Many of you probably recognize the new PM Launcher gets rid of the About menu item and now says Addons. (You can still access the about popup by pressing Y or +). It'll take you to a screen where you will see a list of available addons.
Well, the launcher will search for any 7z file that sits in sd:/projectm/launcher/addons. Preincluded with 3.5 is WiFi.7z which is the WiFi add-on for PM. Basically, the launcher will open the 7z file and read info.xml that sits inside. It'll backup and replace any files needed when installing. Uninstalling will return the files to their original order.
There are many benefits to this. One is that you can now simply disable all your addons before apply any PM upgrade patches. Returning to a clean build is extremely simple now. Also, it makes swapping custom to original much easier if you use your Wii at tournaments.
Another is that you can easily share your custom addons with other people. They simply drop the file in the addons folder and use the launcher to install it. They don't have to hunt around looking for how to install each file and make backups, etc.
Finally, the PM team may officially (or even its members unofficially) release addon packs that would strictly be optional. This might be stages, costumes, sound effects, music packs, etc.
As for the technical breakdown:
* Prepare an addon folder with all the files you want. The folder structure and file names don't matter, so you can name them whatever you want. For example, if you are making a music pack, you can put the song name in the filename.
* Copy WiFi.7z's info.xml to your addon folder.
* Change the title (256 character maximum).
* Change the code to something unique that won't conflict with other people's addons (8 character max).
* Set a version number (useful for upgrading in the future).
* Change the <file> source attribute to match your folder structure and file name as needed.
* Calculate the MD5 on your file and change the MD5 attribute.
* Change the destination attribute to where you want it to copy.
* Create/Remove as many <file> nodes as needed.
* Save the XML file.
* Create a **non-solid** 7z archive of your files. You may use Ultra compression.
If you need a good MD5 app, I suggest WinMD5Free. It supports drag and drop. I also suggest Notepad++ for XML editing. This is the exact same way I build all the addons, updates, and patches for the launcher. If you have any questions, let me know here. I'll even convert somebody's custom content into an addon file for you, if you're having trouble.
Well, the launcher will search for any 7z file that sits in sd:/projectm/launcher/addons. Preincluded with 3.5 is WiFi.7z which is the WiFi add-on for PM. Basically, the launcher will open the 7z file and read info.xml that sits inside. It'll backup and replace any files needed when installing. Uninstalling will return the files to their original order.
There are many benefits to this. One is that you can now simply disable all your addons before apply any PM upgrade patches. Returning to a clean build is extremely simple now. Also, it makes swapping custom to original much easier if you use your Wii at tournaments.
Another is that you can easily share your custom addons with other people. They simply drop the file in the addons folder and use the launcher to install it. They don't have to hunt around looking for how to install each file and make backups, etc.
Finally, the PM team may officially (or even its members unofficially) release addon packs that would strictly be optional. This might be stages, costumes, sound effects, music packs, etc.
As for the technical breakdown:
* Prepare an addon folder with all the files you want. The folder structure and file names don't matter, so you can name them whatever you want. For example, if you are making a music pack, you can put the song name in the filename.
* Copy WiFi.7z's info.xml to your addon folder.
* Change the title (256 character maximum).
* Change the code to something unique that won't conflict with other people's addons (8 character max).
* Set a version number (useful for upgrading in the future).
* Change the <file> source attribute to match your folder structure and file name as needed.
* Calculate the MD5 on your file and change the MD5 attribute.
* Change the destination attribute to where you want it to copy.
* Create/Remove as many <file> nodes as needed.
* Save the XML file.
* Create a **non-solid** 7z archive of your files. You may use Ultra compression.
If you need a good MD5 app, I suggest WinMD5Free. It supports drag and drop. I also suggest Notepad++ for XML editing. This is the exact same way I build all the addons, updates, and patches for the launcher. If you have any questions, let me know here. I'll even convert somebody's custom content into an addon file for you, if you're having trouble.
