Questions around ABTF
Q: Does CC2/ABTF run under MacOS X 10.5 / 10.6 ?
A: Yes, it will run via "SheepShaver" on Leopard-Macs (and perhaps on SnowLeo-Macs with 10.6.1, but not with newer versions ?). On PPC-Macs I recommend to use MacOS-X 10.4 Tiger and it's Classic-Environment made by Apple.
But on Macs with i386-cpu, install the latest "SheepShaver" combined with MacOS 9.0 or 9.0.4. This new "SheepShaver" version of 2008 will work with a special tricks:
http://www.emaculation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5275&sid=b407b4d2d5442fd65b1619553c6e2cfb
http://www.maccompanion.com/macc/archives/January2009/Columns/AccordingtoHoyle41.htm
After the install you must manually select the "sound output" source within the control panel "Sound". After that, CC2/ABTF will run (full version and demo), even with videos on. The original CD-ROM will be detected by "SheepShaver" when you load it into your Mac before you launch the "SheepShaver".
Read more about CC2/ABTF and "SheepShaver" here...
SheepShaver-CC2-FAQ updated 2010-11-06...
How to run CC2 on newer PC-systems? This question was answered by "Senior Drill" at CSO-forum in December 2007. Due to the fact that this forum is now down, I will post his answer here:
Q: I reinstalled CloseCombat-2-ABTF on a modern PC, the game starts and it says "loading", then when it gets to the opening MS-intro video, I can hear the music but the screen is just black and it never progresses. What to do?
A: hold down the Ctrl-key when you click the shortcut to or the actual CC2.exe. This will bring up an options window. Uncheck the "Play Videos" box. That should allow the game to play. That is the quick work around. The fix might be the same as for CC3, CC4 and CC5. I'm not sure if it works for CC2. Download the old Intel Codec and install it. That should fix the problem by installing old and depricated video codecs that will allow older videos to play.
Q: CC2/ABTF crashes under MacOS X 10.4 although I do have the original CD inserted. Error message tells that CC2 is unable to open a certain file on HD.
A: CC2 is trying to open a MacOS X system file ".DS_store" or something else inside the folder "A Bridge Too Far:Games:Battles". Delete such files inside your ABTF installation and its subfolders (use a tool like "Cocktail", sometimes you have to do this twice), turn "Videos = OFF" and all will run properly.
Looks like CC2/ABTF is trying to load even invisible files residing in the folder "Battles".
Q: does CC2/ABTF runs under MacOS X 10.1 / 10.2 / 10.3 / 10.4 ?
A: yes, in classic mode, that means you need a PPC based Mac. Update to 10.2.8 or newer to avoid problems. Allocate 60 MB RAM in the Finder to ABTF. Testing under MacOS X 10.3 / 10.4: no problem after second start of the program. If the program will not start properly during first launch, double click the ABTF's icon in the dock. And if it will not terminate, click in the black screen remaining at the top of the screen. Special trouble in 10.3.8 only: you have to click three times on the ABTF icon in the dock before ABTF will continue showing videos.
Speed improvements (encountered under 10.4.2): enable the menu bar (via space bar key), and you will have faster animations and game speed. This will no longer occur under 10.4.6.
Q: how to make maps larger than 20x20 mega tiles on the Mac ?
A: CC2 supports only 19x19 mega tile maps, CCEdit can create maps from scratch up to 20x20 mega tiles large. But it can edit existing larger maps, if you reserve enough memory for CCEdit in the Finder (MacOS 9.2.2 and prior or Classic environment of MacOS X). Tested by me with RtB maps of original size (40x40 mega tiles) with 64 MB RAM reserved for CCEdit (and 384 MB RAM in the Mac). If you want to setup such a large map from scratch, you must create the map data file using my CloseCombat2Tools or a text editing program (SimpleText, Excel, TexEdit ...), then you can load the data file into CCEdit. Or use my tool 5CC.
Q: what tool for which file ?
A: not all files can be edited yet ...
| kind of file | tool for MacOS (PPC-cpu) (Classic / X) | tool for MacOS (Intel-cpu) | tool for PC |
| Maps | 5CC CCEdit (Classic only) |
5CC | MapMaker.exe (CC2) 3C.exe and Groof2.exe RoofExt.exe 5CC.exe |
| Map shrinking/extending/joining/rotating/converting | CloseCombat2Tools | CloseCombat2Tools | CC2Tools.exe |
| CC2 textures (maps & vehicles) | CloseCombat2Tools | CloseCombat2Tools | CC2Tools.exe cctga.exe tgacc.exe |
| CC3/CC4/CC5 textures (maps) | CloseCombat2Tools | CloseCombat2Tools | CC2Tools.exe cc2tga.exe tga2cc.exe |
| CC2 Gadget files | CloseCombat2Tools CappyR's Gadget-Catalogue |
CloseCombat2Tools | CC2Tools.exe GadgetX.exe GadgetI.exe CappyR's Gadget-Catalogue |
| CC2 map data files | Excel SimpleText CloseCombat2Tools |
Excel CloseCombat2Tools TextEdit |
Excel CC2Tools.exe CCshrink.exe CCelevat.exe CC3-CC2.exe |
| CC LOS files (generating) (LOS editing is only possible with 5CC) |
5CC CCEdit (Classic only) CClos for Mac (Classic only) |
5CC | 5CC.exe CClos.exe |
| CC2 battles/ops/campaign/base files | Excel SimpleText CCBmaker |
Excel TextEdit |
Excel Notepad QClone.exe CCBmaker.exe |
| CC2 custom user battle files | CCBmaker Battle-Editor (Classic only) Excel SimpleText |
Excel TextEdit |
Excel Notepad CCBmaker.exe |
| CC2 sound file | myMookX | CC2SoundEdit.exe | |
| CC2 Intrface.cc2 | CloseCombat2Tools | CloseCombat2Tools | CC2Tools.exe InterfaceX.exe InterfaceI.exe |
| CC2 Ovdata files | CC2OvEdit | CC2OvEdit.exe | |
| CC2 UI | ResEdit 2.1.3 Resourcerer |
-----cannot be edited on PCs----- | |
| Sprite files (Terrain, Smoke, Explode, VehS, VehB) | CC2SpriterX | CC2SpriterX | CC2Spriter.exe SprTool.exe |
| Vehicle sprite (shadow) files (VehS, VehB) | CCVehShEditX CC2SpriterX |
CCVehShEditX CC2SpriterX |
CCVehShEdit.exe CC2Spriter.exe SprTool.exe |
| Soldier & SoldierB graphics files (Sprites, too) | CC2SpriterX | CC2SpriterX | SprPack.exe SolRotate.exe |
| CC2rsrc.dll and other DLLs | (HexEdit) | (HexEdit) XN Resource Editor Resource Hacker ResEdit for Win |
|
| Resource fork of the executable (MacOS-9) | ResEdit 2.1.3 CloseCombat2Tools |
-----cannot be edited on PCs----- | |
| - | |||
| CC3/CC4/CC5/CCM/RtB battles/ops/campaign/base files (*.adb) | QClone.exe QClone.ini for RtB |
||
| CC3 gadget files | CloseCombat2Tools | CloseCombat2Tools | GadgTool.exe CC2Tools.exe |
| CC3 ZFX archives (*.zfx) | CCVehShEditX CC2SpriterX |
CCVehShEditX CC2SpriterX |
XTank.exe CCVehShEdit.exe CC2Spriter.exe |
| CC3 vehicle files | CCVehShEditX RtBTool v2.14 |
CCVehShEditX RtBTool |
NNT.exe ZFX-Tool CCVehShEdit.exe RtBTool v21.4 |
| CC3 effect animations (*.fx files) | CC2SpriterX | CC2SpriterX | CCfx.exe ZFX-Tool |
| CC3 Images.fx | CloseCombat2Tools | CloseCombat2Tools | CC2Tools.exe |
| CC4/CC5/CCM/RtB CCImages.pix | CloseCombat2Tools RtBTool |
CloseCombat2Tools RtBTool |
GadetMunger.exe CC2Tools.exe RtBTool.exe |
| CC4/CC5/CCM/RtB TerrainA.stm | CC2SpriterX | CC2SpriterX | CC2Spriter.exe Stm.exe |
| CC4/CC5/CCM/RtB effect animations | CC2SpriterX (extract only) | CC2SpriterX (extract only) | CCfx.exe |
| CC4/CC5/CCM/RtB Index.mpi | RtBTool (HexEdit) |
RtBTool | RtBTool.exe (HexEdit) |
| CC4/CC5/CCM/RtB gadgets (*.gdg) | RtBTool | RtBTool | GadgetMunger.exe RtBTool.exe |
| CC4/CC5/CCM/RtB archives (*.azp) | RtBTool | RtBTool | GadgetMunger.exe (extract only) RtBTool.exe |
| CC:LSA's file 'Bridges.AZP' | RtBTool 5CC (read-only) |
RtBTool 5CC (read-only) |
RtBTool.exe 5CC.exe (read-only) |
| CC4/CC5/CCM/RtB vehicle graphics (*.tex) | CCVehShEditX RtBTool |
CCVehShEditX RtBTool |
CCVehShEdit.exe XTank.exe GadgetMunger.exe RtBTool.exe |
| CC4/CC5/CCM/RtB vehicle shadows (*.spr) | CCVehShEditX CC2SpriterX |
CCVehShEditX CC2SpriterX |
CCVehShEdit.exe CC2Spriter.exe |
| CC4/CC5/CCM/RtB screen layout | RtBTool | RtBTool | RtBTool.exe |
| CC:WaR/CC:TLD/CC:LSA *.btd files and StratMap.txt file | BTD-Editor 2009 | BTD-Editor 2009 | BTD-Editor2009.exe |
Q: where to patch CC2 to have more teams available, and why ?
A: both (Mac & PC) versions of CC2 store the informations about the teams in the base file TEAMS. The number of teams is limited there only by the number of entries in this file. As Ken Scott discovered, you can shrink the number of teams down to only 2 teams, and CC2 will still work. Expanding makes it necessary to expand the number of entries in the base file TEAMDESC, too. And you MUST expand the number of gadget images for the additional teams in the graphics file GADGET0 by adding at the end (use my new tool CC2Tools). Same to do with the file GADGET1. And you MUST insert in the file GADGET1 smaller gadgets for this teams in the middle of the file at entry 806! This is the starting point of the larger gadgets inside GADGET1. In the executable (ABTF on Mac / CC2.exe on PC) you must patch this starting point 806 in the object code. The ending point of reading the smaller gadgets takes CC2 from the number of teams in the file TEAMS. The offsets in the object code where you have to patch is:
| version | Mac
Value = 0326hex = 806 |
PC
Value = 2603hex = 806 |
| demo | Offset = 03F8F6hex | Offset = 0602B7hex |
| first version after install from CD | Offset = 03FD16hex | Offset = 0609BAhex |
| last update from the MS-net | Offset = 03FD02hex | Offset = 060967hex |
If you want to have more vehicle teams, you will encounter that there is no patching possibility (up to now). Any additional vehicle team will use the graphics of the first vehicle team (Sherman). Looks like a non-intended wrap-around / modulo function in CC2.
The absolute limit of teams is 149 (team classes 0 .. 148 are possible), more entries in the file TEAMS will result in an error message and program abort. The team selection in the "Requisition" screen is limited to 79 teams per side (GE, BR, US, PO added). If you have more teams definded, you can still use them in the SCENARIO files, but you cannot select them when using the "Battlemaker" functionality. In the "Battlemaker" "Requisition" screen all Allied teams are added up together, so you will reach easily this limit when expanding the TEAMS file. Using the "Requisition" screen during operation/campaign play, you will have only one single Allied nation available and you can select the added teams there.
The limit of weapon entries again depends on the gadgets.
Q: when I start CC2/ABTF in classic mode under MacOS X 10.2.6, the program "disappear" ...
A: Strange behavior:
- Classic environment launched, Start-Up Programs launched, ABTF launched ...
- ... and "disappeared", but remained as active process in the dock.
- double clicking on the dock-item ABTF revealed CC2, hanging in the intro screen, but it was a black hole, ...
- just clicking once on the screen and the CC2 Main Menu screen appeared. Ready to play:
Two problems during play
- some menu screens of the file Gadget0 don't show up correctly (the mini windows which are programmed directly into QuickDraw and not using the Macintosh Toolbox?), but the respond when clicking in them worked good,
- first use of a map showed only trees and no map, borders of the "battle" were trees, too. This behavior disappeared on following maps.
Conclusion: the reason of ABTF crashes under "Classic" are direct graphics programmed without using the Apple defined Macintosh Toolbox. This means, that nearly every graphic out of the files Gadget0 and Gadget1 migth not show up correctly. But it seems to me, that CC2-ABTF and the mods can be played under MacOS 10.2.6. I had tested ABTF earlier under 10.1.3 and there it worked good. Perhaps CC2-ABTF will run properly after a second start-up.
Other users reported too high program speed, which was solved by a new restart of CC2-ABTF.
Q: CC2/ABTF crashes under MacOS 9.2.2 ...
A: ... allocate 60 MB RAM in the Finder to ABTF. CC2-ABTF runs under MacOS 7.5 - 9.2.2!
Q: on most of the sites around the maps and mods are stored in PC-born self-extracting *.exe files, *.zip archives or Zeppo's ConfigManager archives. They are useless on the Mac. How to open them or where can I find the Mac-versions of this files?
A: it is easy: you can unzip all this archives (even these *.exe-files) using Stuffit Expander 6.5 or newer on the Mac. It is no longer needed to have seperate Mac-versions online if these maps are created correctly according to the original file formats. Otherwise it is often easy to strip off the LF-chars from the text based files using a tool like Tex-Edit on the Mac.
Q: I was playing Betio1 on Pacific Front Mod. I noticed that I had orange flickering squares and rectangles over the most intense combat. I assume this is a video driver bug exacerbated by running custom maps/mods on the Mac?
A: it's not a bug, it's a feature. With this flickering ABTF indicates the areas of intensive combat. You will see it where mortar and gun shells are hitting the ground as well as hand grenades will explode and even during real close combat. So don't worry. When you decrease the number of teams on your map the flickering will disappear mostly. On the original CC2 maps this orange flickering is not so visible because the maps are mostly green. Kreta maps, Afrika maps and the Pacific beach maps have lighter colours, so the user might be confused. But is really a feature of CC2 and not a bug.
Q: I keep getting a message to exit the game because the scenario is "unable to deploy properly".
A: the message "unable to deploy properly" is caused
- by incorrect "AlOOB" and/or "AxOOB" files in the folders Data/Battles/1### (for single battle). So you need corrected Scenario / AlOOB / AxOOB files for THE MOD you are using. In the meantime I often append no more AlOOB / AxOOB files to my new maps so the users must create their own. And so I did in Betio2. Line length and number of lines in the Scenario file must fit to the numbers of deployment tiles (the size) of the map. And it also occurs if in the files Aloob / Axoob the units are not marked "free deployable" (TeamNumber TeamValue -1 -1 -1 -1).
- or by a special side-setup in the Scenario file: if you don't give a player's side enough room for deploying their units, you will get the same error message. Ensure to have deployment space reserved for the 'Axis' at the left side of the map and for the 'Allies' on the right side. If you set these regions as 'Neutral' the deployment will fail DURING operation/campain play.
Q: everything seems to be setup correctly, but all units keep to be placed in the upper left corner of the map
A: the map's LOS-file is missing. Without it, all units will be placed in the upper left corner of a map.
Q: soon after starting to play on a custom map I encounter strange messages on the screen like "...overwhelming victory" displayed in a dialog box which I can not close. Forced shut down of the game is necessary. Why?
A: not enough memory for ABTF executable reserved. Increase the game's memory in the Finder up to 68 MB to play huge custom maps or maps with more than 200 trees (up to 600 tress are perhaps possible).
Q: on the PC the custom map works fine but will not load correctly on the Mac. What to do?
A: if increasing of the memory for ABTF will not help (see above), it migth be that the map is really too large for ABTF on the Mac. Maps shouldn't be larger than 19x19 deployment tiles. Other limitations are the number of trees and perhaps the number of roofs or their combinations. An extreme example is the CC2-Ramelle map.
A: another problem with maps coming from PCs are the data files of this maps. They often contain CR-LF delimited lines. The original file format for all text based CC2-files is CR-delimiting (Mac & PC version). You must strip all LF chars from this Map###-, AlOOB-, AxOOB-, Scenario- and Operation-/Campaign-/Briefing-files. A lot to do if you want to convert a whole mod.
Q: after using your CC3-CC2 conversion tools I'm no longer able to open them with CCedit or SimpleText. Why?
A: they have not the needed Creator and Type informations if they are coming from a PC. Use a tool like FileBuddy to set Creator to 'LMAN' and Type to 'text'. The original intended Creator is of course 'ABTF' and Type may be 'TEXT' or 'DATA'.
Q: I have mixed Allied teams entered in my own AlOOB file and want to see a special VL-flag. How to do?
A: the nationality of the first defined Allied team entry in the AlOOB file determines which flag you will see during play: if the first team is US and all other teams are BR you will still see the US flag.
