OOG Tools

Vegastrike's in-cockpit navigation support (shift-M) is fairly limited. (fixme: link to docs on how to use it, esp. the "nav comp" button if it's actually useful for anything.) Improved in-game tools are one of the many things on the to-do list...

Fortunately, several players have written programs that read Vegastrike's data files. The forum has a section for Developer Tools & User Utilities. Some of the programs are old and now don't work with the current VS file formats (0.4.3 and/or latest SVN) (FIXME: make links). Worse, some authors intended to release source code, but never did before they lost interest in Vegastrike, and now their programs don't work and can't be updated to work with current versions of Vegastrike by anyone else.

General notes

It usually helps to know what information the tools have to work with when you're trying to figure out what they can and can't do. Most tools look at some of these files:

milky_way.xml: The star systems and jump network, including initial system ownership by factions, but not what planets/bases are in which system; that's generated randomly in each game, except for a few pre-defined systems like Cephid-17, or Sol.

units.csv: stats of bases, planets, ships, weapons, and upgrades

master_parts_list.csv: base prices for all ships, weapons, upgrades, and cargo.

your save game: what system you're currently in and systems you've visited. missions you're on. bases and planets in randomly generated systems.

Using these tools while playing vegastrike can be tricky. You can switch away from vegastrike, which might require that you run it windowed, or (on GNU/Linux) you could run another X server and CTRL+ALT+F8 to get to it... Or you need another console (monitor+kbd+mouse), as with a multiseat setup. Or maybe you have an old computer lying around, or a laptop, that can access your vegastrike directory over the network.

Working software

Tool: VSTrade
author: GoldenGnu
version: 0.1.0.0 (2006/09/9)
uses: 2D map display with sectors and system names. Route finding by clicking on two systems on the map.
 cargo price listings at bases and planets (not merchant ships yet).  Searching for most profitable cargo to
 carry between A & B, given cargo volume and cash limitations.  Profit analysis tables you can sort.
info from savegame: no
Free software (GPL) written in Java w/ Swing GUI. Java 1.5 required.
compatibility: 0.4.3: everything works (except the cargo bug). latest SVN (2k7/2/15): only the vegamap component works
mods: vegastrike, and others.  (FIXME: more info)
notes: includes vegamap. cargo loading is buggy (for some users?); see forum.

Tool: vegamap
author: weaselfink
version: 0.1.1 (2005/07/26)
uses: 2D map display with sectors and system names.  Route finding by clicking on two systems on the map.
info from savegame: no
Free software (GPL) written in Java w/ Swing GUI. Java 1.5 required.  
compatibility: 0.4.3 and latest SVN (as of 2k7/2/15)
mods: vegastrike, Privateer Remake, and others?  (FIXME: more info)
notes: integrated into vstrade.

Tool: VSMap3D
author: templer666
version: 1.2-20060502
uses: 3D map display. find systems by sector/name.  path finding by selecting systems by name.
info from savegame: no
Free software (GPL) written in c++ (qt4+openGL). pre-compiled win32 binaries available.
compatibility: 0.4.3 and latest SVN (as of 2k7/2/15)
mods: vegastrike, other? (FIXME: more info)
notes: runs slowly on some systems, esp. with system names on.

Tool: VSnav
author: iqAuto
version: 0.55 (2004/01). Unmaintained, so don't expect it to ever fully work with current save files.
uses: monitor save file to get current system.  2D map display.  Find system by name, or by sector/name.
 Display system faction.  Route finding with variations to show trips almost as short.
info from savegame: yes (but limited with anything newer than 0.4.2...)
freeware (no source) written in perl and compiled to an x86 GNU/Linux binary and an x86 win32 .exe.
compatibility: 0.4.3 and latest SVN (as of 2k7/2/15).
mods: vegastrike, others unknown.
notes: With 0.4.2, it could display info about in-system assets (bases and planets), 
and even search for them.  With later save files, it can only get your current location,
not what systems you've visited or any in-system assets.  I thought it froze on me when
reading current save files, but it seems to work now. (for 0.4.3 and SVN).

Non-working software

Listed here to document the fact that it's obsolete, or whatever. Otherwise people editting this page would see old stuff in the forums and have to try to see if it still works.

Tool: Vega Strike Trade News
notes: looks like author's link was broken right away and nobody ever got a copy of it.