Outpost Universe Forums
Community => News => Topic started by: BlackBox on November 08, 2005, 06:24:16 PM
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I'm pleased to announce the release of OP2Mapper, version 2.2! Here are all the new features and bug fixes.
New Additions / Changes- Unit placer. You can now place units directly onto the map, and generate C++ code for them using one of two templates (Default, and Generic LoS Mission). You can also write your own templates. (at some point, I'll post documentation for the template system on the Wiki). No more guessing coordinates in the code!
- Terrain transformation editor. This feature allows you to edit the tiles that OP2 will use for various things like bulldozed terrain, tubes and walls, etc. Useful when working with new tilesets. This is supported for new tilesets thru a terrains.ctl file. (Instructions on the wiki at some point)
- Cell types are now shown differently to the user. Instead of the 'tinted' tiles that everyone knows were next to impossible to read, it uses brighter text superimposed on each tile.
- The obscure 'VOL override' feature has been replaced with a list for extra VOLs. (Note: For tilesets.ctl / terrains.ctl files to be read for a new tileset, you must place the tileset you want the CTL's read for at the top of the list).
- Autosave feature: By default, the mapper will automatically save the current file to the Mapper app directory every 5 minutes, with the name "autosave.map". This time period can be adjusted or shut off completely in the Options dialog. (The autosave timer can be seen in the status bar next to the coordinate display)
- I'm sure there's many more, I can't remember them all off hand.
Bug Fixes / Other minor changes- Windows 9x/Me systems are now officially supported in this release. Now everyone can start mapping.
- Creation of maps from scratch is now 100% supported. Maps created using File > New will work properly in Outpost 2, crash free. (Previous maps created this way will need to be opened, and copied & pasted into a File>New'ed map to work properly).
- The bottom row of the map is disabled for cell type editing, since OP2 can crash if the bottom row is not all I1 cell type.
- Various errors/bugs involving the mass edit feature, as well as some other features, have been fixed. (The infamous mouse handling error shouldn't occur because you dragged the mouse during a paste or mass edit operation anymore).
- The list of sizes in the File>New window are now all valid sizes. (Some invalid sizes like 96, 768, etc were specified. OP2 only supports sizes that are powers of 2)
- The refresh engine for the minimap has been slightly modified. It should redraw a bit faster now.
- Again, more bug fixes I can't remember or are insignificant. There were quite a few this version.
You can download the new mapper from this link:
OP2Mapper 2.2.0 (0.97 MB) (http://www.outpostuniverse.net/files/mapper2_2_0.exe)
You should be able to install right over top of an existing mapper install. However, if you encounter problems, uninstall then reinstall the mapper.
Do not be alarmed if the mapper startup time is slightly longer. This happens because it now has to load the OP2_ART data into memory.
Again, please REPORT ALL BUGS! I'm tired of people saying that they don't use (such and such feature), and when I ask why, they say that it has bugs. Please tell me ahead of time if you discover a bug! I will do my best to fix it for the next mapper version.
Have fun with the new version! Post your comments / suggestions on it.
-- op2hacker
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I don't think the generator works. Or I am trying to use it improperly.
Does it make more then 2 files? and I can't access the 2 files I know of.
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I had problems with it too. What you have to do is create a blank file with the same name in the same directory, then click generate.
Example:
Make a blank file called freebeerishere.cpp in C:\Sierra. Then, go to the mapper, click generate, then set the directory to C:\Sierra\freebeerishere.cpp
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The unit placer won't work for me. It gives me an error at start about some art file.
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The unit placer won't work for me. It gives me an error at start about some art file.
did you install over the older version?
I had problems with it too. What you have to do is create a blank file with the same name in the same directory, then click generate.
Example:
Make a blank file called freebeerishere.cpp in C:\Sierra. Then, go to the mapper, click generate, then set the directory to C:\Sierra\freebeerishere.cpp
I am off to try this now :)
spirit
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I can put units and buildings and everything fine, although I have to tread carefully
like if you minimze a window, it crashes, or if you undo using the little arrow instead of the menu it crashes
now the next thing is, turning that .map file into a .dll so I can test the maps as coloney games
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Betaray here is that page: http://www.wiki.opu.org.uk/Compiler_Setup (http://www.wiki.opu.org.uk/Compiler_Setup).
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This is dam great!!!! :D
Great job op2hacker :D :D :D
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The extract all feature (to extratc all of the contents of the Vol file you select doesn't work.
It causes the mapper to close with no errors after you have selected a directory to extract the contents of the VOL filess to!
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Alright, I've looked through it and yes, I've found a lot of these bugs that people have mentioned.
The window minimization problems and the code generation that doesn't work if the file doesn't exist to start with I've tracked down.
(The odd thing is, people aren't seeing error messages. These bugs should trigger the error handlers. They do when I'm developing).
As for the other errors involving the extraction, or the OP2_ART error: These could be caused by an invalid OP2Editor.dll file. To try and fix the problem, first uninstall any copies of OP2Mapper 2. Then, go into the Mapper directory, and delete the Mapper2.ini file you see there.
Go to your system folder (C:\Windows\System32 on NT/2k/XP, C:\Windows\System on 9x/Me) and delete any OP2Editor.dll file you see there.
Reinstall the mapper and try again.
Another thing that could cause that OP2_ART error is an invalid OP2 install. Reinstall OP2 fully and point the mapper to the dir with the correct OP2 install in it. It needs a working maps.vol file to load all the unit graphics.
Again, thanks for the bug reports!
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I don't have a OP2Editor.dll file in my system folder.
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that compiler is a bit too complex for me, I think I'll just wait for a nice user friendly program to come out lol
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The mapper won't generate anything for putting things in for player 7 (black).
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When I tried to run mine for the first time it gave me this error:
Fatal error: Loading of essential editor files failed.
Occurred in: main()
Err = (-2147467259) Automation error
Unspecified error
GetLastError() = 0
Erl = 0
I have mapper 1 in the same folder though, so I'll delete it and try it again.
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its been a while since ive got a chance to look at one of the new mappers, and this thing is awesome! damn good work hacker!
on a other note: i get a consistant crash when i try to creat a new map of 32x32 size, not sure if its been covered er not. but good work either way
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I removed all files, and installed it again, and it still gave me the same error.
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Check your OP2 installation path. Make sure all the maps*.vol files are there.
Delete Mapper2.ini from the mapper install dir and try again. If you still get problems, reinstall OP2, reinstall the mapper.
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You were right - I did not give the mapper the locations of the mapxx.vol files, but rather the location where I had extracted those files to with a previous program.
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I installed it on 98SE machine, got this error:
Non-fatal error: Couldn't read OP2_ART files, no unit graphics will be loaded.
Occurred in: ReadPrt
Err = (-2147467259) Automation error
GetLastError() = 0
Erl = 0
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Well, I'm probably gonna release a bug fix version of the mapper relatively soon. The window minimize bug I never noticed myself (I guess I never tried to minimize the windows when it was running), and the generate code bug is very stupid indeed. (What boggles me is the fact that it didn't generate a runtime error as it should have, but just crashed instead. It generated a runtime error for me during development).
The undo bug with units I can't seem to reproduce on XP. I'll try it on win98 later.
I've solved that OP2_ART bug as well. As a side effect the VOL extraction problems that some of you have been having might have been solved as well.
Expect a release very soon (like today), perhaps later if I don't get it all done in time.
Also, many thanks to Lev letting me VNC into his win98 machine so I could work on these problems (as I don't have a win98 machine myself) :)
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Yeah nps, it was nice to wake up in the morning not hearing it hum away as i did wen i went to sleep. donno what makes it louder than my main server.
anyway sounding great
and i used the mapper using tablet pen 2day, great fun :D