Release Trade Computer Extension Mk.II

[eventure]

Hello everybody and welcome to the DevUpdate #4.

Doing some tweaking and fixing last week, I finished today an update of the Route Finder panel. Some suggestions arrived me and so I started reworking the panel appearance to add more data to the result list:
http://imgur.com/a/Wz1tY
Now all routes showing the star system, distance from star and, if the market is planetary based or not. Also the most important data about distance and total profit are now enlarged.

Additionally, I started, about two weeks ago, developing a minimap, primary for SRV operations on planets. Take a look:
http://imgur.com/a/kfWSL
Here you can see all stored locations around your current position, showing markets, mining sites, points of interest and bookmarks you have stored at the planet.
The range is automatically adjusted to the closest location, but you also can manually select ranges between 10, 25, 50 and 100 km's.
You are also able to reduce the size of the minimap, if it is required, or fully close it. By clicking on a displayed item, you will see the name and the exact distance to it.

Because it is not finalized yet, any suggestions are welcome.

 

[Infomage]

Eventure,

I love the shots of the new UIs. Each one I have looked at I've thought "Wow, it can't get better than this." and then pow. Another one. The SRV map made me tingle! I'm really looking forward to using them.

On another note, for some reason I'm getting a login error on the EDMC button. Anyone else?

 

[sneakypita]

I am still getting issue with "waiting for elite dangerous" message in the TCE panel. I have tried ensured that the XML file has the verboselogging flag. I also verified that I have the proper executable pointed to in the "game path". I do notice that in the Launcher screen, Last Position, Last Ship Type etc, all show unknown.

I play the Steam version, 64-bit.

Any suggestions on why the TCE in-game panel keep sshowing waiting for ED?

Thanks!

sneakypita

 

[eventure]

Eventure,

I love the shots of the new UIs. Each one I have looked at I've thought "Wow, it can't get better than this." and then pow. Another one. The SRV map made me tingle! I'm really looking forward to using them.

On another note, for some reason I'm getting a login error on the EDMC button. Anyone else?

Thank you, please update EDMC to the lastest version and try start it solo to check any oddity.

I am still getting issue with "waiting for elite dangerous" message in the TCE panel. I have tried ensured that the XML file has the verboselogging flag. I also verified that I have the proper executable pointed to in the "game path". I do notice that in the Launcher screen, Last Position, Last Ship Type etc, all show unknown.

I play the Steam version, 64-bit.

Any suggestions on why the TCE in-game panel keep sshowing waiting for ED?

Thanks!

sneakypita

Please let TCE set the verboselogging entry. It creates a new file called "AppConfigLocal.xml". So click the small button behind the verboselogging entry.
Did TCE report, that verboselogging is active? If so, you are playing a different version than you selected at game version. If not, press the button described above.
After activating verboselogging, you have to start ED first once, to write the new log with the required data.

 

[sneakypita]

First, thanks for responding!!!

Please let TCE set the verboselogging entry. It creates a new file called "AppConfigLocal.xml". So click the small button behind the verboselogging entry.
Did TCE report, that verboselogging is active? If so, you are playing a different version than you selected at game version. If not, press the button described above.
After activating verboselogging, you have to start ED first once, to write the new log with the required data.

Not exactly sure what you mean by the above:

• when I originally launch TCE after a clean install, verboselogging was inactive.
• I click the button, and verboselogging goes to active. Yet up above, you say "So click the small button behind the verboselogging entry.
  Did TCE report, that verboselogging is active? If so, you are playing a different version than you selected at game version.".
• Which means you tell me to click the button, and it should not go active or else I am playing wrong version
• Then you tell me that if it DID NOT go active, to click the button, and it should activate verboselogging.
• So I dont understand why you say it should not go active, but then you say it should go active. Unless you meant to originally say "inactive"?

Sorry that I didn't fully follow what you responded with!


So I tried removing the appconfiglocal.xml file, and let tce recreate it, which it did. I did notice that it's not writing the verboselogging="1" entry into the appconfig.xml file - not sure if it's supposed to. Something I found earlier said that the verboselogging="1" should be in the appconfig.xml file:

"Question: When I start TCE it only shows 'Waiting for Elite Dangerous. Please enter the game or restart.' Where is the problem?
Answer: The waiting message comes, if TCE Mk.II can't find any position data in the Net Log file. Please do the following to fix the issue:

• Edit your AppConfig.xml file, located in Elite Dangerous\Products\elite-dangerous-64\ folder, if there is the entry VerboseLogging = "1" under <NETWORK section. It should look like that:

Code:
<Network
VerboseLogging="1"
Port="0"
upnpenabled="1"
LogFile="netLog"
DatestampLog="1"
>
</Network>



To edit the right file, you have to identify the proper location of the file. Please check this: https://support.frontier.co.uk/kb/faq.php?id=108



So this morning, I deleted all TCE, deleted appconfiglocal.xml, and removed verboselogging=1 entry from appconfig.xml (which I manually added, based on the intructions i found in this forum yesterday). I then launched ED, then exited. I reinstalled TCE, updated it to 1.3.9.1, copied over the free 150 stations. I launched TCE, pointed Game Path to game location (E:\Games\SteamLibrary\SteamApps\common\Elite Dangerous\Products\elite-dangerous-64), it found the version (HORIZONS 2.0 64-BIT), LOG ACTIVE, I clocked the button beside VERBOSELOGGING which then became active, TCE READY TO LAUNCH turned green. Confirmed EDMC EXT and E.OCR EXT were both installed. I then launched the game, let it load fully, then clicked LAUNCH button in TCE, let it load fully.

Tried exiting game and relaunched ED while TCE was running, tried leaving ED running and exiting/relaunching TCE. Still show TCE panel "waiting for ED, please relaunch or start" message. Also, TCE launch window still shows all entries in top section (right under WELCOME COMMANDER, last position, last ship type et al) all as UNKNOWN.

This is what's in the AppConfigLocal.XML file:

<AppConfig>
<Network
VerboseLogging="1">
</Network>
</AppConfig>


This is what's in the AppConfig.XML file:

<Network
Port="0"
upnpenabled="1"
LogFile="netLog"
DatestampLog="1"
>
</Network>
<GameObjects />
</AppConfig>

I have tried running TCE with the VerboseLogging="1" in and not in the AppConfig.XML file, both with same non-functioning result.

Both of these files are in the "elite-dangerous-64" game folder. Where should the "netlog" file be found, or the "game log" that is listed in the TCE startup panel? Maybe my log file is missing or in a non-standard location?

I am really not sure where to go from here. I am sure I followed instructions properly....but maybe not?!? Is there any other I can provide you, that might help sort out why TCE does not see the game running?

Thanks SO much for your time!

sneakypita

 

[flat]

Hey guys,

I'm a big fan of Eventure's work. Honestly, I can't imaging playing Elite without TCE anymore.

One thing I missed in TCE was the ability to update commodity prices by crowdsourced data (EDDN/EDDB).

More than often, I found myself flying to the same stations over and over, and all other stations had ancient commodity prices within TCE.

Therefore I've created a little helper tool for TCE:

It's called TCE-Relay and will fetch updated commodity prices for all stations in your TCE database.
Of course, it will only update prices that are newer than your local prices.

At the moment, it's still in beta (version 0.2), but at least it works for me. ;-)

You can download the source code and the binaries here:
https://github.com/flattermann/TCE-Relay/releases

Technically, it's a client/server solution.

On my server, I'm collecting live price updates from EDDN and store them in a database.
The client will send my server a list of known stations from the TCE DB with their last update date.
The server will send back updated prices for these stations.
The client will update the prices in the TCE DB.

Eventure will include a button for TCE-Relay in the next TCE release, but you can already try TCE-Relay:
Just unpack the ZIP and run TCE-RelayClient.exe, preferably from command line to see some output.

PS: This is my first Python project ever. If you think you can improve/optimize my code (and you probably can if you've used Python before ), feel free to issue a PullRequest on GibHub:
https://github.com/flattermann/TCE-Relay

So long,
flat

 

[flat]

Doing some tweaking and fixing last week, I finished today an update of the Route Finder panel. Some suggestions arrived me and so I started reworking the panel appearance to add more data to the result list:
http://imgur.com/a/Wz1tY
Now all routes showing the star system, distance from star and, if the market is planetary based or not. Also the most important data about distance and total profit are now enlarged.

That looks very good!

Now that there is more space, maybe you could add a column "supply" after the commodity name?

Actually, if you could also add a supply colum to the trade panel (in the "export" tables), that would be even more fantastic!

 

[eventure]

Therefore I've created a little helper tool for TCE:

It's called TCE-Relay and will fetch updated commodity prices for all stations in your TCE database.

Thanks for posting your support tool for TCE.

Your tool is a great idea and in the spirit of TCE, only updating prices of my current registered markets at TCE from online data, because many market prices got outdated very quickly, so stored data become nearly useless, after a time, until updated.
As mentioned, TCE will get a button to easily update price data at the launcher, before starting TCE. In addition, the full release version of TCE will include TCE-Relay by default.

But as always, it is only an option for TCE users, you don't have to use it, if you don't like online data. It's your choice!

That looks very good!

Now that there is more space, maybe you could add a column "supply" after the commodity name?

Actually, if you could also add a supply colum to the trade panel (in the "export" tables), that would be even more fantastic!

Will try to add the supply level of units to both panels. Thanks for the suggestion.

So this morning, I deleted all TCE, deleted appconfiglocal.xml, and removed verboselogging=1 entry from appconfig.xml (which I manually added, based on the intructions i found in this forum yesterday). I then launched ED, then exited. I reinstalled TCE, updated it to 1.3.9.1, copied over the free 150 stations. I launched TCE, pointed Game Path to game location (E:\Games\SteamLibrary\SteamApps\common\Elite Dangerous\Products\elite-dangerous-64), it found the version (HORIZONS 2.0 64-BIT), LOG ACTIVE, I clocked the button beside VERBOSELOGGING which then became active, TCE READY TO LAUNCH turned green. Confirmed EDMC EXT and E.OCR EXT were both installed. I then launched the game, let it load fully, then clicked LAUNCH button in TCE, let it load fully.

Tried exiting game and relaunched ED while TCE was running, tried leaving ED running and exiting/relaunching TCE. Still show TCE panel "waiting for ED, please relaunch or start" message. Also, TCE launch window still shows all entries in top section (right under WELCOME COMMANDER, last position, last ship type et al) all as UNKNOWN.

Okay, so I like to tell you step-by-step, what has to be done:

1. Install TCE and update it thereafter to the lastest version.
2. Start TCE and click the red-bordered button at Game Version.
3. Select your E: drive to let TCE search after your installed versions of Elite Dangerous.
4. When finished, you get a small listbox, where all installed versions are displayed. Select the version, you are currently using, in your case "HORIZONS 2.1 64-BIT".
5. Thereafter you see, that the game log was "DETECTED" and perhaps verboselogging "NOT ACTIVE" and a red-bordered button behind it. Click it to activate it. TCE will now create the AppConfigLocal.xml file.
6. It should then turn to "ACTIVE" and you are ready to launch TCE. Click it to start.
7. TCE checks now, if the required data is found at the last created netlog file. If data is not found, TCE will ask you to start Elite Dangerous to generate such informations, TCE needs. Otherwise it will launch.
8. After launching ED and loading into game, TCE should detect your current position, or if unknown, asking to add it.

As long, as TCE didn't find the data required at the netlog file to detect your current position, as long it will show "UNKNOWN" and "Waiting of ED". A netlog file is created by every start of ED and is found in
your case at "E:\Games\SteamLibrary\SteamApps\common\Elite Dangerous\Products\elite-dangerous-64\logs".

There you will find a line beside others like e.g.:

System:"Sol"  StarPos:(0.000,0.000,0.000)ly Body:41  RelPos:(-0.571288,-2.4225,1.67485)km NormalFlight

Hope it helped you, otherwise report back, if you have still problems.

 

[Abil Midena]

Ok, stupid question time.

Case 1.
On a normal day when neither TCE/EDMC/ED have been updated...is it expected that we start TCE, let it come up, then launch ED? Or are we supposed to get into ED, at the landing pad, then alt-tab out and start TCE? Or does it not matter?

Case 2.
ED had an update, patch, etc...Start ED, then TCE (or do I have this backwards?). Otherwise, ED may not have verbose logging on and TCE won't work as it won't be able to add verbose logging to ED.

Case 3.
If TCE had an update, it doesn't impact a need to start either one first.

Case 4.
If EDMC had an update, run EDMC to get the update, then proceed as in Case 1.

 

[eventure]

Ok, stupid question time.

Case 1.
On a normal day when neither TCE/EDMC/ED have been updated...is it expected that we start TCE, let it come up, then launch ED? Or are we supposed to get into ED, at the landing pad, then alt-tab out and start TCE? Or does it not matter?

Case 2.
ED had an update, patch, etc...Start ED, then TCE (or do I have this backwards?). Otherwise, ED may not have verbose logging on and TCE won't work as it won't be able to add verbose logging to ED.

Case 3.
If TCE had an update, it doesn't impact a need to start either one first.

Case 4.
If EDMC had an update, run EDMC to get the update, then proceed as in Case 1.

Hi there,

1. It doesn't matter. I am starting TCE first.
2. If you have the AppConfigLocal.xml file, TCE creates, it is not required to start TCE first. This file isn't removed by a patch, so verboselogging stays active. Otherwise you have to start it first to let TCE create that file.
3. Yes.
4. Yes.

 

[foxpur]

I am looking at a application that can place a player into the game for VR players so we would still be able to use TCE from within the game visual... Hard to have to take off the VR just to see the app

 

[CMDR Lucienn]

I am looking at a application that can place a player into the game for VR players so we would still be able to use TCE from within the game visual... Hard to have to take off the VR just to see the app

Please let us know here if it works with TCE and/or other applications; the lack of overlays is the only thing keeping me from using VR more often. =)

 

[flat]

I am looking at a application that can place a player into the game for VR players so we would still be able to use TCE from within the game visual... Hard to have to take off the VR just to see the app

Something like this looks promising:
https://metaversing.com/2015/04/29/the-layered-compositor-magic-glue-for-vr/

It should be possible to render something like "TCE 3D" over Elite.

But I expect this to be a fair amount of work - and you need access to a VR headset of course.

Unfortunately, I've sold my Rift DK2, so I cannot try this at the moment.
Elite was a lot of fun in VR, but the resolution of the DK2 was too low for the Elite HUD texts to be easily readable... This broke immersion for me...

 

[foxpur]

Please let us know here if it works with TCE and/or other applications; the lack of overlays is the only thing keeping me from using VR more often. =)

Well, I HAVE gotten it to work with the G19 app (https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...on-app-(with-simulated-space-traffic-control)) in the standalone, but it's a pain to set it up and still not set up correctly... But the issue is size...it's basically a PiP system and allows it to be transparent... But that isn't really a overlay, it's a stamp..

 

[Infomage]

Edit: Problem solved. I had forgotten it needed my E : D account credentials and have recently changed my password. Doh!

Thank you, please update EDMC to the lastest version and try start it solo to check any oddity.

Done. Now on 2.1.6.1

Running it standalone results are similar. Invalid login credentials. Interestingly, it has my email address and a masked password already... Could be an EDMC account issue perhaps?

 

[Abil Midena]

I've started seeing some odd numbers in the bottom right corner of the 'present location' box. For example, I'm docked at an space outpost, and in the bottom right, it says "686284.606" I think that's where the distance to the location is supposed to be, yes?

I can email/dropbox the DB folder, but it's 20MB, so if you just need one of the files to check my DB, I can send that. Let me know.

 

[eventure]

I've started seeing some odd numbers in the bottom right corner of the 'present location' box. For example, I'm docked at an space outpost, and in the bottom right, it says "686284.606" I think that's where the distance to the location is supposed to be, yes?

I can email/dropbox the DB folder, but it's 20MB, so if you just need one of the files to check my DB, I can send that. Let me know.

Please update the markets position data by opening the Market Database panel > Modify and click at "Actual Coordiantes". Save it and the displayed number is set to zero.
Was it a planetary market, or a space station?

 

[Abil Midena]

Please update the markets position data by opening the Market Database panel > Modify and click at "Actual Coordiantes". Save it and the displayed number is set to zero.
Was it a planetary market, or a space station?

This is on a space based outpost.

I did as you said, and it went to 0. I will keep an eye out for others.

Will this keep happening as the stations and planetary bases change positions due to orbiting? Or is it due to having older DB entries that used an older TCE method of position (I have run the 'verify' part of the TCE startup on my DB a few times)?

 

[eventure]

This is on a space based outpost.

I did as you said, and it went to 0. I will keep an eye out for others.

Will this keep happening as the stations and planetary bases change positions due to orbiting? Or is it due to having older DB entries that used an older TCE method of position (I have run the 'verify' part of the TCE startup on my DB a few times)?

It think it was an old DB entry, which didn't has any position data. If no data is found at the DB entry, TCE sets it automatically to 0/0/0.
The position of a market within a sector is stable, but you will see most the time some deviation, because the X/Y/Z position data stored is from a different pad or due to the continuous rotation of the market.
With the next version, TCE will update the position data on docking automatically. This includes also the sectorID, because some markets may change its sector after an update of ED.

 

[Abil Midena]

It think it was an old DB entry, which didn't has any position data. If no data is found at the DB entry, TCE sets it automatically to 0/0/0.
The position of a market within a sector is stable, but you will see most the time some deviation, because the X/Y/Z position data stored is from a different pad or due to the continuous rotation of the market.
With the next version, TCE will update the position data on docking automatically. This includes also the sectorID, because some markets may change its sector after an update of ED.

Ah, interesting, thanks, I get it now.

I saw it go to 0 when I updated the coords, then went about doing stuff for about 15 min outside the system. I just got back and it says 2.063 KM for the same pad on the outpost. The new auto update for position data will set that straight though, good stuff!