Content project manifest not including files with 'Build Action' of 'Content'

[DrMiaow]

Background: I've written an Otome game interpreter in XNA/MonoGame that takes Twine files exported as .twee so these files are essentially text as well as other scripting files. More details here http://blog.metawrap.com/2014/07/29/the-game-progress-report-22/

I have a .contentproj and several.csproj.

The .contentproj contains content, some I want to put through the standard XNA Compile Importer/Processor pipeline. Most though I don't and I have them configured with a 'Build Action' of 'Content' with 'Copy To Output Directory' set to 'Copy If Newer'

So what I wanted was...

Content/script.hx Content/story.twee

... but what I got was.

Content/ *crickets*

So when I JSIL my solution the .contentproj manifest is missing any files that are 'Build Action' 'Content'.

I've tried moving some of these files to a .csproj under a 'Content' project folder but then I encountered some strangeness.

After JSIL I ended up with

Content/ *crickets* Files/Content/script.hx Files/Content/story.twee

But running the JSILed version TitleContainer.OpenStream("Content/script.hx") was not finding it.

IIS has all the correct mime types for my content.

When I build this under XNA/MonoGame I end up with ...

Content/script.hx Content/story.twee

... in the output folder.

From past experience https://github.com/mono/MonoGame/pull/2223#issuecomment-41558319 I stick to TitleContainer.OpenStream. MonoGame and Content and I have a complicated relationship. https://github.com/DrMiaow?tab=activity

In short TitleContainer.OpenStream is supported all other file access tricks are verboten, mainly it seems because of the XNA spec and the security model, So I go with the flow.

So I'm guessing that 'Files' end up being accessible via a different path?

Such as TitleContainer.OpenStream("Files/Content/script.hx") ?

I'm fine with a separate JSIL solution file and project set but I'd rather not split my content by type/path if I can avoid it.

So I ended up making a hack to JSIL.IO.js

(this is from memory - will check when I get home)

Which in effect virtually merges / into Files/ at least when called by TitleContainer.OpenStream/

Obvious issues are that

1) This is probably more likely to be useful inside resolvePath but I felt that path should reflect the remapping with a possible create there? 2) "Files/" is all configurable so "Files/' is wrong as soon as someone overrides the default.

[kg]

Did you try changing the root where files are mounted to just '/'? I think that might work here.

The interaction between content and regular files and title containers is definitely something the core XNA stubs don't handle well. Using Actual MonoGame might fix a lot for you.

I see what you were doing with files in your contentproj and it should be possible to support that.

If it's possible to get a test project that demonstrates these issues, that would be wonderful. Otherwise, I can try to assemble one myself.

[DrMiaow]

Is there an equivalent to the ContentOutputDirectory setting in the .jsilConfig settings for Files?

[kg]

fileVirtualRoot, see https://github.com/sq/JSIL/wiki/jsilConfig. It might not be able to do what you want, but I think it can, since I've had to use it before for ports.

[DrMiaow]

Managed to get something working by moving the uncompiled content into the .csproj

With the following .jsilconfig

{
  "OutputDirectory": "%configdirectory%/../../www/game/",
  "ProfileSettings": {
    "OverwriteExistingContent": true,
    "UsePNGQuant": true,
    "FileSettings": {
    }
  }
}

And the following config in the HTML file.

      var platform = "JSIL"
      var rootNamespace = "My64K.HexTheGame";     
      var clientNamespace = rootNamespace + ".Client." + platform;
      var jsilConfig = {
        printStackTrace: false,
        webgl2d: true,
        xna: 4,
        manifests: [
          clientNamespace + ".exe",
          "Content/" + clientNamespace + "Content.contentproj",
          "Files/" + clientNamespace + ".csproj"
        ],

        showProgressBar: true,
        showStats: true,

        scriptRoot: "",
        libraryRoot: "../Libraries/",
        fileRoot: "Files/",
        contentRoot: "Content/",
        fileVirtualRoot: "",
        webgl2d : true,
        readOnlyStorage : true,
      };

[kg]

Cool, glad it works!