was seeing the roots off in the distance, beyond my distance setting.  I raised it, and all is well.

Sorry for the fake bug report. 

[JoshuaRaven]

jwvanderbeck, you could use the event override EVENT_TYPE_INVENTORY_ADDED to check for empty chest updates when "exploring" (I believe there is a check for that?). That way it's pretty safe to assume that most of the time, when an item is added to the inventory, a chest or body has been looted and that container is instantly updated by removing the text. Or would that strain the engine too much?

[rayvio]

I'm guessing it's not possible to just tell the game that tab is being pressed at all times? short of actually weighing the button down on my keyboard

[JoshuaRaven]

I'm guessing it's not possible to just tell the game that tab is being pressed at all times? short of actually weighing the button down on my keyboard

There are third party programs that can do this for you and since we're talking about a single player game here, I see no reason why you couldn't use it. Google for one of those tools and find one that lets you "toggle" the tab button on or off. That'd be the easiest way but you might need to toggle it off whenever you try a certain key-combo.

[rayvio]

There are third party programs that can do this for you and since we're talking about a single player game here, I see no reason why you couldn't use it. Google for one of those tools and find one that lets you "toggle" the tab button on or off. That'd be the easiest way but you might need to toggle it off whenever you try a certain key-combo.

that's why I'd prefer a mod, otherwise I'd certainly end up alt-tabbing out by accident all the time and forgetting to turn it off afterwards. but thanks for the suggestion