WFMC - 2 More Weeks Have Come and Gone … Ability to Load Previous Data & Reconfig Costs/Restrictions [Part 5/11]

Time is just flying by, it seems. Two more weeks have come and gone ... I've made some interesting changes over those last two weeks - hopefully everyone else will agree.

WHERE WE LEFT OFF WITH PART 4/10

Here is what the application looked like on the 8th April 2015. Where we left off with it from the Part 4/10 post is shown below:

I like how the formations are rendering correctly in the OpenGL view - with proper sizes and layouts. Also, the cleanup of the combo boxes with the "Select …" text really helps with knowing what to populate next for the application. Furthermore, the fact that I got the Baseline button working was a pretty big accomplishment, too.

Furthermore, I had hoped to make progress in the following areas over these last two weeks:

• Resetting move values (expended and remaining) based upon baselining, reseting, and ending rounds
• Applying the reconfiguration costs from the database table to the actual expended move value

Let's go through some of the changes that HAVE been made, and see what you think ... I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

MORE PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE

First off, the thing you will probably notice first is the new layout that has been implemented. I tried to get rid of the cramped feeling that it had before, by spreading it out more and re-organizing it a little with a more logical placement of checkboxes and labels. Notice that there are labels now for the sliders, as well - to indicate which slider handles what type of movement. Another thing that should be exciting to notice is that when the application is launched fresh, the "Load Last Saved Round …" button is enabled and ready for use! This allows you to come in and make multiple round changes and then leave the application - and then come back, load the last saved round from the database, and then pick up right where you left off! During the last run of the application, I was working with an Angmar Orc Warband formation. Clicking the "Load Last Saved Round …" button restored the round number, formation and number of companies within it, its baseline and current configuration, rotation, location and all other settings that were established during the previous run of the application. Here's how it looks after the load:

The next thing that you will probably notice is the color change of the units within the formation. They are no longer the awesome blue color that they were 2 weeks ago, but have been updated to look more like the actual trays from the game. Again, this really makes it feel like a WotR formation - and not just a "cartoony" representation. OK, enough with the loading capability … let's get back to other added functionality!

The first goal that I had set for myself 2 weeks ago was to reset the movement values once the baseline button was set… Here I've gone through the steps to select an Elven Mirkwood Ranger Warband formation (which is part of the extended ruleset from WotR version 1) comprised of 5 companies in 3x2 Configuration - and they are ready to be baselined. Notice that the Expended and Remaining Move Values have been fully consumed in the positioning of the formation for the baseline.

Clicking on the "Set Baseline … " button confirms the desire to set the formation into baseline, and clicking OK overwrites the previous last saved round. So if the Load is used again, it would display the Elven formation - and no longer show the Angmar one.

Here, the baseline has been set. Notice that it has set the baseline configuration, incremented the round counter (as advertised in the warning); but the big thing to notice is that the expended and remaining values have been updated to allow use of the Move Value again during Round 2.

Rotating and Translating still costs … but if by playing around you get into a state that you did not intend:

Here I've moved the formation all over the place and also reduced the number of companies down to 4. Using the "Reset Round" button, it will pop-up to ask if the reset was intentional, and then it will revert back to the state before any changes were made.

Notice that the Expended Move value was also returned to 0.00" and the Remaining Move Value was also returned to 8.00". This was the main intent of the first bullet that I wanted to accomplish. Likewise, clicking "End Round" will do the same - reset the move values and increment the round counter and create a new point to which to load or reset.

Here, I have a formation of 6 Palace Guard Elves. They are currently in 4x2 Configuration and Baselined. If I attempt to change from the 4x2 Configuration to the 5x2 Configuration:

Since the cost to perform the reconfiguration to 5x2 Configuration is 8.98", and the Remaining Move Value is only 8.00", this is not allowed. I have a pop-up that will show indicating such. When OK is clicked the Formation Configuration is returned back to the Baseline Config - since the reconfiguration could not take place. Now, if the Palace Guard Regiment had executed an "At the Double!" (increasing the Move Value to 16"); or a "Heroic Move" (increasing the Move Value to 24") then the reconfiguration cost would be met - and the reconfiguration would have taken effect.

Here is a reconfiguration that would work with the current 8.00" Move Value: 4x2 Configuration to 2x3 Configuration:

Notice that in this case, the reconfiguration took place, and the cost to reconfigure 4.93" was applied to the Expended Move Value to perform the reconfiguration (and likewise, the Remaining Move Value was also updated).

WHERE TO GO FROM HERE

Success with the goals from the last 2 weeks - maybe I should set more goals for the upcoming weeks. I'm going to be traveling for work, so during layovers in airports I'm sure I can squeeze in a few extra hours of writing code and updating. Here's the goals for the next 2 week gap:

• Color Formation Configuration selections within the combo box based upon feasibility of performing the reconfiguration (this will make it easier to determine which move value augmentation option is "best" to use):
• Black means current Remaining Move Value is sufficient
• Blue means current Remaining Move Value is not sufficient, but performing an "On the Double!" would make it ok.
• Orange means that the current Remaining Move Value is not sufficient, but performing a "Heroic Move" would make it ok.
• Red means that the current Remaining Move Value is not sufficient and the labeled configuration is not one that could be made.

Stay tuned! I'm sure there will be plenty more upcoming very soon!

LINKS TO OTHER PARTS OF THE WFMC PROGRESS SERIES

• WotR Formation Movement Calculator - Work in Progress [Part 1/11]
• WotR Formation Movement Calculator - Update ... Progress still being Made [Part 2/11]
• WotR Formation Movement Calculator - WFMC Continuing to Come Together [Part 3/11]
• WotR Formation Movement Calculator - Formations Look Like REAL Formations and Groundwork for Reconfig Costs Put in Place [Part 4/11]
• WotR Formation Movement Calculator - Load Previous Data & Reconfig Costs/Restrictions [Part 5/11]
• WotR Formation Movement Calculator - Fixed Expended Move Costs Round-to-Round and Added Color to the Reconfiguration Combo Box [Part 6/11]
• WotR Formation Movement Calculator - Movement Modifier Checkboxes Work Properly and Zoom Capability [Part 7/11]
• WotR Formation Movement Calculator - Implementing the Options for Rotation [Part 8/11]
• WotR Formation Movement Calculator - Calculating the Translation Distance for Vanilla WotR Rules of Movement [Part 9a/11]
• WotR Formation Movement Calculator - Calculating the Translation Distance for Vanilla WotR Rules of Movement (Continued) [Part 9b/11]
• TBD [Part 10/11]
• TBD [Part 11/11]

LINKS TO OTHER PARTS OF MOVEMENT TYPES AND LIMITS SERIES

• Movement Types and Limits Series - Translational and Rotational Movement [Part 1/23]

• Movement Types and Limits Series - Reconfiguration Movement of Infantry Formations Comprised of 2-3 Companies [Part 2/23]
• Movement Types and Limits Series - Reconfiguration Movement of Infantry Formations Comprised of 4 Companies [Part 3/23]
• Movement Types and Limits Series - Reconfiguration Movement of Infantry Formations Comprised of 5 Companies [Part 4/23]
• Movement Types and Limits Series - Reconfiguration Movement of Infantry Formations Comprised of 6 Companies [Part 5/23]
• Movement Types and Limits Series - Reconfiguration Movement of Infantry Formations Comprised of 7 Companies [Part 6/23]
• Movement Types and Limits Series - Reconfiguration Movement of Infantry Formations Comprised of 8 Companies [Part 7/23]
• Movement Types and Limits Series - Reconfiguration Movement of Infantry Formations Comprised of 9 Companies [Part 8/23]
• Movement Types and Limits Series - Reconfiguration Summary of Infantry Formations by Company Size [Part 9/23]
• Movement Types and Limits Series - Infantry Restrictions of Reconfiguration by Formation Name Summary [Part 10/23]

• Movement Types and Limits Series - Reconfiguration Movement of Cavalry Formations Comprised of 2-3 Companies [Part 11/23]
• Movement Types and Limits Series - Reconfiguration Movement of Cavalry Formations Comprised for 4 Companies [Part 12/23]
• Movement Types and Limits Series - Reconfiguration Movement of Cavalry Formations Comprised of 5 Companies [Part 13/23]
• Movement Types and Limits Series - Reconfiguration Movement of Cavalry Formations Comprised of 6 Companies [Part 14/23]
• Movement Types and Limits Series - Reconfiguration Movement of Cavalry Formations Comprised of 7 Companies [Part 15/23]
• Movement Types and Limits Series - Reconfiguration Movement of Cavalry Formations Comprised of 8 Companies [Part 16/23]
• Movement Types and Limits Series - Reconfiguration Movement of Infantry Formations Comprised of 9 Companies [Part 17/23]
• Movement Types and Limits Series - Cavalry Movement Example 1 from Page 33 of WotR Rulebook Analysis [Part 18/23]
• Movement Types and Limits Series - Cavalry Movement Example 2 from Page 33 of WotR Rulebook Analysis [Part 19/23]
• Movement Types and Limits Series - Cavalry Movement Example 3 from Page 33 of WotR Rulebook Analysis [Part 20/23]
• Movement Types and Limits Series - Reconfiguration Summary of Cavalry Formations by Company Size [Part 21/23]
• Movement Types and Limits Series - Cavalry Restrictions of Reconfiguration by Formation Name Summary [Part 22/23]
• Using WFMC to Verify Movement Examples [Part 23/23]