How to Use "Load Log, Fast Forward, and Append" to Merge Multiple Logs?

Technical Support & Bugs
1

Hi - new user here, apologies for my lack of understanding…

I have a bunch of log files from a recent game on Vassal, I’d like to append them together into a single Log file so I can share a single log file with another interested party who wants to see how the game unfolded…

So I see there is a “Load Log, Fast Forward, and Append” option under Tools - however, after much experimenting I am unable to get it to do what I need to do. For example, I tried loading the first log file, then immediately selected “Begin Logfile” and created a new name for my consolidated log, then selected “Load Log, Fast Forward, and Append Log” under Tools, selected the second Log in replay sequence, I get a popup which says “You are writing a logfile. Save now?” if I select Yes, then it says “Append Commencing. Start new Logfile?” - if I say Yes then it wants to know the name of the new Logfile… I want it to be the new name I already specified… and when I open this new file, it does not have the contents of the first log. If I say “No” I get the message “Log fast-forwarded but no logging started. Remember to begin new logfile if you wish to append” in the dialogue area. I then start a new Logfile but it doesnt capture the two “consolidated” Logs.

What am I doing wrong? Or, to put in another way, I’d be very grateful if someone would layout the exact steps I need to do to consolidate multiple Logs into one Log using the menu command(s) (there are approx 200 Logs in total I wish to merge into a single Log)

Thanks in advance! Jerry

2

I have to admit that I get wrapped around the axle a bit every time I come back to these features and what they do–and I’ve probably advised people incorrectly in the past as a result. But I’ve tested them all just now and have a minimum viable solution, even though it’s differing from my probably faulty memory.

Here’s what the different choices do:

Load Log and Fast Forward: this opens the logfile you supply and skips directly to the end. The common use case is: opponent sent you something and you want to power through it ignoring all the step-by-step and get to the jumping off point for your own logging.

Load Log, Fast Forward, and Append: after loading a log you supply, it first prompts with “Append commencing. Start new Logfile?” If you say yes, you name a new logfile that will get created and are immediately put into logging mode with anything you do getting tacked on to the end of the original log’s sequence. Think of this like for fixing a log with a couple things you forgot in a somewhat lengthy log and you don’t want to redo everything or create a separate “fixes” supplementary logfile.

Now on to your use case–stitching many logs into one grand unified log. You can start with Load Log, Fast Forward, and Append, but only for the very first of the logfiles. After you’ve answered the prompt and chosen where to save your shiny new GrandUnifiedLogfile.vlog and you’re sitting there ready to start appending things, you get to start using what @Cattlesquat likes to call the “playing with uninsulated wires” feature–Load Continuation.

Choose Tools → Load Continuation. Feed it the second logfile of your series. At this point you lose out on the fast-forward-to-the-end capability, unfortunately. You’re either clicking the toolbar button a hozillion times or holding down whatever key is associated with advancing a step in a logfile (by default this is usually PgDn, but it’s configurable by module editors and may be something else). Note the title bar of the VASSAL window at this point–while you’re advancing through log 2, it will have the name of that logfile followed by “REPLAYING”. It will change to “replay done” when you reach the end. Tools → Load Continuation again, feed it the third logfile, rinse and repeat until you reach the end, and at long last: File → End Logfile

You’ll probably see a very scary looking warning the first time you use Load Continuation. The reason is simply that it’s highly prone to user error. If you have dozens of logfiles to combine, you’re going to want to be extremely meticulous–Load Continuation has no guardrails at all. Unlike the other two “Load Logfile” options, it’s not substituting in the beginning state of the log you choose–it’s using the game state you currently have on the screen and just modifying from that based on the actions in the supplied log. If you skip a file in your intended sequence, it won’t warn you. If you forget to advance to the end of a log and move on to the next one, it won’t warn you. If you load a log from a completely different game, it won’t warn you. You probably get the drift. Uninsulated wires.

Bonne chance!

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Thanks for the prompt reply. So bare wire time it is then! Looks like I’ll be stepping through log files for weeks lol.

Cheers - Jerry

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JoelCFC25 et al,

Related question. I get PBEM files from my opponents that are just their moves. No past history from my last turn. I do that too now, because it led to some confusion in the past for those that do not do that. I assume they are (and I know I am) just Load Log and Fast Forward and start a new log file which does not carry my past moves forward the way “append” does, by design. BUT, I think it is theoretically possible to make one “GrandUnifiedGameFile.vlog” from the start if we just Load Log, Fast Forward, and Append every single time, correct?

Seems to me that is the entire design of VASSAL. One can have one single file, and go backwards and forwards in the entire PBEM game via the +/- buttons for the game turn. This way, avoiding the “uninsulated wires” method to put the whole game back together. Plus, I bet (or have vaguely seen) that is may still produce errors if you zoom past where you actually are in the game (and say it counts a VP for convoys or Uboats or something that happens once a year). If you back up or cycle all the way forward again, there are not the smarts in the VASSAL to fix it. It just has a goofed up VP count you have to re-hand adjudicate (I think). That is what it seems to do when I muck with the +/- turn count button.

Any advice? [basic question repeated: Is the Load Log, Fast Forward, and Append the right method to make one entire log file? Hence the built in “fast forward” when loading so one does not have to shuffle through it?

I appreciate your help

5

That was what I was trying to do but after the first appended log, I got stuck in a “Save Game” or “Begin New Logfile” madness from which there appeared no exit. This is what Joel confirmed in para 4 of his response " Now on to your use case–stitching many logs into one grand unified log. You can start with Load Log, Fast Forward, and Append , but only for the very first of the logfiles. After you’ve answered the prompt and chosen where to save your shiny new GrandUnifiedLogfile.vlog and you’re sitting there ready to start appending things, you get to start using what @Cattlesquat likes to call the “playing with uninsulated wires” feature–Load Continuation ."

ie you must use the “Load Continuation” option after the first two logs have been concatenated together.

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I wish this were true, but alas it’s not. You can test it yourself, but here’s how it plays out:

I have a series of 4 logs I know to be sequential.

  1. To start, Load Log, Fast Forward, and Append and choose the first log.
  2. Prompt: “Append commencing. Start new Logfile?”
  • Choose Yes.
  • Start writing new file: LogCombined.vlog
  1. Message: “Log fast-forwarded for appending. The new log being written will begin from the original state of the loaded log, with anything done from this point appended.” Title bar includes “LOGGING”, so my session of writing to a file is still open. It seems like all’s well so far, but…
  2. Try Load Log, Fast Forward, and Append, choose 2nd log in sequence.
  3. Prompt: “Game modified. Save game?” with choices: Cancel, No, Yes

This is where it all goes sideways. If you choose:

Cancel: you get a message saying “Game loaded but included no logging information. New logfile will start from this point.” Logging is still running, but there’s nothing to step through, so you haven’t appended anything (nor can you) to what you had going.

No: get a prompt titled Unsaved Log: “You are writing a logfile. Save now?” Whether you choose yes or no here, you go to Step 2 above with the “Append commencing. Start new Logfile?” prompt.

Yes: This forks you into writing a .vsav to disk. When that’s done, you get the Unsaved Log: “You are writing a logfile. Save now?” prompt. If you say no, you abandon all logging with no logfile created. If you say yes, you go back into the “Append commencing. Start new Logfile?” loop.

I would love to be shown to be wrong and that there’s a way to get automagic fast-forwarding bundled into the “stitch together logs” process. Maybe someone will come along and show it, so far I cannot see how it can work.

The key distinction is that both Load Log and Fast Forward and Load Log, Fast Forward, and Append are replacing what you currently have on screen with the initial game state of what’s in the file you choose–bringing up the “hey, something’s changing here–want to save?” dialogs. Load Continuation preserves the game state you currently have and will let you add/modify from that point.

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Joel, I partially understand that - so I will give it a try and see what I get. I think you are correct, with the “continuation” being the key word, vice “append.” Well, I will see what happens and get back to you. Thank you for the explanation. Your other reply to madmike was extremely helpful regardless.

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Okay, well, I am getting a very different result.

BUT – I now realize that I am working a different problem than you and madmike are.

I am trying to get another player to append each time we send the file PBEM so that it makes one giant log as we go. You guys are trying to stack together a bunch of separate turns in the same game already played and saved.

For my case, the append process seems to work as designed — BUT for me there is a real caveat which is: I am trying the Load Log, Fast Forward, and Append function, but in my testing I can only see one side (as I am playing the CP). This should work passing the file back and forth with someone else.

Here is what I see:

  • I download the PBEM vlog file from email.
  • From cold start (no VASSAL open), I click on the log file. This opens VASSAL 3.6.19 window with “module library” title “Paths of Glory” in the white box. Shortly after that, the vlog file opens [which I think shows the very first “game state” with no actual log file]. I find this weird – why doesn’t actually load the vlog?
  • Anyway, I click on the “Tools” and click on “Load, Fast Forward and Append.” This opens the actual vlog file. It says “Append Commencing. Start new Logfile?”
  • I click “Yes” and add one to the name (like test 3) and it opens the file to the right game state and ALL of the prior log list saved in exactly the same way. Like it is actually appending to the last thing.
  • I do my moves and such, and then click on “File” and pick “End Logfile.”
  • I email that to you, you open as “Load, Fast Forward and Append” and we should be good to go with every prior log stacked up.

Seems to work every time, and this process should work with another PBEM player – playing the other side. My experience may be incorrect because ----again, I am only opening and closing it as the CP – I cannot do both CP and AP and I have no idea what solo mode would do.

Here is a sample of what I am seeing.

  • Paths of Glory version 10.6

  • Loading Bo v Jace Turn 1 Aug 1914 CP Card 1 test 3.vlog …

  • Loaded Bo v Jace Turn 1 Aug 1914 CP Card 1 test 3.vlog

  • Paths of Glory - Vassal Module - 10.6.0 - 4-Mar-2023

  • Loading Bo v Jace Turn 1 Aug 1914 CP Card 1 test 3.vlog …

  • Loaded Bo v Jace Turn 1 Aug 1914 CP Card 1 test 3.vlog

  • Paths of Glory - Vassal Module - 10.6.0 - 4-Mar-2023
  • Logging begun

  • Central Powers draw 7 cards.

  • Action Round Marker Automation set to CARDS.

  • Action Markers will only be moved automatically when cards are played from player hands in Vassal.

<<Jason (Central Powers)>> - Okay, I drew 7 more cards …….

blah blah blah moves moves moves

  • GE6: Mannheim to Stuttgart

<<Jason (Central Powers)>> - END OF TEST 1

<<Jason (Central Powers)>> - TEST 2

  • Central Powers play #7 - German Reinforcements for OPS

  • (GEc): Essen to Kassel

Blah blah move move

<<Jason (Central Powers)>> - END OF TEST 2

<<Jason (Central Powers)>> - TEST 3

  • Central Powers play #11 - Oberost for the event.

[Moves moves moves]

  • FRc: Belfort to Dijon

  • AP “RU” Mandatory Offensive not marked done/made. Check for missed MO?

  • ##################################################

  • Central Powers advances to Turn 2 (September 1914).

  • ##################################################

<<Jason (Central Powers)>> - END TEST 3

  • Log fast-forwarded for appending. The new log being written will begin from the original state of the loaded log, with anything done from this point appended.

<<Jason (Central Powers)>> - TEST 4

  • Central Powers play #5 - Landwehr for 2 SR points.

  • GEc: CP Reserve Box (7,0) to Tannenberg

  • GEc: CP Reserve Box (6,0) to Oppeln

<<Jason (Central Powers)>> - END TEST 4

  • Logfile written.

I save this one as Bo v Jace Turn 1 Aug 1914 CP Card 1 test 4.vlog

Easy peasy.

9

Yep, you’re describing a different use case–and where the “load, fast forward, append” is what you want and working as intended. At any given time you could load the latest log in isolation on its own and replay the entire game from its very first moment all the way to the present.

My initial reply was misinterpreting what you described–so I have to modify my answer to “yes”, you can make a grand unified log if you set out to do it from the start and all players keep working at it with the process you describe without exception.

@madmikehoare wants to concatenate many already-existing logs into one.

From cold start (no VASSAL open), I click on the log file. This opens VASSAL 3.6.19 window with “module library” title “Paths of Glory” in the white box. Shortly after that, the vlog file opens [which I think shows the very first “game state” with no actual log file]. I find this weird – why doesn’t actually load the vlog?

It sounds a lot like you’re using Windows here. Double-clicking logs/saves and letting Windows do the rest may not be the “full service” solution–it’s possible that all you can get is VASSAL opening and choosing the right module to open(see below) and no more than that. So essentially there’s no improvement over launching VASSAL first, then opening the module, then loading in the log–which will put it in a state ready for playback.

Note flagged above: if you have 2 or more versions of an identically-titled module present and you double-click logs/saves and “let Windows handle it”, VASSAL will load the correctly named module for your file but not necessarily the right version that matches what was used to create the log/save. I caution users of my modules about this all the time (they are long-running games and sometimes I post an update while players are in the midst of a game started with a prior version).

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