X4 External App

External app for X4 Foundations game.

Shows real time logbook entries, mission offers, currently active mission details and player information.
Application is served on a local port, so it can be run locally or on multiple network devices at once.
Created to be displayed on external device (monitor, tablet or smartphone).

Note: lua module supports only Windows named pipes, so currently it will run exclusevly on this platform.

One time setup

1. Install SirNukes Mod Support APIs
   https://www.nexusmods.com/x4foundations/mods/503

2. Download SirNukes Python Pipe Server
   https://github.com/bvbohnen/x4-projects/releases

3. Install X4 External App mod
   https://www.nexusmods.com/x4foundations/mods/818

4. Download X4 External App server
   https://github.com/mycumycu/X4-External-App/releases

5. Run SirNukes Python Pipe Server, it will create permissions.json file.
   Add X4 External App ID (ExternalApp) to the permissions file:

{
  "instructions": "Set which extensions are allowed to load modules, based on extension id (in content.xml).",
  "ws_2042901274": true,
  "ExternalApp": true
}

That's it, you should be good to go.

Running the X4 External App

1. Start SirNukes Python Pipe Server (via the X4_Python_Pipe_Server.exe file)
2. Start the X4 External App server (x4_external_app.exe).
3. Start the game and load your save file.

So there should be two console windows open - one from SirNukes Python Pipe Server and second from X4 External App. Don't close it during playing.

X4 External App will serve application on a local port. If default port (8080) is busy - a new, free one will be found.
App will automatically open in default browser.

If you want to access it from a local network - change localhost to local IP address of a machine running X4, e.g. http://192.168.1.120:8080.
Application will detect and output the exact network address in console window.

Useful X4 launch params

There are two optional but quite useful X4 parameters working when game looses focus:

• -nosoundthrottle makes game keep playing music
• -nocputhrottle game usess full CPU

Thanks to it interacting with external monitor feels like a part of the game.
You can apply one or all of them: https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/7D01-D2DD-D75E-2955

Layout

Application layout

User can freely define app layout. To open configuration screen press layout icon

It's possible to define number of columns and its width.
Also, by dragging widgets into approtiate columns one can set their order.

If the "limit widget heights" option is checked - each widget can have "max height" property defined - application will then automatically adjust the height of the widget within the viewport height.

All changes made are stored automatically.

App font size

Clicking icon switches between different font sizes.

Widgets

Logbook

App UI supports unrestricted filtering the latest logbook entries.

You can also define phrases that should be excluded or feartured in logbook panel. To define such phrases, click on clog icon: - setting window will open.

Possible settings for each rule include:

• on/off toggle - defines if certain rule is enabled
• phrase - phrase to look for. All phrases are case-insensitive.
• type - excluded means that an entry containing such a phrase will not be displayed, while highlighted means that it will be marked with a color.
• blink - makes entry's title blinking
• title only - when disabled, search will consider also message text and a faction name

Important logbook messages (e.g. property under attack or being destroyed) will automatically blink catching attention.
All changes are stored automatically.

Mission offers

Mission offers can be filtered similarly to logbook entries.
Also, you can define which mission difficulties should be displayed. To do so - just click on clog icon:
Setting window will open.

Player goals

You can define and add your own goals. Just type it and press enter key (or dedicated button). Each goal can be moved higher or lower in priority or even moved to another list by dragging.

You can also highlight selected goals with one of few preselected icons. To do that, select "make featured" option from goal (three dot) menu. The exclamation icon will appear. To switch it, just click on the icon until desired one appears.

After completing a goal and making it "checked" - it will fade out and will be removed in a few seconds. Unchecking the goal within that time cancels the removal operation.

Factions

Shows all factions and their relations with the player.

If player has a military or capital ship licence with a faction - it will be displayed as a green bar above faction name.
When faction relation changes, its name will blink and recent relation change value will be displayed in a top right of a faction name.

Widget settings alow to:

• exlude factions from the grid
• exclude certain relation levels
• hide recent relation changes
• hide licence indicators

How it works

External App mod (MD + LUA) collects and sends data to SirNukes Pipe Server (Python) custom module.
Then this module creates another named pipe, allowing the (Node.js) server to read data from this pipe and serve it to a (Vue.js) SPA application.
A big word of praise for SirNukes - without his work this data communication wouldn't be possible.

SPA application was created with Vue.js (v3) using Bootstrap (v5) and all data is provided dynamically.

Making sever executable from source

In order to build executable of X4 External App server yourself:

1. Clone this repo with the command:
   git clone https://github.com/mycumycu/X4-External-App.git
2. Change dir:
   cd x4_external_app
3. Install packages:
   npm install
4. Create .env. file from existing .env.example file
   copy .env.example .env
5. Build exe with:
   npm run package

Output executable will be created in \dist folder