Spellcast Help Thread (Link your XML using Pastebin.com for help!)

[Cesaria]

I've always had the chatlog disappearing bug (and I don't 2 box)... generally zoning or temp logging out/in fixes it. It happened a lot with older windower and happens occasionally with the newer version.

For what it's worth what fixed my windower crashing (and spellcast which seems to be behaving itself now) BTW was redownloading the resources.xml file off the windower wiki (had done that once already but I don't think it downloaded properly). Just in case it helps anyone else out.

[Midnightjade]

My HD crashed and I had to reinstall, so now seems like a good time to start using Spellcast. However, I went to the tutorial and started reading, but it seemed to stop halfway through. Is it unfinished? I can see how to create sets etc but then I have no idea how to integrate the xml information back into the game.

Help?

[Argettio]

Open up windoer console.

type "load spellcast"

give it a second to load

type "sc file <Name of file here>"

give it a second to load

Done.

(This relies on you having the spellcast DLL and the xml in the right place)

[Midnightjade]

Thanks. What I really want to know is how to integrate this with macros but my previous post didn't make that clear. Let's say I want to cast Foe Lullaby, then go back to idle (dmg down/haste/-song time) set. How do I integrate Spellcast into the macros, including the timing required?

[Bikpik]

Thanks. What I really want to know is how to integrate this with macros but my previous post didn't make that clear. Let's say I want to cast Foe Lullaby, then go back to idle (dmg down/haste/-song time) set. How do I integrate Spellcast into the macros, including the timing required?

Spellcast isn't something you just load up and it does everything for you. You have to setup a XML file to tell it what to do.

Bard [Windower.net]

Here's a link to some users Bard XML's

Windower -> SpellCast Support

Here's a link to the spellcast forums. There's a lot of good people on there that can answer most of your questions.

[Ratatapa]

Open up windoer console.

type "load spellcast"

give it a second to load

type "sc file <Name of file here>"

give it a second to load

Done.

(This relies on you having the spellcast DLL and the xml in the right place)

If exemple i have 2 char and both of them have RDM but not same gear. (dualbox)

How can i made spellcast Auto load RDM1 for char 1 and RDM2 for char2?

[Deimos]

Thanks. What I really want to know is how to integrate this with macros but my previous post didn't make that clear. Let's say I want to cast Foe Lullaby, then go back to idle (dmg down/haste/-song time) set. How do I integrate Spellcast into the macros, including the timing required?

I know this doesn't help you right this moment, but I've been writing a big SpellCast tutorial, hoping to start posting it soon. A few pages back in this thread I mentioned creating a sort of SpellCast-configuration-generator program, but after spending a while working on that I came to the realization that it would probably be more productive to just write a good tutorial, since there were just too many possibilities for "ok, but how do I do _______?"

If you just want to get up and running quickly, it's probably best to look at some of the user-posted XML files on windower.net under SpellCast, or if you'd like I could send you my BRD XML and explain it to you quickly, send me a PM if you're interested in that.

Maybe I'll start posting my tutorial as I write it, instead of trying to wait until it's "mostly finished"...

[ringthree]

I know this doesn't help you right this moment, but I've been writing a big SpellCast tutorial, hoping to start posting it soon. A few pages back in this thread I mentioned creating a sort of SpellCast-configuration-generator program, but after spending a while working on that I came to the realization that it would probably be more productive to just write a good tutorial, since there were just too many possibilities for "ok, but how do I do _______?"

If you just want to get up and running quickly, it's probably best to look at some of the user-posted XML files on windower.net under SpellCast, or if you'd like I could send you my BRD XML and explain it to you quickly, send me a PM if you're interested in that.

Maybe I'll start posting my tutorial as I write it, instead of trying to wait until it's "mostly finished"...

For one that just started using Spellcast and actually having written about how convoluted the process is for a non-programmer, let me just say this: THANK GOD FOR YOU.

We need a comprehensive, well written and EASY TO UNDERSTAND tutorial. Many of the user-posted XML files are good, especially Aikar's BLM one, but many are convoluted, old, confusing or broken.

[Thorny]

If exemple i have 2 char and both of them have RDM but not same gear. (dualbox)

How can i made spellcast Auto load RDM1 for char 1 and RDM2 for char2?

Eriuddo_RDM.xml
Kendra_RDM.xml
etc

furthermore, can do
Eriuddo_RDM_BLM.xml for blm sub only

[Deimos]

Eriuddo_RDM.xml
Kendra_RDM.xml
etc

furthermore, can do
Eriuddo_RDM_BLM.xml for blm sub only

Or if you're using the SpellCast 2.30 beta (which you should be, there's a lot of improvements), you can have a folder setup like this:

<Your Windower Folder>\plugins\spellcast\kendra\rdm.xml
<Your Windower Folder>\plugins\spellcast\eriuddo\rdm.xml

Or like you said, rdm_blm.xml if you want to separate outspecific subjobs. SpellCast will auto-load the right file for that character whenever you switch jobs. I believe (could be not quite right, this is just from memory) it first looks for mainjob_subjob.xml (something like rdm_blm.xml), then if it doesn't find that it looks for mainjob.xml (rdm.xml), and if it doesn't find that, it looks for charname.xml (eriuddo.xml).

[Midnightjade]

Thanks for the replies, and great to hear that a tutorial is in the works. I think I can see how it works - seems quite similar to writing macros in VisualBasic or old programming in Basic. Then everything triggers off the /ma or /ja command, right? In either typed or macro form.

I'll start with some user-created xml files and go from there. I think Deimos's BRD is already listed and seems to have similar gear to mine.

Thanks for the help.

[Deimos]

I'll start with some user-created xml files and go from there. I think Deimos's BRD is already listed and seems to have similar gear to mine.

Hmm, no, that's not me. That's "diemos", which is kind of like me, but spelled wrong.

[Ratatapa]

Or if you're using the SpellCast 2.30 beta (which you should be, there's a lot of improvements), you can have a folder setup like this:

<Your Windower Folder>\plugins\spellcast\kendra\rdm.xml
<Your Windower Folder>\plugins\spellcast\eriuddo\rdm.xml

Or like you said, rdm_blm.xml if you want to separate outspecific subjobs. SpellCast will auto-load the right file for that character whenever you switch jobs. I believe (could be not quite right, this is just from memory) it first looks for mainjob_subjob.xml (something like rdm_blm.xml), then if it doesn't find that it looks for mainjob.xml (rdm.xml), and if it doesn't find that, it looks for charname.xml (eriuddo.xml).

thx :D

[Midnightjade]

OK, I understand how to install, and I can get hold of xml files for the relevant jobs. I still have one question though, and again it's about macros.

For example, if I am on BLM and want to switch to nuking gear and cast a nuke, how do I macro it using Spellcast? Do I load the xml filename when I change jobs, and then the FFXI macro ingame reads:

/ma "Stone" <t>

Or do I not have to load the file at job change and then the macro reads:

//sc file <Name of file here>
/ma "Stone" <t>

Or do I not have to load the filename at job change and Spellcast detects it automatically? The post above mine suggests this is how it works but if so do I need a separate xml for each subjob?

Thanks. Spellcast looks very useful (and powerful) but it could really really really use a readme.txt file in the download for noncoders. This would help a ton and would probably stop most of these newb questions from being asked by folks like me. There are also no guides on use of the plugin and the only one I can find out there stops halfway through.

Thanks!

[rithridan]

Spellcast will trigger when you cast the spell, in whatever way you can cast it (through menu, through /ma "Spell" Rithridan or even using some spellcast specific abbreviations like //spell rith

IF you don't want spellcast to trigger when you cast a spell you need to type the following /raw /ma "Spell" <target>.

[Argettio]

OK, I understand how to install, and I can get hold of xml files for the relevant jobs. I still have one question though, and again it's about macros.

For example, if I am on BLM and want to switch to nuking gear and cast a nuke, how do I macro it using Spellcast? Does the FFXI macro ingame read:

/ma "Stone" <t>

and then Spellcast takes care of the rest? Or does it read:

//sc file <Name of file here>
/ma "Stone" <t>

ie do I need to tell Spellcast to load up the nuking set or does it trigger off the spell name?

Thanks. Spellcast looks very useful (and powerful) but it could really really use a readme.txt file in the download for noncoders. This would help a ton and would probably stop most of these newb questions from being asked by folks like me.

Thanks!

No you load it once when you change jobs.

Spellcast will then monitor all the your actions and each time you do something (rest, cast, ja, engage etc etc) it will check all the rule in the xml to see if it has to do anything.

If you have a rule connected to that action then it will do whatever the rule tells it to do.

To follow your stone example.

You write something like this in your xml.

<if skill="Elemental" then>
     <equip set="Nuking-set">
</if>

then you just type in your ffxi macro (or windower macro) /ma "Stone" <t>

Spellcast will see that you are casting Stone which is an elemental spell and therefore equip the set "Nuking-set".

It even works when you pick spells out of the spell list in the menu.

[Midnightjade]

Great, that makes perfect sense. Thanks a ton.

[ronin]

I am having a hell of a time using spellcast. I admit I am a total moron about, recently moving from 360 to playing on PC. First off, I am trying to make a file for my ranger that would swapping in Fenrir's earring during the night and will switch to triumph earring during the day. I am using Notepad++ but I get all sorts of errors. This has frustrated me beyond reason.

Could anyone help me with coding? I simply do not know WTF I a doing. Thanks in advance. I've tried to look at example coding but have not seen anything similar and the stuff frightens me.

[Argettio]

I am having a hell of a time using spellcast. I admit I am a total moron about, recently moving from 360 to playing on PC. First off, I am trying to make a file for my ranger that would swapping in Fenrir's earring during the night and will switch to triumph earring during the day. I am using Notepad++ but I get all sorts of errors. This has frustrated me beyond reason.

Could anyone help me with coding? I simply do not know WTF I a doing. Thanks in advance. I've tried to look at example coding but have not seen anything similar and the stuff frightens me.

Windower forums have a section just for helping people with XMLs, that would be a far better place to ask.

Also its tricky for people to debug code they can't see.

Use firefox as a xml check (this will check syntax and missing brackets type errors) before loading it ingame, this should catch 'silly mistakes'.

If it 'just isn't doing what it is supposed to' then it comes down to your rules and sets rather than your syntax.

[erdoge]

Has anyone had a problem with spellcast not loading the "idle/refresh" set after casting a spell? I only use spellcast for my blm and never had this problem before until I started playing on my laptop.
It only loads the "refresh" set after getting up from /heal but never after using JAs or spells.