# Frontend 3.0
### Universal Paradox Game Converters Group Frontend.
[](https://www.codefactor.io/repository/github/paradoxgameconverters/fronter.net)
[](https://coveralls.io/github/ParadoxGameConverters/Fronter.NET?branch=main)
It *should* work on Windows, Linux and Mac but some functions won't be usable,
namely anything dealing with windows registry and related file/folder paths.
---
Fronter expects to find fronter-configuration.txt and fronter-options.txt inside a folder named "Configuration/".
These two files need to be provided with bundled converters as they define converter-specific required folders, files, and options.
Why two files instead of a single one? Completely irrelevant! Feel free to dump all options into *either* of the two files,
but Fronter will whine if it can't find either. It's better to have them separate as options change often and the configuration changes basically never.
### Supported and required tags (with examples):
#### fronter-configuration.txt
```
name = CK2ToEU4
converterFolder = CK2ToEU4
backendExePath = CK2ToEU4Converter # Relative to converterFolder. If file extension is "exe", skip it.
displayName = DISPLAYNAME
sourceGame = SOURCEGAME
targetGame = TARGETGAME
copyToTargetGameModDirectory = true
progressOnCopyingComplete = 109 # Final progressbar value after completion of mod copying.
requiredFile = {
name = SaveGame
displayName = FILE2
tooltip = FILE2TIP
mandatory = true
outputtable = true
searchPathType = windowsUsersFolder
searchPath = "Paradox Interactive\Crusader Kings II\save games"
allowedExtension = "*.ck2"
}
requiredFolder = {
name = CK2directory
displayName = FOLDER1
tooltip = FOLDER1TIP
mandatory = true
searchPathType = storeFolder
steamGameID = 203770
gogGameID = 2131232214 # GOG ID for Imperator: Rome, CK2 is not on GOG
}
requiredFolder = {
name = targetGameModPath
displayName = FOLDER4
tooltip = FOLDER4TIP
mandatory = true
searchPathType = windowsUsersFolder
searchPath = "Paradox Interactive\Europa Universalis IV\mod"
}
```
autoGenerateModsFrom:
- Looks in that directory for mods to show in Fronter Mod tab. If "/mod/" subdirectory exists, it swaps to that instead. (Ie. you can use documents directory if you want)
searchPathType:
- converterFolder - looks in the provided converterFolder in current directory
- storeFolder - uses steamGameID and gogGameID to look for an "installation path" from Steam/GOG registry. If there's a match it will also append searchPath at the end so you can use this for Vic2 installdir/mods.
- windowsUsersFolder - looks in $USERHOMEDIR$\Documents folder
- direct - copies over an absolute path from searchPath
mandatory:
- true - path will be checked and converter won't run without it.
outputtable (relevant for files only):
- true - will be sent to configuration.txt
Rest is self-explanatory! Shoestring Budget!
#### fronter-options.txt
```
option = {
name = shatter_hre_level
displayName = OPTION2
tooltip = OPTION2TIP
radioSelector = {
radioOption = {
name = 1
displayName = OP2R1
tooltip = OP2R1TIP
default = true
}
radioOption = {
name = 2
displayName = OP2R2
tooltip = OP2R2TIP
default = false
}
}
}
option = {
name = output_name
displayName = OPTION8
tooltip = OPTION8TIP
textSelector = {
value = ""
editable = true
tooltip = OPTION8TEXTTIP
}
}
option = {
name = bookmark_date
displayName = BOOKMARK_DATE
tooltip = BOOKMARK_DATE_TIP
dateSelector = {
value = ""
minDate = 1.1.1
maxDate = 1400.1.1
editable = true
tooltip = BOOKMARK_DATE_TIP2
}
}
option = {
name = some_checkbox_control
displayName = THENAME
tooltip = THETOOLTIP
checkBoxSelector = {
checkBoxOption = {
name = yes
displayName = CBNAME
tooltip = CBTIP
default = true
}
checkBoxOption = {
name = 2
displayName = NAME2
tooltip = TIP2
default = false
}
checkBoxOption = {
name = sausage
displayName = SAUSAGE
tooltip = SAUSAGETIP
default = true
}
}
}
```
Entirely self-explanatory. Why waste words on such simplicity.
Multiple default values set to true on checkBoxOptions are perfectly fine.
#### Localization
Fronter expects to find appropriate yml files in Configuration/ directory. yml files look like this:
```l_french:
DISPLAYNAME: "Crusader Kings II à Europa Universalis IV"
SOURCEGAME: "Crusader Kings II"
TARGETGAME: "Europa Universalis IV"
FOLDER1: "Répertoire d'installation de Crusader Kings II"
FOLDER1TIP: "Un chemin sur votre ordinateur où Crusader Kings 2 est installé"
```
or
```
l_english:
OPTION1: "Which empire inherits EU4 HRE mechanics and shatters?"
OPTION1TIP: "Only one empire can use HRE mechanics."
OP1R1: "The HRE [obviously]"
OP1R1TIP: "e_hre"
OP1R2: "Byzantium! [Holy and Roman and Empire]"
```
Yml files need to be encoded in UTF-8, not UTF-8-BOM.
Fronter will load the files (regardless of their actual name) and use `l_language:` to file the key-value pairs under appropriate language.
Whenever configuration or options use these keys, it will attempt to load appropriate localization string to be displayed.
If it fails to find a key-pair under a specific language, it will default to english. If there's no english either, it will display a blank string.
Look for these blank strings to see where you made a typo.
#### cofiguration.txt
Fronter will export a single configuration.txt in converterFolder/ with paired values, for all outputtable files/folders and all options:
```
SaveGame = "somepath/autosave.ck2"
CK2directory = "c:\Path\To\Game Installation\"
targetGameModPath = "d:\somePath\to\mods"
shatter_hre_level = "1"
output_name = "some user input"
some_checkbox_control = { "yes", "1", "sausage" }
selectedMods = { "modfilename1.mod" "second mod filena.me.mod" "oddlynamed.mod.mod.mod" } # this one is done if autoGenerateModsFrom was used and valid
```
Slashes and backslashes depend on OS, so Converter is responsible for parsing them.
### Mod move after conversion
Fronter will attempt to move "\[output_name\].mod" and "\[output_name\]/" folder (or "\[SaveGame\].mod" and "\[SaveGame\]/" in case output_name was not set) from "\[converterFolder\]/output/" subdirectory to "\[targetGameModPath\]/".
Success will undoubtedly vary of the amount of effort invested in this program.