2 questions

[TrickyNick]

1: What is NPCScan? Why does it "go off" when tamed beasts?
2: Why does everyone keep talking about clearning cache?

Sorry for the dumb questions, but I can't really search while at work. I'm surprised I have access to this forum.

[Omnislash]

NPCScan is an addon to track rare creatures tameable or not. Deleting the cache folder in your wow directory is important cause when the addon tracks a rare mob for example it won't track it again unless you delete the cache folder. So try to clear it often if you try to tame a rare mob. Also tamed rare pets fill your cache too so be careful. If you meet someone with gondria in Dalaran the npcscan will cache it and won't warn you if you pass by her in Zul' drak. I think i covered you

[TrickyNick]

Yep, you did, thanks

How do I clear my cache? Does it wipe my auctioneer results too?

[Mockingbird]

If you go into your wow directory there is a "cache" folder.

I can't recall the names of the subfolders (I think they are related to your local language settings) but one of them will contain six or seven file including a file with "creature" in the name - I think it's Creaturecache.

Delete just that file (or rename it if it's the first time and you want to be safe and able to undo things).

All it contains is the cache of creatures found, so should not alter Auctioneer at all.

[Guljin]

Here's the path for the cache to delete

C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\Cache

Or for power users who have the US English version loaded

C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\Cache\WDB\enUS\creaturecache.wdb

More info and dowload here http://wow.curse.com/downloads/wow-addo ... cscan.aspx

I also suggest _NPC Scan Overlay http://wow.curse.com/downloads/wow-addo ... erlay.aspx

[Pent]

I am not sure if it is do-able or not but the makers behind NPCScan should make it where you don't have to delete the cache after every WoW shutdown.

Either by making the add-on clear the cache itself for you once you log out of each character, OR by making the add-on just not look for creatures/NPCs unless you are in the zone for them.

I would rather get false alarms for the NPCs in the zone I am in than to have to remember to delete the file every time I log out.

I am no programmer so I am not sure if this would be too difficult or not.... but SilverDragon doesn't seem to have a problem with the second part.

I love both add-ons and I keep both up-and-running at all times... and I can honestly say that when the NPC alarms go off I can't tell you which add-on is doing what... but I have an alarm going off.

[Silvarain]

doesnt its option "search for completed achievement npcs" do what it says it does without needing to empty the cashe: "continues searching for all achievement npcs, even if you no longer need them"?

I love both add-ons and I keep both up-and-running at all times... and I can honestly say that when the NPC alarms go off I can't tell you which add-on is doing what... but I have an alarm going off.

hehe ^_^

[Anyia]

The mechanic NPCScan relies on, seeing the mob being cached by the client, is both very clever and very limited. It's clever in that it is able to pick up on the mobs without having to target, mouse-over or see them on the minimap, but on the other hand there is no way to limit it per zone or anything else.

As for clearing the cache automatically, that too is impossible as addons have no way of interacting with the rest of the system, and certainly not to delete files (just imagine what a malicious addon could do to your system!).

What you can do is create a .bat file which first deletes your creaturecache.wdb and the runs launcher.exe, and use that whenever you start wow.

[Pent]

What you can do is create a .bat file which first deletes your creaturecache.wdb and the runs launcher.exe, and use that whenever you start wow.

Whoa there, partner. That is a good idea.

But... like I said... I am no programmer, and even though it might not take a programmer to do that... I have no idea how to even begin making a *.bat file that would do that.

I can link a shortcut to the .bat file, and even give the file an icon like the Launcher icon so after a few times of using it I wouldn't even remember it was deleting the creaturecache.wdb file... I would just think that I am clicking the original launcher shortcut to start WoW.

That's about my extent of knowledge on doing this procedure.

[Mockingbird]

To create a .bat file, just create a new text document with notepad and save it as name.bat
If you need to alter it later, right-click it and choose "edit" or "open with.... Notepad"

(the .bat is from waaaaay back in DOS days and stands for "batch", meaning it's basically just a list of commands that could be typed at the command prompt)

I think.... you need the following:
1. Delete the creaturecache.wdb
2. Run the launcher.exe

The instructions that go in the batch file are therefore:

del "C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\Cache\WDB\enUS\creaturecache.wdb"
"C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\launcher.exe"

You would need to alter the paths to whatever your install is (mine for example is E:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\Cache\WDB\enGB\creaturecache.wdb)

Don't forget the quotation marks around the paths, or the first line will try and delete something nonexistent called "C:\Program" because it doesn't recognise spaces.

I've not tested this, so use with caution, this is just from my memory of how these things work generally.

[Pent]

You would need to alter the paths to whatever your install is (mine for example is E:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\Cache\WDB\enGB\creaturecache.wdb)

Don't forget the quotation marks around the paths, or the first line will try and delete something nonexistent called "C:\Program" because it doesn't recognise spaces.

I've not tested this, so use with caution, this is just from my memory of how these things work generally.

Ok, tried this:

Code: Select all

@echo off
del "E:\World of Warcraft\Cache\WDB\enUS\creaturecache.wdb"
"E:\World of Warcraft\Launcher.exe"

It seems to work, but I thought the echo command would make it where the command/dos window wouldn't pop up on the screen?
No commands are shown, but it still pops up the window. It doesn't hinder anything and once the WoW splash screen comes up the run/cmd window goes away.

[Mockingbird]

AFAIK echo off just means it won't show the commands in the window, but will still open the window.

I have no clue how to refine it beyond that.

[Pent]

AFAIK echo off just means it won't show the commands in the window, but will still open the window.

I have no clue how to refine it beyond that.

No worries, at least it works! Thanks a bunch.

Oh... and OP... sorry to semi-derail your thread. Hopefully it will help a few others who are too lazy to delete the cache file every time.

[TrickyNick]

AFAIK echo off just means it won't show the commands in the window, but will still open the window.

I have no clue how to refine it beyond that.

No worries, at least it works! Thanks a bunch.

Oh... and OP... sorry to semi-derail your thread. Hopefully it will help a few others who are too lazy to delete the cache file every time.

You're fine Gave new life to my thread and helped a few people out, all is good.

Answered my questions too. I'm happy, you're happy, we're all happy

[Anyia]

If you create a shortcut to the .bat file, you can then right-click on the shortcut, go to the "Shortcut" tab, and select "Run: Minimized" which means you don't get to see the big black window. Well, at least that's how you'd do it in XP, I have no idea about new newfangled Windows versions.