Oni (folder)/GameDataFolder
GameDataFolder (commonly called GDF to save on typing) is a subfolder of the main Oni folder. It holds the following: |
Overview
Below we list the instance files in parallel with the folders (subfolders of IGMD) which hold the corresponding level logic. SPOILER WARNING: the Chapter column links to summaries and analyses of Oni's storyline. The BINK movies are listed separately.
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Notes
level0_Final and IGMD\global
IGMD\global\ is not present by default, but if it is created, any scripts placed in it will load for all levels; this works only with the PC retail engine: the Mac engines and the PC demo always ignore the global folder. The level0_Final instance file is only loaded once, when Oni starts.
Movie files
RAD Game Tools, the makers of the Bink video format, offer standalone apps for all platforms if you want to watch the .bik files on their own (Mac users, pick the Carbon Player, the OS X versions seem to be glitched). The movie files are not needed for Oni to run. You can thus rename or move intro.bik out of GameDataFolder so Oni starts faster. You can also delete both files permanently and gain over 100 MB of hard disk space.
How Oni finds its GameDataFolder
In Windows, Oni's engine first looks up GDF in the working directory (a.k.a. "."). If ".\GameDataFolder" is missing, Oni tries parent folders all the way up to ther root (i.e., it looks for "..\GameDataFolder", "..\..\GameDataFolder", etc). As a last resort, it looks for ".\OniEngine\GameDataFolder". Here are two examples.
- If Oni was installed into C:\Program Files\Oni and is called from that folder (e.g. by double-clicking the executable or the shortcut generated during installation), Oni will first look for "C:\Program Files\Oni\GameDataFolder". If it's missing, it will try "C:\Program Files\GameDataFolder", then "C:\GameDataFolder", and finally "C:\Program Files\Oni\OniEngine\GameDataFolder".
- Same as above, but with the Edition installed. There is a folder called "C:\Program Files\Oni\edition", which holds a working copy of GameDataFolder and scripts that "remotely" run Oni (the engine is still in "C:\Program Files\Oni"). If you double-click the scripts, the working directory is "C:\Program Files\Oni\edition", so Oni will first look for "C:\Program Files\Oni\edition\GameDataFolder", and if it's missing it will try "C:\Program Files\Oni\GameDataFolder", "C:\Program Files\GameDataFolder", "C:\GameDataFolder", and finally "C:\Program Files\Oni\edition\OniEngine\GameDataFolder"
Early versions of the C-Daodan discarded the notion of working directory and used the engine's directory instead; the feature will probably be brought back, for backwards compatibility.
On the Mac, the location of the GDF is stored in a preferences file (~/Library/Preferences/com.godgames.oni.plist). Oni therefore does not search for a GDF, it merely checks to see if the last-known location of the GDF is still valid. If not, it presents an open dialog box that allows the user to pick a new GDF (technically it wants the location of the folder that contains the GDF), then saves the new location in its prefs file. To change the GDF that Oni uses, rename it, then open Oni, and when the dialog box appears, you can fix the name of the GDF and then switch back to Oni and pick a new one in the dialog box.