Oolite Bulletins

Okay, the Constore's there. I didn't know that this mod added that.

EDIT: My sincerest apologies. I meant OXP. I'm too used to other games.

Hmm...I thought I had read all of the documentation. I guess I was wrong.

Thanks for your help.

Just to update the date of this thread really as the advice is still correct.

OXPs can be found at: http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/OXP

Hello everyone,

I'm a newbie - just been fiddling with Oolite for a few weeks and re-living my Elite past from BBC Micro & C64 days.

Will post a thank you on another board to everyone who has helped this game come alive.

Just want to put down my experience in case it helps or hinders any other Mac users out there just switching on to the new Ooniverse....

I had problem getting OXPs to work to flavour the game because after I installed Oolite under Snow Leopard on my Macbook Air (early 2011) - there was no AddOns folder.
Making my own 'AddOns' folder and copying OXPs into them didn't work....

I found that by hitting "Show Package Contents" by double-clicking the Oolite launch icon, I could open up a finder window which contains folders including "Resources". I found that by copying the required OXPs directly into this resources folder, the OXPs were worked into the game beautifully.
Wow ! What a difference they make......

So far I've managed to get System Redux and Famous Planets running (with the update patches to allow compatability), while by using OXPConfig (and Cabal) excluded them for the Lave, Diso and Tianve Systems so I can include the individual system OXPs.

I've practiced at the Lave Academy(OXP), and now have branched out on a run between Isinor and Ensoreous to build some credits and get the Advanced Space Compass....
The OXP for Talkative Compass & OXP Random Ship Names together with buying the scanner targeting enhancement just adds to the atmosphere. BGS and Hawksound (with the BGS extra patch OXP) seems to work well too....

I've now become a bit hooked on immersive OXPs - installing 'Your Ad Here'...and the only thing I am struggling to get are some update station textures....and here is where I could do with some advice.....

I've tried using Z-Groovy Stations, and Z-Groovy SML Stations - but no new textures come up on the stations at Lave, Diso, Isinor or Ensoreous when I have either one or the other, or both of these OXPs in the Resources folder. I did read on one of the Z-Groovy Stations wiki pages that one of the packs required Griff's Coriolis texture loaded aswell.....and when the Griff's Coriolis Normalmapped v2.0 OXP is in Resources folder - the coriolis texture works - but not, I think, the Z-Groovy Stations textures.....I think it's just Griff's in use. No joy with using the "landing lights" (ELS ?) addition to Z-Groovy Stations with the main Stations OXP either. I've tried reading through the wikis for Z-Groovy's various stations OXPs and can't work out where my conflicts/misconceptions lie.

I'm (obviously) not a computer expert...or coding whizz....so can anyone give me any tips on getting some decent Station textures working on a mac please ? Once that gets sorted I will be able to lose myself entirely - and it'll be time to order coke & pizza for the whole weekend !!

Thanks again to everyone for all your efforts....I've been amazed at the incremental improvements all these OXPs make to the game - and thanks also for the tips already out there in the threads of this board. They've got a non-tech very far already !

Right - off to haul some more computers and get me a beam laser so I can help the cops & start climbing the ladder.

Cooool runnings,
Colonel Wasabi

PS sorry for length of posting - but can't help going ooverboard....

Colonel Wasabi wrote:

I found that by hitting "Show Package Contents" by double-clicking the Oolite launch icon, I could open up a finder window which contains folders including "Resources". I found that by copying the required OXPs directly into this resources folder, the OXPs were worked into the game beautifully.
Wow ! What a difference they make......

Welcome at our side of Riedquat, Colonel Wasabi.

That method works, but has as disadvantage that the oxp's are placed inside the program. That way you probably loose them on updating. Best two locations for the mac you can find on the [wiki]OXP[/wiki] page of the wiki. Personally I prefer the location in the Library, but that needs that you create a few extra folders.

Thanks Eric,

I tried dragging the Oolite Folder I originally downloaded into the Applications folder..... Being moderately computer literate but new to Mac I followed the instructions like a 6yr old tying their first laces !

To play I opened the folder in applications and double-click the Oolite icon to launch the program.

However there is no AddOns folder in the Oolite folder I downloaded.....only the Oolite application icon, and 2 folders called Documentation and Extras...... No "AddOns" folder....
Also - there is no Ooolite or Addons Folder in Library/Application Support....not even an Oolite folder in there - so that avenue was a dead-end.

Now I am pretty sure I tried to put the OXPs in the 'Extras' folder within the Oolite folder in Applications to see if that would work and I'm fairly certain I got no joy (It was a few weeks ago).
...in fact - just tried it again and the OXPs planted in 'Extras' don't get picked up by the program.

Do you have any suggestions ? Maybe I'm doing something wrong when installing the game - but everything seems to work OK from the folder - except the ZGroovy Planets stuff. I haven't tried to drag in any shipsets at all...wanted to get the surroundings nice before trying to introduce posh ships.
(No point shooting at spangly ones when I don't yet pack enough of a punch !!)

I have Nvidia 320M graphics - and I'm sure it has shader support.....the Constore adverts work fine, BGS's witchspace reality-warping...and Griffs coriolis station worked nicely too......

Now if someone lived in my street and could have a look at my mac !!!

Thanks for your help & warm welcome,
Colonel Wasabi

Aghh....just re-read your posting properly and you reckon I should CREATE the appropriate folders in Library/Application Support.....

OK - I can try that - but I've found different application support directories under libraries beneath my own user name, and also in the 'natural' library folder when I open finder for my hard-drive folder..... ?

Any advice on where exactly to create the required folders so that the Oolite Program will 'see' the Addons folder ? I have no idea exactly where the program will be 'looking for a folder' ?

Thanks again,
Colonel W

(PS I won't lose all the OXPs because I save them in individual folders outside the program too - I will have the pain of re-dragging them all into Resources though !!)

Colonel Wasabi wrote:

However there is no AddOns folder in the Oolite folder I downloaded.....only the Oolite application icon, and 2 folders called Documentation and Extras...... No "AddOns" folder....

Yes, that is a bug in the package. I just noticed it myself yesterday. The readMe talks about the AddOn folder but it misses. Easy to correct yourself by creating this folder and place it at the same folder your Oolite application is in. This will be corrected in the next 1.76.1 release that probably will come soon.

Colonel Wasabi wrote:

....just re-read your posting properly and you reckon I should CREATE the appropriate folders in Library/Application Support.....

OK - I can try that - but I've found different application support directories under libraries beneath my own user name, and also in the 'natural' library folder when I open finder for my hard-drive folder..... ?

Maybe confusing that there are two libraries. For the experts it will be clear because the path starts with '~/' and that means 'home, your private area'. But for the less experts the text also says 'user area'. I thought that should be clear.

For most users the AddOns folder on the level of the Oolite application will be the easiest solution. Specially when you only have one user/account on your mac. But, with multiple users the library for installing oxp's are becomes interesting.

e.g. my sister has two small children and only one mac. The children have no access rights to alter the application area, so they can't do any modifications there. But they can put oxps in their own libraries. Both can have different oxp in their own libraries and so play the game with their personal oxp sets. Also the Oolite preferences will be different for all users. (This is just a theoretic example, as I am sure they haven't installed Oolite, what is a shame of cause)

Eric Walch wrote:

Yes, that is a bug in the package. I just noticed it myself yesterday. The readMe talks about the AddOn folder but it misses. Easy to correct yourself by creating this folder and place it at the same folder your Oolite application is in. This will be corrected in the next 1.76.1 release that probably will come soon.

Brilliant..... Earlier, when trying to resolve the lack of AddOns folder - and after originally dragging the download into my 'Applications' folder - I tried moving the downloaded application & folders into a separate folder under my 'documents' (This seemed OK reading the instructions in the main Readme for the Mac OS X installing right at the top). This is where I'd since been fiddling & found the fix of copying OXPs into 'resources' inside the Oolite package. I am certain I tried creating an AddOns folder here...and that didn't work ....

I've now moved the whole installation folder back into Applications and re-created an 'AddOns' folder inside here again - sitting next to 'Extras' and the Oolite launch icon......and moved all the OXPs BACK into the new AddOns folder, while deleting them from the Resources folder. Started the game holding down the 'shift' key...and everything is working beautifully..... All sorted !

I coudn't understand why my original attempts to create an AddOns folder didn't work - unless I did it when the application was sitting in a folder under 'Documents' and the program wasn't looking in the right place for the AddOns folder ?
Well - I have now tried dragging my correctly working installation folder out of Applications and onto the desktop to see if it makes any difference to spotting the AddOns folder and everything still works fine...so the snag can't have been because I had the program sitting in a 'wrong place'. Perhaps it's just a case of 'finger trouble' ??

Thanks for your patience and for reading my rambles. Maybe they'll help someone who gets a similar problem in future - even though the ReadMe (which I did read - honest) gives very clear & simple instructions

Eric Walch wrote:

for the less experts the text also says 'user area'. I thought that should be clear.

you can safely put me in the 'less expert' category I open finder windows and click through the file structure via the icons. I'll bear in mind the ~/ symbol meaning 'home' from now on, thanks.

Eric Walch wrote:

This is just a theoretic example, as I am sure they haven't installed Oolite, what is a shame of cause)

Haha ! I've just introduced my 8yr old son to the game and he LOVES it..... Been nice to show him what 'proper games' are made of - and showing him the raw wire-frames was enlightening....especially when I was trying to explain to him the power of the machines Elite was first written for. He didn't care about the graphics being simpler than modern stuff - it was the idea of a ship to fly and a whole ooniverse to explore it with that captured his imagination (and shooting pirates of course!).
.....and now here I am tarting it up with OXPs !!

Anyhow - must stop talking like Gary Penn - this is a thread about expansions !

Thanks again Eric,
Colonel W


PS re: problems with ZGroovy stations - I tried getting Griff's ships textures to work and that seemed OK, and have now had success using PaGroove stations. They're beautiful, but I wanted to try out the ZGroovy station shapes/skins so will ask about snags in a separate thread. My problem seems confined to ZGroovy Stations / SML Stations

Colonel Wasabi wrote:

Haha ! I've just introduced my 8yr old son to the game and he LOVES it.....

My kids are two and four, but they've both noticed I spend a bit ( ie a lot! ) of time on Oolite. My two year old son loves the suns, which he thinks are the Moon! and my daughter is a big fan of my Jellybabies...I have a 'Commander Jellybaby' save with a cockpit full of jellybabies which I put on to keep her quiet some times.

....that reminds me - must have some breakfast....er... lunch.... and get on with some work.

Edited my post above since you posted Smivs. All sorted now !
...could have sworn I tried that process before

Does the AddOns folder name need to be case sensitive ? As mentioned in my first post - I tried creating an AddOns folder& it didn't work. Pretty sure I matched the capitals - but still trying to work out whatever trap for the unwary I fell in.

Colonel Wasabi wrote:

Does the AddOns folder name need to be case sensitive ? As mentioned in my first post - I tried creating an AddOns folder& it didn't work. Pretty sure I matched the capitals - but still trying to work out whatever trap for the unwary I fell in.

Yes, I think it does. AddOns with upper-case 'A' and 'O'.

Ooops....late reply alert !

Case sensitive AddOns working fine....
I think the new download package for 1.76 correctly creates an AddOns folder anyway.

Also sorted my problem with Zgroovy stations.... For some reason many of the downloaded folders were empty. I found this out opening up the individual OXPs by doing a 'show package contents' and then finding the textures folders were completely empty.
Took another download to get the 'full' folders.

All working beautifully - and I like the small zgroovy shapes - seems to give me the atmosphere I was after.

Thanks again for the patient advice.

The download for the Black Monk Monastery seems to be out of bandwidth: http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Black_Monk_Monastery

Hi and welcome - that OXP is hosted by Griff, and he has exceeded his bandwidth for this month.
There may be a solution later though - we have a back-up plan! <pages Griff)