NML:Getting started
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What is NML?
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 have two choices: install the dependencies manually as described above, for use with the python version that ships with OS X. Or install everything from macports, including a new python version (using macports eases upgrading). However using macports to install the dependencies for the bundled system python is likely to fail.
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>
--md5=<file> Write an md5sum of 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]
--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'
--quiet Disable all warnings. Errors will be printed normally.
-n, --no-cache Disable caching of sprites in .cache[index] files,
which may reduce compilation time.
Installing manually
We assume that you have a python setup (2.5 ... 2.7) where the distutils are available so that setup.py can be executed. You'll additionally need a gcc compiler in your path. On linux it is strongly recommended to use your package manager to install these packages.
Install PLY
This is easy. Get the library from the link as mentioned above. Install it from the unpacked PLY directory via
sudo python setup.py install
Install the Python Imaging Library (PIL)
Get the library from the above mentioned link (the source kit for PIL 1.1.7). From the PIL source directory, test the setup for all available dependencies:
python setup.py build_ext -i
You should get an output like which concludes with a summary of the available dependencies:
PIL 1.1.7 SETUP SUMMARY -------------------------------------------------------------------- --- TKINTER support available --- JPEG support available --- ZLIB (PNG/ZIP) support available --- FREETYPE2 support available --- LITTLECMS support available --------------------------------------------------------------------
If you're missing zlib or jpeg support, install those libraries, too.
If that build shows everything available, test the setup:
python selftest.py
A successful selftest will result in
-------------------------------------------------------------------- PIL 1.1.7 TEST SUMMARY -------------------------------------------------------------------- Python modules loaded from ./PIL Binary modules loaded from ./PIL -------------------------------------------------------------------- --- PIL CORE support ok --- TKINTER support ok --- JPEG support ok --- ZLIB (PNG/ZIP) support ok --- FREETYPE2 support ok --- LITTLECMS support ok -------------------------------------------------------------------- Running selftest: --- 57 tests passed.
If all is successful, finally install the library:
sudo python setup.py install
Install NML
Now, that you have installed ply and pil, then you can install NML from the unpacked nml directory:
sudo python setup.py install
Syntax highlighting
For a few editors there exist syntax highlighting rules, see the DevZone documents for details. There are rules for
