Spring RTS Engine

I've read all the tutorials here that I found, and tried to find an answer from already existing threads in these forums.

Problem is as follows.

I compile with mother's mapconv, the version without optimizations, because the normal version doesn't work. Got the link from the Forboding Angel's tutorial.

Compiling starts ok, it processes height map, features and such. Then it creates a temp folder and puts many .bmp:s there. After that the problem occurs.
I suppose it tries to do something on the files made in the temp folder but fails. Error message is something like "unable to locate files 'temp\*.bmp' "
After that it starts to calculate the tiles, and eventually sprouts all the files needed for the final .sd7-file.
I have the mapconv.exe and all the bitmaps I need on the same folder. Folder names do not contain any spaces. Bitmap dimensions are correct.


I've tried to play the resulting map. It starts without any error messages, but is hardly playable.
When I press f4, i can see all the metal deposits in the right places, but a mex placed on them produces no metal.
Map texture isn't implented. All I see is the detail texture map everywhere.

On the compiling phase, if I place trees on the feature map, mapconv crashes during feature map processing. Geovents work (ingame too).
Everything else is ok, I think.

I really think that the root of this problem lies within the compiler error message I mentioned. Any help?

-Zagupi



For the tutorial makers: Thank you very much for providing these tutorials. I'd still like to say something that's missing from them in my opinion.
- the Nvidia .dds-converting tool. Isn't mentioned anywhere, and didn't come with mother's mapconv-files. (or then i'm just stupid)
- geovent.bmp. Althou not required if no geovents on the map, it still produces an error message in the compiler.


edit:
The exact error message:
...
Writing bmp files 98%
Writing bmp files 99%
Writing bmp files 100%
Creating dds files
temp\*.bmp ---> Can't open input file 'temp\*.bmp'
creating minimap
mini.bmp --> mini.dds
creating tiles 2/1024 1%
creating tiles ...

There can be no spaces in the path to your compile folder, nvdxt.exe does not like it.

"C:\stuff\morestuff\springmaps\" is good.

"C:\stuff\more stuff\springmaps\" is bad.

Uhh.. I was wrong.. I _thought_ that I got the mother-thing from the Forboding Angel's link, but I didn't. So my critique doesn't apply and I wasted time stupidly in order to find the dds tool etc....
Dumbass me.. Well I'll try the new version now.


edit:
New version gives same errors. Nothing changed.

http://www.fileuniverse.com/?p=showitem&ID=3659

This is all the stuff you need to make a map in one place... try this set of files.

Also post the file structure for where the files are and the batch file you are using to compile.

Ok, so.
I've got

E:\Games\TOTAL\TASpring\MapConv\Skets\

There are
-all the bitmaps: texture, metal, feature, heightmap, detail map.
-mapconv.exe, nvdxt.exe.
-the batch file (batch.bat)

all in the same folder.


Batch file:
mapconv.exe -c 0.3 -x 800 -n 0 -m sketsMET.bmp -a sketsHF.bmp -t sketsTEX.bmp -f sketsFEA.bmp -o Skets.smf

When I compress the .sd7-file, in it will be a folder called maps, and under it
-Skets.smd
-Skets.smf
-Skets.smt
-sketsDET.bmp, which is the detail map


P.S. I got the metal deposits working, it was a "," instead of a "." in the .smd file. Just a typo.

I got that example map compiled right, and it worked, SinbadEV.
However I can't figure out whats the difference between that map and mine that makes my map not compile right.

try zip file and sdz instead of sd7... if it works that way I know someone has a screenshot of how to configure 7zip somewhere to follow...

are you still getting errors while compiling?

Compiling is my main concern, because the .sd7-making works just fine.
I compared my batch file to the example map's batch file and altered my batch to be exactly the same except for the map height and bitmap names of course. Didn't help.

I have absolutely no clue why my map doesn't work and the example map works.

I even made a new little map from scratch, to see if i had made some errors or something, or just if I had had bad luck on the first one. Didn't help.

As if the compiler somehow deletes the .bmp-files in the temp-folder just before it needs them again..?
It creates them and for a brief moment I see them there. Then a second later they get erased, and the compiler is like "Huh? Where did they go?"

Ok. It works now. (Yay!!)
It was about a Nvdxt.exe that was too old. I just got it somewhere at first, don't remember where. I replaced my .exe with the one that came with that example package(it even is about twice the size of the old file).
No more compile errors =) =) =) =)
Thanks everyone for your time and help.
Now I'm off to some map making >:P



(duhh can't post an image, i'm too new)

Does this work?
http://users.evtek.fi/~ilkkale/screen178.jpg

Zagupi, remake it in the new map format.

I could. But I'll finalize this in the old format and concentrate on the new format later.

Slight update. I think I'll start a new topic to show people this map after it's finished. (I made things a bit brighter) http://users.evtek.fi/~ilkkale/screen180.jpg
http://users.evtek.fi/~ilkkale/screen181.jpg