ABattlemap P40 module v3.2 is here!

Today I found, hidden in a mislabeled download on Flames of Europe…
a new version of ABattlemap!  Please tell me, did anyone else know about this??

Anyway - that means you get a new version of the module for Pacific 1940.  (Find the previous version here)

You must have the new version of ABattlemap for this module to function properly.  You can get it by downloading and unzipping Atti’s P40 module from FoE (you must be registered)this file, and replacing the ABattlemap.exe file in your pre-installed ABattlemap version .79f program folder with the ABattlemap.exe file found in the download (some things will affect compatibility with other people’s save files).

You may download my “Pacific 1940 v3.2” module here: http://www.mediafire.com/file/ijhjgzdnwmn/P40gim.zip  To install, extract the “P40.gim” folder to your ABattlemap program folder, usually located at “C:\Program Files\ABattleMap”.  The download also includes a tutorial for making your own ABattleMap module, which can also be useful if you care to edit any part of your module.

This module is not fully compatible with previous modules.  If you have a previous version of a Pacific 1940 module, please refer to the how-to’s in the third post.

Release notes are in the second post.

As always, please share any bug reports, problems, questions, concerns, suggestions, or comments, and enjoy the new module!

Credits / Thanks to…

Attila, for creating the program, the early versions of a P40 module, and for the tremendous help throughout the creation of the module; HolKann and TMTM, for their tutorials in creating an ABattlemap module; the makers of previous modules, which inspired almost all the features of my modules; pitheist314 for coloring the map; Cmdr Jennifer for introducing me to ABattlemap; and to all who offer and have offered suggestions, error reports, and input, or have otherwise helped (forgive me if I have forgotten to credit you!).

Release Notes:

–these lists are not necessarily comprehensive

New in v3.2  (Jun 19, 2010)
-removed pieces in sz 52
-included Tutorial 1_0.pdf in download package
-changed MIC cost from “30” to “30/20”
-made “USA NO (Oki + Iwo)” income calculation automatic, like most other NOs
-changed name of “Mechanized Infantry” to “Improved Mechanized Infantry”

New in v3.1   (Mar 23, 2010)
-added necessary toolpieces to the toolbar in Start.AAM (cash in hand, VCs, etc.)
-changed version number to 3.x

New in v3.0   (Mar 21, 2010)
-added support for convoy disruption, included dependencies on at-war status (place a flag in “UK/ANZAC at War” above India when UK/Anzac are at war with Japan)
-made most NO-calculations automatic.  exceptions are “US Oki+ Iwo”, US at-war NO, and ANZAC’s 1-time NO, so I recommend still putting flags on the NO markers, particularly for giving your opponent the pleasure of deleting it when they break your NO ;)
-added support for “Aircraft” and “Build” categories in Infoview
-Removed Axis & Allies name and logo, since I do not have permission to use it
-fixed SZ label coloring
-updated Korea/sz5 border
-put Honolulu on the proper island
-changed cloud texture to rock and water textures
-fine-tuned locations of name labels, starting units, convoy markers, and IPC labels
-anything else?

How-to’s

“How do I…”

Install this module alongside a previous Pacific 1940 module

-Version 3.x, which uses a “P40.gim” directory name may be installed simultaneously with the BETA module, which uses a a “P4B.gim” directory name.
-Installing version 3.x alongside another module which uses the directory name “P40.gim” is not recommended, as it will complicate an attempt to open someone else’s save file created using the new module.  If you would like to do this anyway, follow these steps:

1. rename the version 3.x directory (.GIM folder) to “P4B.gim”
2. rename “Start.AAM” (or delete if you don’t want to keep it) in the new P4B.gim directory
3. rename “P4B Start.AAM” to “Start.AAM”

Upgrade a previously installed Pacific 1940 module to the new one
Save files (.AAM files) will only work in a module that uses a directory (.GIM folder) with the same name as the directory used to create the save file

-upgrade a “P4B.gim” module
(if you are not currently involved in a game using the BETA module, I recommend simply replacing the BETA module or following the steps to “Install this module alongside a previous Pacific 1940 module”)

1. Back up any files in your P4B.gim directory that you wish to keep
2. Delete the old P4B.gim module
3. make a copy of the version 3.x directory (P40.GIM folder)
4. rename the copy to “P4B.gim”
5. delete “Start.AAM” in the new P4B.gim directory
6. rename “P4B Start.AAM” in P4B.gim to “Start.AAM”
7. follow the steps for converting old save files

-upgrade a “P40.gim” module

1. Back up any files in your old P40.gim directory that you wish to keep
2. Delete the old P40.gim module before installing version 3.x
3. follow the steps for converting old save files

Convert old save files
Since some of the toolpieces have changed location in the toolpiece palette, some of the toolpieces (in the location of previous ones) will have to been replaced

1. open a save file you wish to use with the new module
2. if necessary, add appropriate pieces to the right-hand toolbar
3. move all pieces away from the Korea/Amur and z5/z6 borders
4. Use the  following list to replace certain Chinese toolpieces:
   -replace air bases with kamikazes
   -replace Major ICs with air bases damage markers
   -replace minor ICs with naval base damage markers
   -replace damaged battleships with IC damage markers
   -replace battleships with neutral infantry
   -replace bombers with the 1st task force marker
   -replace transports with the 2nd task force marker
   -replace subs with the 3rd task force marker
   -replace carriers with the 4th task force marker
   -replace damaged carriers with the 5th task force marker
   -replace destroyers with the 6th task force marker
   -replace cruisers with the 7th task force marker
5. repeat steps 1-4 as necessary

Upgrade the InfoView features of older modules (such as AA50)

1. Open the .GIM directory of the module you would like to change (located in the ABattlemap program folder, usually “C:\Program Files\ABattleMap”).
2. Open “ToolPieces.txt”
   Notice that each abbreviated name of a unit/piece (corresponds to the rows of the module’s toolpieces palette) is followed by 2 numbers.  The first number is the piece’s IPC-value.  The second number identifies the type of piece: 0=Land; 1=Naval; 2=Air; 3=Build
3. Replace the second number following each air unit with a “2”, and the second number following each facility unit with a “3”
4. Save and close “ToolPieces.txt”

Use/install ABattlemap

Refer to this post.  Once you download the ABattlemap installation file from HolKann’s link, install the program and then replace ABattlemap.exe (in the program folder), with the new ABattlemap.exe which you can download from the link in my first post.

Add my own flare/ideas to the map

Paint.NET is a great freeware program for creating ABattlemap module image files.
Start with what I’ve already created by downloading a layered Paint.NET file or Photoshop file* of the map.

Any change to the location of sector borders (territories, sea zones, NO markers, etc.) must be reflected in Sektorinfo.Map.  Any addition of new sectors must be reflected in SektorInfo.sek AND SektorInfo.map.  (see “How to create my own ABattlemap module”)

If you would like to preserve the “relief” of my map, make changes in the “Map w/o relief” layer, then follow these steps:

1. Form a large selection box around your change in the “Map w/o relief” layer
2. Select “Effects > Stylize > Relief…”
3. change the angle to 135.00 and select OK
4. Select “Effects > Blurs > Gaussian Blur…”
5. Change the radius to 1 and select OK
6. use the “Move Selection” tool to reduce the size of your selection by a minimum of a few pixels on all 4 edges.  The selection should narrowly encompase your new personal changes.
7. Copy the selection to the clipboard
8. Use the history window to undo all of these effects
9. select the “Background” layer
10. paste from clipboard

You will notice that I tried to put a table under the “board” so that a user can put the floating windows on the edge of the main window and still be able to see the whole map by panning.  However, opening a module with the modified map crashes the program, and I cannot figure out why for the life of me.  If anyone can get it to work, please let me know!!

*The Photoshop file was created using a Paint.NET plugin, and has not been tested.  Use at your own risk.  It is 116 MB in size.

Create my own ABattlemap module

Before I started making my own Pac40 module (which started as just trying to correct some errors in the existing one), I knew almost nothing about image editting and absolutely nothing about the inner workings of ABattlemap and it’s modules.  Learning was pretty easy, and a lot of fun!  If you’d like to try your hand at creating a module, I’ve written a tutorial on the subject.  However, you should be able to figure most things out by playing around and exploring and studying the files in each module.  If you have any questions, feel free to pm me, or post publicly on the tutorial’s thread so others can learn too.
Tip: The program does not use SektorInfo.txt or SektorInfo.bmp directly.  Instead, the program uses SektorInfo.sek and SektorInfo.map, which must be created from the .txt and .bmp files using csek.exe and b242map.exe (in the command console) respectively.

3 things:

1- Would the first few who download please post and confirm whether or not it is working?  Thanks!

2- If you’d like, head over to the “E40 and G40 ABattlemap modules preview” topic to offer your input.

3- people often have a hard time finding the most current Pac40 module once the topics get buried.  Since this is likely the final or near-final version of this module, should this topic be stickied?

added version 3.1:

I had forgotten to put pieces on the toolbar for the starting setup in Start.AAM (P4B Start.AAM should be good), so that is now fixed.

Also, I don’t know why I named it version 1.x, because it was supposed to be version 3.x (with it being my third version of the module and all…) so I changed it.

Jim010 - thanks for posting.  It sounds like you have not upgraded your ABattlemap program.  Refer back to the first post for instructions and a link.  If you have upgraded the program, do you have more than 1 Pacific 1940 module installed?  If so, which ones?  Did you follow the how-to’s for installing alongside an older module or upgrading?  Thanks.

@jim010:

Got it.  So how does it calculate convoy disruption?  I don’t see it drop the IPCs when I put enemy ships in the waer.

Do you want to know the technical details of how it works?  Or do you just want to know that convoy damage is supposed to show up in the “Damage” row in the Infoview window, and is subtracted in the “Sum” row.  Also, note that the damage only shows up if the 2 involved nations are at war - signified for US/Jap by US control of it’s at-war NO, and for UK/ANZAC/Jap by placing any flag in the “UK/ANZAC At War” marker in the Himalayas.

@Commando:

Can someone walk me through the exact steps on how to not only get the P40 modules/battlemap working but the A&A Revised Edition as well. I used have A&A Revised up and running, played many games but for some reason it’s not working now(I haven’t played in quite some time) and now I can’t get anything running. I just want to do a fresh install of everything. Thanks VERY much in advance! =)

@Stoney229:

How-to’s

“How do I…”
Use/install ABattlemap

Refer to this post.  Once you download the ABattlemap installation file from HolKann’s link, install the program and then replace ABattlemap.exe (in the program folder), with the new ABattlemap.exe which you can download from the link in my first post.

HolKann’s post also includes a link for downloading “AModulePack”, which installs several modules including 3 different AARevised modules.

1. Download and install ABattlemap .79f using HolKann’s link and instructions.
2. Replace ABattlemap.exe (in your ABattlemap program folder, usually located C:\Program Files\ABattleMap), with the new ABattlemap.exe which you can download from the link in my first post
3. Download and install the latest version of the P40 module using the link in my first post
4. Download and install AModulePack using HolKann’s link and instructions

(steps 3 and 4 are interchangeable)

Let me know if you have any further questions.

@Commando:

Stoney,

Thanks very much! I was able to get the map going, except still don’t see the P40 map. What is the map called? I can see all the other maps, just not the P40 map. I followed your directions to the letter. Thanks in advance!

If you’ve installed the module properly, you can open it by New>“Pacific 1940 v3.x”

@Battlingmaxo:

I assume the ABattlemap.exe file is the Icon with the map that you see when you open the battlemap folder.

Correct.

Sorry, newer operating systems I think have file extensions hidden by default.  As a tip, I think .EXE files should say “Application” in gray under the file name.

note:  I revised the steps for upgrading a “P4B.gim” module to the new one.

If you followed the old steps, you will not be able to open someone else’s save file from the new module until you either reverse the steps (not recommended) or simply install another copy of the new “P40.gim” (recommended) alongside your upgraded P4B.gim.  Thanks.

@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!

Hi, thanks for the compliment!  I may do that, idk, but in the meantime anyone is welcome pm me and/or post a question if there’s anything they can’t figure out.