OXP howto plist - Revision history

Cholmondely: Added summary at the top

2026-05-17T07:41:35Z

Added summary at the top

Phkb: Updating BB links

2024-02-29T02:17:11Z

Updating BB links

Cholmondely: Added Links

2023-03-16T11:44:58Z

Added Links

Cholmondely: /* Finding mistakes */ Added note

2023-03-06T12:59:16Z

‎Finding mistakes: Added note

Cholmondely: Added link to OXP Verifier, structure

2021-10-06T17:49:35Z

Added link to OXP Verifier, structure

Cholmondely: Tagged as Legacy scripting

2021-08-09T09:47:00Z

Tagged as Legacy scripting

ADCK: /* shipdata.plist */ fixed link

2010-05-21T05:20:04Z

‎shipdata.plist: fixed link

Commander McLane: added category Oolite scripting

2009-09-08T12:39:29Z

added category Oolite scripting

Murgh: insert for Ahruman's overview

2006-07-04T00:22:12Z

insert for Ahruman's overview

Murgh: /* example 2 */ typo

2006-01-31T11:05:57Z

‎example 2: typo

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:41, 17 May 2026
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		+	There are 32 different possible .plists in Oolite OXPs - each adding to/overriding the vanilla game code. They need to go in specific folders in the OXPs. <br> See [[OXP howto]] (structure) for the list.
	[[Image:plist-XML-ASCII-ill.png\|thumb\|right\|300px\|the plist formats, XML and ASCII]]		[[Image:plist-XML-ASCII-ill.png\|thumb\|right\|300px\|the plist formats, XML and ASCII]]
	== plist ==		== plist ==

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 == Finding mistakes ==
-[http://aegidian.org/bb/viewtopic.php?p=69589#p69589 Macs use Cocoa to parse property lists, while other platforms use GNUstep. Their parsers work differently and are sensitive to different errors.] - see post above, too!
+[https://bb.oolite.space/viewtopic.php?p=69589#p69589 Macs use Cocoa to parse property lists, while other platforms use GNUstep. Their parsers work differently and are sensitive to different errors.] - see post above, too!
 === OXP Verifier ===
 A cross-platform utility for finding errors in some of the plists.

@@ Line 217: / Line 217: @@
 Place your shipdata and your script or planetinfo into the ''Config'' folder which, along with ''Textures'' and ''Models'', is placed in a folder to be named '''billboard.oxp'''. These are just a very few of the plist options for a model OXP, but enough to introduce an entity into the game universe.
 [[Category:Oolite]]
 [[Category:Oolite scripting]] [[Category:Legacy scripting]]

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 == Finding mistakes ==
 === OXP Verifier ===
 A cross-platform utility for finding errors in some of the plists.

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 A good way to learn the correct way to make plists, is to examine the ones found within Oolite and working OXPs. The format is ideal to freely copy/paste items between various lists, and alter them as desired.  This also minimizes the chance of little parser errors.
-== Correcting with '''plutil''' (Macintosh Terminal) ==
+== Finding mistakes ==
 Since a very small mistake is enough to stop a plist from being accepted, it's important to be exact about every letter and sign. The Mac Terminal utility has a very practical tool for catching parser errors. After opening Terminal, simply type '''plutil''', add one space, and drag and drop the plist in question onto the Terminal window. This will cause the 'address' of the plist to be shown.  Hit return, and Terminal will reveal whether or not the plist is OK.  If it's not, you will be given a clue to what is wrong, and the line number of the error.
-== Basic Examples  ==
+== Basic Examples of plists ==
 The plists for a very simple OXP, for instance one containing a space advertising billboard, could contain this:

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:47, 9 August 2021
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	[[Category:Oolite]]		[[Category:Oolite]]
−	[[Category:Oolite scripting]]	+	[[Category:Oolite scripting]] [[Category:Legacy scripting]]

@@ Line 74: / Line 74: @@
 This is the only mandatory plist inside folder ''Config'', to accompany the model named billboard1.dat in ''Models'', and billboard1_texture.png in ''Textures'', which would complete the minimal billboard.oxp, placing a slow spinning, lifeless object into the game.
-Because ''roles'' contains asteroid(0.05), this should cause our billboard to have a rare (and weird) appearance in the middle of an [[asteroid]] field.  This is a little awkward and not much chance of seeing our model frequently, so we would make a small addition to ''roles''.
+Because ''roles'' contains asteroid(0.05), this should cause our billboard to have a rare (and weird) appearance in the middle of an [[Asteroid_(Oolite)|asteroid]] field.  This is a little awkward and not much chance of seeing our model frequently, so we would make a small addition to ''roles''.
         <key>roles</key>
@@ Line 80: / Line 80: @@
 and include another plist in order to force an appearance of our model.  This by either a [[script.plist]] or [[planetinfo.plist]].
 === ''[[script.plist]]'' ===

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:39, 8 September 2009
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	[[Category:Oolite]]		[[Category:Oolite]]
		+	[[Category:Oolite scripting]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[Image:plist-XML-ASCII-ill.png|thumb|right|300px|the plist formats, XML and ASCII]]
-== To Begin ==
+== plist ==
-To begin making a Property List, all one needs is a text editor and a purpose. Although any text editor will do, it is helpful to use a specialized plist editor (such as Sub Etha Edit or PlistEdit Pro for the Mac, Vim for Linux/Windows).
+*[[Property lists]] A more detailed look at the ASCII and XML formats.
- <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+To begin making an Oolite plist, all one needs is a text editor and a purpose. Many text editors will do the job, but it is helpful to use a specialized plist editor (such as Sub Etha Edit or PlistEdit Pro for the Mac, Vim for Linux/Windows).
-There is no better way to learn the correct way to make plists, than to examine the ones found within Oolite and working OXPs. The format lends itself to easily copy/paste desired items, and change them as fancied.  This also minimizes the chance of little parser errors.
+A good way to learn the correct way to make plists, is to examine the ones found within Oolite and working OXPs. The format is ideal to freely copy/paste items between various lists, and alter them as desired.  This also minimizes the chance of little parser errors.
-== Correcting with PLUTIL (Macintosh) ==
+== Correcting with '''plutil''' (Macintosh Terminal) ==
 Since a very small mistake is enough to stop a plist from being accepted, it's important to be exact about every letter and sign. The Mac Terminal utility has a very practical tool for catching parser errors. After opening Terminal, simply type '''plutil''', add one space, and drag and drop the plist in question onto the Terminal window. This will cause the 'address' of the plist to be shown.  Hit return, and Terminal will reveal whether or not the plist is OK.  If it's not, you will be given a clue to what is wrong, and the line number of the error.
 == Basic Examples  ==
@@ Line 31: / Line 22: @@
   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-  <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
+  <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "<nowiki>http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
-  <plist version="1.0">
+  <plist version="1.0"></nowiki>
   <dict>
      <key>billboard1</key>
@@ Line 98: / Line 89: @@
   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-  <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
+  <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "<nowiki>http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
-  <plist version="1.0">
+  <plist version="1.0"></nowiki>
   <dict>
      <key>billboard_at_witchpoint</key>
@@ Line 145: / Line 136: @@
 === ''[[planetinfo.plist]]'' ===
-As the above scripts are a very general method of summoning our entity (although scripts could easily be a great deal more specific!), the [[planetinfo.plist]] gives an easy oportunity to be specific within a system. Used for many things including customizing planets and system data, its also simple to add [[script_actions]] for an entity appearance.
+As the above scripts are a very general method of summoning our entity (although scripts could easily be a great deal more specific!), the [[planetinfo.plist]] gives an easy oportunity to be specific within a system. Used for many things including customizing planets and system data, its also simple to add [[Shipdata.plist#script_actions|script_actions]] for an entity appearance.
 ==== example 1 ====
@@ Line 187: / Line 178: @@
 Note that coordinates such as these are not interchangable between planets, as stations will be located at different places from system to system.
-== WrapUp ==
+==== example 3 ====
-So put your shipdata and your script or planetinfo into the ''Config'' folder which, along with ''Textures'' and ''Models'', is placed in a folder to be named '''billboard.oxp'''. These are just a very few of the plist options for a model OXP, but enough to introduce an entity into the game universe.
+Place your shipdata and your script or planetinfo into the ''Config'' folder which, along with ''Textures'' and ''Models'', is placed in a folder to be named '''billboard.oxp'''. These are just a very few of the plist options for a model OXP, but enough to introduce an entity into the game universe.
 [[Category:Oolite]]

@@ Line 183: / Line 183: @@
-This is unnecessarily complex for a virgin planetinfo experiment, but goes to show how specific one may be. In this case, ''addSystemShips'' is replaced with ''addShipsAt'', and what follows is a quite exact destination using the ''coordinate scheme'' (as described in [[Methods]]) . The numbers following '''pwm''' plots a point very close to the Lave station buoy, and using ''addShipsAtPrecisely'' would do so to even more exactl degree.  To see the pwm coordinates at any time in space, press ''shift-f''.
+This is unnecessarily complex for a virgin planetinfo experiment, but goes to show how specific one may be. In this case, ''addSystemShips'' is replaced with ''addShipsAt'', and what follows is a quite exact destination using the ''coordinate scheme'' (as described in [[Methods]]) . The numbers following '''pwm''' plots a point very close to the Lave station buoy, and using ''addShipsAtPrecisely'' would do so to an even more specific degree.  To see the pwm coordinates at any time while flying in space, press '''shift-f'''.
 Note that coordinates such as these are not interchangable between planets, as stations will be located at different places from system to system.
 == WrapUp ==