[NightFright]

Using EDuke32 r6717, I have placed several zipfiles into the autoload folder and noticed that basically only the last one is actually loaded. Another is loaded because is does not contain any code (neither .def nor .con), it's just a soundfile replacement.
The mods all use internal duke3d.def, but placing an external duke3d.def to load all defs from all mods at once did not change anything.

To illustrate:
- duke3d_fix.zip
- duke3d_maphacks.zip
- duke3d_psx.zip
- duke3d_voxels.zip

Loaded:
- duke3d_psx.zip (soundfile replacement, no code)
- duke3d_voxels.zip (includes duke3d.def and eduke.con)

According to the log, all zipfiles are used:

Using "duke3d.grp" as main game data file.
Using group file "autoload/duke3d_fix.zip".
Using group file "autoload/duke3d_maphacks.zip".
Using group file "autoload/duke3d_psx.zip".
Using group file "autoload/duke3d_voxels.zip".

Autoload test folder with all the files (zip, 12.7 MB)

If I remove duke3d_voxels.zip, duke3d_maphacks.zip and duke3d_psx.zip are used, if I remove the maphacks, it's duke3d_fix.zip and duke3d_psx.zip. As stated, all mods except for the PSX sounds contain at least duke3d.def, but placing an external def should override the internal ones iirc.

Is this intended or a glitch?

[Hendricks266]

This is the only way it has ever worked. Needs engineering.

[Zaxx]

I'm curious about this too. Just the other I downloaded the latest EDuke32 to play some Duke, I wanted to install your fixpack from the HRP site ("Fixes for Duke Nukem 3D v1.21 (10.3 MB)") but I just couldn't get it to work with the voxel pack.

- If I put the zip file into the autoload folder: only the voxel pack loads.
- If I extract the pack in the autoload foler: only the voxel pack loads.
- If I extract the pack into a separate directory and select that directory in the EDuke32 launcher as a custom content directory: the pack works but the voxel pack doesn't load even though "enable autoload folder" was of course selected in the launcher.

[NightFright]

So I guess the only way to make it work right now if you merge everything that contains def/con code into one zipfile.

[NightFright]

After I saw how BloodGDX is handling stuff in the autoload dir: How about automatically loading any def file with the same name as the zipfile (besides duke3d.def, ofc)?

Example: duke3d_fix.def inside of duke3d_fix.zip would be automatically loaded if placed in autoload dir.

This would turn the system a bit more flexible and should also allow to load several zipfiles in autoload at once.

[Zaxx]

Hendricks266, on 06 March 2018 - 02:27 AM, said:

This is the only way it has ever worked. Needs engineering.

It's good to know that this is on the to-do list somewhere but in the meantime how can I load stuff from let's say 2 zip files at once? Every time I wanted to do something like this after a bit of trial and error I just gave up in frustration (dunno much about how this stuff works), that's why the feature in BloodGDX NightFright mentioned was such a godsend. There it's just so easy to load in stuff like voxel packs, skyboxes, mods and mappacks etc.

[NightFright]

Right now, you can make another zipfile with duke3d.def and eduke.con (if needed) inside, giving it a name that makes sure it's loaded after all previous zipfiles. There, you put the combined code of all mods in autoload folder and it should work.

For example, in order to make duke3d_fixes.zip and duke3d_voxels.zip work at the same time in autoload, I made a new file execute.zip with a duke3d.def inside containing this:

include duke3d_fixes.def
include duke3d_maphacks.def
include duke3d_voxels.def

The first line is from duke3d_fixes.zip, the other two from duke3d_voxels.zip. Still, it would be better if it wasn't necessary to create an extra file like this at all.

[Zaxx]

So basically "make another zip with a def file in it that contains a duke3d.def file from the other zips"? And how do I know which def files I need to include? All except the "def file for all the def files", duke3d. def?

Also with this method can I make just one big zip file with both packs and then modify one of the duke3d.def files in order to include everything?

[NightFright]

Making a "merged" zipfile is always an option and should work in any case. If you have several mods with several duke3d.def files, copy their contents into a new duke3d.def file, zip that and name it so that it's loaded last in the list. The zipfiles in the autoload dir are all loaded in general, but only the last duke3d.def/eduke.con in the loading sequence is considered, the rest will be ignored (it's not cumulative).

Putting duke3d.def and eduke.con as separate files into the autoload dir won't work, either - they are on top of the loading sequence this way, not working as an override.

[Zaxx]

Thanks, I could get the two packs working.