Help! Is there any way to return a Dink.dat ??!!

Posted by scratcher on 02/20/02 - 10:17:51

I accidentaly deleted the Dink.dat file from my dmod i have been working over 1.5 years.. The map is quite big, and the dmod will go to waste of space if i can't get the map work. The map is there, but it just can't seen.. Is there any way to return/make new Dink.dat file so that the map will be shown?

Please help!!

~Scratcher

File restorer

Posted by nordfelth on 02/23/02 - 11:33:20

: I accidentaly deleted the Dink.dat file from my dmod i have been working over 1.5 years.. The map is quite big, and the dmod will go to waste of space if i can't get the map work. The map is there, but it just can't seen.. Is there any way to return/make new Dink.dat file so that the map will be shown?

: Please help!!

: ~Scratcher

I myself have Norton Systemworks installed. That contains a file-restorer (for files deleted past Recycle Bin)

If you don't have this, I bet there are ones out there on the Internet...

I suppose this would be the way with the least work ;-)

Re: Help! Is there any way to return a Dink.dat ??!!

Posted by Chrispy on 02/20/02 - 12:51:46

This may sound silly, but did you check the recycle/trash can?

Re: Help! Is there any way to return a Dink.dat ??!!

Posted by Paul on 02/20/02 - 11:14:05

: I accidentaly deleted the Dink.dat file from my dmod i have been working over 1.5 years.. The map is quite big, and the dmod will go to waste of space if i can't get the map work. The map is there, but it just can't seen.. Is there any way to return/make new Dink.dat file so that the map will be shown?

: Please help!!

: ~Scratcher

Here's what I'd do. Back up the d-mod in case this goes bad. Then copy in the dink dat from a d-mod where every room exists. Then you could either make a note of exactly which rooms yours has and make another dink.dat with exactly those rooms or or use MapNuke to delete the extra ones. Let me know if that doesn't work, I've never actually done it.

And of course, back up your d-mod again once it's working for next time this happens. ;)

Re: Help! Is there any way to return a Dink.dat ??!!

Posted by Nexis on 02/20/02 - 16:52:20

This is probably the best solution. If you do happen to have an old dink.dat use that before filling in all the screens (so fill in all the screens on that and then place it in the directory with the newest map.dat).

Chrispy did point out the obvious...checking the recycle bin though. Unfortunately that never works for me ever since I discovered the shift-delete command (bypasses recycle bin, I recommend not using it). It's a bad habit using that command that I've gotten into.

: : I accidentaly deleted the Dink.dat file from my dmod i have been working over 1.5 years.. The map is quite big, and the dmod will go to waste of space if i can't get the map work. The map is there, but it just can't seen.. Is there any way to return/make new Dink.dat file so that the map will be shown?

: : Please help!!

: : ~Scratcher

: Here's what I'd do. Back up the d-mod in case this goes bad. Then copy in the dink dat from a d-mod where every room exists. Then you could either make a note of exactly which rooms yours has and make another dink.dat with exactly those rooms or or use MapNuke to delete the extra ones. Let me know if that doesn't work, I've never actually done it.

: And of course, back up your d-mod again once it's working for next time this happens. ;)

Re: Help! Is there any way to return a Dink.dat ??!!

Posted by scratcher on 02/21/02 - 05:06:36

: This is probably the best solution. If you do happen to have an old dink.dat use that before filling in all the screens (so fill in all the screens on that and then place it in the directory with the newest map.dat).

: Chrispy did point out the obvious...checking the recycle bin though. Unfortunately that never works for me ever since I discovered the shift-delete command (bypasses recycle bin, I recommend not using it). It's a bad habit using that command that I've gotten into.

Heh, i first used that shift thing, but then i found a way to delete files right away, without even pressing shift. (i don't know if it's such a bother to hold down shift every time when deleting, but..)

I actually found a Dink.dat back-up file of the dmod from c, (Dink is on D) i don't have any clue why was it there, what was it for or anything.

It just was there. That's good though. :)

And oh, right away after i got my dmod to work again, i did a back-up copy of it in A, C, D and everywhere i could imagine. I recommend everyone else to do so also, i have already lost one dmod, and what can happen to me, can happen to everyone else also.. Bwahhahhahhaa.........

Posted by scratcher on 02/21/02 - 05:11:23

BTW, the dink.dat back-up was really old, but i just copied it into my dmod.dir and all the latest screens & stuff that i had done shew up.

That's all i did..

Thanks.

Re: More

Posted by Nexis on 02/21/02 - 23:00:30

The problem with this is that if you created any new screens since that dink.dat file was backed up you will likely have useless screens saved in the map.dat file (perhaps this is one of the reasons behind buggy map.dat files). These map squares won't ever be used or deleted.

I would note that WDE will remove these useless screens.

However, if you had filled in more map squares from that dink.dat (before loading it with the newer map.dat) then the newer screens could be saved. Although I do wonder if this would actually work or crash dinkedit upon loading since it wouldn't be able to find the some of the screens in the map.dat if you created more screens than were originally there.

Well hopefully I didn't confuse you too badly there.

And just in case you're wondering the dink.dat stores the location of each screen in the map.dat, the midi used, whether the screen is indoor or outdoor, and another statistic that was likely never implemented (always set to zero).

: BTW, the dink.dat back-up was really old, but i just copied it into my dmod.dir and all the latest screens & stuff that i had done shew up.

: That's all i did..

: Thanks.

Re: More

Posted by scratcher on 02/23/02 - 15:12:13

: The problem with this is that if you created any new screens since that dink.dat file was backed up you will likely have useless screens saved in the map.dat file (perhaps this is one of the reasons behind buggy map.dat files). These map squares won't ever be used or deleted.

I didn't have those.. And i'm sure that i have made many new screens after storing the dink.dat, so perhaps this doesn't happen always?

: I would note that WDE will remove these useless screens.

Hey, that's advertising. :)

: However, if you had filled in more map squares from that dink.dat (before loading it with the newer map.dat) then the newer screens could be saved. Although I do wonder if this would actually work or crash dinkedit upon loading since it wouldn't be able to find the some of the screens in the map.dat if you created more screens than were originally there.

: Well hopefully I didn't confuse you too badly there.

Huh.. understood, but better still read that again, just to make it sure.

: And just in case you're wondering the dink.dat stores the location of each screen in the map.dat, the midi used, whether the screen is indoor or outdoor, and another statistic that was likely never implemented (always set to zero).

Interesting, just that the Dink.dat is stored as a file that notepad can't read correctly.. So i can't take any advantage from that. Oh well.

: : BTW, the dink.dat back-up was really old, but i just copied it into my dmod.dir and all the latest screens & stuff that i had done shew up.

: : That's all i did..

: : Thanks.

Re: More

Posted by Phoenix on 02/24/02 - 10:24:47

: Interesting, just that the Dink.dat is stored as a file that notepad can't read correctly.. So i can't take any advantage from that. Oh well.

Yeah, it's easy, actually. Get the hold of a Hex editor, and edit ahead... ;)

(Not that it's recommended.. uh... nevermind, really)

Re: Help! Is there any way to return a Dink.dat ??!!

Posted by Phoenix on 02/20/02 - 10:34:38

: I accidentaly deleted the Dink.dat file from my dmod i have been working over 1.5 years.. The map is quite big, and the dmod will go to waste of space if i can't get the map work. The map is there, but it just can't seen.. Is there any way to return/make new Dink.dat file so that the map will be shown?

: Please help!!

: ~Scratcher

That's a tough one. I suppose you don't remember the order you made the maps in... if that was the case, you could've just gone through them in DinkEdit that way... I'm certain there's a way to recover the info, but not automatically. You must kind of do a try/fail here.

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