Help with ABattlemap

[HolKann]

@Cmdr:

Hey, Holkann, I’d repost that response you had explaining all the files and how they function from the other thread to this one.

Allright, here e goes:

Here’s a quick overview of the files needed to make an ABattlemap module (the ones with an asterisk are the ones really necessary for a module, the other ones are very handy though):

map.bmp*:
is the visual image of the map that will be shown on the screen.

mapinfo.txt:
contains the name of the module (+ some extra info, but that I don’t understand)

start.aam:
contains the starting position of the units.

toolpieces.bmp*:
the amount of rows decides the amount of nations playing. The amount of columns decides the amount of units in play. The first column is regarded as the “flag”, or the token which decides which country owns what territory. The size of a row or column may not be altered, but new columns and rows may be added.

bigpieces.bmp:
essentially the same as toolpieces, but with a bigger size of the rows and columns

toolpieces.txt*:
lists the properties of each column/unit of toolpieces.bmp (or bigpieces.bmp). Those properties are: name, IPC-value, “navality” (= 1 if the column represents a naval unit, 0 if the column does not).

sektorinfo.bmp:
is a bmp-file representing the territories available on the map. Those territories are separated by black (RGB= 00 00 00) lines. To identify each different territory, the territories are filled with a different color, which’s RGB-value corresponds to its line numer in sektorinfo.txt. (note that this file must have the exact same size as map.bmp)

sektorinfo.txt:
lists the territories line by line with their properties. A typical line is like this:
France (Fra)                            : 01060100 0000016a 00000113 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
=> the first attribute is the name of the territory.
=> the second attribute (after the semicolon) is a block of hexadecimal numbers (which are actually 4 separate numbers):
01 means this is a land territory, 06 means it is worth 6 IPC’s, 01 means it is originally owned by the country represented by the first row of toolpieces.bmp, and 00 is simply redundant.
=> the third and fourth attribute show the place (in pixels) where the IPC-value of this territory should appear (hexadecimal!).
=> the fifth attribute is again 4 separate numbers, specifying “oil” or “convoy” properties:
00 is redundant, 00 indicates no country looses IPC’s if taken, 00 indicates this isn’t a convoy route, 00 means this isn’t an oil territory.
=> the rest are redundant.

sektorinfo.map:
is the version of sektorinfo.bmp the ABattlemap program can read.

sektorinfo.sek:
is the version of sektorinfo.txt the ABattlemap program can read.

Now, how do you make the .map and .sek files?
Your ABattlemap folder contains 2 files who manage this: csek.exe and b242map.exe. To use these however, you’ll need to use the console (the black screen with white letters in windows). The easiest way to do this, is to creat a folder on your C disk. For instance: c:\aafiles . You drop there both those exe’s, and sektorinfo.txt and sektorinfo.bmp. Run the console, and navigate to c:\aafiles (the command “cd…” let’s you go 1 folder up, the command “cd something” lets you go to the folder “something” if available in the folder you’re currently visiting with the console). If you’re in the right folder, type “csek.exe sektorinfo.txt sektorinfo.sek”, hit return, and the sektorinfo.sek will appear in the folder. “b242map.exe sektorinfo.bmp sektorinfo.map” does the same trick for sektorinfo.map.

[Panther]

The discussion of AA1942 raised my interest in learning more about AA Revised.

I just found out that the modules for Revised that come with ABattleMap 0.79f
are partially not correct (wrong SZ-numbering in the South-East of the Map).

Are there any updated modules available? Without errrors?

Thank you :-)

[gamerman01]

How do you change view settings?  On one computer, I have to scroll around a lot more to see the map than on another computer I use.  Thanks!

[gamerman01]

I don’t think there’s such a thing as changing ABattlemap view settings.  I’ll try changing the video settings for my computer maybe.

[Battlingmaxo]

If you have a 20 in monitor the battlemap will fit with no scrolling w/1600 x 1200 res.

[Stoney229]

@TMTM:

Hey Stoney! Good job on the modules! I haven’t looked but have you updated or added to the tutorial for making modules? Feel free to add the next chapter to the knowledge base for everyone to find and use etc. Thanks!

Alright, here’s my two cents!  I hope some of you find it helpful - please feel free to post feedback in my tutorial’s thread: http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=18773.0