Map: Height Maps

[Imp]

I would strongly suggest trying this its very simple, no need to make perfect maps just get the right topography for the area if you are into making scenarios.
Takes time to fill in hexes correctly but can just do a quick approximation based on google maps satellite & or the map the app uses.

Very simple to do once you have done it once its second nature.
Remember you can turn the map to suit your needs before generating.

Wont cover using this app as covered already but here is a few simple steps to select some suitable terrain.

1)Use a latitude longitude website such as http://latitudelongitude.org/pl/plock/
2)Do one of the following
Select a country then city if that's what you want or select tools - address to latitude longitude.
3)Second option either type in the address or scroll around using google maps satellite view is available if desired & its fast.
4) Once you have an area of interest press the marker to centre button.
5) Cut & paste Lat & Long into this app in another tab & generate the map.
6) I suggest using "save as" so you can move areas slightly in either tab & save another one.
7) Once you have done a few load up the map editor & see what you have.
8) Remember you can crop the map to suit your needs once you have saved it.

Attached are 2 maps showing different topography.
One is a local hill in New Zealand, not a quick climb which dominates the area & yes its well represented with 2 peaks.
Second just a random grab of Afghanistan hills as they rise from the flatter terrain in the bottom left corner.

Different countries / areas produce different types of terrain as they should so let the app help you out or inspire you.

[lukerduker123]

Howdy! Hope I'm not intruding in on things, but you (DMNT) mentioned satellite mode in an upcoming version. If this gets pushed out (Which I hope it does--I only have one screen so I can't have SPMBT, Google Earth, and the program all up at once) reckon you can add the ability to flip the colors of the hex grid and such? Being able to flip it from black to white and back again would be awful swell, considering how much of a b* it'd be to load up a satellite view, only to be unable to see the hex grid thanks to the color of the terrain. Just throwing the suggestion out there, and thanks for the lovely map. Can't believe my question turned into all this. Well, by that I mean I can't believe the thread is now about the best editor to ever be in this game.

[Imp]

Apart from doing the far left of the map its not much of an issue if you only have one monitor.
1)Open map editor & slide half of it off your screen to the left.
2)Open internet program with the map or google & resize it to fit in the other half of the screen.

Tip before generating the map have a quick zoom in & look at major long roads. If needs be adjust the angle slightly to match them.
Picture shows adjusted remembering while its a bit of a pita to do you can draw roads horizontally & vertically.
Can also consider when doing map if its for general play so rotating makes a more user friendly map.
i.e. Rotate town so edge runs roughly top to bottom & check it falls on one half of the map, as in edge of town is behind centre line so defenders can set up in all of it in a generated battle.

[dmnt]

Originally Posted by lukerduker123

Howdy! Hope I'm not intruding in on things, but you (DMNT) mentioned satellite mode in an upcoming version. If this gets pushed out (Which I hope it does--I only have one screen so I can't have SPMBT, Google Earth, and the program all up at once) reckon you can add the ability to flip the colors of the hex grid and such? Being able to flip it from black to white and back again would be awful swell, considering how much of a b* it'd be to load up a satellite view, only to be unable to see the hex grid thanks to the color of the terrain. Just throwing the suggestion out there, and thanks for the lovely map. Can't believe my question turned into all this. Well, by that I mean I can't believe the thread is now about the best editor to ever be in this game.

How does it look now? The new hex button (lowest right) toggles between white, grey and black hex grids. Opacity is still set at static 30% value, but it could also be adjusted.

[DRG]

Originally Posted by dmnt

How does it look now? The new hex button (lowest right) toggles between white, grey and black hex grids. Opacity is still set at static 30% value, but it could also be adjusted.

VERY nice. That allows for a number of ways to display the hex grid to suit the map that's produced

Don

[Imp]

Looks fine though prefer original black, thanks for continuing with this its a great little app.

Just my view but contours are fine you have got this to a level where it is very efficient.

Now this is just a thought & aimed more I think at Don & Andy, would it be possible to add the following feature to the map editor to aid with visualising terrain filling.

Auto fill text on the WINSPmap for the coordinates listed on the map.
i.e. from top right 0,0 4,0 8,0 etc.
After the map is completed by my understanding pressing # will clear all the text strings.
This could therefor be implemented if its possible by a key stroke or even SHIFT#

The other pie in the sky question dmnt is you can obviously read & extrapolate the contours data, can you read the terrain data?
If so can you extrapolate main details as in woods, marsh, built up (use red earth or some such)Big question then is can the Camo boys create something that auto populates this data. Guessing that's not how things are set up unfortunately.

Dang anyone know how to set windows transparency?
I used to be able to individually adjust window transparency on my old system with an aftermarket tweak.
Load up map & WINSP map editor
Set map editor window to 80% approx. transparent & just copy the map through it.

Said it before but I would really like to thank Don & Andy for there continued support of this game along with the many other people like yourself dmnt that contribute whether it be with scenarios fact finding or great little apps.

[DRG]

Originally Posted by Imp

Now this is just a thought & aimed more I think at Don & Andy, would it be possible to add the following feature to the map editor to aid with visualising terrain filling.

Auto fill text on the WINSPmap for the coordinates listed on the map.
i.e. from top right 0,0 4,0 8,0 etc.
After the map is completed by my understanding pressing # will clear all the text strings.
This could therefor be implemented if its possible by a key stroke or even SHIFT#

I assume you would want that to match game map hex with map hex ?

The game map will display the hex co-ordinates when you mouse over the hex but game maps will NEVER be 100% " earth like" so use a print-out of the map as a guildline in building your game map. There is no point in trying to be 100% as it CAN NEVER BE 100%. What this allows a game map maker to do is already is akin to " Scotty, beam me up" compared to what the original SSI game offered. What Tuomas has created here would have been pie-in-the-sky science fiction in 1997

[Imp]

I assume you would want that to match game map hex with map hex ?

The game map will display the hex co-ordinates when you mouse over the hex but game maps

I understand this what I was after if its possible is a key press that adds the cords as a text string as circled in red on the attached picture.

It would just aid with visualization to save time when filling in.

If really wanted & possible could be a key specifically for loading maps from this app.

As in press that key
Sets fill to 250, fills following contours, adds text strings every 4th hex with cords.

As you say map making has come a long way we can even mess with obstacle height & density if we wish. This idea is just the icing on the cake if its feasible.

Only other changes I can think of that might be practical would be to change pavement so it works like other terrain & follows the contour rather than depressing it. Using the same basic tile shape as say impassable terrain would work well bordered by roads etc.

[Mobhack]

Pavement originally flattened the terrain to 0, and was used so that patches of city grid were absolutely flat. So you got that SP1 and SP2 effect of a little sunken village of 2-3 houses "buried" in a ridge...

We let pavement flow over terrain as part of our freeing up of fields etc (They only could be laid on level 0 flatland in the original SSI games).

Pavement still serves the same function of smoothing off an urbanised area, if not as markedly as it once did (it as I said, follows terrain contouring now).

[DRG]

Andy doesn't make maps and he's confusing pavement with fields which used to be level 1 only but we added slopes to fields years ago and now they follow contours

Pavement and both types of cobblestones clear terrain to zero which is why I used gray sand as a stand-in for pavement on the Goldap map

--this is why posting at 3:30 am can be a problem

Don