82 lines
5.4 KiB
Markdown
82 lines
5.4 KiB
Markdown
# BattleTech: FireStorm — workspace layout
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This is the working tree for the FireStorm total-conversion built on the MechWarrior 4
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(Gameleap / GameOS) engine. Only **three** trees feed the build/deploy; everything else is
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output (regenerable), design reference, or archived clutter. See `CLAUDE.md` for the full
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build/runtime reconstruction notes.
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## The folders that matter (build inputs)
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| Folder | Role | Notes |
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|--------|------|-------|
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| **`Gameleap\code\`** | **Source code + compiled binaries** | C++ engine/game source (`mw4\Code`, `CoreTech`, `mw4\Libraries`). Build `mw4\Code\MechWarrior4.dsw` in VC6. Outputs land in `rel.bin\` (Release `MW4.exe`, `MW4pro.exe`), `pro.bin\` (editor `MW4Ed2.exe`), `arm.bin\`/`dbg.bin\`. |
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| **`Gameleap\mw4\`** | **Game data source** | The content tree the resource packer reads (`Content\`, and the generated `resource\*.mw4`, plus `hsh\`, `Assets\`, `Stats\`, runtime DLLs). This is the live data set — **not** `GameleapCode5_03\Content` (that was an old 2005 duplicate, now in `_UNUSED`). |
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| **`build-env\`** | **Toolchain + scripts** | Self-contained VC6 (`VisualStudio6\`), DirectX 7.0a + DX Media 6 SDKs, `stlnative\`, the `.reg` env files, and the deploy scripts. |
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### Build / deploy scripts (in `build-env\`)
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- **`deploy-mw4.ps1`** — packs resources from source (`build-resources.ps1`) then assembles the
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runnable game into `c:\VWE\firestorm\MW4`. Trims dev bloat, ships only the canonical game packages,
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optimizes mech BMPs to 256-color, applies the DirectDraw compat shim.
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- **`build-resources.ps1`** — (re)packs `resource\*.mw4` from `Gameleap\mw4\Content` using the
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in-exe compiler (`MW4pro.exe -build`). Called by the deploy; can be run standalone.
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- **`deploy-editor.ps1`** — installs the mission editor **in place** into `Gameleap\mw4` (the data
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tree it edits): drops `MW4Ed2.exe` + DDrawCompat there, neutralizes the DDraw-breaking DLLs, sets
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the shim, writes `run-editor.bat`. No separate editor directory. (`build-resources.ps1` moves
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DDrawCompat aside while the builder runs, since it's fatal to `MW4pro.exe`.)
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- **`RESOURCE-BUILD.md`** — how the `.mw4` packaging works.
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## Outputs (regenerable — safe to delete and rebuild)
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- **`MW4\`** — runnable game deploy (from `deploy-mw4.ps1`). Move/copy this to production.
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- The **editor** has no separate output dir — it runs in place from `Gameleap\mw4` via
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`Gameleap\mw4\run-editor.bat` (installed by `deploy-editor.ps1`).
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## Design / reference (not build inputs)
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- **`BTFrstrm\`** — FireStorm design data: mech stat workbooks (`MechInfo_*.xls`, etc.).
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- **`Finished HUDS from J&J\`** — per-mech HUD source art (MFD + Radar).
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## `_UNUSED\` — archived clutter (nothing here is read by the build)
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Moved here to reduce confusion. Safe to delete once you're comfortable. Contents:
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- `Gameleap\{Archive, Drivers, EditorDocs, Notes, batch, utilities}` — historical / original-machine
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utility data (the build only ever used `Gameleap\mw4`).
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- `GameleapCode5_03\{Content, hsh}` — stale 2005 duplicate data trees (superseded by `Gameleap\mw4`).
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- `resource_fullbak\` — a one-off backup of the dev `resource\` set taken during the from-scratch
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rebuild; redundant now that the dev tree is rebuilt.
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## TL;DR build flow
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1. Compile code: VC6 build `Gameleap\code\mw4\Code\MechWarrior4.dsw` → `rel.bin\` / `pro.bin\`.
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2. Deploy game: `build-env\deploy-mw4.ps1` → `MW4\` (packs resources, assembles, optimizes).
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3. (Optional) Install editor: `build-env\deploy-editor.ps1` → runs in place from `Gameleap\mw4` (`run-editor.bat`).
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## On a fresh Windows machine
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1. Install **Git for Windows** (includes Git LFS) — or Git + `git-lfs` separately.
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2. Enable long paths **before** cloning (this tree has deep VC98/MFC paths > 260 chars):
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```
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git config --global core.longpaths true
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git config --global core.autocrlf false
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git lfs install
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```
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(Also enable the OS setting: `HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem\LongPathsEnabled = 1`.)
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3. Clone to the same location so the absolute paths baked into the toolchain config resolve:
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```
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git clone https://gitea.mysticmachines.com/VWE/firestorm.git C:\VWE\firestorm
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```
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`git clone` pulls LFS objects automatically. If any are missing: `cd C:\VWE\firestorm && git lfs pull`.
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## After restore — make it buildable / runnable
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- **Build toolchain (VC6):** import the registry config (ELEVATED), per `build-env\README.md`:
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```
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reg import C:\VWE\firestorm\build-env\vc6-hklm-registration.reg
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reg import C:\VWE\firestorm\build-env\vc6-directories.reg
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```
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Then build `Gameleap\code\mw4\Code\MechWarrior4.dsw` (see `CLAUDE.md` STEP 1/3), or just use the
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already-mirrored `Gameleap\code\rel.bin` / `pro.bin` binaries.
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- **Run the game:** `build-env\deploy-mw4.ps1` reassembles `C:\VWE\firestorm\MW4` and applies the Win11
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DirectDraw compat shim; or run the already-mirrored `C:\VWE\firestorm\MW4\MW4.exe` after re-applying the
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shim (AppCompat is keyed on exe *path*, so a new machine needs it re-set — the deploy script does this).
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- **Editor:** `Gameleap\mw4\run-editor.bat` (installed in place; see `CLAUDE.md` STEP 9).
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## Notes
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- `core.autocrlf=false` — line endings are preserved byte-for-byte; keep it that way.
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- The mirror includes machine-specific bits (registry exports, deploy AppCompat). They restore the
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*files*, but registry/AppCompat state must be re-imported on the new machine (steps above).
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- See `CLAUDE.md` for the full build/runtime reconstruction history and `README.md` for the layout. |