Quicksquad and Squad.xml Howto

Part of the QuickSquad GUI - © Beatb0x 2001

This document provides the information you need to succesfully enable the features Operation Flashpoint offers concerning Squad affiliation and its options.

1. Introduction

First of all make sure you have the following things :

A working original of BIStudio´s Operation Flashpoint

A little bit of webspace

QuickSquad 1.1a or higher

The Visual Basic 6 Runtime dll's

If you´re lacking of anything above, then go and get it.
The game itself should be available at your local software dealer.
Webspace can be obtained by many many providers like www.tripod.com.
QuickSquad is available for download from www.operation-flashpoint.com or www.operation-flashpoint.de
The VB6 runtime libraries come with many programs like this one.
If you need them, grab them here

2. Installation

I assume you have Operation-Flashpoint installed and know the username/password combination your webspace provider told you via e-Mail.

Simply extract the content of QS11a.zip (filename may differ) to a folder of your choice.

3. Overview

Quicksquad allows you to easily edit the files that are responsible for the in-game squad-management like squad info, member info and team logos. Furthermore since Version 1.1 Quicksquad allows you to upload those files via FTP directly from the program itself.

You should find the following files/folders after unzipping (Version 1.1a)

Quicksquad.exe - the main executable
comctl32.ocx   - a neceesary linked resource
msinet.ocx     - a neceesary linked resource
squad.xml      - the main Squad description file
squad.dtd      - a necessary parsing file for the squad.xml
squad.xsl      - a necessary parsing file for the squad.xml
logo.jpg       - a sample squad logo as uncompressed, 8-Bit JPEG
readme.txt     - a breif overview and disclaimer for those LYNX-gurus
howto.html     - this document

If you plan to edit/manage multiple squads you may want to copy the following files to separate directories so you (and QuickSquad) can distinguish them :

squad.xml, squad.dtd, squad.xsl and logo.jpg

4. Preliminary measures

Operation Flashpoint recognizes players from their CD-Key which is in-game represented as Player ID in the Edit Player dialog.
Since the CD-Key should be unique the corresponding player ID is also unique.
What you need to do is to collect the Player ID's from all of your squadmembers alongside with their nickname and further information.

Next you might want to edit the logo.jpg to fit your taste, although you can create any logo you want on your own.
Simply fire up any picture editor (except MS Paint) you want and create an uncompressed, 8-bit JPEG file with edges that conform to a 2^n formula. (i.e. edge-lengths of 2,4,8,16,32,64,128...)
I´m not sure about the maximum size of those logos, if anyone encounters trouble please get back to a square logo of 64x64 or 128x128 pixels.

5. Editing the squad.xml

Quicksquad offers you some easy editing of the squad.xml.
It´s usage is rather self-explanatory and tooltips are available over any object.
But there are some things that make Operation Flashpoint behave strange:

Any field shouldn't contain any special characters like : ´ ¡ ° · « » ¦ or anything else.
Operation Flashpoint doesn't really like these. :o(

The Web field must be entered without the prefix http://

You should easily be able to create the squad.xml without further help.

6. Upload

If you want to use the internal FTP-feature then follow these steps:

Make sure that all files that are gonna be uploaded to your webserver reside n the same folder on your harddisk.
(It should be the squad.xml, squad.dtd, squad.xsl and maybe the logo.jpg)

Make sure the picture-name in your squad.xml meets the name of you're logo (Beware of UPPER/lower-case).

If you meet these requirements the hit the Upload button and a simple dialog will ask you for some things.

Enter the hostname (e.g. ftp.somehost.com) of your webserver into the first field without the prefix ftp://.

Enter your username and password for the webserver.

If you created a special subdirectory on the webserver you want the files to be stored in, you can enter this as well here.
As for now Quicksquad will not create a subdirectory on the webserver. Maybe in a future version.
So make sure the directory exists if you want this.

If you click or tab to the last field local directory then a dialog pops up asking you where the squad.xml file is located.
Remember to have all other files (squad.dtd, squad.xsl and your logo) in that directory, since
Quicksquad checks for the presence of these files and uploads them if they exist.

After pressing Upload Files Quicksquad will upload your files to the mentioned server location.
Warning ! Quicksquad will overwrite any squad-files in the target directory without asking you.

6. Final actions

After uploading the files to your server you might check you squad page with any up-to-date browser of your choice.
Simply enter the URL of your squad.xml into the browsers address line. (e.g. http://www.somehost.com/squad.xml).
You should see an overview of your squad and it's members.

If everything went well until now, then you and your squad members only need a quick tweak.
Fire up Operation Flashpoint, open the Edit Player dialog and enter the Squad URL in the bottom right corner.
Make sure to have the prefix http:// in front of the URL.

7. Test

To check whether Operation Flashpoint is able to access and understand youre squad.xml it´s necessary
to host a LAN game and start a MP mission with vehicles (NATO vs. USSR for example).
You should already be able to see a clantag right next to your name in the pool window.
Make sure to be connected to the internet and mount a vehicle as driver.
Now you should be able to see your logo and some text.

8. Troubleshooting

In the following there are just a few Q´s and answers listed. Maybe i will extend this section .. maybe .. ;o)

Q: The little man inside my computer tells me there´s a dll-file missing.
A: Re-Read the Installation-Section of this document concerning the VB6 runtime dll´s

Q: The little man inside my computer tells me there&acaute;s an ocx-file missing.
A: Re-Read the Installation-Section and check your version of Quicksquad.

Q: Somehow Quicksquad can't connect to the remote host.
A: Check your username and password. Maybe you´re behind a sort of proxy/router/firewall.
Ask your admin for help. Quicksquad needs a full internet connection.

Q: If i enter the squad-URL into my browser i get an error : The requested object couldn't be found.
A: You almost certainly forgot to move the squad.dtd and squad.xsl into your upload directory.
Copy them from the base directory to the directory where your customized squad.xml resides and restart the upload.

Q: I can access the squad.xml in my internet browser, but Operation Flashpoint doesn't use it.
A: That´s the most common error with even more reasons. Try these :

Ensure that you're connected to the net. If not, Qperation Flashpoint cannot get the data from the webserver.

Check your Player ID in both the squad.xml and the Edit Player dialog. They must match.

Check your nickname in both the squad.xml and the Edit Player dialog. They must match.

Check the Squad-URL in the Edit Player dialog. It must begin with http://

Q: Operation Flashpoint show the Squad-Tag besides my name and the txt on the vehicles but not the logo.
A: Re-Read the Preliminary measures section of this document concerning the logo format.

Q: Operation Flashpoint show the Squad-Tag besides my name, but crashes as soon as i mount a vehicle
A: Check your Squad-URL and logo file something is most likely corrupt.

Q: Which key is by default assigned to spray logo (I really received this question !!)
A: Hell, this isn´t Half-Life !

8. Final words

If you want to contact me, drop me (Beatb0x) a PM at http://www.flashpoint1985.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi
Don't ask for an e-Mail-Adress, PM is going to be the way.

The software is completely free for personal use, as long this readme.txt keeps attached to the software itself.
Though redistribution of this software for any business use on any media (like magazine CD-ROMs)
or offering the software for download requires my consent.
The software is provided as is, so neither do i take any responsibility for any
harm to you, your system, your installation or your salami pizza nor do i
promise this software works on your system.

Operation Flashpoint^TM - Cold War Crisis was Developed by Bohemia Interactive and published by Codemasters. Operation Flashpoint^TM - Cold War Crisis is a product and trademark of Codemasters®.
Codemasters® is a registered trademark of The Codemasters Software Company Limited.
All other copyrights or trademarks are the property of their respective owners.