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All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [World War II] >> Steel Panthers World At War & Mega Campaigns >> SP:WaW Training Center >> advanced question about map file format

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advanced question about map file format - 11/6/2004 3:58:30 AM

minefield

Posts: 289
Joined: 3/25/2004
From: North Carolina, USA
Status: offline

Forgive me if I'm wasting your time.
I have an interest in extracting a map of the battlefield. It would be nice to have a picture of whatever format of a scenario or PBEM map for AAR diagrams or just to print out and use to track troop movements. The only way I have devised to do this is to take multiple screenshots (is hypersnap still the best program for this?) and piece them together using a photo editor. Has anyone experimented with this idea? Does anyone know in what format the map is stored and whether or not that part of the file is encrypted for PBEM?
It would be really nice to be able to extract a graphic of the battlefield or even a topographic map. It is not always easy to see the layout of the terrain in heavy forest / varying terrain.

Post #: 1

RE: advanced question about map file format - 11/6/2004 4:33:33 AM

minefield

Posts: 289
Joined: 3/25/2004
From: North Carolina, USA
Status: offline

I think I found what I needed to know. The bundled programs and documents in the SPWAW folder help if you are interested in this. Check out Chlanda, mapthing, and the likes.

(in reply to minefield)

Post #: 2

RE: advanced question about map file format - 11/6/2004 5:16:13 AM

minefield

Posts: 289
Joined: 3/25/2004
From: North Carolina, USA
Status: offline

I'm having a conversation with myself so I must be going crazy....
Anyway the only problem I am running into is with PBEM. Obviously there is some encryption / file format differences that is causing WAWMap and mapthingy to fail. Up front I want to say that I'm not trying to cheat. There are easier ways to do that.

If anyone knows how the *.dat file for PBEM is different it would help me out. Maybe the data is still there intact (unencrypted) but it is just offset? Again I just want the data for the terrain.

(in reply to minefield)

Post #: 3

RE: advanced question about map file format - 11/6/2004 1:30:11 PM

omegaall

Posts: 317
Joined: 7/28/2003
Status: offline

I found the mapthing useful for big maps and when you need to plan the scenario as well as trying to play it later.

I tend to play the AI as I do not have much time normally to play otherwise.

From what I have read in teh Manual it would appear that some if not all PBEM games are encrypted. so mapthing will not work. You may need to go back to the original scenario if that is possible.

The

"more informed" should be able to tell if a Battle generated game can be used.

(in reply to minefield)

Post #: 4

RE: advanced question about map file format - 11/6/2004 8:17:53 PM

minefield

Posts: 289
Joined: 3/25/2004
From: North Carolina, USA
Status: offline

Well I usually use random maps so I don't think the game ever writes the map data to the harddrive before it encrypts it. I'm going to look into this further.

(in reply to omegaall)

Post #: 5

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