Chlanda wawmap.exe, large map into smaller maps ...

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All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [World War II] >> Steel Panthers World At War & Mega Campaigns >> Chlanda wawmap.exe, large map into smaller maps ...

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Chlanda wawmap.exe, large map into smaller maps ... - 2/6/2001 2:56:00 AM

MindSpy

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Joined: 5/13/2000
From: Canada
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Many gamers have asked questions on maps and scenario designing. Fortunately, there is nothing better than learning by doing. Whenever possible open up your game into hotseat and gently learn about your game. Play against yourself from scens generated quickly or exactingly and along the way learn how to set up your games even faster than hex by hex editing in the SPWAW editor ( eventually you`ll swear off the battle generator unless looking for a quicky snack). Case in point. Suppose i see a picture at the library or net or other source of a WW2 airfield or battle area or area in which there will be a battle heck even old tourism shots of flora and fauna of an area will do! Ask within your own family and others ... ! Well then, I am already off to a great start as I can now create a `historical map` of a `historical battle`. But wait let`s clarify things a bit. If you are looking to produce the exact same things with the same number of people and shots expended and even the minutest details of weather and such -- as the historical -- then clearly you are not playing SPWAW - unless this is entertaining you, you are free to jump this thread posting. For those who have a genuine interest however, don`t worry about the precision of your map, it should instead be presentable, playable, profitable for everyone`s enjoyment. A lot of what was true to life would pretty much destroy the fun of this game. So as long as we are understood that you are free to generate a map that DEPICTS the topography and DEPICTS a battle real or imagined we shall do well by everyone`s standards! Above all else your game must be playable ... individual facets of the historical can be handled in a series of scens if you are willing to specifically restrict players options and choices. To make life easier for all concerned we will not attempt such precision within any one map or scenario ... (afterall there are many texts out there)! Well enough said to the meat! So, here`s how we are going to do it using Chlanda`s map editing and unit editing with considerably less fuss and considerably more power than was at our disposal before! --------Draw a bmp or jpe image of the entire map you want! --------Use the aspen and grid images supllied to do so, always refer to the html tutorial until you can read it in your sleep! --------Make many cuts of the complete map to fit the 100x80 hex max of the area. --------Find a player to play a campaign against and make a map of where your unit is centrally located if being attacked or the attacker from the large map cut into a smaller 100x80 and progress as the battle goes (you will need to adopt rules for simplicity-such as how close do reinforcements have to be before they are required to be seen on the battle map! etc... also the obvious how large does a force have to be before you go to the trouble of making a map 100x80 section of the large map) To be exacting first we check to see how large an area is contained in a bmp image created by pressing contours then show in wawmap.exe . (932x764-if memory is correct!) Close enough! And this is the largest size we note although smaller maps are possible!!! So now we know that whatever size our bmp image of the entire area may be the battle zone can only be 100x80 at the most of the nn nnnxuu,uuuuu area all the forces are located in ... our Chlanda map editing from a bmp file will be limited to 100 hexes left to right and 80 hexes top to bottom! (x,y) Clear enough. So i know that my battles must be made to fit a 100 by 80 map at the top end of the size scale-nooo problem! Since I can only load bmp images fitting this largest dimension we then have to learn how to copy sections of our large bmp image into different pzmaps of up to 100x80! Simple. Start the game of SPWAW. Go to the editor. Open a series of maps set to large and save them unedited with names. Write down the map names and their associated file numbers (most all files in SP are a whole number series 0,1,2,3 ... , to N-the last file save slot). Exit SPWAW and open wawmap.exe . I strongly recommend that you always work from within Chlanda as this eliminates your game playing accidentally overwriting a file in any of the precious folders - scens, and maps!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If possible create a folder on this special project and place them back all your work after completing or when interupted!!!!!!!! Now that wawmap.exe is open

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- 2/6/2001 3:25:00 AM

Don

Posts: 810
Joined: 7/12/2000
From: Elk Grove, CA (near Sacramento)
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Great job, Mindspy!

Hmmm...sounds like tutorial material! Interested in making one on this subject? Don

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Don "Sapper" Llewellyn

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- 2/6/2001 4:18:00 AM

Don

Posts: 810
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From: Elk Grove, CA (near Sacramento)
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Mindspy asked me to tell you that he couldn't finish the map-making post at the time he was doing it, so he will email me the rest of it and I will post it. Don

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Don "Sapper" Llewellyn

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- 2/6/2001 7:01:00 AM

David boutwell

Posts: 353
Joined: 5/28/2000
From: Haymarket, Virginia, USA
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by MindSpy: For those who have a genuine interest however, don`t worry about the precision of your map, it should instead be presentable, playable, profitable for everyone`s enjoyment. A lot of what was true to life would pretty much destroy the fun of this game. MindSpy, I'm not sure that I agree with you there. You imply that maps cannot be precise, and presentable and playable. I think that attention to detail, what I assume you mean by precision (because the map editor won't allow "exact" duplication of a location), is what makes a map truly presentable. I would venture to guess that more than one of us feel that map making is an art form, and ranks is as enjoyable as playing the game. Concerning making small maps out of larger one, I actually want to move whole sections around, in order to depict a shift in the focus of fighting enough to warrent shifting the mpa in a particular direction. For example, the Pz Lehr Division made a frontal attack on Marvie, outside of Bastogne (and on the left edge of my map), then swung south and around the village (off-board). I want to copy the village to the middle of another map so that I can depict both scenarios without having to totally redo the whole map. Dave Boutwell

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- 2/6/2001 7:29:00 AM

MindSpy

Posts: 272
Joined: 5/13/2000
From: Canada
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quote:

Originally posted by David boutwell: [QUOTE]Originally posted by MindSpy: For those who have a genuine interest however, don`t worry about the precision of your map, it should instead be presentable, playable, profitable for everyone`s enjoyment. A lot of what was true to life would pretty much destroy the fun of this game. MindSpy, I'm not sure that I agree with you there. You imply that maps cannot be precise, and presentable and playable. ((OH BOY DO YOU NEED TO REREAD THAT)) (( I STATED WHAT WORRIES YOU SHOULD REMOVE FROM YOUR MIND WHEN STARTING ANY SCEN OR BATTLE SIMULATION OR MAP MAKING EFFORT I DID NOT STATE ANY OF YOUR INSINUATIONS)) I think that attention to detail, what I assume you mean by precision (because the map editor won't allow "exact" duplication of a location), is what makes a map truly presentable. ((HAVE YOU BEEN DRINKING TOO MUCH WINE OR SOMETHING WHAT GLOOP IS THIS "TRULY PRESENTABLE"? THAT IS PRECISION IN SPEECH MEANT TO CLARIFY WHAT WAS NOT PRECISE?! /// ARE YOU SURE YOU GOT YOUR SOCKS ON?)) I would venture to guess that more than one of us feel that map making is an art form, and ranks is as enjoyable as playing the game. ((WELL JESUS IF IT'S ART TO YOU WHY WOORY ABOUT PRECISION WHICH WAS CLEARLY STATED YOU SHOULD NOT WORRY OVER SO MUCH -- IS IT 50 YARDS OR IS IT 45 METRES IS IT TRULY PRESENTABLE TO BE 45 METRES VS 50 YARDS?)) ((HECK AM I GOING TO PRESSURE THE GAME MECHANICS BE ALTERED TO THE POINT OF REQUIRING A 2 GIG PROCESSOR SO THAT ALL THE CAPTURED NUANCES OF FLAT GROUND FOR MILE AFTER MILE BE MODELED ACCURATELY -- THINK OF WHAT FITS NOT WHAT DOESN'T!)) Concerning making small maps out of larger one, I actually want to move whole sections around, ((NEVER SAW A MAP THAT MOVES IN SECTIONS! HOWEVER IF YOU MEAN A UNIT IS MOTION AND YOU WANT TO KEEP SELECTING THE MAP SO THAT THE MAIN MASS OF THE FORCE IS ONMAP AT START---SIMPLE CUT THE THE SECTION YOU NEED AND THEN LOAD THAT BMP)) in order to depict a shift in the focus of fighting enough to warrent shifting the mpa in a particular direction. For example, the Pz Lehr Division made a frontal attack on Marvie, outside of Bastogne (and on the left edge of my map), then swung south and around the village (off-board). I want to copy the village to the middle of another map so that I can depict both scenarios without having to totally redo the whole map. Dave Boutwell

MindSpy: Keep in mind you asked for help. I didn't respond to hear flatulent wording of a response to a response. It would have been preferable to hear I attempted this and I couldn't with that and such and so ... Not. Don't worry I'm sure others will pick up where I am not able to carry the ball! By the way I am positive i read this about copying a village to ... sometime before and you still need the answer? MindSpy

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- 2/6/2001 12:34:00 PM

David boutwell

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MindSpy, What is all of this BS about drinking wine and flatulance and "socks on", etc.??!! Did I say something disrespectful to you, guy? You've got your opinions. I've got mine. that was it. Nothing more. And I didn't resort to junk like that stating it. If you have a problem with me trying to interpret what you state in your posts,what can I say?? Quote: "For those who have a genuine interest however, don`t worry about the precision of your map, it should INSTEAD (my caps) be presentable, playable, profitable for everyone`s enjoyment." I had a "genuine interest" in what you were saying. I just didn't happen to agree with what you were implying, which to me was that maps prepared painstakingly from whatever source are not presentable, playable, and whatever profitable means. I had an opinion because I happen to make maps that I consider to be pretty "precise". And no, precise in this case "doesn't mean exactly the same". I've heard more than one opinion in here about people not liking historical scenarios, etc. (and historical scenarios have historical maps), because they may not be enjoyable to guys who like the all-out tank battles. I do. I had an opinion. I stated it. It had nothing to do with the merits of your thread. Hell, I was looking for the rest of it... And whose talking precision in speech here?? Quote: Concerning making small maps out of larger one, I actually want to move whole sections around, ((NEVER SAW A MAP THAT MOVES IN SECTIONS!)) I was referring to the capabilty of copying a portion (such as a village that you want to look the same in several different scenarios) of a larger map, creating a new map, and pasting that copied village into the new map. Yeah, I still need the answer, but not if it means being afraid of stating an opinion in a respectful way because I'm scared that if someone doesn't like how I state it, I won't get it... Dave Boutwell

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- 2/7/2001 1:36:00 AM

Don Doom

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Mindspy, would it be possible to get a copy of your large to smaller maps paper. Thanks Doom [This message has been edited by Don Doom (edited February 06, 2001).]

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Doom
Vet of the Russian General Winter
For death is only the begining

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- 2/8/2001 6:43:00 AM

Paul

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Joined: 6/22/2000
From: Delavan, WI USA
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Mindspy-- As one of those eccentric "historical" wargamers more interested in the "war" part of "wargaming" than the "gaming" part--I'd go along with David's response to your post. I also thought that your CAPITAL LETTERED response was more than immature; it was the response of a petulant child. Please grow up. I happen to think that the mapmaking design criteria that David uses has enabled him to produce one of the most realistic maps of the Arnhem area I have seen this side of an actual aerial photograph. Historically and artisically (I feel that as a retired ad agency creative director I'm entitled to judge artwork) David is one Hellova wargame designer--if someone is interested in the history side of our wargaming hobby. Of course, for those more interested in the "gaming" part of the hobby, there will always be designers willing to supply the necessary scenarios that "approximate" the battle conditions and terrain to make a better game; and if the balance doesn't work, then just add a few more tank companies or an extra artillery battalion or two. After all it's just a game, right?

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