How to : Program a REAL live DPS meter

[gorom]

Ok,

So, it's not all very difficult, but I don't have time (or will) to do this, I'm just letting the programmers know that there is a way to do this.

What you need :

An external program that parses your logfile just like the current "damage meter" that runs completely outside of the game every 5 seconds and create a custom TGA file every 5 seconds, based on the log file parsed. You can create a simple tga file or a very fancy one, doesn't matter.
Let's say you have only 2 players in your group, the program will parse the logfile and create 2 bars for you stating the name of the character ( from the logfile ) and the amount of damage done in a number or % on top of a graphical bar. There are NO numbers, NO letters , it's all just 1 little TGA image.

Then the only thing you need to program into the game is the xml to display this TGA file ( 10 lines of code ) and refreshes it every 5 seconds. It will look the real thing, it will feel the real thing, it will BE the real thing.

Now the real question is : Are there any die-hard Vanguard players with the knowledge of how to program this who will want to spend a few days or weeks programming it

[Skorpion68]

Originally Posted by gorom

Ok,
Then the only thing you need to program into the game is the xml to display this TGA file ( 10 lines of code ) and refreshes it every 5 seconds. It will look the real thing, it will feel the real thing, it will BE the real thing.

find a way to update the tga file in the vg-ui without restart .. and someone take the rest

[Aalwein]

What Skorp said. Changing/adding TGA files requires a client restart, not just /reloadui.

[Craeat]

about the only way to have the outside program display is to have it hooked with direct x like voice overlay works for vent.

Craeat

[Agathorn]

Not to mention that the logfile is buffered.

[Gilador]

Yep, the log file is buffered but I am still using a real-time log parser with no problems.

All I have to do is press a hot-key after each fight which does '/help misc' command. I have mapped this to my '=' key next to backspace so it is easy to do and I now press it without even thinking after each fight.

That command produces over 120 lines of text to be written to the log file. It's a list of all miscellaneous commands. Since the log file writes the buffer to the file after every 128 lines, this almost always flushes the buffer and my parser can read the fight to the end.

My parser is called EQ Companion.

I have read lots of comments saying real-time parsing is not possible in VG because of the buffering so I just wanted to chime in to say it's not 100% true...

Of course having DPS display on VG screen is another matter. It would be really cool to add some DirectX overlay but I am nowhere as skilled a programmer. It is of course possible since I have been using FRAPS and EVGA Precision which do just that to show FPS/GPU temperature, etc. in the screen.