Unrecognized file header

Hey guys. I've been mudding for about 7 years and recently have been wanting to work on my own Smaug mud just for kicks and giggles, maybe one day open it up to friends and such.

I have SmaugFUSS 1.9(win32) and I've been able to run it fine and tweak the current areas and mobs a bit, but I'd like to do more via Area Editor.

However, when I open an area file(limbo.are, for example) in Area Editor(while running the MUD), it throws two errors, one being "Unrecognized file header: #FUSSAREA". I noticed the area files in SmaugFUSS 1.9 all start with the #FUSSAREA header, is it as simple as just deleting that line?

The second error is "Unrecognized file format". This one confuses me because all the files I'm trying to load(from the smaugfuss/area directory) are .are files, and area editor opens/edits/saves the manor.are(that comes with area editor) just fine.

Should I just make area files from scratch on the editor and then import them to the smaugfuss/area folder? Does the mud have to be shut down in order to use Area Editor on it's .are files?

Thanks in advance for helping a completely new builder.

They considerably changed the area file formats for FUSS. Here is the start of the old version of manor.are area file:


#AREA   Tullfuhrzky Manor~

#AUTHOR Cedrick~

#RANGES
0 10 0 60
$

#FLAGS
0 10

#ECONOMY 0 59671270

#MOBILES
#2405
snake python~
a python~
A python lies here, ready to sink its fangs into you.
~
This snake could pick you up and swallow you whole!  You're terrified at
the thought of coming anywhere near it. 
~
67 0 -100 C
7 0 -20 5d4+60 2d3+1
7000 0
8 8 0
13 13 13 13 13 13 13
0 0 0 0 0
79 3 0 0 1 1 0
0 0 67617 288 0 0 1 0
> greet_prog 85~
mpechoat $n The python hisses blindly at you.
~
> rand_prog 5~
emote hisses, flicking its tongue out.
~
> fight_prog 40~
emote rears back to strike.
~
> death_prog 100~
if level($n) > 19
  mpecho The python's corpse is cut to shreds!
  mpoload 2415
else
  mpecho The python hisses loudly as the life drains from its body.
  mpecho As the python falls to the ground, a piece of its hide is severed from
  mpecho its body.
  mpoload 2414
  mpoload 2415
endif
~
|

And here is the FUSS version:


#FUSSAREA
#AREADATA
Version      1
Name         Tullfuhrzky Manor~
Author       Cedrick~
WeatherX     0
WeatherY     0
Ranges       0 10 0 60
Economy      0 59671270
ResetFreq    10
#ENDAREADATA

#MOBILE
Vnum       2405
Keywords   snake python~
Short      a python~
Long       A python lies here, ready to sink its fangs into you.
~
Desc       This snake could pick you up and swallow you whole!  You're terrified at
the thought of coming anywhere near it. 
~
Race       reptile~
Class      warrior~
Position   standing~
DefPos     standing~
Specfun    spec_poison~
Gender     neuter~
Actflags   npc sentinel stayarea~
Stats1     -100 7 0 -20 7000 0
Stats2     5 4 60
Stats3     2 3 1
Stats4     0 0 0 0 0
Attribs    13 13 13 13 13 13 13
Saves      0 0 0 0 0
Speaks     common~
Speaking   common~
Bodyparts  head guts long_tongue tail~
Resist     pierce poison~
Attacks    bite~

#MUDPROG
Progtype  greet_prog~
Arglist   85~
Comlist   mpechoat $n The python hisses blindly at you.
~
#ENDPROG

#MUDPROG
Progtype  rand_prog~
Arglist   5~
Comlist   emote hisses, flicking its tongue out.
~
#ENDPROG

#MUDPROG
Progtype  fight_prog~
Arglist   40~
Comlist   emote rears back to strike.
~
#ENDPROG

#MUDPROG
Progtype  death_prog~
Arglist   100~
Comlist   if level($n) > 19
  mpecho The python's corpse is cut to shreds!
  mpoload 2415
else
  mpecho The python hisses loudly as the life drains from its body.
  mpecho As the python falls to the ground, a piece of its hide is severed from
  mpecho its body.
  mpoload 2414
  mpoload 2415
endif
~
#ENDPROG

#ENDMOBILE

You can see that the are very different. The old format basically just had dozens of numbers in the middle like this:


67 0 -100 C
7 0 -20 5d4+60 2d3+1
7000 0
8 8 0
13 13 13 13 13 13 13
0 0 0 0 0
79 3 0 0 1 1 0
0 0 67617 288 0 0 1 0

The MUD (and the Area Editor) just knew that they represented various things merely by position. The new version uses keywords and names a lot more.

So, the Area Editor just won't read the new format area files. What might work is to make a completely new area with the Area Editor, save that, and then see if SmaugFUSS will read the old version in. It might. However once you make a change (in game) then it will be saved in the new format. I would test with a small test area before putting too much work into editing a new area like that.

A quick test on my PC seemed to show that it loaded in the old format manor.are file without any issues. However I would test that myself if I were you (that is, you test that you can load a file saved by the Area Editor).

You might find that a useful technique is to build up an area with all of the GUI interface and cross-referencing that the Area Editor gives you. Then, to make improvements, either keep using the Area Editor (and never save the area in-game) or switch to using the in-game editor. After you do that, you won't be able to re-edit that particular area with the Area Editor.

Quote:

Should I just make area files from scratch on the editor and then import them to the smaugfuss/area folder?

Yes, that is what I am suggesting.

Quote:

Does the mud have to be shut down in order to use Area Editor on it's .are files?

You don't have to shut the MUD down, it reads the area file once at startup. However it won't notice changes until you shut it down and start it up again.