File format general

Questions specific to Megatunix - alternate tuning software that runs on unix and windows.
Note that Megatunix is obsolete.

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foreverska
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File format general

Post by foreverska »

Hi forum,

I like the Megatunix software and I'm writing some software that parses and uses some of the file formats created by this software.

Tonight I'm working with the .vex in particular. This format seems a bit verbose at times but it is very human legible so I can't fault it too much. But I want to draw the line between verbosity and feature:

Is it reasonable to assume the indexes will be in order top to bottom and left to right?
Is there a reason for the table to ever have more or less rows and/or columns than indexes? It doesn't make sense logically to allow it but I wanted to know if I could count on this.
All "fields" in the file have a width of 3 characters except counts for index lists (VE Table RPM Range [ 8]). Does this not bug your OCD?
djandruczyk
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Re: File format general

Post by djandruczyk »

foreverska wrote:Hi forum,

I like the Megatunix software and I'm writing some software that parses and uses some of the file formats created by this software.

Tonight I'm working with the .vex in particular. This format seems a bit verbose at times but it is very human legible so I can't fault it too much. But I want to draw the line between verbosity and feature:

Is it reasonable to assume the indexes will be in order top to bottom and left to right?
Is there a reason for the table to ever have more or less rows and/or columns than indexes? It doesn't make sense logically to allow it but I wanted to know if I could count on this.
All "fields" in the file have a width of 3 characters except counts for index lists (VE Table RPM Range [ 8]). Does this not bug your OCD?

VEX is not my format, it came from Megatune (now defunct AFAIK) and mirrored its output including the whitespace. Megatunix just implements the format as a way to transfer 2D tables (VE/Spark/AFR/ etc) to other people. The indexes should be as you describe, and no, the table and indexes MUST match in dimension otherwise it's an error (at least in MTX),

Personally at this point I'd prefer something in yaml (more readable than json) which is also human readable but non-proprietary and readable by any yaml parser.
David J. Andruczyk
MegaTunix author. The only non-java cross platform tuning software for MS-I/II hardware.
Where to get and how to install:
http://msextra.com/viewtopic.php?t=23080
http://sourceforge.net/projects/megatunix
foreverska
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Re: File format general

Post by foreverska »

I like VEX but it fits MS like a glove

If I wrote it, would you allow a second export format? Something quick and dirty to parse that allows for more flexibiliy, I'm thinking csv.

Is there a reference for the .ecu file format?
jsmcortina
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Re: File format general

Post by jsmcortina »

foreverska wrote:If I wrote it, would you allow a second export format?
Have you looked at the MSQ file format that is most widely used with Megasquirt ?

James
I can repair or upgrade Megasquirts in UK. http://www.jamesmurrayengineering.co.uk

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foreverska
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Re: File format general

Post by foreverska »

HA! Trying to get me to do something the community wants.

The FAQ makes it sound pretty silly but I'll look at it.
foreverska
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Re: File format general

Post by foreverska »

Why is there zero standardization between MS versions in the MSQ file? Anything past MS1 I can't make heads or tales of. Even the MS1 files are a bit silly in their order IMO but I at least could Identify tables and their corresponding indexes. At any rate I'm more concerned with the export of a single table, MSQ doesn't seem like the way to do that. I could write support for .table.
jsmcortina
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Re: File format general

Post by jsmcortina »

Not sure I understand your question? MS1 is obsolete now anyway.

James
I can repair or upgrade Megasquirts in UK. http://www.jamesmurrayengineering.co.uk

My Success story: http://www.msextra.com/forums/viewtopic ... 04&t=34277
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foreverska
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Re: File format general

Post by foreverska »

If you look at an MSQ file from MS1, MS2 and MS3 none of the data is in the same place or particularly is named the same thing. I think some of it may come from differences between Tunerstudio, Tuner Studio MS Lite and Megatune. They all seem to be allowed to name tables whatever they feel like (ie veBin vs veTable) and I haven't been able to identify a pattern for which indexes definitely go to what tables and I have a feeling their "name" varies between versions. I don't want to have to teach a parser the English language just to pull a VE table or two.

I'll write a parser when I can count on a singular standard to be used for all MSQ files. Until then, I can write a .table import/export and I would prefer if we could add a skinnier, much quicker to parse CSV standard.
jsmcortina
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Re: File format general

Post by jsmcortina »

It isn't really related to the tuning software used. The firmware supplied "ini" file defines what all of the fields are called. That's what Megatune, TunerStudio and MSdroid (and others?) use. It is unfortunate that Megatunix has never used the ini and MSQ files for cross compatability.

James
I can repair or upgrade Megasquirts in UK. http://www.jamesmurrayengineering.co.uk

My Success story: http://www.msextra.com/forums/viewtopic ... 04&t=34277
MSEXTRA documentation at: http://www.msextra.com/doc/index.html
New users, please read the "Forum Help Page".
foreverska
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Re: File format general

Post by foreverska »

I do see that now that you mention it. I'm not the man to write that support.

I'm willing to write .table support if the community cares.
djandruczyk
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Re: File format general

Post by djandruczyk »

jsmcortina wrote:It isn't really related to the tuning software used. The firmware supplied "ini" file defines what all of the fields are called. That's what Megatune, TunerStudio and MSdroid (and others?) use. It is unfortunate that Megatunix has never used the ini and MSQ files for cross compatability.

James
The problem with an MSQ AFAIK is that you cannot just import "Table X" from it, IGNORING everything else..

Mtx supports individual/all table import/export via the VEX file format (its an ugly format that is not really robust, but it does work. Mtx also does a yaml import/export (tables only) but for a different ECU type (not MS). I didn't implement that for MS as no other MS tuning product that I'm aware of used that format, so I didn't want to create a completing "standard" for passing tables around, as it just adds work and confusion for all.
David J. Andruczyk
MegaTunix author. The only non-java cross platform tuning software for MS-I/II hardware.
Where to get and how to install:
http://msextra.com/viewtopic.php?t=23080
http://sourceforge.net/projects/megatunix
racingmini_mtl
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Re: File format general

Post by racingmini_mtl »

djandruczyk wrote:The problem with an MSQ AFAIK is that you cannot just import "Table X" from it, IGNORING everything else..
TunerStudio does it.

Jean
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djandruczyk
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Re: File format general

Post by djandruczyk »

racingmini_mtl wrote:
djandruczyk wrote:The problem with an MSQ AFAIK is that you cannot just import "Table X" from it, IGNORING everything else..
TunerStudio does it.

Jean
It didn't used to... I don't use TS due to it's licensing terms and costs.
David J. Andruczyk
MegaTunix author. The only non-java cross platform tuning software for MS-I/II hardware.
Where to get and how to install:
http://msextra.com/viewtopic.php?t=23080
http://sourceforge.net/projects/megatunix
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