NML:Getting started
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NML is a a python-based compiler, capable to compile NML files (along with their associated language, sound and graphic files) into grf and / or nfo files. Windows users can install the windows binary which contains a binary which bundles all required libraries. Users on other OS need to install them separately, best by means of their packet manager. In order to work, the following items are required:
- python
- any version from 2.5 through 2.7 will do, but not 3.x
- downloadable from from http://www.python.org/)
- Advise for windows users: apparently you can prevent a lot of problems by installing the 32bit version of python, even if you have a 64bit windows installation. Installing PIL might be troublesome if you do install the 64bit version of python.
- python image library
- downloadable from http://www.pythonware.com/products/pil/
- ply
- downloadable from http://www.dabeaz.com/ply/
- NML itself
- the latest (nightly) build can be downloaded from http://bundles.openttdcoop.org/nml/nightlies/LATEST/
If you don't install these with the packet manager of your choice (or there is none like on windows and you don't use the pre-compiled binary file), you should install these libraries as well as NML itself using python setup.py install from your command prompt.
OS X users: do not use PIL and PLY from Macports. They may not work properly. Install from downloads using the links above. Follow the instructions in the PIL readme carefully, it is prone to failing if you don't. You'll need GCC to build PIL, it's part of Apple developer tools on your OS X install DVD.
To verify that everything is installed, enter nmlc --version in your command line. This should output the version of NML as well as the version of the installed libraries.
Examples for small NML "projects" are found in the examples and regression folder of NML. Generally it's assumed that the language files are in a separate language folder lang, thus a simple project may look like this:
mynewgrf.nml graphics.png funny_sound.wav lang/english.lng
The compiler itself nmlc is a command line tool and can take a number of parameters, at least the nml filename which it shall process, e.g. nmlc mynewgrf.nml will compile your nml file into the grf-file mynewgrf.grf.
The full syntax is:
Usage: nmlc [options] <filename>
Where <filename> is the nml file to parse
Options:
--version show program's version number and exit
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-d, --debug write the AST to stdout
-s, --stack Dump stack when an error occurs
--grf=<file> write the resulting grf to <file>
--nfo=<file> write nfo output to <file>
-M output a rule suitable for make describing the
graphics dependencies of the main grf file (requires
input file or --grf)
--MF=<file> When used with -M, specifies a file to write the
dependencies to
--MT=<file> target of the rule emitted by dependency generation
(requires -M)
-c crop extraneous transparent blue from real sprites
-u save uncompressed data in the grf file
--nml=<file> write optimized nml to <file>
-o <file>, --output=<file>
write output(nfo/grf) to <file>
-t <file>, --custom-tags=<file>
Load custom tags from <file> [default:
custom_tags.txt]
-l <dir>, --lang-dir=<dir>
Load language files from directory <dir> [default:
lang]
-a <dir>, --sprites-dir=<dir>
Store 32bpp sprites in directory <dir> [default:
sprites]
--default-lang=<file>
The default language is stored in <file> [default:
english.lng]
--start-sprite=<num> Set the first sprite number to write (do not use
except when you output nfo that you want to include in
other files)
-p <palette>, --palette=<palette>
Force nml to use the palette <pal> [default: ANY].
Valid values are 'DOS', 'WIN', 'ANY'
