EQWatcher Advanced Documentation -- Program version 0.960 (Beta 6R2) - Jan 16, 2002

This documentation will be available both at the EQWatcher web site and with each installation of EQWatcher.  Online documentation may be newer, so refer to the date and version number at the top and make sure you're not reading outdated information.  Note that the "Program version" number could indicate that your copy of EQWatcher Advanced may be too old to use some features that the documentation was updated for.

Sections of documentation that are not in place mean that functionality is incomplete.

If you have trouble understanding parts of the documentation or have other comments or suggestions please email me or post on the message boards.  I receive very little comments on documentation or any other aspect of EQWatcher Advanced, even though there have been over 200 downloads of the beta versions.  Without your comments I cannot make the documentation easier to understand, or make EQWatcher easier to used.  As you can see from the message boards, I actively encourage, thank, and respond to any and all messages directed toward me.  It is a very easy thing to do, since there's almost no comments even with thousands of people using it -- please make it tougher in the future.  I made the print gigantic above so maybe I could get some direction on what people want to see, or even get the will to keep updating EQWatcher Advanced (I lose it when I get no bug reports on obvious bugs, or when I see hundreds of downloads and an empty email box).

What is EQWatcher Advanced?

EQWatcher Advanced is a wonderful utility designed to run in the background as you play EQ -- it interprets the chat log, and notes file.  What makes this program so wonderful is that it gives audio responses, in the form of CD player, .WAV's, MP3's (using WinAMP), and even Text-to-Speech (using Microsoft SAPI).  This is no ordinary sound player, however.  EQWatcher Advanced is a command interpreter much like the Windows operating system you're using right now.  This means it can process information in many ways, and give meaningful audio.  For example: your character's damage per second, your character's movement speed.  EQWatcher Advanced is NOT, however, a macroing program, hacking or cracking program, or a packet sniffing program.  All of the information EQWatcher Advanced uses can be found in simple text files in your EQ directory, which you can browse through any time you wish.

PLEASE NOTE: Most (if not all) of the .WAV sounds that EQWatcher 1.76 users are used to are now implemented.  Some new functionality, such as navigation, currently uses only Text-to-Speech (TTS).  The final version of EQWatcher Advanced will include .WAV alternatives for the existing TTS.

NOTE TO BETA USERS: The format of TRIGGER and TIMER adding (for the core functionality) has been CHANGED in Beta 6.  This has been done to allow them to run commands as "sound info" the same way EQWatcher 1.76 used to.  All command files will need to be updated accordingly.  Scripts need no modification.

General EQWatcher Concepts

Is This Safe?

  1. The universal question: Does this violate the EULA from Verant/Sony?
  2. How do I know this program doesn't send out my password?

Installation

  1. System Requirements
  2. Installing EQWatcher Advanced
  3. Installing Text-to-Speech

The Basics -- Usage of Built-in Functionality

  1. The EQWatcher Advanced Window and initial setup
  2. Sending Commands to EQWatcher Advanced
  3. Miscellaneous Commands
  4. Channels (Tells, Group chat, Guild chat, etc.)
  5. Combat
  6. WinAMP
  7. Loot Tracking
  8. Navigation
  9. Pronunciation Guides (Making Text-to-Speech pronounce names, etc correctly)
  10. Converting from EQWatcher 1.76 to EQWatcher Advanced (also known as how to make the triggers and timers you want)
  11. Script Management

EQWatcher Anatomy -- Using triggers, timers, aliases, scripts, and command files

  1. Triggers
  2. Timers
  3. Aliases
  4. Scripts
  5. Command Files

Venturing into the Unknown -- EQWatcher Advanced Scripting Language

  1. Variables
  2. Constants
  3. Identifiers
  4. Functions
  5. Comments
  6. Statements (If-then-else, #include, mathematics, etc)
  7. Predefined variables and constants
  8. Built-in Functions - only currently working functions are listed in these categories, the rest will be added as completed.  They are all being worked on :)
    1. Media (playing sounds)
    2. Text-to-Speech
    3. WinAMP
    4. File I/O
    5. Internet
    6. Triggers
    7. Timers
    8. String manipulation
    9. Mathematics
    10. EQWatcher
    11. Miscellaneous
  9. Using the compiler

Bridge over Troubled Waters -- Troubleshooting

Until this section is done, refer to existing pages of this documentation or to the EQWatcher web site, particularly the message boards.  Feel free to post any comments, questions, suggestions, bug reports, problems, anything at all there or email me.

 

Disclaimers

I am not a representative of Sony Online Entertainment or Verant Interactive.  WinAMP support was coded using Winamp frontend/plug-in control API written by Justin Frankel (January 8 1999).  I am also not a representative of Nullsoft or any other Winamp-related business.  Nor am I a representative of Microsoft.  Therefore EverQuest is not mine, WinAMP is not mine, Windows and SAPI are not mine.  EQWatcher is mine.   EQWatcher is provided free of charge and does not generate a cent of profit.  Not even from ads.  Banner ads and popup ads are an unfortunate annoyance but a necessary evil, since the entire EQWatcher web site is hosted by services that offer free hosting in exchange for the annoying banners (with the exception of olwleague, thanks goes to Rogean for allowing use of this mirror).