Overview
"So what does H2H Helper do, then?"
As much as possible, H2H Helper takes the hassle out of playing CMBN with a real opponent. Mucking around with files etc... it does it for you.
"What sort of stuff?"
Well:
Installation & Running
H2HH comes in a zip file. Simply unzip the contents somewhere handy, and inside the folder find h2hh.exe. Double click on h2hh.exe to run it.
Basic Use
Run it
The most basic thing H2HH does is tell you who's turn it is.
How do I make it tidy up, like you said it would?
Use the Options Menu to choose the "Tidy" option. (Written like this Options->Tidy)
When you have a tick next to the Tidy option:
then H2HH will tidy up old game files in Incoming Email and Outgoing Email, each time it does something. Old files are deleted to your "Recycle Bin": if you find you want them back, you can do the normal Windows restore thing to get them back.
Do I have to hit "Refresh" all the time?
No
If you select the Options->Auto-update menu item:
then H2HH will keep a watch on your game folders, and update itself when things happen.
But I don't like having H2HH open all the time!
OK, boy do we have a deal for you.
Select the Options->Auto-exit menu item:
... and you can fire up H2HH to see what's new, and have it do it's thing, then it will quietly get out of your way till next time.
How does this help me with DropBox, or other shared folders?
If you are sharing game files with your opponent using DropBox, and you have your DropBox set up in the standard way, then H2HH will discover it and automatically help you!
H2HH is expecting the folders that you're sharing with your opponent to be named like your game file. So if for example your game files are called "Buying The Farm 001.ema" etc (commiserations if you are the Axis player) then H2HH looks for a folder called Buying The Farm under your DropBox main folder.
If you've set things up this way, then automagically H2HH will copy incoming files from your opponent that it finds in the dropbox folder into your Incoming Emails, and it will copy your newly saved turn files from Outgoing Email into the dropbox shared folder.
I didn't install CMBN in the "default" place, H2HH isn't finding it!
Never fear: just use Installs->Add Install to tell H2HH where your CMBN installation is.
When you do this, you will see that you also have the option of telling H2HH where DropBox is installed. If you don't have DropBox, don't worry about it, leave it blank.
My opponent named the shared folder for our game something different!
That's OK. Select the game in question (by clicking on its row) then use the Game->Edit Game menu option to tell H2HH where the shared folder for this game is.
When you do this, you will see that each game can actually have two shared folders: one for incoming files, and the other for outgoing. If you only have one shared folder for your game, leave the second entry as you find it, saying "(none)".
My opponent and I like to have two shared folders for each game: one for files in each direction.
If you name the shared folders like "Buying The Farm files for Taki" and "Buying The Farm files for GaJ" - IE the game name followed by "fie for person", then H2HH will automatically work out everything it needs to know, as long as you actually have some game files in those folders.
However, if you want to name them something different then ... see above for how to specify your own game file folders (Game->Edit Game)
DropBox install is not in the default place... in fact, I moved it just now!
You can use the Installs->Edit Install menu option to tell H2HH where your non-standard stuff is.
I like having my Incoming and Outgoing Email folders tidy, but I want to save my game files, not delete them.
This is another handy use for the "Drop Box" folder feature of H2HH: it doesn't have to be used for just DropBox file sharing!
If you use Installs->Edit Install to point to a folder where you would like to keep folders for saving the files of each game you play, and create a folder for each game you are playing, then H2HH will copy the files into this game folder for you!
I want to send a message to my opponent. Can you fire up email or something?
If your opponent is using H2H Helper as well, then you can double click on the game row in the main window and send them a message using the H2HH Chat Screen!
If your opponent is not using H2H Helper... well..... suggest it to them
DropBox is an internet service that lets you share files. At it's most basic, you can send someone a link to a file that you shared and they can click on the link in their browser to get access.
But more usefully, you can have a "Dropbox Folder" shared with your opponent. When you put files in there, they appear in that folder on your opponent's machine, and when your opponent puts a file in that folder it appears on your machine. As you can imagine, this takes a lot of the file hassle out of PBEM/H2H games! Especially with H2H Helper
to put the files in the right places for you.
Even better: you don't have to pay! Sure, you can pay for a premium DropBox service, but you don't need one to play games. There are other similar internet services - H2H Helper works equally well with those, there's nothing special about DropBox in particular.
Can H2HHelper help me set up this Dropbox stuff for a game?
Yes, of course
If you’re starting a game, first do the first turn: the one where you enter your password then hit save. This puts a file in Outgoing.
Then look at H2HH – there will be an entry for this new game (hit “Refresh†if there isn’t).
You can right click on the new game and select “Create Dropboxâ€.
H2HH will take you through the creation of the dropbox folder, and also take you, in your browser, to the dropbox page where you can initiate sharing with your opponent.
What about if my opponent started the game, and shared with me?
Just copy the game file from the shared folder your opponent gave you into Incoming Email: H2HH will discover it and list the game.
You might need to use “Edit Game†to tell H2HH where the dropbox folder is, if the dropbox folder name doesn’t match the game file name.
OK, now the game is finished, how do I tidy up?
Right click on the game row, and select “End Gameâ€. H2HH will ask you how much tidying up you want done…
Does it work on a Mac?
Yes!!! Thanks to Charles "Texas Toast" Reese, it does!
Who do I thank?
Translations:
DingChavez
Cesar Moreno
Marks Mohr
Code:
Charles TexasToast Reese
Martin GreenAsJade Gregory
How do I thank you?
Appendix: Tell me again – how do I start up a game, using Dropbox?
1) Decide what dropbox folder you will use for this game: create it if necessary.
Its much less of a hassle if the dropbox folder is named the same as the game files will be named, but
you don't _have_ to do that.
2) Do the initial turn. The one where you enter your password.
This will create the 001 file in your Outgoing.
3) Start H2HH (or press "refresh", if you don't already have it running with autoupdate on)
This will cause H2HH to notice your new game - it should have a new row for the new game.
If you named the Dropbox the same as the game file, then H2HH will already have found it by
now, and you will be done.
If you insisted on naming the Dropbox folder some other the game name, then
4) Select that game row (left single click) and use the Game -> Edit menu item to edit it
(or use Rightclick edit game)
Use this dialog to tell H2HH where the dropbox folder is.
If you are receiving the first file from your oppo, instead of starting the game yourself, the only difference in the instructions is that step 2 says
2) Put the file you got from your Oppo into your Incoming folder.
"So what does H2H Helper do, then?"
As much as possible, H2H Helper takes the hassle out of playing CMBN with a real opponent. Mucking around with files etc... it does it for you.
"What sort of stuff?"
Well:
- It tells you who's turn it is (So what?... You'll be amazed how handy that can be!)
- It can tidy up your "Incoming Email" and "Outgoing Email" folders...
.... so when you go to the "Saved Game" screen, you have only one file per game showing: - It can keep all your game files, per game, saved nicely in a folder someplace else you choose
- It can handle all the copying in and out of files...... if you use DropBox, or some other means to receive files:
- it sees when you received a file and copies it into Incoming Email for you
- it sees when you finished a turn, and copies the file out from Outgoing Email into the shared folder
- It can do all this either when you tell it, or automatically (watching behind the scenes when things change)
Installation & Running
H2HH comes in a zip file. Simply unzip the contents somewhere handy, and inside the folder find h2hh.exe. Double click on h2hh.exe to run it.
Basic Use
Run it
The most basic thing H2HH does is tell you who's turn it is.
How do I make it tidy up, like you said it would?
Use the Options Menu to choose the "Tidy" option. (Written like this Options->Tidy)
When you have a tick next to the Tidy option:
then H2HH will tidy up old game files in Incoming Email and Outgoing Email, each time it does something. Old files are deleted to your "Recycle Bin": if you find you want them back, you can do the normal Windows restore thing to get them back.
Do I have to hit "Refresh" all the time?
No
If you select the Options->Auto-update menu item:
then H2HH will keep a watch on your game folders, and update itself when things happen.
But I don't like having H2HH open all the time!
OK, boy do we have a deal for you.
Select the Options->Auto-exit menu item:
... and you can fire up H2HH to see what's new, and have it do it's thing, then it will quietly get out of your way till next time.
How does this help me with DropBox, or other shared folders?
If you are sharing game files with your opponent using DropBox, and you have your DropBox set up in the standard way, then H2HH will discover it and automatically help you!
H2HH is expecting the folders that you're sharing with your opponent to be named like your game file. So if for example your game files are called "Buying The Farm 001.ema" etc (commiserations if you are the Axis player) then H2HH looks for a folder called Buying The Farm under your DropBox main folder.
If you've set things up this way, then automagically H2HH will copy incoming files from your opponent that it finds in the dropbox folder into your Incoming Emails, and it will copy your newly saved turn files from Outgoing Email into the dropbox shared folder.
I didn't install CMBN in the "default" place, H2HH isn't finding it!
Never fear: just use Installs->Add Install to tell H2HH where your CMBN installation is.
When you do this, you will see that you also have the option of telling H2HH where DropBox is installed. If you don't have DropBox, don't worry about it, leave it blank.
My opponent named the shared folder for our game something different!
That's OK. Select the game in question (by clicking on its row) then use the Game->Edit Game menu option to tell H2HH where the shared folder for this game is.
When you do this, you will see that each game can actually have two shared folders: one for incoming files, and the other for outgoing. If you only have one shared folder for your game, leave the second entry as you find it, saying "(none)".
My opponent and I like to have two shared folders for each game: one for files in each direction.
If you name the shared folders like "Buying The Farm files for Taki" and "Buying The Farm files for GaJ" - IE the game name followed by "fie for person", then H2HH will automatically work out everything it needs to know, as long as you actually have some game files in those folders.
However, if you want to name them something different then ... see above for how to specify your own game file folders (Game->Edit Game)
DropBox install is not in the default place... in fact, I moved it just now!
You can use the Installs->Edit Install menu option to tell H2HH where your non-standard stuff is.
I like having my Incoming and Outgoing Email folders tidy, but I want to save my game files, not delete them.
This is another handy use for the "Drop Box" folder feature of H2HH: it doesn't have to be used for just DropBox file sharing!
If you use Installs->Edit Install to point to a folder where you would like to keep folders for saving the files of each game you play, and create a folder for each game you are playing, then H2HH will copy the files into this game folder for you!
I want to send a message to my opponent. Can you fire up email or something?
If your opponent is using H2H Helper as well, then you can double click on the game row in the main window and send them a message using the H2HH Chat Screen!
If your opponent is not using H2H Helper... well..... suggest it to them
What's all this about "DropBox" anyhow?DropBox is an internet service that lets you share files. At it's most basic, you can send someone a link to a file that you shared and they can click on the link in their browser to get access.
But more usefully, you can have a "Dropbox Folder" shared with your opponent. When you put files in there, they appear in that folder on your opponent's machine, and when your opponent puts a file in that folder it appears on your machine. As you can imagine, this takes a lot of the file hassle out of PBEM/H2H games! Especially with H2H Helper
to put the files in the right places for you.
Even better: you don't have to pay! Sure, you can pay for a premium DropBox service, but you don't need one to play games. There are other similar internet services - H2H Helper works equally well with those, there's nothing special about DropBox in particular.
Can H2HHelper help me set up this Dropbox stuff for a game?
Yes, of course
If you’re starting a game, first do the first turn: the one where you enter your password then hit save. This puts a file in Outgoing.
Then look at H2HH – there will be an entry for this new game (hit “Refresh†if there isn’t).
You can right click on the new game and select “Create Dropboxâ€.
H2HH will take you through the creation of the dropbox folder, and also take you, in your browser, to the dropbox page where you can initiate sharing with your opponent.
What about if my opponent started the game, and shared with me?
Just copy the game file from the shared folder your opponent gave you into Incoming Email: H2HH will discover it and list the game.
You might need to use “Edit Game†to tell H2HH where the dropbox folder is, if the dropbox folder name doesn’t match the game file name.
OK, now the game is finished, how do I tidy up?
Right click on the game row, and select “End Gameâ€. H2HH will ask you how much tidying up you want done…
Does it work on a Mac?
Yes!!! Thanks to Charles "Texas Toast" Reese, it does!
Who do I thank?
Translations:
DingChavez
Cesar Moreno
Marks Mohr
Code:
Charles TexasToast Reese
Martin GreenAsJade Gregory
How do I thank you?
- Pop into a forum and make a post about how cool it is
- Persuade your opponent to use it
- Or ... be the one person in a hundred and....
1) Decide what dropbox folder you will use for this game: create it if necessary.
Its much less of a hassle if the dropbox folder is named the same as the game files will be named, but
you don't _have_ to do that.
2) Do the initial turn. The one where you enter your password.
This will create the 001 file in your Outgoing.
3) Start H2HH (or press "refresh", if you don't already have it running with autoupdate on)
This will cause H2HH to notice your new game - it should have a new row for the new game.
If you named the Dropbox the same as the game file, then H2HH will already have found it by
now, and you will be done.
If you insisted on naming the Dropbox folder some other the game name, then
4) Select that game row (left single click) and use the Game -> Edit menu item to edit it
(or use Rightclick edit game)
Use this dialog to tell H2HH where the dropbox folder is.
If you are receiving the first file from your oppo, instead of starting the game yourself, the only difference in the instructions is that step 2 says
2) Put the file you got from your Oppo into your Incoming folder.
