Galactic Help?

[parmasson]

Trouble with my Model 2bis . . .

I know this will sound like a pretty stupid question to all the computer guys here but I have been away from Traveller and computers for quite awhile.
I just downloaded a zipped copy of a program called "gal24" and I assume it is the Galactic program I have been reading about in the forum. Are there any instructions on how to install it?

 

[tjoneslo]

Which OS are you using?

It's a DOS program, unzip it into a directory where you can find it. It's installed.

To Run, double click on the GAL.EXE or (GAL Application). It will bring up a full screen DOS window. Since this is a DOS program, there is no mouse support, so use the arrow keys to move about. It's all menu driven, so it should be easy to figure out, but the F1 key also brings up a help screen.

 

[parmasson]

Thanks, I feel a bit silly. I did not realize that was how it works.

 

[RainOfSteel]

There is a maximum directory/folder depth to which Galactic may be installed (it's a limit on the length of the path-name). So it should be installed at either drive-root, or only one folder deep.

 

[Golan2072]

I've installed Galactic too, and began fiddling with it - the real issue for me now is to learn how to build my own sector (rather than randomly generate it) and not fill it with jump routes (that's what the random generator does).

 

[tjoneslo]

Galactic does not have the best process for building sectors from the ground up. My approach would be to edit the Galactic save files with my favorite text editor. Galactic uses very simply formatted text files and a directory structure to layout it's sectors saved to disk. As long as you respect the fact that galactic is not very forgiving of files it can't handle, hand editing may be the fastest way forward.

 

[Golan2072]

Ok, found out how to edit... thanks for your help anyway!

 

[BetterThanLife]

I think the best feature of Galactic its output can be imported into Cosmographer. Now to export from Cosmographer to Fractal Terrains....