Spring RTS Engine

I did not want to hijack the other mapconv thread but I was wondering:
Does anybody use mapconv (with command parameters) to compile their maps?
I found using Springmapedit much easier because it has a preview, adjusting stuff with a GUI and all that.

Or is springmapedit internally using mapconv? (does not seem like it)
Does mapconv have any advantages over springmapedit, if so which?
(like better compression or something)
Also I think springmapedit works on Linux too?
At least its java and there are lib_win32, lib_osx32, lib_lin_x86 etc folders.

I don't touch spring map edit.

it hangs randomly

why do I need a gui to compile my map?

a batch is fine to.

I use a batch file + behe's mapconv to compile. There is a wxwidgets frontent that bruce made that is really nice.

never hung for me i think but then I only made small maps.

why do I need a gui to compile my map?

was going to say "for preview to see if heights and water level etc are correct" but if you use editors like worldmachine etc you have probally seen the map in 3D already.
I edit heightmaps with graphicsoftware so that 3d preview is kind of nice.

So useability aside, the output is the same?

it hangs just when I try to do any sort of map in it. Otherwise I would make tilesets for it.

I use map options for height.

I dunno, don't see the point of bothering.

SpringMapEdit uses Java, but it uses a GUI system (SWT) that is based on native libraries (which is of course a fail attempt (by IBM, btw), and likely the cause for problems and definitely for maintenance hell). I tried to convert it to SWING (and Maven), and i got relatively far, but i hit a roadblock somewhere... i think it was the OpenGL stuff.