Tutorial for Creating ABattleMap Modules v1.0

[Stoney229]

@Funcioneta:

@Stoney229:

To use rsek.exe to create a new SektorInfo.txtN file out of an existing SektorInfo.sekL file, type “rsek.exe SektorInfo.sek > SektorInfo.sek” (no quotes).  SektorInfo.sekL will remain in your folder and a new SektorInfo.txtN will appear.  Note that the required “>” between the source and destination files is unique to this tool.

It should be “rsek.exe SektorInfo.sek > SektorInfo.txt”, or otherwise sektorinfo.sek will corrupt trying to convert to itself. Check this, Stoney (I found this while I was trying to update F40 module)

By jove, you’re right!  sorry about that!  Look forward to seeing your module.  I actually expect to have electricity installed to where I am living before the end of the year, and so I may continue (even if for my own personal fulfillment) to finish what I had started, but even if I do it will be many months before being completed.

[Funcioneta]

A very important question: is there a limit for the number of powers that can do convoy damage? I can make all the other powers do damage, but the last 2 powers in the list (China and France) cannot do convoy damage, no wonder what I try. I don’t care about China (at least in this module), but France is important because of the Madagascar dd. I cannot change the positions of India and France because it’s needed that axis can raid India’s Income

[calvinhobbesliker]

@Funcioneta:

A very important question: is there a limit for the number of powers that can do convoy damage? I can make all the other powers do damage, but the last 2 powers in the list (China and France) cannot do convoy damage, no wonder what I try. I don’t care about China (at least in this module), but France is important because of the Madagascar dd. I cannot change the positions of India and France because it’s needed that axis can raid India’s Income

Well, if there’s no solution, at least you can take comfort in the fact that French convoy raids will be few and far between.

[Funcioneta]

@Stoney229:

• Subsequent lines identify listed powers as allied together.  This information is used, for example, for convoy route or “national objectives” purposes, where a sector or group of sectors must be controlled by a power’s side for that power to receive an amount of income.  These lines must begin with the word “allied”, followed by a list of single-digit integers representing powers.  The line “allied 1 3 6” shows that powers 1, 3, and 6 are allied together.  Powers are numbered by their order in ToolPieces.bmpG and BigPieces.bmpH.  Note that powers numbered 10 or greater cannot be a part of these lists (as far as I can tell).

Not totally true: since it’s a hexadecimal system, the max number is f (15). In my G40 module, France uses ‘a’ and still sums the income right. However, I’m not sure if powers with a number greater to 8 can do convoy damage (based on my experience)

[Stoney229]

@Funcioneta:

A very important question: is there a limit for the number of powers that can do convoy damage? I can make all the other powers do damage, but the last 2 powers in the list (China and France) cannot do convoy damage, no wonder what I try. I don’t care about China (at least in this module), but France is important because of the Madagascar dd. I cannot change the positions of India and France because it’s needed that axis can raid India’s Income

I cannot specifically remember what my discovery was on this matter, but you are quite likely right that it can only support up to 8 (idk why Attila didn’t think of the Globabl game when he instituted the system for P40).  If this is the case, I guess you will have to find some way to work around it until a someone with C/C++ programming know-how to remedy the deficiency.
@Funcioneta:

@Stoney229:

• Subsequent lines identify listed powers as allied together.  This information is used, for example, for convoy route or “national objectives” purposes, where a sector or group of sectors must be controlled by a power’s side for that power to receive an amount of income.  These lines must begin with the word “allied”, followed by a list of single-digit integers representing powers.  The line “allied 1 3 6” shows that powers 1, 3, and 6 are allied together.  Powers are numbered by their order in ToolPieces.bmpG and BigPieces.bmpH.  Note that powers numbered 10 or greater cannot be a part of these lists (as far as I can tell).

Not totally true: since it’s a hexadecimal system, the max number is f (15). In my G40 module, France uses ‘a’ and still sums the income right. However, I’m not sure if powers with a number greater to 8 can do convoy damage (based on my experience)

that’s what I would have assumed, but I tried “a” and it didn’t work for me.  Either my trial had some other error, or you are misunderstanding (slash-I have miscommunicated) the function of these ally groupings.  Where I have written “convoy route” here in this post, I am speaking of the “convoy routes” of games released before AAP40 (as opposed to the “convoy disruption” system of the AA1940 series), which functionally work in the modules basically the same way as the National Objectives (since the old system of convoy routes was that you had to control a specific sea zone in order to get the income of a certain territory or something like that).  So in the 1940 modules, the only function of the ally grouping in the MapInfo text file, which is only a function IF you implement automatic NO-calculation in your module, is that (in accordance with the rules) any one of a power’s listed allies can control the sectors required for NO fulfillment in order for that power’s NO to be automatically calculated.  This is why, in my P40 module, the USA (Oki + Iwo) NO requires the special “OCVR” designation (which was specifically created by Atti for that NO), since the rules state that the USA only receives income for that particular NO if the USA (specifically) controls both territories (e.g. UK or ANZ owning either one or both means USA does not get the NO).  Does that make sense?  This is why I had said before that I could not include France in the auto-NO calculations.

Now that I have tediously explained all this to you, you will tell me that you already understood all this and that France being listed as “a” actually works (and my own trials were somehow erroneous) so my explanation was pointless.  I’ll be happy anyway, because that only makes it easier for you if you are wanting to implement Auto-NOs.  If you are not implementing Auto-NOs, then the ally groupings have no function (that I can think or am aware of)

[Funcioneta]

Thanks for the input, Stoney. I guess that I’ll cheat, using ‘Indian’ ships painted with blue to simulate French ships. That’s the better system that I can find by now

As for the groupings, thanks again, and good to know. Now I understand what you mean, and you’re right. And like I use manual NOs, it’s not going to be a trouble

[TMTM]

Section Q: The hexadecimal number system

I was just browsing through to see whats new… reading up on the how Hexadecimal works… too much for my brain hehe So I went looking for a converter:
http://www.ascii.cl/conversion.htm

[TMTM]

Is there already a post/forum for discussing future idea’s for abattlemap development? Any I always think of idea’s while laying in bed at night hehe.

How about being able to make different sized units on the same toolbar… of course they’d all be the same height, 9 pixels… but be able to adjust the length for ships would be cool… make it all adjustable from the UnitStats.txt by adding another set of digits for abattlemap to read when it loads the module… each unit would have a size setting.

How about having Zoom in/ Zoom out… being able to adjust the view of the map… not sure if it can be done but sounds cool.

How about adding tabs to the map file… so you can save a whole game into one file and be able to click thru the turns.

How about able to add an info sting to the InfoView, I would add Cash… and on my cash/sektors on the map I would program it to show the cash on the InfoView as well so you don’t have to scroll back to go see… just look at the Infoview.

How about a text tool to add text or text boxes to the module or notes to the map file

We have Toolpeices and BigPeices, how about adding a 3rd CustomPeices: Have a CustomPeices.txt which is where the module maker edits its specs… so we can make larger and longer toolpeices of multiple size on one toolbar

How about a dice roller inside the program and saves the uneditable results to the AAM file… it could work… as long as no one gets pretty and edits the source code to give themselves favorable results hehe

Able to move a whole stack of units with one click etc or partial stack.

We now have the Sektor Editor… how about a tool to edit the area of the sektor and saves it to the SektorInfo.map file for quit fixes etc… like a paint brush… just paint where you want the sektor to be.

A hilighter tool… kinda like paint brush… maybe it would work like a layer that can be delete once the other user/s review what the other player hilighted.

emailer, be able to add players emails to the abattlemap and from the top… like next to View… would be Email… it would auto attach the map file and have a message box and send button… and the option to add multiple receivers (emails)

How about a Fleet peice… that you can stack units on… and all you have to do is move the Fleet peice to move all the navy units in one seazone… maybe also for land units?

I’ll add more later

[Guest]

If I remember correctly, I think its kind of picky about the order in which things are installed, whether you let it reboot between main installation and application of the patch.  Blah, I use Nero.

[ksmckay]

So I am trying to create a 1914 module and have gotten far enough that I want to actually open it up and see what it looks like and look at sektors.  However, whenever I open the module it doesnt show anything, map tool pieces, - completely blank.

I even tried just completely copying another folders contents into mine (with nothing else in it) and just changing the name of the map in MapInfo.txt and it opened up the same way.

Any thoughts?

For starters all I need are three files right? Map.bmp, MapInfo.txt, and ToolPieces.bmp?

[Stoney229]

@ksmckay:

Ok the previous problem was that the name of the folder wasnt 1-3 characters.

Now it opens and loads the toolpieces and map file but crashes after you try to do anything.  I tried to simplify things by trying to get it to work with only the three necessary files MapInfo.txt, Map.bmp, ToolPieces.bmp but that didnt help either.

MapInfo.txt contains 1 line to be simple - just the name
Map.bmp is a flattened bmp file created from paint.net.  Tried 8 bit and 24 bit and neither options helped.
ToolPieces.bmp is 150x90 pixels - 10x9 markers

Is there something that has to be reset?  Kind of like a new install or something?  Does it matter what size the map is?  Currently its smaller than some other maps.

Map size isn’t supposed to matter, but it has mattered for me in the past (we never figured out why - other maps have been same size as what didn’t work for me).  In my case, my map was too big.  Idk if you can solve your problem by changing the map size.

In this case, I don’t think “resetting” or reinstalling anything will be of any help, so long as you already have all the files you are supposed to have in your abattlemap directory.

have you tried opening another module with only the 3 essential files?

You said your mapinfo.txt file is only one line.  I do not know if that is allowable or not.  do other working modules have only one in that file?  Also am I correct in assuming you have not created your start.aam file yet?

Can you send me a screenshot of your file explorer window with your module directory (.gim folder) open?  Also, can you send your mapinfo.txt and toolpieces.bmp files?

[ksmckay]

If you try to create your own module using existing files it wont work until you include the SektorInfo files.  If you dont have SektorInfo.sek and SektorInfo.map the program instantly crashes (unless you have a working start.aam file but in order to make that you need a working module first).

I will try to create a very simple map with a few sektors and see if I can get that to work before I keep messing with the real map file.  But I would be very surprised if someone can open up a module with just the three essential files - maybe that was a previous version and a bug with the new version?

[ksmckay]

Ok so yeah I created a very simple map and used tool piece and such files from another module and it didnt work.

Then I made the necessary SektorInfo files and added them and the program worked fine.

So it seems pretty clear that the SektorInfo files are mandatory and not optional.  Perhaps in a different version they were optional but not in the 0.8 alpha 1 version.

I guess the best way to make my own Sektor files is to make the map, color it up and save it as SektorInfo.bmp and take note of how many Sektors there are.  Then create the sektorInfo.txt file, leave it blank, then use csek.exe to create the SektorInfo.sek file.

Then the program works fine and you can edit the Sektor files either using the txt file or the Sektor Editor and be on your way.

But I think you should update the tutorial to reflect this as the Sektor Files are not optional as stated.

Let me know if you see differently but it seems conclusive to me that this is the case.

[Stoney229]

@ksmckay:

Ok so yeah I created a very simple map and used tool piece and such files from another module and it didnt work.

Then I made the necessary SektorInfo files and added them and the program worked fine.

So it seems pretty clear that the SektorInfo files are mandatory and not optional.  Perhaps in a different version they were optional but not in the 0.8 alpha 1 version.

I guess the best way to make my own Sektor files is to make the map, color it up and save it as SektorInfo.bmp and take note of how many Sektors there are.  Then create the sektorInfo.txt file, leave it blank, then use csek.exe to create the SektorInfo.sek file.

Then the program works fine and you can edit the Sektor files either using the txt file or the Sektor Editor and be on your way.

But I think you should update the tutorial to reflect this as the Sektor Files are not optional as stated.

Let me know if you see differently but it seems conclusive to me that this is the case.

Without going into unnecessary detail here as to why, what you suggest is very possibly the case.

Have you tried creating just a blank all-black sektorinfo.map and blank sektorinfo.txt?

[ksmckay]

Yep, with blank files - meaning
SektorInfo.bmp is the same size map and all black
made SektorInfo.map from that file
Blank SektorInfo.txt file
Made SektorInfo.sek from the txt file

It works.

[ksmckay]

Ok question about Sektors -

So I have my file that contains all of the borders and/or bounding boxes and I need to go in and add the different Sektor colors (1-whatever).

1.  If I have territories with mutliple areas can I just pain them all the same Sektor color?  When I go to edit that Sektor will I need to edit both (or more) or just one of the areas?

2.  Does every space on the map need to be either black border or a Sektor Color?  Can there be any blank space?  When I draw the borders sometimes there are some shades of black with different transparency levels - Do I need to go and make sure every such box is completely black/transparency = 255?  If there are some random pixels left over that dont have a color do I have to fill them in?

Just want to confirm before I do more than necessary for the first round.

[Stoney229]

@ksmckay:

Yep, with blank files - meaning
SektorInfo.bmp is the same size map and all black
made SektorInfo.map from that file
Blank SektorInfo.txt file
Made SektorInfo.sek from the txt file

It works.

good to know

[Stoney229]

@ksmckay:

Ok question about Sektors -

So I have my file that contains all of the borders and/or bounding boxes and I need to go in and add the different Sektor colors (1-whatever).

1.  If I have territories with mutliple areas can I just pain them all the same Sektor color?  When I go to edit that Sektor will I need to edit both (or more) or just one of the areas?

2.  Does every space on the map need to be either black border or a Sektor Color?  Can there be any blank space?  When I draw the borders sometimes there are some shades of black with different transparency levels - Do I need to go and make sure every such box is completely black/transparency = 255?  If there are some random pixels left over that dont have a color do I have to fill them in?

Just want to confirm before I do more than necessary for the first round.

1. yes, any area that has the exact same color will be considered the same sektor.  It does not have to be contiguous.  on the map it will work just like the two non-contiguous areas are a normal, contiguous, sector/territory.  If you click on one of the areas, edit it in sektor editor and save, then click on the other area, you will see the same info that you saved.

2. yes, every single pixel needs to be either black or corresponding to an entry in sektorinfo.sek.  I don’t know how you’re getting colors that you don’t intend, unless you’re using some kind of effects or you have anti-aliasing on.  best to stick with just the pencil and fill tools for adding color to your sektorinfo.bmp, and make sure antialiasing is off.

If you have a color that does not correspond to any sector (other than black), your module should open, but if somebody hovers the cursor over that pixel I think it would crash the program.

[ksmckay]

Ok, running out of ideas again.

Using blank Sektor files the module works fine.

Using Sektor files with something in them it crashes.

Test 1
Made a 4 quadrant SektorInfo.bmp file with black borders and then paint in each of the 4 quadrants with color 1, 2, 3, 4.

converted the map file with b242map.exe  the text and Sek files are still empty.

When I open the map and try to look at Sektor stuff the sektors are randomly distributed and have nothing to do with the SektorInfo.bmp or SektorInfo.map file.  And then it crashes eventually.  Can edit stuff using SektorEditor and it seems to save it but like I said the Sektors are random.

Can you copy some files into a new folder and try to make a Simple sektor file and see if it works for you?

Same as with the previous problem, maybe something in the software isnt working right and there is some missing step that isnt included anywhere.  Without going into the program I dont know how to solve this.

[Stoney229]

@ksmckay:

Ok, running out of ideas again.

Using blank Sektor files the module works fine.

Using Sektor files with something in them it crashes.

Test 1
Made a 4 quadrant SektorInfo.bmp file with black borders and then paint in each of the 4 quadrants with color 1, 2, 3, 4.

converted the map file with b242map.exe  the text and Sek files are still empty.

When I open the map and try to look at Sektor stuff the sektors are randomly distributed and have nothing to do with the SektorInfo.bmp or SektorInfo.map file.  And then it crashes eventually.  Can edit stuff using SektorEditor and it seems to save it but like I said the Sektors are random.

Can you copy some files into a new folder and try to make a Simple sektor file and see if it works for you?

Same as with the previous problem, maybe something in the software isnt working right and there is some missing step that isnt included anywhere.  Without going into the program I dont know how to solve this.

send me a screenshot of the windows explorer window with all the relavent files in it, as well as the actual files and I’ll see if I notice anything, but I can’t spend too much time on it.