Spring RTS Engine

Hey all,

I'm trying to make a Spring map but I'm running into trouble.

First I'd like to say following all of those directions on how to make a map was tiring as hell and I'll make love to the sister of the first person who makes a dedicated map-making program for this, or, in the event that that person is a woman, I will make love to her.

Anyway, my problem is that my map is crashing. Obviously. It seems to be crashing at "Creating overhead texture".

This is how I MADE my map. I basically made a 1024x1024 crappy 24-bit BMP image, the 129x129 accompanying heightmap and metalmap images, and copied the .smd file from another map, threw it together, packed it with 7-Zip and put it in the maps folder, and bam.. it crashes at the "Creating overhead texture" line when loading.

Can anyone inform me as to what I'm doing wrong? Thanks. Or is more info needed?

Isnt that texture for mods?

You need to compile a map from those files using MapConv before it can be used by Spring.

Download the map tools package http://www.fileuniverse.com/?p=showitem&ID=1234 and place the folder on your C drive and don`t have any spaces in the path or mapvonv won`t work. Its a command line app so copy the text below "without the quotes", into a "new text document" and save with .bat extension - place this file in the same folder as the maptools, along with your source .bmp`s then double click the .bat file to start.
The map tools download does have a .bat file already done but it includes some stuff you don`t need maconv to do for your particular map so it will be more easy for you if you just use this basic one below.

"@ECHO OFF
ECHO
ECHO.
ECHO Edit this file in notepad.
ECHO.
ECHO Make sure all map bitmaps are present in the same directory as Mapconv.
ECHO.
ECHO Mapconv help will now display.
PAUSE
mapconv -help

ECHO MapConv will now run again with the parameters you have added. If you haven't touched this file yet, something bad will probably happen.
pause

REM Edit below.

mapconv.exe -l -i -c 0.6 -x 255 -n -0 -o "map name.smf" -m metal.bmp -a height.bmp -t terrain.bmp --

"
This is for a basic map with no terrain types.
The last two lines are what you edit from map to map generally speaking
-x 255 -n -0 is where you specify the max terrain height and 0 relates to the water level you want.

Well, I'm working on a little project at the moment, its a front end for mapconv



As soon as I figure out how to make those open/save windows I'll release the first beta.

Thanks alot Napalm! it would be nice to have a tool like that

Well it doesn't really do alot, so to speak, it just gives you an easier way of putting data into the mapconv. Although I plan on adding features, like full integration of mapconv so it can put output in the output box and size checking. But all thats going to have to wait, I might be able to release it tonight, if I can have a beta tester?

Hey, its better than nothing.

Anyway, used the batch file way, still get the same error at the same time.

Okay, update. Using that nifty frontend prog I still get the same error but for some reason, it now elaborates.

Now I get
"Error reading tile file
Error couldnt open tile file maps\TestMap3.smt"

within the 7zip file u need a folder /maps/

and in there goes your files

If you want to test it, just drop all the relevent files in the root of your maps directory, unziped, and it will read them from there. That will show you weathere your ziping it wrong...

aGorm

That SMD you are using is likely to have start points off the edge of the map. That may not be the cause of your current problem but it may cause another.

Yeah, kind of figured the startpos would be whacked.

in any case I tested it using both the frontend and the mapper.bat (that comes with the mapconv). The prog didnt work but using the mapper.bat did. It loaded the map fine and started the game. However there were trees and geo vents over every single centimeter of the entire map (thank god it was a small map!) and, of course, the commanders started almost within each other.

So I tried again, but it doesn't work any longer. Infact I've got it down to the .SMT file being the cause. How do I know? I went and tried to re-create the map (as TestMap4) with new .smf and .smt files, and it crashed again. I then got the old .smt file, renamed it to TestMap4 (from TestMap3) and it worked. So seems the problem is in the .smt file.

So, my question is, what is this .smt file and what does it do? How does it work?

Lastly, I noticed in the Front End program that it mentions a "Typemap" bmp file.. what is this? It isn't mentioned in the MapConv files, the guide I've been reading or anywhere else.

Anyway, here is what I've got. Please tell me if this is all "correct":

-Texture.bmp 24-bit Bitmap file that is 1024x1024 pixels
-Height.bmp 24-bit Bitmap file (in B&W&Grey) that is 129x129 pixels, or 1/8th of the Texture.bmp + 1 pixel
-Metal.bmp 24-bit Bitmap file that is the same size as the Height.bmp file

In the guide, it mentions "Mothers MapConv" and says that Features are now included in the FeatureMap option (-f), which apparently also controls trees. I did not have a FeatureMap.bmp file so I have to ask, how did my map get filled with trees? I am making one now, anyway, and will see if that works.

I know, all 3 .sm* files are in the maps\ folder in the .sd7 file.

Right, Which mapconv are you using? The original, or mothers?

If Original:
Trees everywere will be because trees are placed randomly on any predomanently green ground. So if your map is green... Lots of trees.

Geo's are placed by the colour green on the metal map. However note that the colour white has the colour green in it from a computers point aview. So if theres any white on your metal map you'll get a geo.

Your dimentions are correct.

The Typemap is a map that lets you assign different land types. Its not needed in teh slightest, its for the more advanced map makers.
in short, its the same size as teh metal map, and you use the red channel to make different areas. IE, an area painted RED 255 will be Type 255 in your ".smd" and an area of black (IE with 0 Red value) will be type 0 (also the default if no typemap is specifiyed)
If you open someone elses map you will be able to see what the type map part of the ".smd" looks like.

If your useing Mothers Map Cov:

Height map, terrain feature map and texture map are the same.

However the metal map is now just for metal.

There is a new map, (designated by -f) taht you place geo's and Trees and Grass on. When you download his mapcov it comes with a doc saying READ ME, which explanes what colours on this map do what. If you leave this map blank you will get no geos, trees or grass.

Finaly, make sure when you zip up your files you leave the zip open, not closed.

Is this any help??

aGorm

Yeah, it does.

It explains why my white metal map was covering the map in geos, and yes, my map IS green and grass and trees are everywhere.

I've since changed that but that's when it crashes. I fixed the metalmap, but it is crashing again at the same time as originally.

Mothers MapConv sounds easier. I'll look for it, give it a try and see if it's any better.

If I uploaded all the damned files of this map could someone take a look at it?

Sure.

Okay, here they are:

http://www.tauniverse.com/forum/attachm ... ntid=13297

Yes they are zipped and not 7-zipped or whatever because TAU forums don't allow .sd7 attached files.

Use FileUniverse. Then they can even be downloaded through the client. It hosts sd7 and anything you want with no problems.

aGorm wrote:...
Height map, terrain feature map and texture map are the same.

However the metal map is now just for metal.

There is a new map, (designated by -f) taht you place geo's and Trees and Grass on. When you download his mapcov it comes with a doc saying READ ME, which explanes what colours on this map do what. If you leave this map blank you will get no geos, trees or grass.
...
aGorm

Weird, I've used Mother's for Corrosive Pits putting my Geo's in the metalmap and having them come out right, and not using a featuremap at all.

Ahh, well maybe he made it so that if none was specified it reverted to teh old way.... He'll have to tell us!

aGorm