Game Definition File Editor: Application Window

  • Article

The Game Definition File Editor is a graphical utility designed for creating localized game definition files (GDFs), as well as the scripts necessary to compile game-definition files from resources. The GDF editor uses a project-based format to organize data. This section provides reference information on the user interface settings of the GDF Editor.

To use the GDF Editor, click Start, navigate to the DirectX SDK, point to DirectX Utilities, and then click Game Definition File Editor. For a detailed tutorial on how to use the GDF Editor, see Game Definition File Editor: Tool Tutorial.

Figure 1.  Main window of Game Definition File Editor

Ee417676.gdf_editor(en-us,VS.85).png

This topic consists of the following sections:

  • Game ID
  • Windows Experience Index
  • Game Rating Information
  • Localization Information
  • Game Name and Metadata
  • Localization Metadata Tabbed View
  • Thumbnail and Icon

Game ID

In the main window, Game ID displays a unique GUID that is used to identify your title in Games Explorer. A GUID is automatically generated for you when you create a new GDF project. This GUID is also used to register, remove, update, or verify a game title when calling methods of the IGameExplorer interface.

Note

The game identifier of the title applies to all locales.

To change a GUID, click the edit button (...) next to the GUID displayed under Game ID. Doing this opens Game Identifier Editor, which allows you to set the GUID or click Generate ID to generate a new GUID.

Ee417676.gdf_editor_game_id_editor_dialog(en-us,VS.85).png

Windows Experience Index

The Windows Experience Index (WEI) is a measure of the overall performance of a computer system running Windows Vista or Windows 7. Games Explorer displays the WEI values when users select listed games that indicate WEI support. This setting is optional, and it is used to inform the user whether their system can optimally handle the game title. As of this writing, WEI ratings range from 1.0 to 6.0, with 6.0 being equal to the highest performing desktop computer currently available. The test team working on the game title, or on marketing, should be able to provide accurate minimum and recommended values for WEI.

  • Use Windows Experience Index
    Specifies whether the title's GDF uses the WEI.
  • Minimum
    The minimum WEI rating that a computer should have to play this title.
  • Recommended
    The recommended WEI rating that a computer should have to play this title.

Game Rating Information

  • Add
    Opens the Add Rating Dialog for adding ratings information.
  • Modify
    Opens the Modify Rating Dialog that allows you to modify a selected rating's information.
  • Delete
    Deletes a selected rating from the rating list.

Localization Information

  • Add
    Opens the New Game Definition File language dialog which allows you to add a new language. This new language will show up in the Language List Items.
  • Delete
    Deletes the selected language item.
  • Language List Items
    Contains the list of language items that are defined for the title's GDF. Item selection updates the settings in Game Name and Metadata based on the settings for that language.

Game Name and Metadata

  • Game Name
    The name of your game. This is displayed as the name of the game in Games Explorer.

  • Description
    The description of your game. This text is not currently used in Games Explorer, but it may be used in the future.

  • Release Date
    The release date of your game. The date is displayed in the metadata section of Games Explorer when a user selects your game.

  • Saved Games Folder
    A relative path to where your game will store saved games files. The drop-down list to the left of the Subdirectory text box allows you to set the location to which this path is relative. You should choose a path that specifies a location that a Standard User has read and write access to. For more information about user accounts and permissions, see the Gaming with Least-Privileged User Accounts technical article .

    Note

    Unless this value is set to Not Specified, you may extend the path indicated by the selected item by entering an addition path string in the Subdirectory edit control.

    The drop down list contains the following selections:

    1. Not Specified

    2. Default Game Folder

    3. User's Application Data

    4. My Documents

    5. User's Local Application Data

    6. Program Files

    7. Saved Games

  • Subdirectory
    The path specified by Subdirectory allows you to extend the file system path specified by the selected setting of Saved Games Folder.

    For example, if the selected setting is Program Files, and you enter ExampleGameUserSaves in the Subdirectory edit control, then the path of the saved games folder will be c:\Program Files\ExampleGameUserSaves\.

  • Version
    Either a version number in four-part format ( a.b.c.d ), or a relative path from the game's installation directory to a DLL or executable file that will be queried for a version number. Use the drop-down box to choose either Version or File.

Localization Metadata Tabbed View

Executables

General Application Restrictions is a feature that, if enabled, prevents all but explicitly allowed executables from running. When General Application Restrictions is enabled, the executables listed in a GDF from a signed source are automatically allowed, based on the parental controls settings. You should add an executable path to the Executable Path list for every executable file that your title will run. The Executables view tab has the following user settings:

  • Executable Path
    Contains the list of all executable files that the title runs.
  • Add
    Opens the Executable Path dialog in which you can specify a executable path for your game.
  • Remove
    Removes the selected executable from the Executable Path list box.

Genres

The Genres tab has the following user settings:

  • Genre
    Contains the list of all applicable genres that classify your the title.

  • Add
    Opens Genre Editor in which you can specify one or more genres that best describe the title.

    Ee417676.gdf_editor_genre_popup(en-us,VS.85).png

    Genre Editor contains the genres described in the following table.

    Genre Description
    Action Action games involve physical challenges, including hand-eye coordination and reaction-time. This genre includes such subgenres as first-person shooters (FPS), fighting games, and platformer games.
    Action/Adventure Action and Adventure games involve any sort of combat; therefore, most games that belong to other genres (such as shooter, adventure, fighting, and role playing) all belong to Action/Adventure.
    Children Games that fit the Children genre are those that are appropriate for young children and are, therefore, devoid of violence, strong language, blood, and adult themes.
    Family Entertainment Family Entertainment titles are games that are playable by not only children but also enjoyed by teenagers and adults.
    Life Simulation Life Simulations are a subgenre of the Simulation genre. The key difference is that games in this genre involve the player simulating one or more virtual lives that include (but are not limited to) those of people, animals, and ecosystems.
    MMORPG Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) games belong to the classic role-playing game (RPG) genre. The fundamental difference is that MMORPGs consist of a large number of online players who interact in a virtual world. Two examples that belong to the MMORPG genre are World of Warcraft and Everquest.
    RPG Role playing games (RPGs) are based on traditional role-playing games, such as Dungeons and Dragons. RPG titles typically have huge worlds to explore and focus on the player battling a plethora of monsters to gain experience points to increase his or her character's powers and capabilities. These titles also give the player the ability to not only wield traditional weapons, such as swords and armor, but also defensive and offensive magic.
    Simulation Simulation games recreate real-world experiences, like driving a car, flying a plane, or building a city.
    Sports/Racing Sports (and recreation) titles base game play on the mechanics of existing sports and games of physical recreation. Racing games generally place the plaer in some sort of vehicle to race against other non-player characters or real players online. Any title that involves any racing of vehicles, even if racing is only a small portion of the game play, should have this option checked.
    Strategy Strategy games are similar to traditional board games in which game play involves calculation and planning.

  • Remove
    Removes the selected genre from the Genre list box.

Developers

The Developer tab contains the following user settings:

  • Add
    Opens the Developer Editor dialog box where you can add one or more developers for the title. Each developer entry requires the name of the developer and the developer's URL (if applicable).
  • Remove
    Removes the selected developer from the Developer list box.

Publishers

The Publishers tab contains the following user settings:

  • Add
    Opens the Publisher Editor dialog box where you can add one or more publishers for the title. Each publisher entry requires the name of the publisher and the publisher's URL (if applicable).
  • Remove
    Removes the selected publisher from the Publishers list box.

Play Tasks

Play tasks allow you to specify a variety of actions for any executable that is part of the title. The primary task should always be the title's main executable. Secondary file tasks allow you to launch additional title executables, or launch the main executable with different parameters. For example, you can create a secondary play task that launches the title in safe mode (for example, "game.exe -safemode") and another play task that launches the title in multiplayer mode (for example, "game.exe -multi").

A URL play task allows you to associate a URL that users can navigate to from Games Explorer. An example of a URL play task is one that opens a Web site, owned by the game's developer, that displays title-related news. Other applications of a URL play task could open URLs to the title's multiplayer leaderboards, a web page that lists other titles available from the developer, and web pages with user-generated content.

The Play Tasks tab contains the following user settings:

  • Add
    Opens the Play Task dialog in which you provide information to define a play task.
  • Remove
    Removes the selected play task from the Play Tasks list box.

Support Tasks

Support tasks allow you to specify support-related files and URLs that are applicable to the title. You can associate any diagnostic utilities that troubleshoot problems with your title as support file tasks.

A URL support task allows you to associate a Web site that users can navigate to for online help and support. An example of a URL support task one that leads the user to a Web site, owned by the game's developer or publisher, that provides status information on game servers.

The Support Tasks tab contains the following user settings:

  • Add
    Opens the Support Task dialog in which you need to provide information to define a support task.
  • Remove
    Removes the selected support task from the Support Tasks list box.

Provider

The Provider tab allows developers to associate an RSS feed with the title.

The Provider tab contains the following user settings:

  • This item is a Game Provider
    Specifies whether this GDF defines an RSS provider. This is disabled by default.
  • RSS feed location:
    Specifies the URL of the provider's RSS feed.

Thumbnail and Icon

  • Add/Remove (icon)
    Adds or removes the title's icon file.

    If no icon file has been specified, clicking the Add Icon button opens the Select a Game Icon for this Game Definition File dialog in which you can browse for the appropriate icon image for the title's GDF. If an icon image file is specified, clicking the Remove button removes the icon.

    Note

    The following resolutions for icon files are recommended:

    • 16×16 (256-color)
    • 16×16 (RGB/A)
    • 32×32 (256-color)
    • 32×32 (RGB/A)
    • 48×48 (256-color)
    • 48×48 (RGB/A)
    • 256×256 (256-color)
    • 256×256 (RGB/A)

  • Add/Remove Thumbnail
    Adds or removes the title's thumbnail image.

    If no image file has been specified, clicking the Add Thumbnail button opens the Select a Game Icon for this Game Definition File dialog in which you can browse for the appropriate image for the title's GDF. If an image file is specified, clicking the Remove button removes the thumbnail image.