User Preferences General Preferences

Within the General Program Preferences, you can be able to modify specific core components of the PowerShell Compact-Archive Tool as well as defining locations to external resources. Meaning, that you can be able to explicitly state if a feature can be used or disabled, or where to find specific resources within your system. Such as the following:

• Locate Project Path
  • Allows you the ability to explicitly state where the resources are to be pulled from, when compiling a new build of a game.
• Compiled Builds Output Path
  • Allows you the ability to explicitly state where the compiled builds are to be stored when finished.
• Compression Tool
  • Provides you the ability to choose which compression tool should be used within the PowerShell Compact-Archive Tool.
• Git Features
  • Allows you the ability to utilize Git-SCM features within the PowerShell Compact-Archive Tool.
• Graphical User Interface Features
  • Provides you the ability to enable or disable the use of the Windows Graphical User Interface functionalities.

Locate Project Path

In order to compile any project, you must first provide a location to the project's source that is on your machine. The project's source is usually obtained by downloading (or cloning) the project's repository from popular a site, such as GitHub, GitLab, or the like. Please review the desired project's documentation as to how the project is to be compiled.

Change the Project's Path

When providing a location to the project's resources, you should aim to the main parent directory that holds all of assets. Meaning that the PowerShell Compact-Archive Tool should be pointing at the root directory of the project's resources. Within the root folder, you should see the following assets such as, but not limited too:

• ./Textures/
• ./DECORATE/
• ./Flats/
• ./Actors/
• ./Scripts/
• ./Maps/

Compiled Builds Output Path

With this option, this will allow you to specify where the compiled builds will be stored after the PowerShell Compact-Archive Tool had finished generating the compiled builds. This, ideally, helps to centralize all of the compiled builds into one explicit location such that it is easy for you to find within your machine. Further, the PowerShell Compact-Archive Tool will categorize the compiled builds into their respective projects. As such this will help you to easily identify the builds.

Change the Compiled Builds Output Path

When providing a new location to store newly generated builds, try to aim for a clean destination such that it is easier to keep your files and builds cleanly organized. If the destination contains pre-existing files and folders, then you may run into a chance of items being overwritten by mistake.

NOTE: All previously compiled builds will not be relocated to the new location.

Compression Tool

The PowerShell Compact-Archive Tool provides you with the ability to switch from one supported compression tool to another. As such, you are able to specifically define what tool you want PSCAT to utilize while generating new game builds. Listed below is the following supported compression tools:

NOTE: This configuration is only available if PSCAT was able to detect multiple supported compression tools your machine.

• Windows Built-In Zip
  • Natively built into the Microsoft dotNET Core Framework.
  • Can only generate PK3 files.
  • Can only use Zip's deflate algorithm.
• 7Zip
  • 3rd party tool that must be downloaded and installed onto your machine.
  • Provides you with the various options and algorithms regarding how the build is generated.
  • Can generate both PK3 and PK7 files.

Git Features

The PowerShell Compact-Archive Tool supports version control using Git-SCM. With using Version Control through Git-SCM, the PowerShell Compact-Archive Tool can be able to perform specialized activities for your project's local repository. Listed below are the benefits of using Git-SCM through PSCAT:

NOTE: This configuration is only available if PSCAT was able to detect the Git-SCM application on your machine.

1. Automatically update your project's local repository against the main repository.
2. Obtain the latest commit SHA1 Hash ID from your project's local repository.
3. Retrieve a list of changes related to the project's history based on your local repository.
4. Generate a report by obtaining verbose information regarding the your project's local repository.

Graphical User Interface Features

The PowerShell Compact-Archive Tool can be able to make the environment easier to work with by providing some Graphical Interface elements as you drive the program. Understandably, working with a terminal based application may seem intimidating due to the nature of working with a console program. With using Windows' File Explorer, you can be able to work with PSCAT much easier when it comes to specialized tasks. Such as locating a specific file, highlighting one or more files, prompting confirmation, or even to provide a notification. Provided is the following features for using the Graphical User Interface through PSCAT:

1. Open a window to demonstrate a specific folder or file.
2. Alert the user by providing pop-up dialog box.
3. Provide a File or Folder browser window.
4. Automatically use your preferred web-browser to open a webpage.
5. Show a Toast Notification for major events.