XvT Hydrospanner - Mod Manager for Star Wars: X-Wing vs TIE Fighter

A desktop WPF application for managing game modifications for Star Wars: X-Wing vs TIE Fighter.

Features

Profile Management

• Create multiple mod profiles with different configurations
• Switch between profiles easily
• Clone existing profiles
• Each profile maintains its own set of file modifications

Mod Warehouse

• Centralized repository for storing mod files
• Organize files by category (Missions, Graphics, Sound, etc.)
• Search and filter warehouse contents
• Add metadata to files (author, version, tags, description)

File Operations

• Automatic backup before applying modifications
• Apply entire profiles or individual modifications
• Revert modifications to restore original files
• Verification system to check if modifications are correctly applied

User Interface

• Dark-themed, modern interface
• Profile selector in the main window
• Navigation between different sections:
  • Profile Management: Create and edit profiles
  • Mod Warehouse: Browse and manage mod files
  • Active Modifications: View modifications in the current profile
  • Game Files Browser: Explore the game directory structure

Installation

Prerequisites

• Windows operating system
• .NET 8.0 Runtime
• Star Wars: X-Wing vs TIE Fighter installed

Building from Source

1. Open XvTHydrospanner.sln in Visual Studio 2022 or later
2. Restore NuGet packages:
   • Newtonsoft.Json (13.0.3)
   • CommunityToolkit.Mvvm (8.2.2)
3. Build the solution (F6)
4. Run the application (F5)

Usage

First Run Setup

1. Launch XvTHydrospanner
2. On first run, you'll be prompted to configure:
   • Game Install Path: Point to your Star Wars XvT installation directory
   • Warehouse Path: Location to store mod files (default: AppData)
   • Backup Path: Location for file backups (default: AppData)

Creating a Profile

1. Click the "New" button next to the profile selector
2. Enter a profile name and optional description
3. Click "Create"

Adding Files to the Warehouse

1. Navigate to "Mod Warehouse"
2. Click "+ Add File"
3. Select the file to add
4. Fill in metadata:
   • Display Name
   • Target Path (relative to game root)
   • Category
   • Description
5. Click "Add"

Adding Modifications to a Profile

1. Navigate to "Profile Management"
2. Select a profile from the list
3. Click "+ Add Modification"
4. Select a file from the warehouse
5. Verify/adjust the target path
6. Click "Add"

Applying a Profile

1. Select the desired profile from the dropdown
2. Click "▶ Apply Profile" button
3. Confirm the operation
4. The application will:
   • Create backups of original files
   • Copy mod files to game directory
   • Update modification status

Reverting a Profile

1. Select the active profile
2. Click "◀ Revert Profile" button
3. Confirm the operation
4. Original files will be restored from backups

File Structure

XvTHydrospanner/
├── Models/                    # Data models
│   ├── ModProfile.cs
│   ├── FileModification.cs
│   ├── WarehouseFile.cs
│   ├── AppConfig.cs
│   └── GameFileCategory.cs
├── Services/                  # Business logic
│   ├── ProfileManager.cs
│   ├── WarehouseManager.cs
│   ├── ModApplicator.cs
│   └── ConfigurationManager.cs
├── Views/                     # UI pages and dialogs
│   ├── ProfileManagementPage.*
│   ├── WarehousePage.*
│   ├── ActiveModsPage.*
│   ├── GameFilesBrowser.*
│   ├── NewProfileDialog.*
│   ├── SettingsWindow.*
│   ├── AddWarehouseFileDialog.*
│   └── AddModificationDialog.*
├── Styles/                    # WPF styles
│   ├── Colors.xaml
│   └── Buttons.xaml
├── Converters/                # WPF value converters
│   └── BoolToVisibilityConverter.cs
└── Resources/                 # Application resources

Data Storage

Application data is stored in:

%APPDATA%\XvTHydrospanner\
├── config.json              # Application configuration
├── Profiles\                # Profile definitions
│   └── {profile-id}.json
├── Warehouse\               # Mod file storage
│   ├── catalog.json         # Warehouse catalog
│   └── {file-id}.{ext}      # Stored mod files
└── Backups\                 # Original file backups
    └── {mod-id}_{timestamp}_{filename}

Game File Categories

The application recognizes these game file categories:

• Battle Missions: Battle mode mission files (.TIE, .LST)
• Combat Missions: Single combat missions
• Balance of Power: Expansion missions (Battle, Campaign, Training, Melee, Tournament)
• Graphics: Cockpit and visual files for different resolutions (.LFD, .INT, .PNL)
• Movies: Cutscene files (.WRK)
• Music: Music files (.VOC, .WAV)
• Sound Effects: Sound effect files
• Resources: Game resource files (.LFD)
• Configuration: Game configuration files (.CFG, .TXT)

Safety Features

• Automatic Backups: Original files are backed up before modification
• Confirmation Prompts: User confirmation required before applying changes
• Profile Isolation: Each profile maintains separate modifications
• Verification: Check if modifications match warehouse versions
• Revert Capability: Restore original files from backups

Troubleshooting

"Game path not found" error

• Verify the game install path in Settings
• Ensure you're pointing to the root XvT directory

Modifications not applying

• Check file permissions in the game directory
• Verify warehouse files exist and are not corrupted
• Ensure target paths are correct relative to game root

Profile won't delete

• Cannot delete the active profile
• Switch to another profile first

Technical Details

• Framework: .NET 8.0 with WPF
• Architecture: MVVM-inspired with service layer
• Data Format: JSON for configuration and catalogs
• File Management: Direct file system operations with backup system

Future Enhancements

Potential features for future versions:

• Import/export profiles for sharing
• Mod conflict detection
• Automatic game detection
• Batch operations
• Mod update checking
• Integration with online mod repositories
• Mission editor integration
• Graphical diff viewer for modified files

License

This is a community tool for Star Wars: X-Wing vs TIE Fighter. All Star Wars trademarks and copyrights are property of Lucasfilm Ltd. and Disney.

Credits

Developed for the Star Wars flight simulator community.

May the Force be with you!