HOWTO: Retrospectively update the height data of a map.

[djf01]

I'm writing this mother of all scenarios and start to play test it, where I realise I've used the wrong height scaling factor  :-(.

I have to either start again from scratch, and spend another 2 days putting in the towns, territories and 150 odd events ... or ... the following hack:

- Obtain a HEX editor.  I used XVI32 from http://www.chmaas.handshake.de

- Backup your MAP/MP2 file !!!

- Create a new map from your original PCX image, using the same dimension are your target map, this time using the correct scaling factor.

- Open the new map (with just the height data in it) in the hex editor and identify the start of the map data.  It's immediately at the end of the map data, identifiable by the the 10 byte repeating pattern.  If you are lucky and your map is coastal, ocean data *may* look like FF FE or FF FF (representing an altitude of -2 or -1).

- Delete all the data before the height data.  Delete all the data after the height data.  SaveAs the file something line "newdata.bin"

- Open your target Map file (the one you've done all the work on with the wrong heights).

- Identify the map data and delete it.  Insert the contents of the file "newdata.bin" you created in it's place.  Save the map.

- If it hasn't worked, restore your backup and start again :-).

[Gwizz]

I printed out you method and put it in my RT2 binder.

I will have to try it.

Thanks for the post.