Anyone need a map editor?

[toolmaker]

I got overruled by my team, so I decided to develop the game on my own, and change my ambitions a bit. I wanna aim myself at developing an online playable version of Dune II. MAx of 8 players vs eachother over the net.

So, last week I got busy and developed almost a completely map editor. It misses a few features which I'll develop coming week, but here it is:

<img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2754/2691/1600/editor2.jpg">

I was wondering, I'm willing to add some code to load/save maps that Dune 2: The maker uses. But, is there interest for this?

Toolmaker

[nemafakei]

There is a certain amount of map editing around. Dune Legacy had one, I think, and I recall Stefan making one, but I'm not sure about compatibility or usability. Note also that D2TM will display things slightly differently to DII, as it has additional code for concrete. Stefan's been unwell recently, so it might be worth emailing him.

[toolmaker]

Compatibilty is not a problem, as it's a matter of loading/saving a certain format, and I can easily make changes to the editor to support the D2TM features. Only problem with the editor are the rather high requirements:

- .NET framework 2.0(But then again, who doesn't have the framework installed by now)

- DirectX 9, januari 2006 update

- Minimum resolution of 800 * 600

Ofcourse, I can always downsize the rendering area to something smaller...

And about the images: If I could load the map format that D2TM uses, the layout of the map would still the same, except I use the original graphics, but while loaded in D2TM, it uses the retouched images. But it'll work nonetheless.

Toolmaker

[Xaroth]

with such simple data as the old dune2 (compared to nowadays production thingies it's stone-age technology) you might be better off using GDI / GDI+ for the drawing, cuts down on the requirements a bit, plus it doesn't require a fully DirectX compatible graphics driver (Some laptops/work puters have 'special' graphics cards that tend to screw around with DX... ).. though you'll degrade in performance a bit (but then agian, you don't need fps in a map-building program....

I assume it's in C# or VB.NET (Guessing the first though).. if you need help, I can assist.

[toolmaker]

You're correct, it's written in C#.

However, one of my pro's of doing the project like this is code re-use. My Map class needs functions to change tiles(For instance, when the spice on a tile runs out, it should be changed to sand).

The function to calc the curves, needs to be used in the game aswell, for the spice fields. Using a DirtyRect var I could optimize it to only update small portions, but I can still use the same map.

If there is 1 thing I completely hate it's rewriting code into 2 different classes. I could derive my Map class and overload the Render() function for my map editor so it uses GDI+, but it's still writing double code.

Basicly none of the mainstrain videocard developers still release non-DX compliant cards, it's just that older computers wouldn't be able to run it. For now, I'll keep it as DX enabled map editor, but I can always change that in the future.

Toolmaker

[nemafakei]

'Curves', as you (I think) call them, should be used in the following places:

- Rock/Sand border

- Spice/Sand border

- Spice/Heavy Spice border

- Dunes/Sand border

- Rock/Mountain border

- Walls

- Potentially other structures, such as roads and villages, depending on what gets added to the game later.

In the case of walls, DII did not include graphics for every combination of wall, and the latest release of D2TM follows this (therefore walls will currently need different tile selection code). However, I've sent Stefan wall graphics which cover all 16 tile possibilities.

[toolmaker]

I got it all working(For the map tiles that is):

<img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2754/2691/320/mapedit.jpg">

Does anyone happen to know the mapformat for Dune 2: The Maker? I could have the editor load/save that kind of files aswell. Perhaps someone might use it to make new maps for D2TM, for whatever reason.

Toolmaker

[stefanhendriks]

There is a format in skirmish mode, i will post it here:

; Skirmish mission #1

[sKIRMISH]

Title="My first skirmish mission"

; Starting locations for players = max amount of players

StartCell=2222

StartCell=1111

;64x64 matrix of data

[MAP]

-)^^^^^^----^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^))^^)))))))^^^^^^^)))))))))))^^^^))

)-)^^))----)^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^)))))))))))^^^^^^^))))))))))))^^))

))-))))----^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^)))))^)))))^^^^^^))))))))))))^^))

)))-)))-----^^^^^^^^^^^RRRRR^^^)))^^^))))^^^^^^))))))))))))^^))

)))^))))-------^^^^^^^RRRRRR^^^^)^^^^^)))^^^^^))))))))))))^^^))

))^^^)---------)))^^^^RRRR^^^^^^^^^^^^)))^^^^))))))))))))^^^^))

))^^^)---------))))^^^RRR^^^^^^^^^^^^^)))^^^^)))))))---^^^^^^^)

)^^^^)----------)))^^^RR^^^))^^^^^^^^^)))^^^^)))))))---^^^^^^^^

^^^^^^)--------)))))^^^^^^)))))^^^^^^^)))^^^))))))------^^^^^^^

^^^^^-)--------))))-))^^^))))))))---^^^^^^^^)---))--------^^^^^

^^^^-)))))--))))))))))))))^^)))))----^^^^^^))---hh-------))^^^^

^^^--)))))))))))))))))))))^^^))))-----^^^^)))---hhh------)))^^^

^^^^-)))))))))))))))))))))^^^^)))-----)^^))))))hhh))---h)))))^^

^^^^))))))))))))^^)))))))))^^^))))))-))))))))))hh))))))))))))^^

^^^^^)))))))))))^^)))-))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))^

^^^^^^)))))-----))))))))))))))))))---)))))))))))))^^))))))))))^

^^^^^^)))))-----))))))))))))))))))---))))))))))))^^^^))))))))))

))^^^^^^)))------)))))))))))))))))-----))))))^^^^^^^)))))))))))

))--^^^^^^)------)))))))))))))))))-----))))^^^^^^^^^)))---)))))

))---^^^^))))----hh))))))))hh)))-)-^^--)--^^^^^^^^^))))---)^)))

))----^^^---))hhhhhh))))------)))-)^^))---^^^^^^^)))))-----^^))

)))----))---))hhhhhh))))-----)-)--)^^^---^^^^))))))))-----^^^))

)))----))---hhhhhhh)))))-----)))))))^^^^^^^^)))))))^)-----^^^^)

)))----)))hhhhhhhhh))))))---))-))))))^^^^^^^^)))))^^^-----^^^^)

))h----))hh-hhhhhhh))))))---)))))))))^^^^^^^^^)))^^^^))---^^^^)

)h-----hhhh-hhhhhh)))))))))))^)))))))^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^--))--^^^^)

)h-----hhh)))hhhh))))))))))))^^^^))))^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^--))))^^^^)

)h-----hh)))))hhh)))))))))))))^^^)))))^^^^^^^^RR^^^----))^^^^^)

)))------)))))))h)hhhhhh)))))))^)))))))^^^^^^^^^^^^^----)^^^^^)

)))------))))))))hhhhhhh))))))))))))))))))^^^^^^^^^^^^-)^^^^^))

)))------)))))))hhhhhhhh)))))))))))^))))))^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^)))))

)))^----))))))-)))hhhhhh)))^^))))^^^^)))))^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^))))))

))^^^---))))))----)hhhhh)))^^^))^^^^^^)))^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^)))))))

))^^^)))))))------))hhhh)))))^^^^^^RR^^^^^^))^^^^^^^^^^^)))))))

))^^^)))))))---^--)))hhh))))))^^^^^RRR^^^^))))^^^^)))))))))))))

)^^^^^))))))---^)))))))))))))))^^^^^R^^^^)))))^^^))))))))))))))

^^^^))))))))))---)))))))))))))^^^^^^^^^^))))))^^^))))))))))))))

^^^)))))))))-)-----))))))))))^^^^R^^^^^)))))))^^^^^^^^^^^^)))))

^^))))))))^^^-------))))))^^^^^^^^^^^))))))^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^)))^^

^))))))))^^^^-------)-)))^^^^^^^^^^^^)))))^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^)))^^

^)))))))^^^^^-------))))^^^RRR^^^^^^^))))^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^)))^^^

))))))))^^^^^))-----)))))^^^^^^^^^^^^^))^^^^^^^^^^^^^^)))))^^^^

^))))))^^^^^^))-----)))))^^^^^^^^^^^^^))^^^^^))))^^^^^)))))^^^^

^^^^^^^^^^^^))))))))))))))^^^^^^^^^))))^^^^^^))))^^R^^))))^^^^^

^^^^^^^^)^^^))))))))))))))^^^^^^^^))))))))^^^))))^^R^^)))^^^^^^

^^^^^^))))^^^))))))))))))))))^^^))))))))))^^^))))^^RR^^^^^^^^^^

^^^^^))))^^^^^))))))))))))))))))))))))))))^^^)--)^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

^^^^^^)))^^^^^))))))))))))))))))))))h)))))^^^))))^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^)))))))))))))))^^)))))))))))^^^)))-)^^^^^^^^^^^^^

-^^^^^^^^^R^^^)))))))))))))))^^))))))))))^^^^)))))---)))^^^^^^^

--))^^^^^RR^^^))))))))))))^^^^)))))))))))^^^^))))----)))))^^^^^

---))^^RRR^^^)))))))))))))^^^^)))))))))))^^^^))))----------^^^)

---))^^RRR^^^))))))))))))^^^^^)))))))))))^^^^--))---)-------)))

---^^^^RR^^^^))))))))))))^^^^)))))))))))))^^^--)))-))------))))

))^^^^^RR^^^)))))))))))))^^^^)))))))))))))^^^---)))))-------)))

--^^^^^^^^^^)))))))))))))^^^^))))))^^))))^^^^----))hhhh-----)))

-^^^^^^^^^^^)))))))))))))^^^^^))))^^))))))^^^----hhhh-------h))

---^^^^))))^^^)))))))^^^^^^^^^^))^^^))))))^^^----hhh)))--hhhh))

----))))))-^^^^^))))))^^^^^R^^^^^^^^))))))^^^--)hhh)))))hhhhh))

----))))---))^^^))))---^^^^^^^^^^^^---))))^^^)))hh)))))))hhhh))

---hhhh)---))))))))-----^^^^^^^-------))))^^^)))hhhhhhhhhhhhhh)

---hhhh-----))))))h-------))))))------))))))))))hhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

hhhhhhh-----))))hhh-------)))))))-----)))))))))hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

; End of file

Legenda:

h = hill

R = mountain

^ = rock

) = sand

[nemafakei]

In order to read Dune II map data, you need to cross your eyes and state at it for thirty seconds, then look at a white surface.