unify(thingtemplate): Merge and move ThingTemplate to Core

[OmarAglan]

Merge with Rebase

• Follow up for unify(map): Merge and move GameLogic map headers and implementations to Core #3189

Merges the Generals and Zero Hour ThingTemplate implementations using Zero Hour as the baseline, then moves the shared header and source to Core in preparation for the WorldBuilder merge.

• Aligns template fields, accessors, module metadata and INI parsing.
• Shares Zero Hour’s build-limit parser and OverrideableByLikeKind handling.
• Preserves Generals’ default auto-heal inheritance under RETAIL_COMPATIBLE_CRC.
• Keeps legacy Generals audio fields under RTS_GENERALS && RETAIL_COMPATIBLE_DATA, with identical guarded death-sound blocks in both Object.cpp files.
• Aligns the required Generals GameLogic and Player interfaces.

Validation:

• VC6 Release builds passed for both games and both WorldBuilders.
• git diff --check passed.

"i used some AI assistance in analysis and validation"

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ℹ️ Recent review info

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📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between d182473 and 02db325.

📒 Files selected for processing (4)

• Core/GameEngine/Include/Common/ThingTemplate.h
• Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/Thing/ThingTemplate.cpp
• Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/Object.cpp
• scripts/cpp/unify_move_files.py

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Walkthrough

The change enables the Core ThingTemplate implementation, removes duplicate Generals implementations, adds conditional death-audio APIs, applies platform-specific parsing rules, and uses template calculation methods for vision ranges.

Changes

ThingTemplate platform integration

Layer / File(s)	Summary
ThingTemplate build integration Core/GameEngine/CMakeLists.txt, Generals/Code/GameEngine/..., GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/..., scripts/cpp/unify_move_files.py	The Core build includes ThingTemplate. The Generals and GeneralsMD builds no longer include their duplicate files. The file-unification script moves the files into Core.
ThingTemplate API and range calculation Core/GameEngine/Include/Common/ThingTemplate.h, Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/BuildAssistant.cpp, Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/Object.cpp	ThingTemplate adds conditional death and crush audio entries and accessors. Object and BuildAssistant use template calculation methods for vision-related ranges. Death audio playback is conditional on RTS_GENERALS && RETAIL_COMPATIBLE_DATA.
Platform-specific template behavior Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/Thing/ThingTemplate.cpp	Template parsing, copied-module cleanup, AI module replacement, audio validation, superweapon restrictions, and instant-build behavior use platform-specific conditions.

Priority: ⬇️ Low

Estimated code review effort: 4 (Complex) | ~45 minutes

Change: Refactor

🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 4

✅ Passed checks (4 passed)

Check name	Status	Explanation
Linked Issues check	✅ Passed	Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.
Out of Scope Changes check	✅ Passed	Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.
Title check	✅ Passed	The title clearly describes the main change: merging and moving ThingTemplate into Core.
Description check	✅ Passed	The description directly explains the ThingTemplate merge, relocation, platform-specific behavior, and validation results.

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[greptile-apps]

Confidence Score: 5/5

[High risk] Moves core game object template code between build targets.

The PR appears safe to merge based on this re-review.

Summary

The PR moves the Zero Hour ThingTemplate implementation into Core for use by both games, adds Generals compatibility guards, and updates the affected build and game interfaces. There are no code changes since the previous review.

Diagram

%%{init: {'theme': 'neutral'}}%%
flowchart LR
  T[Core ThingTemplate] --> G[Generals GameEngine]
  T --> Z[Zero Hour GameEngine]

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_{Reviews (10) · Last reviewed commit: "unify(thingtemplate): Move ThingTemplate..."}

[xezon]

There are a lot more things in ThingTemplate that can be merged. Maybe merge the whole thing?

[OmarAglan]

There are a lot more things in ThingTemplate that can be merged. Maybe merge the whole thing?

i do agree, but it will be huge unrelated change as i need those specific changes for the world builder to get merged, but i will see what i can do

[xezon]

I looked over ThingTemplate and it is relevatively low level. So it seems possible to merge the whole thing.

[OmarAglan]

I looked over ThingTemplate and it is relevatively low level. So it seems possible to merge the whole thing.

yes on it, will update the pr soon.

[xezon]

This change has a number of RTS_GENERALS and RTS_ZEROHOUR defines. Are all of these justified?

[OmarAglan]

This change has a number of RTS_GENERALS and RTS_ZEROHOUR defines. Are all of these justified?

i try to keep both games as pure as possible, without adding things from zerohour to gen or vice versa, is it possible to port some of guarded things to gen, if needed.

[xezon]

Some guidelines for merging:

1. Code in Zero Hour takes precendence over Generals.
2. Zero Hour can inherit things from Generals if they are better than what Zero Hour does.
3. Generals generally inherits everything from Zero Hour.
4. Generals and Zero Hour retail runtime logic, xfer and data compatibility must not change with RETAIL_COMPATIBLE_CRC, RETAIL_COMPATIBLE_XFER_SAVE, RETAIL_COMPATIBLE_DATA.
5. Generals visuals can change if it comes as an improvement from Zero Hour.

It is the job of a merge to merge as much as is possible while not violating the above.

[OmarAglan]

Some guidelines for merging:

1. Code in Zero Hour takes precendence over Generals.
2. Zero Hour can inherit things from Generals if they are better than what Zero Hour does.
3. Generals generally inherits everything from Zero Hour.
4. Generals and Zero Hour retail runtime logic, xfer and data compatibility must not change with RETAIL_COMPATIBLE_CRC, RETAIL_COMPATIBLE_XFER_SAVE, RETAIL_COMPATIBLE_DATA.
5. Generals visuals can change if it comes as an improvement from Zero Hour.

It is the job of a merge to merge as much as is possible while not violating the above.

as for now i removed the guard around OverrideableByLikeKind registration. it parsing is now shared while gen keeps its original module inheritance whenever CRC or save compatibility is enabled, also it adopts the Zero Hour inheritance rules when both flags are disabled

ready for re review

[xezon]

Is not looking convincing.

[OmarAglan]

Is not looking convincing.

I assume you are right, will improve it based on the feedback.

[xezon]

Logically looks very good now. I did not see mistake.

@Caball009 @Skyaero42 Can one of you run this against a number of Generals Replays?

[Skyaero42]

Logically looks very good now. I did not see mistake.

@Caball009 @Skyaero42 Can one of you run this against a number of Generals Replays?

Will do

[Skyaero42]

Went through about 100 replays, no issues found.

[xezon]

Rename the first commit to unify(thingtemplate): Merge ThingTemplate (#3324). Is simpler and more consistent with historic commits.

[OmarAglan]

Rename the first commit to unify(thingtemplate): Merge ThingTemplate (#3324). Is simpler and more consistent with historic commits.

Done, it now renamed

[xezon]

Thank you.