Friday 27 January 2012

ASLAPP - ASL application for finding scenarios

This is a webpage to keep the links up to date for the application described at Boardgamegeek here:
http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/729735/trial-windows-app-to-find-scenarios/page/1

Latest version of the application (V2.0) is here (UPDATED 3rd February 2012):
http://marktomlinson.org.uk/ASLAPP/asl2.zip

A database of the Avalon Hill General scenarios G1-G46 is here (right click and use 'Save link as...' in your browser):
http://marktomlinson.org.uk/ASLAPP/ahg.ASL
Note that some are missing (where these have been updated in more recent AH/MMP releases)
This database can be appended to the db1.asl database provided with the application or kept separately.

A database of the Avalon Hill General tournament scenarios T7-T16 is here (right click and use 'Save link as...' in your browser):
The scenarios T1-T6 were provided in the ASL Classic download and are already in the main db1.ASL database.

Introduction

This simple application allows you to find scenarios depending on what maps and overlays you own and which sides you want to play and then to print out, save or edit the list. It uses the data provided by Eddy del Rio (user edelrio) on BGG. It is thus restricted to Eddy's (albeit large) collection. I am planning to add more data when I have time. Eddy has seen the program and given permission to use his data.

The program (Version 2) now includes editing facilities. This allows users to edit the scenario data themselves and add new scenario data and notes. There are functions to save and append new databases within the program as well as adding more maps and overlays than were in the original dataset (so you can add third party data that is not otherwise available).

Eddy's spreadsheet can be found here:

The main additions to V2 over V1 are:
Full editing of the database
Allows loading, saving, appending and creating your own databases (so we can share stuff)
Allows users to add there own maps and overlay data (for TPP)
Allows tagging of search results (tagged lists of scenarios can be printed and saved separately)
Has an extra text search box (I find this pretty useful for advanced searches)
Added publisher data
Added overlays
You can add notes to scenarios
You can launch online scenarios from the app
You can associate pdf files on your hard drive with scenarios and then launch acrobat reader to open the pdf file from within the app

Installation and requirements:

Read the help file in the zipped folder.
Make a new folder. Copy the following program files into it:

asl2.0.exe
Microsoft.VisualBasic.PowerPacks.Vs.dll
overlaydata.map
mapdata.map

The database can be copied anywhere or left in the original program directory:

db1.asl

Double-Click the asl2.0.exe file and the program will run. The first time you run the program you need to load a database into the application. You need to use the File>Open menu and select the db1.asl file from wherever you have decided to store it. The overlaydata.map and mapdata.map files contain information about additional maps and overlays provided by the user. If they are missing from the program directory then a warning message appears, but the program will run without them. The database that is open is shown along the bottom of the window.

The first time you run the application a new file will be produced called aslinit.ini in the program directory. This remembers which (official only) maps you have chosen so you don't have to re-enter them every time and also which database was open last time the program ran. If you delete this file it doesn't matter, but it will be re-created each time you run the app.

The dll file has necessary extra windows components required by the application. You also need to have Microsoft .NET framework 3.5 or later installed on your PC. Most PCs will already have this as it is required for many Windows programs to work properly. You can check in the control panel (add remove programs). If you don't have it you can get it from Microsoft's site for free:


I have successfully run the program on a Windows 7 machine, a Vista machine and an XP machine. All these machines already had the .NET framework installed.