Forgot to mention this earlier: @Threepwood shared numerous functions for parsing the user interface of the EVE Online game client. Many of these support running missions, including reading the agents in the station window and information about the current solar system. You can see the new parsing functions here:
There is a new version of the AppSettings module to build configurable apps. The latest version provides more specific and more detailed error messages when parsing settings strings, so users don’t get stuck trying to figure out the configuration.
What is the AppSettings module? Many apps support configuration with an app-settings string like this:
anomaly-name = Drone Patrol
anomaly-name = Drone Horde
hide-when-neutral-in-local = yes
rat-to-avoid = Infested Carrier
The AppSettings Elm module contains functions to parse settings like these, to get the individual assignments and finally transform them into a strongly typed value that you can use in your bot decision logic:
type alias BotSettings =
{ hideWhenNeutralInLocal : AppSettings.YesOrNo
, anomalyNames : List String
, ratsToAvoid : List String
}
But the role of the AppSettings module is not limited to parsing. It also generates error messages for the user if they try to enter settings that don’t match your app.
This week I got around to examine that module and improve the messages to guide users on how to configure your app.
The parseSimpleListOfAssignments function now provides users with several new messages that are more specific than the older ones.
For example, in case we misspell the name of a setting. In this case, the app automatically identifies the most similar setting name and also lists the available setting names. Here is the full error message from parseSimpleListOfAssignments:
Failed to parse these app-settings: Unknown setting name 'rat-avoid'.
Did you mean 'rat-to-avoid'?
Here is a list of supported settings names: 'anomaly-name', 'hide-when-neutral-in-local', 'rat-to-avoid'
(In case you see a particular way of misspelling appear frequently, you could also define it as an alternative name for the same field)
I updated the example apps to use the new version of the AppSettings module. You can see the code changes here:
I got around to compiling a guide on running bots on multiple clients. It describes the most common type of multi-client support and how you use bots following this approach. You can read the full guide at https://to.botengine.org/guide/running-bots-on-multiple-game-clients
@Neled77 expanded the libraries for developing for the EVE Online game client.
Neled had a look at the EVE Online game client and collected training data for the fleet window and watchlist panel to help you keep track of other pilots:
The resulting new shortcuts to these UI elements are useful for a lot of multi-account players.
For more information about these parts of the games UI, see
https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Fleet_interface#Fleet_Watchlists
1 Like
Have you seen problems when running multiple bots at the same time?
If you saw bots messing with each other’s sending input to a game client, you will want to use this new feature.
This month, I added built-in input focus scheduling functionality to the botengine for Windows software. Input focus scheduling is a technique to resolve the contention for device input focus between multiple bots. This problem occurs when we run multiple bots requiring input focus on the operating system level in parallel. To make sure this feature is enabled for your bot instances, see the guide at https://to.botengine.org/guide/input-focus-scheduling
1 Like
@Mohano has published some functions to work with drones in EVE Online. These functions let you choose subsets of your drones to return to the bay or to launch and engage:
@Zalain and @Mohano explored how to use cloaking devices in EVE Online. One outcome was discovering new, more robust functions to check if the module is already active.
See the discussion and resulting program codes at Cloaking device in warp to 0 bot
Renaming BotEngine to BotLab
I realized that the name ‘BotEngine’ doesn’t describe well what we do here. So I’m changing it.
I started with BotEngine about six years ago. Since then, I have learned a few things. Some of these learnings made me understand that there are better names for a platform like ours.
‘BotLab’ seems a more appropriate name.
I expect this name to save new arrivals time because it better summarizes what we do: Learn about and develop bots.
How does the renaming affect you?
As part of the renaming of BotEngine to BotLab, the website address will change to botlab.org.
However, you don’t need to update programs or bookmarks right away, as the old links will continue to work for the time being.
I just deployed an update to the reactor regarding the renaming announced two months ago at BotLab Devlog - #65 by Viir
The reactor now redirects HTTP requests coming with an old domain under *.botengine.org.
If you have problems running a bot in an online session, upgrade to version 2021-08-12 (or later) of the botlab client. See the installation guide at bots/how-to-install-the-botlab-client-and-register-the-botlab-command.md at main · Viir/bots · GitHub
Introducing Elm Editor - a web-based IDE for Elm programs
We made a big step in improving development tools for bots and other apps with the introduction of Elm Editor.
In the past, we asked developers to set up tools on their machines for working on code. These tools help explore libraries, view documentation, and get feedback on our creations. For example, one crucial feature of a development environment is pointing out problems in the program code.
While these tools are very helpful, setting them up was complicated, which was a great barrier to getting started.
To solve this problem, I started developing a new web-based integrated development environment. This work began circa one year ago. Now Elm Editor has reached a level of sophistication that makes it the better choice for beginners.
Instead of installing a specific program on your system, you can use Elm Editor like any other web page in web-browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.
I updated the guides on bot development to skip the work for setting up tools and bringing readers right into the action.
The guides currently point to the instance at https://elm-editor.com
In the future, we might have a customized version that adds features specific to bot development and botlab, like configuring the bot-settings or starting a bot session directly from the editor.
Elm Editor is an open-source project organized for easy customization and deployment of custom instances. The source code lives at elm-fullstack/implement/example-apps/elm-editor at main · elm-fullstack/elm-fullstack · GitHub
To learn more about Elm Editor, its current state, and plans, have a look at the projects overview at elm-fullstack/readme.md at main · elm-fullstack/elm-fullstack · GitHub or the announcement over at Introducing Elm Editor - a web-based IDE for Elm programs - Show and Tell - Elm
First Graphical User Interface of the BotLab Client
The November releases of the BotLab client introduced the first graphical user interface.
While the functionality for automation remained the same, this new interface improved usability. Users frequently struggled with the command-line interface. The graphical interface removes friction in many use cases with more straightforward navigation and specialized visual elements.
Some of the highlights in Novembers’ version include:
- A dedicated dialog to help report a problem with a bot or share a session.
- Visual separation of the status text generated by the bot and other status information.
- Hyperlinks to help reach catalog entries and sessions.
- Dedicated controls for Devtools to import artifacts to inspect with an open file dialog.
- Dedicated dialog for installing the client.
Below is a screenshot of the view running a bot in a live session:
And here is a screenshot of the new interface to import session recordings in Devtools:
I have already updated the most popular guides to match the new UI, and the work on documentation continues to update everything for consistency.
In January, EVE Online developer @CLEMARC tirelessly tested the framework and engine and shared and analyzed session recordings to improve bot performance.
This work improved both botlab client and the frameworks for EVE Online. The botlab client evolved over several iterations in January, finally resulting in version 2022-01-25: Improve response times for agent tasks from bot in play session · Viir/bots@6577a13 · GitHub
The performance improvements in the client also removed blockers that could delay the execution of tasks started by a bot.
On the framework side, we improved readability and introduced unique task IDs so that bot developers can easily track tasks in inspection tools.
For the changelog of the botlab client, see History for guide/how-to-install-the-botlab-client-and-register-the-botlab-command.md - Viir/bots · GitHub
@Abaddon introduced support for Korean localizations of EVE Online. This change enables bots to understand the game state better when working with a game client in the Korean version.
Software like bots and local monitors often use textual labels in the game client to understand what is going on in the game world. These labels can vary depending on the language settings in the game client.
Abbadon shared multiple sessions with training data for Korean, enabling the use of apps with Korean EVE Online game clients.
For more details on the development, see the discussion at I want to add Korean support on eve online bot. What should I do?
In September and October, the user interface of the BotLab client evolved fast. Most importantly, the last few months saw the introduction of a new graphical user interface (GUI). The new GUI is a complete rewrite and replacement of the previous GUI. Based on a new technical foundation, it enables more efficient development and, as a result, the addition of functionality that reduces the complexity for gamers and bot developers.
Transitioning from the main menu into the session review is already much easier in the new version: The DevTools views are now inside the main window, so switching to a separate window is no longer necessary.
And for bots working on websites, there was another addition simplifying the usage of these bots: As of version ‘2022_10_23’, the interface for bots supports opening a web browser window directly inside the BotLab window. This new way of hosting web browser instances brings several benefits: Since the web browser component is integrated with the BotLab client, the separate download and waiting period when starting a bot is now obsolete. And when running many bots at the same time, the integration helps us see which browser window belongs to which bot instance.
When comparing the BotLab client from August to the newest one, you will also see a striking difference in the colors. While reimplementing all the views in the BotLab client, I also made the visuals consistent with other BotLab GUIs, like the one in the Reactor.
One of my favorite improvements in DevTools last month was supporting using the up-and-down arrow keys to scroll through the timeline: No need anymore to move your mouse for that: Press ‘up’ or ‘down’ to get to the previous or next event in the timeline.
Many thanks to the early adopters who helped test the new interface and squash bugs over the last weeks.
I hope you enjoy the simplified workflows and improved usability with the new interface.
As always, I am keen to hear about your experience, as these reports enable me to make bot development even easier in the future.
In December, we reached another milestone in the evolution of the interface to run bots. In November, we already reported on the new graphical interface to run bots. The latest update expands that graphical interface with controls to configure bot sessions. You can see the expansion in version 2022-12-10 and later of the BotLab client: After selecting a bot to run, you will arrive in the new ‘Configure Session’ view. Here you can customize the parameters of the new session, including the bot settings, to customize the behavior of the selected bot.
Despite the addition of the graphical interface for session configuration, you don’t need to change existing scripts or integrations to start a bot via the command line: The new interface will then reflect the arguments given with the command to start the process.
A significant improvement regarding bot settings is the new live feedback: Since the settings language is specific to the selected bot, it sometimes takes a few tries to find the right prompt for your situation. The new interface makes it easier to refine the bot settings prompt: After entering a prompt, the interface shows you the response of the bot right away. This response shows if the bot understood the prompt, so you know if you need to rephrase it. Since the response from the bot is displayed inline, you can see if it works without having to start a session.
You can also see a quick overview of the new graphical interface in this video, showing the complete process of running a bot:
Are you looking to automate fleet mining in EVE Online? This week, Marcos Macedo published a new fleet mining bot to do just that.
You can now find the fleet mining bot at https://catalog.botlab.org/8de40468ea
Per our contributor reward program, Marcos also received one million credits for this contribution.
Thank you Marcos!
Marcos did it again. Over the last two months, Marcos Macedo contributed many improvements to EVE Online, demonstrating how to automate tasks in the game.
Following is a list of some of Marcos’ recent contributions:
- Repairing the ship before undocking: https://github.com/Viir/bots/pull/72 (https://github.com/Viir/bots/commit/9e9b3a13a9c3098bd3434e683627a28cc7254013)
- Make the bot dock when it is out of drones: https://github.com/Viir/bots/pull/64
- Make it easier to check whether a ship module is stopping (active and glowing red): https://github.com/Arcitectus/Sanderling/pull/80 (https://github.com/Arcitectus/Sanderling/commit/50fc2cb85250ec932142aae01a5bfe4d0fbbaabe)
- Collecting training data for labels in the repair shop window: https://github.com/Viir/bots/issues/71
- Make it easier to check for imminent EVE Online cluster shutdown, parsing the ‘quick message’ UI elements: https://github.com/Arcitectus/Sanderling/pull/78 (https://github.com/Arcitectus/Sanderling/commit/fca7a48f447fc05fccc1ef081e6bd96a6cb3c579)
These new examples and building blocks make it even easier for developers to make their bots more robust and efficient.
Per our contributor reward program, Marcos received three million credits in rewards for his recent work.
Thank you, Marcos, for improving the experience in EVE Online even further!
1 Like
We have made several improvements to the BotLab client recently.
Thanks to @Abaddon, we improved storage efficiency, and disk usage for the play session recordings is reduced by more than 90 percent in most cases compared to the earlier versions.
The February release brings some visible changes. The new main menu lists recent play sessions as an easier way to open a past session again for review or further processing.
I also overhauled the summary view in the play session for better readability:
As always the latest version of the BotLab client is available for download at https://to.botlab.org/guide/how-to-install-the-botlab-client
Thank you all for the continued feedback!
There is a new release of the BotLab client to improve support for running multiple bots on the same (virtual) machine. The play session configuration now offers to turn off the input focus scheduling feature:
When you use separate RDP sessions to isolate bot instances from each other, input focus scheduling is not necessary for these sessions. Therefore, turning it off in these cases is better to avoid unnecessary delays of your bot’s actions in the game clients.
I also updated the guide at https://to.botlab.org/guide/input-focus-scheduling accordingly.
Version 2024-04-07 of the BotLab client software massively improves runtime performance in DevTools. This speedup is most noticeable when the play session timeline shows many thousand events. Several optimizations in the timeline’s rendering code improved performance here and reduced delays and waiting times.
If you have experienced sluggish UI responses when working with long play sessions, I recommend you update to the latest version.