Transfering a scenario from CM2 to SPWAW

[Fossiili]

I prepared a scenario for Combat Mission 2. Now I wanted try it in SPWAW also. The problem is: how to transfer the map which in CM 2 consists of 20*20 meters squres to SPWAW hexes of 50 yeards!

A simple question: What is an easy way to draw the SPWAW hexnet?

Unfortunately the MapThing program does not work in my computer in my previous one I ones succeeded to use it. Any other programs to produce SPWAW maps? Just to add them from pieces of PrintScreen is terrible.

Help. please! [8|]

[Wild Bill]

No way that I know of. The best way might be to take a "picture" of the map, print it out and use it as a guide. Print screen should work for the map in Combat Mission. You can do that by opening the CM scenario in the scenario editor, and if necessary reduce it in size when opening it so that you get the entire map, even if by sections.

There might be an easier way, but I know of no program that will help you to do that outside of my suggestion. I've worked extensively with Combat Mission and SPWAW and I believe that this is the best way to do it. Good luck!

Wild Bill

[Fossiili]

I have proceeded! Previously the MapThing-program could not write the map.pdf file. I found that it can not do that on a partition formated as ntf. Luckily I have an other formated as Fat32 and there the map.pdf of a large map appeared. So I got a picture of the hexgrid. In PaintShopPro I pasted the map from CM 2's editor and the rest will be only hard work. Hope it will some day be history.

The key to proceed to find how to use Jef Chaladas MapThing included in the SPWAW 8.20 package.

One question remains: Is it possible to make a map for SPWAW not beeing exactly one of the sizes "small", "medium" or "large"?

[Goblin]

In the scenario editor (in the game) there are already some different size maps, under the load map button. There is a way to resize the map to anything you want:

From RockinHarry at The Depot Forums:

Erm..actually it´s Fred Chlanda´s WaWMap that does the resizing of maps (Options - Inspection Mode - Size * x *, where * is the map size in hexes horizontally and vertically! Enter desired values, press RETAIN button, then save the map to disk (Reload the map to see the actual change!). Done. Smallest possible map is 20x20 I think. ...and I doubt taht a 200 wide map will be loaded into SPWAW (without causing lockups ect.)!

"Mapthing" converts SPWAW maps to be printed as PDF (Adobe Acrobat) file! Little used but yet quite interesting tool (Map Debugging!). 8)

Hope this helps.


Goblin

[Fossiili]

ORIGINAL: Goblin
....................
Hope this helps.
Goblin

THANKYOU! [&o]

I found WawMap from my installation of SPWAW 8.20 and even a html-manual for it!

[Fossiili]

It was quite easy to make a 58*78 hexagon map using WAW_Map. Now one problem remains:
The new map is in the Maps directory of SPWAW 8.20, but the editor does not notice it. It is not in the list of loadable maps, although Windows Explorer sees it. I even wrote a text-file containing the name of the map, but it did not help.

Probaly I'm too old for this. [&:]

[RockinHarry]

Your map for sure is in the maps directory if you saved it there from within Freds Map Editor! The thing that makes your map "invisible" is the lack of a *.cmt (=comment) file that contains the "name" of your saved map! When saving your map, you only save your map to a certain map slot, but to make its name shown in SPWAW editor map list, a *.cmt file needs to be written as well! Unfortunately Freds Map editor does not support writing and reading the *.cmt files (although Freds WaW Edit does. Freds WAW Edit is the program that lets you edit scenario data! Not to be confused with Freds WaW Map edit!)

If you know (you surely do) the map slot number you saved your new/edited map, then in SPWAW ingame scenario editor, go to "load" map file selection screen and hit the "ALT-J" key combination to directly jump to the desired map slot! (handy function btw.) Although the slot might show as "---empty---", your map is there! It just does not have the dedicated SPWAW name yet! With the "---empty---" slot selected, hit "continue" button and your map is loaded!

Now in the map editor (MAP -> Edit) you can save your map once more again (hit the "save map to disk" button) and this time you have the opportunity to also give your map a dedicated SPWAW name! This name is written into a new *.cmt file and the real file name keeps untouched as SPWAW uses its own format for it. Assuming you saved your map into slot 200 and named it "My map" (or anything that makes sense), then SPWAW writes it as "pzmap200.dat" onto your disk in the maps folder. Now the name "My map" is stored in an accompanying file named "pzmap200.cmt". Maybe it all sounds a little bit complicated, but it´s surely not and once you know about the file names you normally don´t have to reflect about it again that soon!:)

Note: Don´t manually edit and save the *.cmt files in a text editor as otherwise SPWAW will crash while trying to read it! The file is some sort of binary format with length of 200 Bytes. If for any reason you need to edit the file outside SPWAW, simply use a hex editor.

You can also use an additional text file describing your map. This time it is a normal text format file and you can edit it with any text editor (note pad IE, ect.). This file must be created THIS way as there´s no function from within SPWAW that lets you make it.

So your complete new map set might look like this:

pzmap200.dat Contains map data - file is written by SPWAW or any editors (from Fred Chlanda, Ectizen ect.)
pzmap200.cmt internal SPWAW map name is stored here - SPWAW writes this automatically. (Note: Ectizens SDQ does too!)
pzmap200.txt optional. Can be used to describe your map and features.
pzmap200.rec this is a (yet) unnecessary placeholder file for "recording" data. Forget about it.

Btw, do you know of a small application called "HexGrid" from StratSoft?? It was available as free download some time ago.

Here´s an excerpt from the Help file:

HexGird is a program which allows you to superimpose a hexagonal grid over your own graphics files. The program accepts a variety of graphics formats and you can generate appropriate images either by scanning them in, or by drawing them yourself. Before you create the grid you can specify the size of the hexagons and the colour and thickness of the lines. The resulting map can be view at various zoom levels, saved as a bitmap, or can be printed on the Windows default printer.

HexGrid really came about as a testbed for generating and manipulating hexagonal grids. As I worked on this I remembered the frustration of trying to get a map into ‘The Operational Art of War’ scenario editor, and thought that a program like HexGird could be a big help.

HexGrid is freeware and you shouldn’t have had to pay for it (so don’t come looking for a refund if you don’t like it!)


Try a google (or any) search on HEXGRID STRATSOFT. If it´s not available in the net anymore, send an email (IMPORTANT: Include SPWAW as email topic or it gets sorted out by the spam filters!!!) to harizan@web.de and I´ll send you the files!

I´ve yet another useful file (PDF) from an author describing how to convert ASL maps (40m hexes) to Combat Mission (using 20m squares). You might be interested in this as well. I can´t recall where I once downloaded it from, but it was one of the many internet sites supporting CM. However, the author included his eamil: col_klotz@hotmail.com

[Fossiili]

My best thanks for this comprehensive and comprehensible advice!

[RockinHarry]

ORIGINAL: Fossiili

My best thanks for this comprehensive and comprehensible advice!

Let us see your work when you´ve finished conversion to SPWAW![:)] Btw, I´m Combat Mission player too. What scenario of yours do you convert? Maybe I know of it (scenario depot)?[&:]

[Fossiili]

ORIGINAL: RockinHarry
Let us see your work when you´ve finished conversion to SPWAW![:)] Btw, I´m Combat Mission player too. What scenario of yours do you convert? Maybe I know of it (scenario depot)?[&:]

Over a year I have prepared "Pottula-scenario" for Combat Mission 2 Barbarossa to Berlin. I have tested it with two frends. The problem has been to give The Soviets enough forces to concure Pottula which The Finns are defending.
Over years I have been interested in SPWAW but it's told to be difficult to play. Now at last I started learning it and it has fashinated me! The best way to learn to percieve the terrain in SPWAW is to design one. So I started converting Pottula-scenario to SPWAW. Recently I also P SPWAW B EM. The results: "total defeat"s[:@]

Anybody interested in PBEM either SPWAW or CM 2?

[RockinHarry]

ORIGINAL: Fossiili

ORIGINAL: RockinHarry
Let us see your work when you´ve finished conversion to SPWAW![:)] Btw, I´m Combat Mission player too. What scenario of yours do you convert? Maybe I know of it (scenario depot)?[&:]

Over a year I have prepared "Pottula-scenario" for Combat Mission 2 Barbarossa to Berlin. I have tested it with two frends. The problem has been to give The Soviets enough forces to concure Pottula which The Finns are defending.
Over years I have been interested in SPWAW but it's told to be difficult to play. Now at last I started learning it and it has fashinated me! The best way to learn to percieve the terrain in SPWAW is to design one. So I started converting Pottula-scenario to SPWAW. Recently I also P SPWAW B EM. The results: "total defeat"s[:@]

Anybody interested in PBEM either SPWAW or CM 2?

Check your PM![;)]

[Fossiili]

ORIGINAL: RockinHarry
Check your PM!

PM = Prime Minister (wife?)
pm = post-mortem
[&:]

[RockinHarry]

ORIGINAL: Fossiili

ORIGINAL: RockinHarry
Check your PM!

PM = Prime Minister (wife?)
pm = post-mortem
[&:]

PM=Private Mail [:D][;)] check you matrix account inbox for private board messages!