Installing the toolset

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The Dragon Age Toolset installer comes with several pieces of third-party software that are needed for the toolset to function. They are:

  • DirectX 9.0c
  • Visual C Runtime Library
  • Microsoft SQL Server Express 2005 Edition
  • Nvidia PhysX drivers

These components will be installed along with the toolset by the toolset's installer.

Location

The first screen you'll get to after starting the installer and passing the title page is the install location selector. The toolset can only install the program into a specific subdirectory of the Dragon Age game directory, so you won't be able to alter the installation path; it's for informational purposes.

Note: MSSQL Express 2005 is bundled with this toolset and is required for it to function. Unfortunately, MSSQL Express 2005's installer has a limitation that prevents it from installing to a directory path that's longer than 58 characters.[1]

Follow the instructions on installation into a directory with a long path name for a workaround on this issue.

Components

The next screen after location has been selected is where you can choose which components to install. There are only two selectable components here; Core Resources (the toolset itself) and Microsoft SQL Server Express. To run the toolkit you'll obviously need to install the Core Resources option. SQL Server is presented as a separate option so that if you already have a database server installed on your system you can use that instead of installing a whole new one.

If you don't have an SQL server installed, or if you don't know whether you have one installed, it's safe to go with the default and install SQL Server Express. SQLServer's installer will check the existing components and, finding that all required components are already in place, won't do anything after you click "finish."

Manual database selection

If you choose not to install SQL Server Express, the installer will ask for a database server and database name to install the toolset's resource database to instead. The default server is .\BWDATOOLSET and the default database name is bw_dragonage_content.

Installation

Once you have selected these options the Dragon Age toolset will begin the installation process. This can take a while. When the install process is finished you'll be given the option to read a readme.txt file.

The toolset will create a start menu folder named "Dragon Age". The start menu folder will include a link to start the toolset, a link to the toolset's uninstaller, and a link to the toolset's external configuration utility.

The installer will write a log file in your My Documents folder. If installation fails this log file will be helpful for debugging purposes.

If you are installing over a previous version of the toolset, you may need to update the format of your old database to make it compatible with the new version of the toolset. See database migration for details.

Lightmapper

The lightmapper is the tool used to calculate lighting in level layouts. You only need to use it if you're going to be creating or modifying level layouts. The lightmapper included with the toolset requires Python to run but Python isn't currently bundled with the toolset, so if you don't already have it installed you'll need to do the following:

  1. Install Python 2.5.4
  2. Install the win32 extensions for Python 2.5
    OR
  3. Install ActiveState Python 2.5.4.4

The easiest way to do this is to download and install ActiveState python which comes with the needed extensions. Just click through the defaults on the installer and you will be ready to go. If you want to use python.org installer, maker sure to install it first, then install the win32 extensions.

  • If you don't have Python installed and try to run the lightmapper, you'll receive a standard Windows error message indicating that "EclipseRay.exe has stopped working.
  • Note for 64 bit machines: There appears to be a bug with the 64-bit version of ActiveState Python 2.5 for Windows that prevents the lightmapper from functioning. Install the 32-bit version instead, it works. The 32-bit version is the one linked above.
  • Do not install both ActivePython and Python.org. This will most likely cause you to get an Error Code 1 when rendering lightmaps.
  • If you get an error code of -1073741819 this means you either have the 64 bit version or you have a version higher than 2.5. Uninstall and use the installers from the links above.

Configuration

The external configuration utility ConfigureToolset.exe (found in the Dragon Age\tools directory) is used to configure the toolset's database connection and to tell the toolset where the game's executable is. You shouldn't need to run the configuration utility during routine usage of the toolset, and if the defaults set up by your installer work you may not need to run it at all.

The default database string is "Provider=SQLOLEDB.1;Integrated Security=SSPI;Persist Security Info=False;Initial Catalog=bw_dragonage_content;Data Source=.\SQLEXPRESS". For advanced configuration, click on the ellipsis button (Ellipsis.png) to open the data link properties window.

Uninstallation

An uninstaller shortcut is available from the same start menu folder as the toolset itself. It will autodetect the location you installed the toolset in, display it to you to confirm that this is correct, and then after you click "next" it will ask which components to uninstall.

  • Core Resources - uninstalled by default, this is the toolset itself.
  • Database - Since the uninstaller can't automatically determine if you're using SQLServer Express purposes other than just the Dragon Age toolset, SQLServer is not uninstalled automatically by default. To have the uninstaller remove the database server as well, unselect this checkbox.

The uninstaller is generated on installation and therefore isn't signed. This may cause Vista to complain under some circumstances but shouldn't affect the uninstaller's functioning.

Troubleshooting

See installation troubleshooting for a list of common problems that can occur during installation and how to correct or work around them.

If you experience a crash, logs can be found in My Documents\BioWare\Dragon Age\Toolset\logs. The log filenames will include the date on which the log file was created. Sending in a log will help greatly with bug fixing.

Documentation

Documentation is currently provided via the wiki at:

http://social.bioware.com/wiki/datoolset/