UTILITY: Map Making Utility and Save Viewer

[LookANinja]

Originally posted by OmniGod
is it tough to remove the size requirement? The bic seems to stretch horizontally any maps I start off square... and I can't try a 256x128 map convert.

This is because of how the map data is stored in the .bic there are actually 1/2 as many columns (x positions) as there are rows (y positions). So what the utility does is actually read every other x position (0,2,4) and skips half the data.

Originally, I required that the .bmp be opened in the same size as the map (so for a huge map, the bitmap would be 90x180), but I dropped this requirement because I felt it was easier to work on a bitmap that wasn't skewed so much.

I can tell you that I have played around with freeform map sizes, and haven't noticed any wierd results yet, but I am still not 100% sure that they are a good idea. as I can really see it messing things up with regards to things like Pathfinding AI, Corruption seed values, etc.

[LookANinja]

Originally posted by OmniGod
Just checked out Snoopy's post... and dam.... he's got the tiles I need and now I just need a way to integrate them... variety is the spice of life... I assume that the RGB codes would have to be added to the map.exe file, I lack that... soooo.. I have a map of India near complete, just need some more tiles to complete it to the way I want and have some free reign in the way the map creates itself.... any help would be appreciated... thanks.

Actually only need about 37 tiles since that is the present level of different style terrains out there.

Are we talking in the same terms here? are you asking for new terrain types (like arctic, or swamp), or do you just want to use different tile variations of the existing terrain (Grassland, etc). It is possible to vary the different grassland tiles (so that all of them are not the same), and I am working on that (it goes hand in hand with the coast problem). However the graphics for each terrain type are fixed. So I couldn't create arctic or swamp terrain without sacrificng an existing terrain type (like floodplain).

Snoopy's files are nice, but you have to sacrifice the exisitng terrain to use them, you can't have both types of grassland in the game at the same time. (As far as I know at least).

[LookANinja]

Originally posted by Slacker
I'm having no joy either. I load the file, convert it, get the output, and load it up...to see a blank map. I'm using an unusual map file, which might be the reason. It's based on a RPG I'm playing in on another forum, if anyone's curious.
Attached is the 256x256 version of the file. If something else is needed, please, tell me.

Well, right off the bat, I can tell you that the reason that your bitmap is coming in all as water is because you are using the wrong colors in your palette. I converted the image over to the correct palette, and it imported fine. I have included the converted bitmap, and also the outputted .bic file in case you can't get it to work, but give it a shot with the new .bmp

Remember, it is imperative that you use the colors in the provided BMPtoBIC Palette.bmp file if you want the terrain types to be imported properly. Any other colors will automatically get converted into ocean tiles.

[Slacker]

I'm having no joy either. I load the file, convert it, get the output, and load it up...to see a blank map. I'm using an unusual map file, which might be the reason. It's based on a RPG I'm playing in on another forum, if anyone's curious.
Attached is the 256x256 version of the file. If something else is needed, please, tell me.

[OmniGod]

Just checked out Snoopy's post... and dam.... he's got the tiles I need and now I just need a way to integrate them... variety is the spice of life... I assume that the RGB codes would have to be added to the map.exe file, I lack that... soooo.. I have a map of India near complete, just need some more tiles to complete it to the way I want and have some free reign in the way the map creates itself.... any help would be appreciated... thanks.

Actually only need about 37 tiles since that is the present level of different style terrains out there.

[OmniGod]

is it tough to remove the size requirement? The bic seems to stretch horizontally any maps I start off square... and I can't try a 256x128 map convert.

[LookANinja]

Originally posted by OmniGod
Thanks... one more thing... have you ever looked at the bmp2ctp2 program... it basically had it so that the 1st colour in the .act palette converted to grasslands or whatever, what you said above does that mean it will be the same concept? If so I think that's the easiest way to do this.

I'll see if I can get the map converted and start dropping a load of maps onto the market...

And the new file works perfectly, even under WinXP.

No, I have not seen that program, I never played ctp.

but yes, basically if you change the swatch for desert in the palette, then the new color will be what represents desert in future bitmaps that you convert.

[OmniGod]

Thanks... one more thing... have you ever looked at the bmp2ctp2 program... it basically had it so that the 1st colour in the .act palette converted to grasslands or whatever, what you said above does that mean it will be the same concept? If so I think that's the easiest way to do this.

I'll see if I can get the map converted and start dropping a load of maps onto the market...

And the new file works perfectly, even under WinXP.

[LookANinja]

Originally posted by Avahz_D


Ok tried that, didnt work... Here is what I did step by step using your map...

1. Loaded .bmp file
2. Generated map, got the output.bic file
3. Tried to load it on the civ3edit program, noting but water world with polar caps.

I am using your latest version, with no success... And I am using the correct pallete... Both my map and the one in the zip have the same problems.... D/K I am only using coast and grassland colors, that way when I get into the edit program I can add the other info more accuratly...



NOTE to other users: Have any of you had these problems, or something simular.

Allright, I uploaded a (hopefully) corrected version that pulls the precise color data out of the included BMPToBIC Palette.bmp file, instead of the values being predefined in the program. This should eliminate any problems with display compatabilities, I tested it at 256 colors, 16bit, and 24bit, and it worked fine.

However, since I was not able to reproduce the problems you were having with the map preview, that portion may not be fixed. Let me know what kind of results you get.

[LookANinja]

I was just thinking, you probably will want these until I can upload the modifications:

RGB(231,223,65); //Desert
RGB(206,166,74); //Plains
RGB(132,142,41); //Grassland
RGB(214,231,231); //Tundra
RGB(239,239,181); //Floodplain
RGB(171,99,33); //Hills
RGB(82,48,16); //Mountains
RGB(80,131,31); //Jungle
RGB(90,121,41); //ForestA
RGB(150,250,150); //Tundra Forest
RGB(61,101,61); //Forest B
RGB(16,121,132); //Coast
RGB(24,158,156); //Sea
RGB(0,65,82); //Ocean

[LookANinja]

Originally posted by OmniGod
it helps... but what I have is my bmp map from CTP2... and in the conversion I'd like to have the ability to use all the terrain types that were in the the original map.. 20 or so I believe... while the terrains aren't made yet for some of them... it would be beneficial to create colours for the future terrain types.

Something else I'd like to know, could you list out the colours and terrain types... while I'm having problems with the colour conversion (running XP with Adobe) I figure I can fix it by knowing which colours represent which without having to do the colour 0,0,0 maps to using the convertor and editor... thanks...

The colors and there associated terrain type are listed in the file: BMPToBIC Palette.bmp which is included in the .zip. I am about to post a fix for the problems that other users were having, (described above), and one result of this is that you will be able to change the color associated with a specific terrain type in the palette, and that change will affect the type of terrain that gets outputed from your bitmap.

(This is because the program will now load in the BMPToBIC Palette.bmp file, and extract the RGB value for a certain terrain type from the color swatch), that way the program is assured of picking the correct RGB value that is compatible with their display).

This will also make the .pal file in the .zip file obsolete, as you in effect can define your own palette. If you want,

For colors that you are using that are not recognized by the program, I can change the default terrain type from ocean to something else (grassland perhaps?), but since most of the terrain types are covered currently, I would think it would be easier to just floodfill those sections of your bitmap to the terrain color that most closely approximates an existing terrain type. You would also get a better representation that way.

[OmniGod]

it helps... but what I have is my bmp map from CTP2... and in the conversion I'd like to have the ability to use all the terrain types that were in the the original map.. 20 or so I believe... while the terrains aren't made yet for some of them... it would be beneficial to create colours for the future terrain types.

Something else I'd like to know, could you list out the colours and terrain types... while I'm having problems with the colour conversion (running XP with Adobe) I figure I can fix it by knowing which colours represent which without having to do the colour 0,0,0 maps to using the convertor and editor... thanks...

[LookANinja]

Originally posted by Avahz_D


Ok tried that, didnt work... Here is what I did step by step using your map...

1. Loaded .bmp file
2. Generated map, got the output.bic file
3. Tried to load it on the civ3edit program, noting but water world with polar caps.

I am using your latest version, with no success... And I am using the correct pallete... Both my map and the one in the zip have the same problems.... D/K I am only using coast and grassland colors, that way when I get into the edit program I can add the other info more accuratly...

NOTE to other users: Have any of you had these problems, or something simular.

I think I found the problem. It works fine on my machine (win2k) when using 16 bit color, however cranking it up to 24 bit color causes problems with some of the palette colors not being recognized and the Map comes out Kevin Costner style (obscure movie reference). I also tested this on a win98 machine with similar results at 32bit color,

Changing to 16bit color seems to fix things (although let me know if it clears things up with regards to the preview), so that should be the workaround until I can get a proper fix posted.

[LookANinja]

The only problem is that there are only a limited number of terrain types that are represented in the game. The Palette that is included should accurately reflect the majority of them (at least 90%). So I don't know what additional colors would do (other then duplicating existing terrain).

Now, one thing I want to do is add additional colors to represent things other than terrain types (rivers, etc), however in order to do this, I will need to pick terrain colors from pixels that are near the river, so that I can compute the underlying terrain for the tile that the river is on. For example, if the river runs through an area of grassland, the river tiles should be based on grassland tiles, etc. etc.

Does that help to answer your question?

[OmniGod]

How would you go about adding say a 100 colour palatte to convert to a bic map? I'm only asking since there is no doubt to be new terrain out and the limited .act file is just not going to cut it... I would attempt it myself but have limited knowledge in the field... could you either show me or make that sort of change to 100 possible terrains...