Download Map Maker Here ...

[Stridor]

Hey, I'm just glad it works!

Are there recommended system specs for running your proggy, memory, processor and so on?

The MM required specs are the same as for the PCK program itself.

Any XP class machine should be able to run it.

The first time you do a complete map build it can take several minutes to make the map as there is lots of texture building, xml generation and 3D mesh construction going on. However builds after that go much faster as the MM only needs to rebuild the things which were changed between builds. That was just a long winded way of say that the MM is an incremental compiler.

The faster the machine you have (CPU speed) the faster the build process will be (sorry for being so obvious [;)])

As a comparision my C2D at 3.2 Ghz builds the tutmap from scratch in 90 seconds. Subsequent builds usually take less then 5 seconds.

By default the MM runs in standard heightmap res (65x65) and standard size (1km x 1km) mode. Which is the default mode for all the PCK maps made so far.

It is possible for advanced users to select higher res and larger map sizes (for future PC releases) and that will probably need a fast rig to run acceptably. If you double the res you quad the compute time. If you also then double the map size you 16x the compute time. However even these maps can be edited acceptably with C2D class CPUs.

This'll be really cool when folks learn how to use it.

I hope so. The map building paradigm I used in MM is unlike anything else that most folks who have built maps for other similar games have used in the past, so there is some learning curve [:)]. Hopefully the template system which Rick has started will help ease more people into it. I don't think the MM is any more complex than other 3D map editors for recently released games.

The map designers for stock PCK didn't have the luxury of MM, so the stock maps are all rather plain. The PCK engine is capable graphically of a lot more than we have seen so far. Look to guys like Rick, Mobius and Benpark who have put out (and are putting out) much nicer (and more realistic) than stock maps.

Regards

S.

[Prince of Eckmühl]

Works in Vista too:



This just demonstrates the lengths that I'm willing to go to in my quest to reach one-thousand posts. [;)]

[Mad Russian]

Is the shadow on that building set with a lighting direction or is it just part of the building mod? Either way, whoever did that mod it's very impressive.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Stridor]

ORIGINAL: Mad Russian

Is the shadow on that building set with a lighting direction or is it just part of the building mod? Either way, whoever did that mod it's very impressive.

Good Hunting.

MR

That is one of SAF_Biffa's (edit: thanks ben) mods.

PCK has a full 3D lighting engine which MM makes use of. You can set the position of the sun and the color of the sun and see the change in lighting effects on all the games surfaces (so sunsets can be simulated). There are some pictures of this in my map tutorial thread.

The bad news however is that a bug in the shadow system means that the shadows are always shown the same way (at least in SE ? not in the game). This is something which needs to be fixed in a patch.

[Prince of Eckmühl]

ORIGINAL: Mad Russian
Either way, whoever did that mod it's very impressive.

A pattern has emerged in this regard in that the game's "aftermarket" objects tend to look a lot better than those that were "store-bought." [;)]

PoE (aka ivanmoe)

[Stridor]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

ORIGINAL: Stridor
EDIT: If this indeed turns out to be the fix that I hope it will be, then future MM versions will be distributed as self extracting files which should bypass this obnoxious blocking behaviour. Again this is all part of beta testing software I am afraid.

I can go ahead and put together a beta installer for 0.9f today or Monday, depending on how my schedule works out. I'll upload it once it's ready, hopefully that will help everyone who was experiencing the problems.

Erik I think that would be a good idea for guys who still have blocking issues. Would it be possible to add an icon to the launcher menus so that people could get to the MM from there as well?

S.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: Stridor
Erik I think that would be a good idea for guys who still have blocking issues. Would it be possible to add an icon to the launcher menus so that people could get to the MM from there as well?

Sure, I'll put an installer up for the test team to look at next week, if it looks good to you then I'll post it for the public.

[rickier65]

Eric,

I assume you know your PM mailbox is full.

Rick

[Stridor]

As MR was still having problems even after unblocking the zip files (? releated strict IE security settings), I have included a batch file called MMREG.BAT which you can download from the links found in Post #1.

So if you find that even after unblocking the zips you are getting complaints about not being able to register *.ocx files then please copt the MMREG.BAT file into your PCK root directory and run it. This will manually register the components for you.

Regards

S.

P.S. I am still looking for feedback, especially from people who can't get the MM to run after unblocking the zips and running the MMREG.BAT program. Please don't remain silent, if you can't get it to work speak up. If you did get it to work then just drop a line as well.

Thanks

S.

[rickier65]

Stridor,

If you're still interested in UI features, one that would help me at least is a brows button in the lower Map load entry box. (the one where you load your MM files). I've lately found myself working on more than map at a time, and I invariably bring up exporer to remember exactly how I named the maps. (this is the load funciton at the bottom of screen.

It might also be helpful to have the mouse controls consistent across all the apps (ie. panning the map, rotating, tilting zooming) that kind of thing. The one that gets me the most is the panning the map in Scene Edit vs MM. And I cant seem to remember how to rotate the map in any of the apps.

I'll probably be using MM more on complete map design becasue I've fund that Scene Edit doesnt work very well on my laptop. (keeps showing loarge white blocky areas in random place in parts of the screen). Happens occasionally in the game, but it happens consistently in Scene Edit. MM seems fine on it though.

Thanks!
Rick

[Stridor]

ORIGINAL: Rick

Stridor,

If you're still interested in UI features, one that would help me at least is a brows button in the lower Map load entry box. (the one where you load your MM files). I've lately found myself working on more than map at a time, and I invariably bring up exporer to remember exactly how I named the maps. (this is the load funciton at the bottom of screen.

It might also be helpful to have the mouse controls consistent across all the apps (ie. panning the map, rotating, tilting zooming) that kind of thing. The one that gets me the most is the panning the map in Scene Edit vs MM. And I cant seem to remember how to rotate the map in any of the apps.

I'll probably be using MM more on complete map design becasue I've fund that Scene Edit doesnt work very well on my laptop. (keeps showing loarge white blocky areas in random place in parts of the screen). Happens occasionally in the game, but it happens consistently in Scene Edit. MM seems fine on it though.

Thanks!
Rick

Yes I think having a dropdown where you can browse map names is a good idea.

All of my apps have the same view controls (mouse wheel to zoom, hold middle mouse button to pan)

To rotate in SE use the 4 and 6 key.

None of my apps (scenario editor and map maker) allow map rotation.

Regards

S.

[rickier65]

Sounds good. Thanks (and thnks for reminder about 4 and 6 keys).

Rick

[benpark]

The pic above is from SAF Biffa's factory pack, not one of mine. He deserves the credit.

I've got more house models to add. I just need to relearn how to get them in game.

[rickier65]

Do you have some snow covered houses?

I think I used some of your brush texture in last map.

Thanks!
Rick

[benpark]

Rick, I could do something in keeping with the current weather. Post what you need here:

tm.asp?m=1966765

Post some images if you can find some, and I'll see what I can do. I've got a little time to devote toward doing some new stuff.

[rickier65]

Ben,

Thanks - i replied in other thread.

Rick

[benpark]

Stridor, I just did a clean reinstall of PzC and the new MM. I tried redoing one of my maps with the new version of the MM, and I'm seeing a blue screen in the Scene Editor when I try to use the model I did of the large urban row buildings. Did I miss something in the .xml when I sent them to you?

[Stridor]

ORIGINAL: benpark

Stridor, I just did a clean reinstall of PzC and the new MM. I tried redoing one of my maps with the new version of the MM, and I'm seeing a blue screen in the Scene Editor when I try to use the model I did of the large urban row buildings. Did I miss something in the .xml when I sent them to you?

Check the log and find the model which is giving you grief. Tell me which it is and I will check on it.

I think one of Biffas haystacks (can't remember which one) got corrupted somewhere along the line and needs to be replaced. If you find that one please let me know and I will fix it as well.

Regards

S.

[benpark]

Ah, just checked my "Mods/Benpark" folder and it's not in there.

I have a set of sub-folders in my back up:

"Urban and Factory", "Terrain", "German Houses" and "Brushes"

The items in my mod folder as I downloaded are just the loose files of the initial small German frame houses and factory models I had made.

I can fix the sub folders and re-upload them if you don't have them. These contain the models for the large urban buildings and the new German/Hungarian 2 story houses. Should I use the sub-folder system, or just have them as loose files? I can also put the stray files in the Benpark folder in these if that helps keep things better organized (but I don't want to create more work for you).

[Mobius]

It would be best if large building were made from smaller modules.  It doesn't make sense that a building the size of a city block only has room for two squads.