As to the first question: the .gcf (cache) file contains everything that Steam downloads for that application. Files the must be written out to disk on their own, for instance executables and user-configurable files, are written out into the app dir.
The simplest reason for the cache file is that Steam doesn't necessarily download an entire file at one time. If the application only needs 128k from the middle of a 3MB file, Steam only downloads that 128k. Downloading the rest of the file, if necessary, is managed by Steam and via hints from the application. This is only possible by dividing files up into chunks, and managing those chunks in a central cache file. It is not meant to be mysterious, it is just necessary for efficiency (like pak files were, but for different reasons). We hope to be able to give users and developers more visibility into what's inside that file soon. With your pak file, I'm not sure what you mean. You have a pak file for your mod? It would download the whole thing from where? Steam should not affect use of external files that are added to the game/mod directory. hope that helps, Taylor -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, September 20, 2003 5:25 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [hlcoders] STEAM! just nine questions Oh boy. I will say this first. I like the potential the software has, so don't get my wrong because my name is steamsucks. steamsucks because I don't understand it. So I am asking for some help in understanding the software so I can like steam and get my mod out to the public. I think steam is a step in the right direction Having said that, i have some questions. 1. What is a .gcf file? Is that the new pak file or something? Where are the packfiles. I had a pak file for my mod, but it seems to try to download my whole pac every time I created or connected to a server! SO I unpacked the pack to just folders and that took care of that problem and loaded much much faster. I would guess this, it steam everyting in the pak is PURE serevr side and thus forces clients to download each time, otherwise the files are left to the client. IS this some kind of cheat protection, im confused. Also I called regards to this function: SPR_Load. I seems to produce an error message in the console when it fails to load a sprite (this was not the case in the old function). I am doing some very unique sprite loads in my mod which checks to see if first.. the files are my mod's dir, then in valve's and when it fails the first, it gets the next. And it worked great until steam came out because my now console gettings flooded with error message which I'm actually expecting to get. I guess I will have to do a search for the file name before calling SPR_Load. Not sure if anyone else had that problem. 2. How the heck am I going to package my mod! do I guess peoples emails address.. InstallPath + [EMAIL PROTECTED]/half-life/ please make a reg key for each players email so We can use third party installation software with ease, or some other convention. I'm just not sure how I will have people install my software. 3. .src files. It looks like they are going be more robust, have these files improved or are they the exact same, just with a steam vgui around them? Also mine does not seem to work. Which ever settings i give it, get overwritten my my own code later on, i will have to debug this. In other words, It does not work like the old hl worked, which brings up my next question 3. Debugging, how the heck do I debug now? -console -game mymod will that still work, do i exectue with steam.exe I don't really know what to do here. 4. The ESC key no longer works with client side stuff. I did some key checks and I had the ESC key overwritten in one part of my game so it did not open up the menu, but rather do something else. I really liked that so will there be a way I can get that key back or is steam going to be an asshole had whore it the whole time? 5. SDK, how soon for the new one! 6. cashed.wad relating to the splash screen, How do I change the splash screen and all those buttons back to what I had. I spent a significant amount of work and even paid for new sounds to work with the splash screen. I actually don't have sound right now because my speakers broke (blame klipsch ) Anyway, will it be possible to edit the launch menu like before? 7. Icon next to my mod under "Third party mods" Can I put a cool icon like all the other valve mods have? 8. liblist, whets changed here, I would like to get rid of the single player stuff, "New game" "Load Game" 9. Any information of steam development, please give me URL's or what not, I am new to this forum, sorry if some of my questions are the same as many that have be posted here in the last few days. thanks guys. Ps: that steam forum is a waste of time to ask these, its a bunch of counter strike cry babies who cant cheat anymore! _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, please visit: http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlcoders _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, please visit: http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlcoders
