Entity Browser GUI

[Baker]

Now, unlike the last thread, this is something I should be able to do ...

My little project for the day is twofold ...

1) Make an entities browser that displays the server (therefore single player) entities and their QC fields in a JoeQuake maps menu kind of list.

2) Do this for the client side.

In my opinion, the edicts command is virtually useless having all the information scroll out of the console buffer.

If DarkPlaces or FTEQW or some other engine has a feature like already, please let me know so I know I am reinventing the wheel. [I'll still be doing this, but I'd want to look at the other implementation for ideas.]

I find debugging QC and sometimes mapping to be frustrating because of the inability to conveniently access this information.

[Spike]

in fte there is a coredump_ssqc command. This will make fte write out a coredump containing all the active ents at the time (full qc state).
If FTE spots a fatal error in a builtin, it'll also perform a coredump, but with QC stack info too (locals and stuff) - the 'error' builtin can be handy here.

Alternatively you can just save the game. That works too. And in any single-player server (FTE saves multiplayer, but not all engines do).

The .lno files that fteqcc generates are line number info files. They're not useful for the end user, but what they do allow is some nifty debugging.
If you set developer 1 in FTE, and set a breakpoint (breakpoint myfuncname), when you have an .lno for the current progs, FTE will open up a text editor thingie and show you the exact line. Press f11 to step through to the next instruction. f9 will set a new breakpoint, f5 will resume execution. f3 will bring up a 'manipulation' line where you can enter basic variables or write in assignments, allowing you to edit stuff on the fly.

Alternatively, the give command also allows you to set globals/fields from the console (give self.health=400 is the obvious cheat, but can be used to manipulate any field you want self.enemy.health=1... hell yeah). Needs sv_cheats or something.