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[Yuyu]

QUOTE

Is E:\TDATA ignored while copying gamesaves? I understand that is where game settings are saved.

Yes, only the settings are stored there, you do no need the TDATA stuff for the game save manager...

QUOTE

And while copying gamesaves to memcards and back, you simply copy the save folder, right?

If you ever look at a memory card through FTP after saving a game to it, either in-game or through MS Dash Save Manager, you will see that yes, all that is on there is the folder from E:\UDATA...

I actually just double checked it to make sure

[pelago]

That sounds good, treating the 'backup' area like another memory card. Could we define multiple numbers of these areas? E.g. I could have a 'My saves backed-up' area, and a 'Downloaded internet saves' area. Other ideas for multiple areas might be if different people wanted to share the same Xbox but the game itself didn't give enough save slots for this. The user could move saves around between their own named backup area and the live area.

These backup areas could be defined in an XML file, like in XBMP (when defining where it looks for movies etc.) or like in DVD2Xbox (when defining different folders it can dump games into).

I'm not really an expert on saves, other than what I've learnt just mucking about with them. I don't entirely understand the distinction between UDATA and TDATA, but I know that most of the downloaded saves from the Internet come as a zip folder which contains the contents of the relevant UDATA and TDATA folder, so it seems both are necessary.

Obviously there is some kind of distiction between a 'game' and a 'save', in that a single game can have multiple saves (visible in the user interface of MS Dash and Xbox Saves Manager), but I'm not entirely sure how you decode TDATA/UDATA to get all this stuff.

I assume the XDK documentation would tell you everything you needed to know, but I don't have that.

[Yuyu]

Ok further info on game saves...

Each folder inside of E:\UDATA is for a seperate game. THen the folders inside of the games main save folder, are for seperate game saves...

Inside of the main Game Folder is TitleImage.xbx and TitileMeta.xbx. These are used for the MS Save Manager, to retrieve the Title of the game from TitleMeta.xbx and to retrieve the Large game save Image (the left hand side of MS dash save manager) from TitleImage.xbx.

Then inside the sperate save folders the same thing happens, but there is a file named after what the save is for (EX. Inside of my D&D Heroes Main Game folder is a few save folders, inside of one of them is my options save, which contains the following files: D&D Options, TitleMeta.xbx, and TitleImage.xbx) These files are used the same as the main folder. THe TitleMeta.xbx is used by the save manager for the individual save name, and the TitleImage.xbx is used for the smaller/individual save game pics...

Hops that clears up exactly how game saves work for you...

[geniusalz]

Yeah, I had figured out the E:\Udata\GameFolder\SaveFolder format, and the image/title xbx files.

Only concern was memory card (can't find mine to test) and whether it needed any special treatment.

Edit: Little progress report:

Lists all games with saves in UDATA (sorted, with pics).
Selecting any game lists all the saves for that game.

That's about it

The rest of the stuff should be easy.  A command menu of sorts (Copy, Delete, etc) and associated commands.

And a 'device' selection screen (memcard, HD, backup folder)

[pelago]

Thanks for the explanation of E:\UDATA, Yuyu. Can you explain E:\TDATA similarly?

[Yuyu]

QUOTE (pelago @ Jun 24 2004, 10:27 AM)

Thanks for the explanation of E:\UDATA, Yuyu. Can you explain E:\TDATA similarly?

Sure...

E:\TDATA, has a folder created for each game just as E:\UDATA does but, TDATA is used to store settings for the game itself to remember, not individual options(The two can be easily confused). It also stores certain things the game might need to "remember"(recall what player last played the game, etc..) when you play it again... This is also where downloaded content is stored...

Take Ghost Recon:Island Thunder for Example...

In E:\UDATA there is the main save image and title file, then seperate folders for saved games...

In E:\TDATA there is a folder, inside that folder, is the following:
folder named c$ - this is where the downloaded content is stored
coop.but - file containing the options last used when playing coop
team.but - file containing the options last used when playing team
linkplay.but - file containing the options last used when playing linkplay
xboxoptions.dat - a file that saves info such as the last account used to play the game

Hope that clears up E:\TDATA for ya...

[pelago]

I'm just wondering, does TDATA ever include things such as feature unlock status? In some games you can access bonus features and stuff from the main menu, before it's asked you to load a saved game, so it seems logical that this kind of stuff is stored in TDATA instead of UDATA. Certainly some of the saves on xbox-saves.com that let you unlock stuff and so on contain TDATA data.

[geniusalz]

QUOTE (pelago @ Jun 25 2004, 03:24 PM)

I'm just wondering, does TDATA ever include things such as feature unlock status? In some games you can access bonus features and stuff from the main menu, before it's asked you to load a saved game, so it seems logical that this kind of stuff is stored in TDATA instead of UDATA. Certainly some of the saves on xbox-saves.com that let you unlock stuff and so on contain TDATA data.

Interesting thought... real issue would be how to treat TDATA while using gamesave manager

Maybe have an option to 'backup/copy options', as opposed to copy saves

[Yuyu]

QUOTE (pelago @ Jun 25 2004, 07:24 AM)

I'm just wondering, does TDATA ever include things such as feature unlock status? In some games you can access bonus features and stuff from the main menu, before it's asked you to load a saved game, so it seems logical that this kind of stuff is stored in TDATA instead of UDATA. Certainly some of the saves on xbox-saves.com that let you unlock stuff and so on contain TDATA data.

That is what I said isn't it... Sorry if I was not clear...

QUOTE

It also stores certain things the game might need to "remember"(recall what player last played the game, etc..) when you play it again...

Meaning, yes, it can/does, depending on the game, store unlock status in the form of a file that is read, when the game is starting up, stored in E:\TDATA... Basically anytime the game "remebers" something, and it is not in a saved game or saved options file, the game created its own file inside of E:\TDATA to "remember" these things...

EDIT ::: Some games, when you use xbox-saves game save manager, saves both the E:\UDATA and E:\TDATA as the save information... I guess it just checks to see if E:\TDATA exists for the game and copies it and all of its files, except if there is a c$ folder in E:\TDATA, since that is downloadable content that cannot be used on aonther Xbox...

SO I guess I am saying is that the Game Save Manager, geniusalz, should do the save thing. Check for E:\TDATA for the game, if it exists, you also need to copy/delete this as well... IF a peson chooses to delete a game completely, it should delete the main folder of the game in both E:\TDATA and E:UDATA, unless c$ exists, in which case you would maybe throw up a flag saying "Do you want to delete the downloabale content for this game also?" maybe?...

Ok I'm done rambling...

This post has been edited by Yuyu: Jun 25 2004, 03:19 PM

[chilin_dude]

For example an easports bios

[pelago]

QUOTE (Yuyu @ Jun 25 2004, 04:57 PM)

That is what I said isn't it... Sorry if I was not clear...

Sorry Yuyu, your post was very good about the sort of thing we might find in TDATA. I was just trying to make the point that we would definitely want to copy TDATA sometimes, as it's not just trivial options-type stuff which it doesn't matter if it gets lost.

What would be interesting to know would be does the MS dash ever copy TDATA stuff? In other words, is it possible to copy options and unlock status and so on from Xbox to Xbox via memory card? Maybe there's a difference between copying an individual save and the whole game in the MS dash? I don't have a mem card otherwise I'd check myself.

If the MS dash never copies TDATA stuff to mem card, then I guess the MXM equivalent should do the same, assuming we want the mem cards to be compatible with MS dash. But it would still be good to copy TDATA stuff when copying to the 'backup' area of hard disk, and for when copying downloaded saves from the Internet.

[chilin_dude]

Sounds like 'sumdumguy' could use some of this info....

[SumDumGuy3]

chilin_dude,

Thanks for bumping this thread... I did a search but somehow it did not turn up this thread... very good information here... btw, I'm going to go search but just in case it does not turn up... does anyone know if this "game save manager script" complete or incomplete was ever posted? I would love to toy around with it...

Thanks Again,
SumDumGuy

[Yuyu]

Just shoot a PM at geniusalz, I'm sure hw would be more than willing to give you a progress report on it, or let you play with it... (Just don't hurt him with that PM (I know, I'm lame))

[SumDumGuy3]

hehe, roger that... I may do that, not tonight though... got some work to finish up... thx...