First time user, need help converting from another setup

Hello,

Taking a crash course in ISBoxer, looking for particular advice getting multiple WTF directories
prepped and positioned so that ISBoxer can see and use them.

I have separate Blizzard accounts, with one WoW license on each. Previous software was
happiest with one WoW install per directory, so I have WTF directories with saved info
under /WoW1/, /WoW2/, ..., /WoW6/.

Where do those need to be put for the sake of ISBoxer being able to find them the first time?

Additionally, I was running three WoWs on one computer and two(or more) WoWs on another,
if that affects what needs to be done.

Thanks

[bob]

You don't need multiple WTF directories. You also don't need multiple game installs. If you want to keep using your previous multiple game installs, you can do so. See here for more info.
The Quick Setup Wizard in ISBoxer will create Virtual Files of the things it needs for WoW, provided you select WoW as the game you are creating a character set for.

A virtual file is essentially a second copy of something, that when using ISBoxer to launch your team, it will automatically replace the default file with a copy specific to the character/toon being launched.

Thanks for the quick reply.

I have existing multiple directories because I'm migrating from other software that required them,
I will go read that link you gave, presently.

Other details: Only using this for WoW, for now.

And multiple computers? Just install and Wizard on each, then connect them and I'm good to go?

[bob]

There is a guide for multiple computers which can be found here... http://isboxer.com/wiki/HOWTO:Use_ISBox ... _Computers

Thanks again for the replies.

I need a sanity check. I've followed the Multiple Game Folders instructions,
and the Multiple Computers instructions.

The trouble seems to be that the Games I added on Computer 2 in Inner Space, are
not visible to ISBoxer on Computer 1, so that I cannot set the Game for characters on Computer 2
from the pulldown under Inner Space launch information.

Looks like I can set that by field hand, and I will try that next. No, that fails.

I'll try lying next, by making fake directories on Computer 1 mimicking what is on Computer 2.

[Edit: Lying appears to have worked.]

OK, making some progress. Only characters on primary computer are getting the team invite, however.

Here is my config.

Setup in words: Chars Moar, Hort, Snob, on main computer, Chars Razk and Yuck on second computer.

Here is a snippet from ISBoxer_Character-Moar-Warsong.lua:

Code:

      isboxer.SetMacro("FTLTarget","]","/targetexact [nomod:alt,mod:lshift,nomod:ctrl]Moar;[nomod:alt,mod:rshift,nomod:ctrl]Hort;[nomod:alt,nomod:shift,mod:lctrl]Snob;[mod:lalt,nomod:shift,nomod:ctrl]Yuck;[nomod:alt,mod:lshift,mod:lctrl]Razk\n",1,1,1,1);

      isboxer.SetMacro("InviteTeam","ALT-CTRL-SHIFT-I","/invite Hort\n/invite Snob\n",nil,nil,nil,1);


You can see the FTLTarget is set for all 5, InviteTeam is missing the two side computer chracters, Yuck and Razk.

Other things that appear not to work Cross-Computer:

• Window layouts weren't locked to the same aspect ratio
• Variable Keystrokes for Target Slot 1, 2, 3, were restarted at Target Slot 1
• JambaMaster being set on window switch begins failing after one switch on Computer 2

Maybe I should give up the "split-team" two computer setup in the interest of getting things working more quickly?

I'm still trying to get team #1 operational, with 20 more teams waiting in the wings. I guess I will
ask a couple of questions now:

If the first team gets set up properly, can it quickly be copied 20-times over for the other teams?
I suppose if the changes I'm making are higher than the Character Slot level I can run the Wizard 20 times.

I sporadically use a few additional accounts... is there any way to "tack on" the extras, or is it better
just to use the Wizard to include them... perhaps second party characters are what the
"Also Launch" function was meant?

[Edit: added text, so MiRai doesn't have to merge as many posts.]

[lax]

Maybe I should give up the "split-team" two computer setup in the interest of getting things working more quickly?

That's ... literally the first 2 sentences of the multiple computer setup guide. As this is your first attempt at using ISBoxer in the first place, it would be way easier for you to use 1 PC to get started.

Window layouts weren't locked to the same aspect ratio

Your window layout on PC 1 is unrelated to the window layout on PC 2. Aspect ratio? They're not locked to the same anything, they're independent and don't need to be the same. You can want them to be the same, and you can make it be the same while using the Window Layout Wizard by specifying the main region size, for example.

Variable Keystrokes for Target Slot 1, 2, 3, were restarted at Target Slot 1

Correct. There's several posts about this in the Multiple Computers forum including an explanation of how you can adjust the use of those if you want. It involves adding another variable to the name, to identify PC1 vs PC2.

However, as you're playing WoW, you do not need the Target Slot # Variable Keystrokes to work. The Follow/Assist Mode for WoW by default uses WoW Macros -- which include a Target, Follow, and Assist macro for each Character on both of your teams. You'll have to explain what you were trying to do that Target Slot # is coming up for you. You don't need it for WoW unless you cannot use the ISBoxer Addon.

The trouble seems to be that the Games I added on Computer 2 in Inner Space, are
not visible to ISBoxer on Computer 1, so that I cannot set the Game for characters on Computer 2
from the pulldown under Inner Space launch information.

Yeah that's noted on #7 on the howto:
7. Create the Character Set for the main PC, using the Quick Setup Wizard (note: for this to work effectively, each Inner Space will need to have the same Game/Game Profile names configured for your multi PC game).
The Names are all that is important there, the folder/exe it points to on the main PC will not affect how that Game Profile launches on your second PC.

So PC 1 can have "WoW" "WoW Default Profile" pointing at c:\wow\wow-64.exe, and PC 2 can have "WoW" WoW Default Profile" pointing at d:\xyzpdq\totallynotwow\wow.exe, and all Characters would just need "WoW" and "WoW Default Profile" selected.

JambaMaster being set on window switch begins failing after one switch on Computer 2

What most people seem to miss in this situation is that each of your PCs has an active window. So for example.. Window 1 is active on PC 1, and PC2 has its own Window 1 that is active. On PC2, if you go and swap to Window 2 -- this is a window switch and may change the Jamba Master. If you are going straight back to Window 1 on PC 1, that window is still active and interacting with it does not incur any "on switch" behaviors. However, if you switch to Window 2 on PC 1, that deactivates Window 1 and activates Window 2 -- and will change the Jamba Master.

Is that what you are describing?

You can see the FTLTarget is set for all 5, InviteTeam is missing the two side computer chracters, Yuck and Razk.

Correct. You can adjust the macro in the WoW Game Helper if you want -- it is only guaranteeing 5 characters in the same Character Set.


p.s. I moved this to the Multiple Computers forum, where you can find most of these things in existing posts as well...

Thank you for the replies.

The original aspect ratio difference was noticeable with the mouse broadcasting not lining up properly. Changing the ratio on Computer 2 corrected this.

I'm aware that there is an active window on both PCs. No switching of windows on either PC changes the master after the first window switch on Computer 2. Obviously I have something misconfigured. Sort of moot now, since I'm switching to running the team all on one computer.

Should I expect the proper realm with proper team characters lit up to be on screen at start? I've seen wide variations on that starting condition.

This should work provided characters were created via the Quick Setup Wizard.
If you made a character from scratch, or copied a character (i.e. right click Make Copy), and then updated the name details, then the Virtual Files that the copy points to will be the same as the previous character, so any information stored locally in the wtf files will be shared between the characters (some games store the last logged in account/toon in their local files). Running the Virtual File Wizard, and pushing it across all your toons should fix any misconfiguration here. On the other hand, Blizzard did move a couple of settings that used to be stored locally to the server instead, and the last logged in character is one of those, so per account, the selected toon at char select, will be the last logged in for that account.

Supposing I have 24 teams, is there a way to quickly clone a working team and replace the characters. I am thinking "no" based on changes going out to the wow macros, and the variety of places team info gets placed.

Yes. You can right click an existing Character Set and select Make Copy. Rename the new Character Set copy, and then drag the characters from the top left pane down to the slots. Once done, Export, and it will update the ISBoxer Addon with the new details. For creating Characters, you can do this manually, but make sure each one has individual virtual files (use the Virtual File Wizard), or you will probably get issues with the wrong saved account details during login, which will end up causing grief. If you are creating new sets on the fly, while in game, then there may be some oddities that come out of this. As always, if you have your games already loaded up and make a change that will affect the ISBoxer Addon, then you need to either exit and start your team up, be at the Char Select Screen and select your toons, or run a "/console reloadui"

Sometimes I need to log in and out of successive teams quickly. Which mode would you recommend to let me log a team off, broadcast a Down-Arrow and Return to log in the next team?

Whatever takes your fancy. You only need to go back to Char Select, and then relaunch your new team from Inner Space -> ISBoxer Character Sets submenu, and then finally select the toons and log them in. The process is documented here. Is there a way to switch character sets without closing WOW

There are a few caveats:
1. Certain settings in the WTF files may not apply if they are only applied by the game while the game is starting up. All settings applied in game when the game is loaded to the Char Select screen should apply. No I don't have a list of what these might be (although I suspect it is mainly going to be anything like reading the Portal to login to etc, language settings and some of the initial graphics settings).
2. Window Layout changes should apply; certain details about it may require you to close games. Especially if team size is variable and your Window Layout is different. I'd recommend the same team size all the time for this setup, and at a minimum, consistent Window Layout resolutions for the RESET regions so you're not expecting scale changes at that particular screen.
3. Characters in each slot should be in the same Account order each time. I.e. the Toon in slot 1, should always be from Account A, Toon in slot 2 should always be from Account B, Toon in slot 3 should always be from Account C, etc.

Why is WoW having me enter my authentication code nearly every time? My Blizzard accounts are set to not require it each time.

It used to be because there was a single registry key, and it gets overwritten each time and the hash doesn't match for the next account. You used to be able to do some trickery with Virtual Files http://www.dual-boxing.com/threads/5288 ... ti-account, but I thought there may have been a couple of recent updates to the game that meant this was no longer working. I would start looking there though for any updates on what works and what doesn't.

[Edit: My post was eaten and replaced by someone's reply to it.]