Author Topic: Map Creator Dosen't Work  (Read 4651 times)

Fire Plague

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Map Creator Dosen't Work
« on: July 28, 2004, 06:17:07 PM »
your map editor has alot of buggs or somthing, I opened the maps created by you guys in the update 4 and they all had red tiles that are not on my editor and on top of that cut and pasting them into my maps of the same size dose nothing.
It also spontainously erases my changes and instanly saves my file without warning.
If it helps, I'm running a win 98.

In short, how do you go from new to useable....  :(
« Last Edit: July 28, 2004, 10:00:39 PM by Leviathan »

Offline BlackBox

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Map Creator Dosen't Work
« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2004, 08:05:53 PM »
The red tiles are a problem we know about, they could probably be fixed but it takes a LONG to rebuild the tileset from scratch, as well the engine could be recoded to increase speed, etc.
If you copy and paste the red tiles they SHOULD appear correct when the map is loaded into op2.

As far as the random erasures/saves you need to be sure that you aren't accidentaly clicking the buttons on the toolbar or pressing the keyboard shortcuts (the buttons and shortcuts are standard with the folder, undo arrow, Ctrl-S, Ctrl-Z, etc)

There is nothing in the program that is making it do that by itself... so if it's not accidental clicking etc, it's most likely something on your computer that is causing the actions (maybe macro recorders, etc?)

The map editor is known to work in Win98, it was originally compiled in 98 so it works.

Fire Plague

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Map Creator Dosen't Work
« Reply #2 on: July 28, 2004, 08:29:21 PM »
thanks, but in reality I was looking on how to get the maps to work I have ways around the saving thing, I just need to know how to get he editor to make usable files to play. the ones I save from srcrach aren't working it gets in and stalls right of the bat after entering.  I have yet to find figure it out; the creation process A to Z that is.
« Last Edit: July 28, 2004, 09:06:10 PM by Fire Plague »

Offline Kramy

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Map Creator Dosen't Work
« Reply #3 on: July 28, 2004, 09:12:41 PM »
If hacker's editor won't work, try mine:

http://forum.outpostuniverse.net/index.php?showtopic=990

Edit: It's got a really cool map-filler in it. You can select 20 or 30 tiles, and fill them all through the entire map to instantly make great looking terrain. :)
« Last Edit: July 28, 2004, 09:15:21 PM by Kramy »
-Kramy
001011000100101001110001011000000110110001111000

Offline Leviathan

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Map Creator Dosen't Work
« Reply #4 on: July 28, 2004, 09:53:22 PM »
Yea ur editor is kicking Kramy, once i get home ill give it a good try out.
I suggest u try out both Fire Plague

Offline BlackBox

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Map Creator Dosen't Work
« Reply #5 on: July 29, 2004, 07:50:10 AM »
Alright, what you gotta do to make a map playable in OP2 is:

Find a mission dll that you want to copy
Say you wanted to replace ml4_21.dll, which is the DLL for La Corrida.

All you have to do is open it in a hexeditor, and do a Text Search for .map. When you find it, replace the name of the map file (original map for La Corrida is on4_01.map ) with your own name.

BUT... the new name cannot be longer than the old one, or it will cause problems. If the new name is shorter than the old one, after you type .map, replace the leftover letters with 00 (hex) (use the hex display, not the text display to do this). If in doubt how to do this, just make the map's file name the same length as the old one.

Now save the dll (under a different name that isn't already being used.. just be sure that it begins with ml4_ to recognize it as a 4 player last one standing)

Make sure your .map is in the same folder as OP2, and run the game. Go to multi and run your map (to test it just open two copies of OP2, the first one hosting, the 2nd one connects to the IP that op2 gives).

Good luck!

Fire Plague

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Map Creator Dosen't Work
« Reply #6 on: July 29, 2004, 06:29:28 PM »
thanks alot. I did try the other map creator too and it didn't work.  All did was make a map the same size as the one "phrozen.map" and saved my map with that name. then backed up the other one and tried it that way. It would open and everything but still everything shuts down as I try to move my convec. (it is a land rush copy of the plimoth colony builder 2) I thought that the game would read it fine becuase same size and name...... but the .dll gets in the way huh.  I don't see quite how the .dll would know the differance unless my map was missing something (like some kind of special tile to mark the player starting locations etc.)  is there any map things required or just make the .dll special???                                                                                                          
thanks again.


(now to figure out that hex stuff..... :whistle: -> :CK9's: -> :heh:  

Offline BlackBox

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Map Creator Dosen't Work
« Reply #7 on: July 30, 2004, 07:46:35 AM »
Nope, there's nothing special that needs to go in the map. the DLL handles all of the starting positions.

When you say same size of the map, do you mean the length of the filename? or the actual dimensions of the map? (changing the dimensions will really screw up a mission if the dll makes references to coordinates outside the map). I believe Colony builder 2 uses a 256x128 map.

also, i think the filename length may be wrong. Since the original map is on1_01.map = 10 chars., your new filename is phrozen.map=11 chars. You could be overwriting something important. Also, be sure that you are overwriting the existing characters. If you are inserting new data the file will get all screwed up (if you change the size of an EXE or DLL by even one byte it might not run properly anymore).
make sure you overwrite the on1_01 part with your own 6 letters.

If it still fails to work, try it in a different map that uses the same dimensions... if that doesn't work then the map file probably got corrupted by the editor (the editor is known to do that on large maps, sometimes). try opening it and saving under a different name.

Fire Plague

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Map Creator Dosen't Work
« Reply #8 on: July 30, 2004, 08:01:59 PM »
In reality I ment both the name and the size (exact name and Exact map size) .... I tried your theory of the editor. to test it I went and reinstalled the pack 04. and tested the phrozen.map and it worked. Then opended phrozen.map, added some squares and saved it off. I then placed that map (it saved to another directory that OP2) in the outpost2 folder.  Then I ran the file and it stalled once agian. same as the other guys exactly except that I changed some of the tiles to aonther picture.


OK, if fixed it.  for future referance.  A: you must have the editor in the OP2 folder with the .EXE

B: you must copy at first everything from someone else (proplem lies in the "from scratch" file-new funtion) and then edit from there.  I feel it was the directory location problem all the time though.

Im still testing if it was the wrong directory location and everything may work now (I had it in sierra\editor folder.
« Last Edit: July 31, 2004, 11:22:01 AM by Fire Plague »

Offline BlackBox

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Map Creator Dosen't Work
« Reply #9 on: August 01, 2004, 04:13:46 PM »
The editor doesn't have to be in the OP2 folder, it can be put anywhere. as long as it has the files that come along side it in the self extracting file in the same folder as the editor, it will work. (I know this, I wrote the editor myself)

You can create maps from scratch. Like I said before though, it sometimes bugs out on larger maps or maps that aren't square.

All you gotta do is use file > save as to save it to the same folder as the outpost2 dlls / exe.

Fire Plague

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Map Creator Dosen't Work
« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2004, 06:56:42 PM »
So i got the maps to work now all except the to largest kinds, they make wierd "snowcap" colidascopes when I save.  That's acceptable for now.  Yet I was trying to allow my players to extend their landrush travel time, restricted because of the food you start with and I've found nothing; has anyone else?  The  nuber that you start off with is in neather the EXE or the DLL files. I checked that out on my landrush file. 4930 is the amout you start with on high weather you are in beach party or on root canal. a surch string will not find it in eather the EXE or the DLL for root canal as I said.

Offline Leviathan

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Map Creator Dosen't Work
« Reply #11 on: August 11, 2004, 08:54:43 PM »
as so that was you on irc  Fire Plague
[01:07:20] [+OP2IRCUser] hello
[01:07:54] [+OP2IRCUser] dose anyone know how to edit the DLL files?
[01:08:21] [+OP2IRCUser] to add food in storage at the startup on a land rush
[01:08:38] [+OP2IRCUser] to let you travel longer
type '/nick Fire_Plague' once connected 2 irc 2 change your name. Please use IRC when evea you are online or your computer is on.

Yes this can be done and is a very good idea. Im not sure how 2 do it but hacker can do it. He did it for a new map released in the last pack, called Money Pie, on it you have 30000 food in storage :) I think ill release a Root Canal version with more food in storage in the next pack.
« Last Edit: August 11, 2004, 08:56:52 PM by Leviathan »

Fire Plague

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Map Creator Dosen't Work
« Reply #12 on: August 13, 2004, 05:00:06 PM »
Thank you for the information.  perhaps he would be willing to post the answer here. As for the IRC every time I get on there no one responds, so I stoped using it. Besides I'm rather a buisy person.

THX Fire Plague.

Offline PlayingOutpost0-24

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Map Creator Dosen't Work
« Reply #13 on: August 13, 2004, 06:59:41 PM »
Yeah i find noone there every time lol.
Thats why projectjj says i cant decide whether go or stay lol...
Great news for OP2 fans... OP3 in progress.
Official Site
Outpost 3: A New Power progress
OP3:NP Discussion

Progress in OP3:NP[/size][/font]
PLANNING[|||||||||-]
GRAPHICS [||||------]
SOUNDS [|---------]
MAP DESIGNING [|||||-----]
CODING [----------]
Going slowly... Very slow.

Fire Plague

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Map Creator Dosen't Work
« Reply #14 on: September 16, 2004, 07:40:34 PM »
since no one seems to be seeing this I thought I'd move it here. (See: "Rail Tubes" in the file forum)
Actually I was hoping for a pro's and con's of the map and how people felt it lived up to each area designed for. (see the zip file .TXT ) To see how it held up. But thanks for the info, I'll update the zip file in the futrue to carry the creator's seal on the map.... once I get one I like.                 :whistle:  

Offline HaXtOr

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Map Creator Dosen't Work
« Reply #15 on: September 16, 2004, 08:09:18 PM »
I LOVE THIS MAP CREATOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It need a little gui help though

Offline Spiderldr

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Map Creator Dosen't Work
« Reply #16 on: September 30, 2004, 02:11:09 PM »
I cant get the mapper running either, it says it's got a runtime error. But I already ran the fixer. Whats up?
-"Freeze!"

Offline BlackBox

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Map Creator Dosen't Work
« Reply #17 on: October 05, 2004, 07:59:23 PM »
You need to go back to the download page and get the mapperruntimes.exe file (by the mapper download). Unpack it to your op2mapper folder and it should be good to go.