Maps available
 

There are two new maps made by Tiltowait available on the Illwinter site.

If some of you have made maps, send them over and we will put them up as well.

I believe there was some talk about a remade Old World map from Dom I. Was it ever finished ?

Re: Maps available
 

First off, thanks for Tiltowait for making some new maps!

And thanks to Illwinter for hosting!

And now~ Ringworld??? That's just crazy. You can't go around a ringworld on foot in Dominions timeframe!!! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif

...that said... it will definitely be the next map I play http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

-Cherry

Re: Maps available
 

The Ringworld map is great, playing it just now. Very different from all the other maps, since one can only expand horizontally. I like it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Maps available
 

for the conVersion of old dom1 map I haven't had time to finish it yet
but it will come

Re: Maps available
 

Can someone please give the location of those maps.
I didn't find them at IW site.
TIA.

edit
Turns out there was a problem in my IE.
It Cached the maps page...
I have the maps now.
Look great!

[ January 05, 2004, 09:06: Message edited by: izaqyos ]

Re: Maps available
 

At the bottom of 'maps' under 'dominions II'. Try refresh if you do not se the link on the index page.

Re: Maps available
 

the new maps look great! can't wait to finish my current game and then try the ringworld.

is anybody out there already making a Middleearth map? I was playing around with the editor, but it's hard to find good tolkien-maps to start with.

Re: Maps available
 

Glad people like the maps, I drew em all from scratch http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

They both change game play a bit due to numerous bottlenecks, but there should allways be choices of direction to expand.

I can get to work on another map, if anyone has any requests?

Re: Maps available
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Excellent work.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Hard to do fairly for multiplay but very desireable for solo play. Thank you.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Would it be OK if I used one for randomized .maps? Or would you like to get together with me and design a randomizer. I will include it at my site.

Or if you could create a large map where no-one can get pinned down by an especially nasty province then let me use it as a base for lost of different random scenarios.

There is a thread here somewhere of maps we wish people would do or something like that.

Re: Maps available
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Something with an underground cave system. One third (or something like that) of the provinces would be underground, with just a few places where the caves reach the surface. It's a thought http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif Might be a bit confusing though...

Re: Maps available
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I think that could be done using something like the ringworld as a base. top and lower third are "space" right now, underground provinces would fit in there pretty well.

Re: Maps available
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Something with an underground cave system. One third (or something like that) of the provinces would be underground, with just a few places where the caves reach the surface. It's a thought http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif Might be a bit confusing though... </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Kristoffer made such map to dom1, it has an upper world as well. If you have dom 1 you can download it from the illwinter site and check it out. If you do not have dom 1 you can still download the picture and map file and take a look. The map is called the hollow world.

Link : http://www.illwinter.com/dom/maps.html

Fourth map from the top.

[ January 05, 2004, 16:52: Message edited by: johan osterman ]

Re: Maps available
 

G.P.> "large map where no-one can get pinned down by an especially nasty province then let me use it as a base for lost of different random scenarios."

That sounds worthwhile, I'll let ya know when I finish it! Feel free to use the others for randomized maps. As for designing a randomizer, 'fraid I dont have much time for that but I would be happy to offer loads of unsolicited advice http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Tera.> "Something with an underground cave system."

I was considering doing that.

Tera.>"just a few places where the caves reach the surface."

I think I would rather have every province connected to the one below/above. I know, it is seldom done in fantasy war games, but many of those games have free traveling while in Dom2 you usually have to expand straight through someone else...

Now, maybe if I make the underground a worthless (baren waste) no-start zone populated by baddies... But I think I like the first idea better, for smoother game play.

Re: Maps available
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Yeah, I know, that's where I got the idea from. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Maps available
 

We could collaborate. I have tons of randomizer stuff at all levels from simple randomly selected AI's to extreme having every unit in the game given a randomly selected alteration.

On my site I have examples which are re-randomized every day and people seem to enjoy them. It was just getting old using the same maps over and over. For each one you provide I will gladly open up a new rash of randomly re-written .map files along the line of anything you feel approporiate.

LONG LIVE THE RANDOM MAP CULT!

Examples are the random opponents maps. One for each nation. Such as, if you wanted to play Man then download the Man.map everyday for a slightly new game. Just set Man to human and play it.
http://www.techno-mage.com/~dominion/Dominions2/Man.map

Or the Poke in the Eye .map file which gives each province a randomly selected fully equiped commander with troops. They can be any of the 1010 units in the game including pretenders (which tend to be a BIG surprise). Rerolled fresh every morning.

http://www.techno-mage.com/~dominion...2/Poke_Eye.map

Re: Maps available
 

Tiltowait: I already tried out the new maps and they are a lot of fun. The ringworld map really prods buttock!

There seems to be something odd with the lake (#46) in Valhalla though. It's dry ground. Perhaps the battle takes place on the beach?

Gandalf: Your Poke in the Eye is also a lot of fun. Unfortunatly I rarely have the time to play on such large wraparound maps. Perchance to have the same randomized garrisons with Sundering and Returgaia maps?

On a different note. What can one screw up if one edits the graphics on a map? While all the maps available now are very functional they are a bit simplistic. Sort of hoped that I could repaint Aran when I find some free time. Red border and white dot is to be left alone I take it?

Re: Maps available
 

As long as the size of the map and white dots are untouched nothing will upset the game. The border are only used to ease the making of the mapfile. Once the mapfile is ready the borders are just cosmetic.

Re: Maps available
 

There is some kind of fan based LotR-mod project going on. There was two links to LotR maps IIRC in a thread regarding this matter. It is a rather ambitious project with plans on entirely new nations. As our modding tools are not yet available (patch is soon released) it will probably take a while before the scenario is ready.

The maps might be though. Search the forum for LotR and you should find two nice maps (not converted though).

For copyright reasons illwinter will not make LotR maps, but we gladly post player contributed maps and scenarios.

Re: Maps available
 

I've got a nice new map here ready for randomizing Gandalf!

I really like this one, it has 3 levels (all provinces have the option to move up or down, which opens things up a bit), 135 provinces (18 of them sea) and a boardgamish look.

Re: Maps available
 

Any chance we'll be seeing a map or two with lots of provinces?? example= 400 provinces or more?

Re: Maps available
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">One of two things would need to happen for that in my opinion. Either the MapEditor gets improved, or the random map generator from Dom1 gets upgraded.

OR someone who is very very patient creates one. I can generate a world but manually assigning all the terrains and neighbors is out of the question.

Re: Maps available
 

"There seems to be something odd with the lake (#46) in Valhalla though. It's dry ground. Perhaps the battle takes place on the beach?"

Whoops, that was the first province on the first map and I checked 'fresh water' thinking it was a different type of sea http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif
Anyone who wants to correct this can open up valhalla.map with the map editor, right click on 46 (the lake) and check 'Sea', then save and play. Or just assume the name 'The Deep' is a joke and it is a seasonal pond... you know, like those lakes that dry up... err...

"400 provinces or more?"
Not from me, I get obsessed with details and it would take me forever (the current map I am sending to Gandalf took me about 12 hours and it is only 135 provinces), not to mention I enjoy play on smaller maps a lot more.

Re: Maps available
 

Could you also make the new map available for download on the Illwinter site?

[ January 08, 2004, 15:15: Message edited by: Teraswaerto ]

Re: Maps available
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I recommended it also. I think its really far too nice to be used for my random junk but he still wants one so we are going forward. *sigh* I wish somebody playing with C would look at the old DomMap code. Should be fairly easy to upgrade it

[ January 08, 2004, 17:36: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

Re: Maps available
 

All right http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif ! Gandalf has hosted my new map Miirunst on his site pending illwinter putting it up.

You need these 2 files:
http://www.techno-mage.com/~dominion...2/Miirunst.tga
http://www.techno-mage.com/~dominion...2/Miirunst.map
Simply download them into your dominions2/maps
directory.

Additionally, Gandalf has randomized a .map if you like the map it but want a change of pace. Simply download this file to your maps directory:
http://www.techno-mage.com/~dominion.../MiirunstX.map
and choose to play "Miirunst X." It will not overwrite the original Miirunst .map file.
Today the theme is 'poke in the eye' with powerful creatures inhabiting temples and fortresses spread across the land.

New random maps will be forthcoming, soon on a daily basis.

The .tga download is the big one (bout 30 megs) so here is a screenshot of it to peruse before you eat up Gandalf's bandwidth http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

http://www.ozbird.net/Miirunst.gif

Re: Maps available
 

Looks great, I must try it !

With Mictlan of course... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Maps available
 

The maps are now also available at www.illwinter.com

Thanks Tiltowait and Gandalf!

Re: Maps available
 

mmmm, Mictlan. I got stuck with em as Last pick in a 3-turn a week game, so I decided to practice blood magic and ever since I am loving them! Nothing like watching those heavy calvery go down to a horde of imps on turn 5! Someday I may reveal my secred Mictlan recipe (can't now, got 16 spys on this form to worry about http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon8.gif )

I suggest 8-14 players for Miirunst, with 2 of those being the underwater races. I'm playing it solo with 12 right now and like that pace. And remember the middle province is not completly worthless, it has a lot more magical resources than the surface or the abyss... 'course with the random maps, could be very different.

Re: Maps available
 

I can't remember the answer to this question so I'll ask it again...

Why are the .tga files so fricking huge? 30mb is a hella big file for a damn map no? I mean not all of us have the broadband http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

Re: Maps available
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Give us time to level out on the huge TGA files. With Dom1 all maps were few colors and 640x480 or some size like that. Dom2 dropped all the limits and we are having fun with it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

One advantage to the way Im doing things though is that I re-use TGA files and write new .map files which are just text. For instance that same directory has .map files generated daily to give random opponents to each race.

The .map file for MiirunstX will probably be added to the daily re-random file so you only need to download that huge TGA once.
Hmmm I will go add a zip of the Miirunst game now.

Re: Maps available
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Hmm, it is probably not too difficult to make a smaller Version. I'll take a look, as I have some spare time.

Re: Maps available
 

OK now http://www.techno-mage.com/~dominion/Dominions2/ has a zipped file added for Miirunst if people have the ability to unzip files.

Re: Maps available
 

The illwinter one is also zipped. 8 meg IIRC.

I have experimented with rescaling. At 1/4 much of the nice information on the map is lost. Also all capital dots disappear entirely (impossible to guess where they should be). For the mapfile to be consistent they must keep their actual position relative the other capitals. Thus they must be rezised so it is possible to see where they are. Then a new white dot may be placed on the smaller map. 1/2 might be better.

Re: Maps available
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I read this and thought I'd do something useful for the community for once: load the various .tga files into Gimp, and do some scaling to make them easier to download for those without fast connections.

But it seems that, when doing this, the white dots that mark the centers of provinces tend to not remain white, which will most certainly mess the game up big time. So I'd have to convert said dots to white again, and that means it cannot be done quickly and with no effort...

Maybe the original authors could offer their maps (TGA files) in a variety of resolutions? I mean, the Ringworld map (just a random example) is nice, but with a 5000x1250, the .tga file is about 11Mb. A .5 scaling would reduce this by a factor of 4, and .25 would leave less than a Mb... unfortunately, I just checked, and doing it from the current file doesn't make it look too good, even without the white dot problem.

So, I'll suggest map makers try to provide a "smallish" Version of their files. Most likely you guys are working with some image manipulation software that would let you do it nicely, right?

Re: Maps available
 

What about dropping the colors. Do the TGA actually use alot of colors between the 256 and the 16 million territory? Thats one of the things I usually recommend for JPG's on peoples web pages. The view doesnt tend to change all that much. You need the 16 mill setting to do alot of fancy things in decent paint programs but usually once the image is done you can pull it back to 256 with a big save in size. I just dont know if TGA makes a difference in that plan

[ January 09, 2004, 00:23: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

Re: Maps available
 

And here I thought everyone had unlimited bandwidth http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif I made em big cause when you zoom in to the level of playability they look better in the higher resolutions. Least, I like em better.

Anyways, I would be happy to scale em down a bunch, I have enough mid-creation Versions of them that it should be no problem. I've been using Macromedia Fireworks and Gimp (I'd love to get gimp 2.0, but was slashdoted yesterday).

Re: Maps available
 

Actually, "Miirunst" uses ~270 000 colors (IIRC - checked yesterday) only. Reducing that to 256 makes especially the red gradients rather pixelated (sp?), but it's something I could live with.

File Size goes down significantly, but I'll have to check again when I'm at home. IIRC it was 16MB than.


One problem with the DOM2 maps is that they compress rather badly - thanks to .tga only beeing able to to RLE compression.

Now Miirunst and the Illwinter maps have lots of microstuctures. These look good, but compress very badly, especially with RLE. ...

STefan

Re: Maps available
 

Ive managed to compress Miirunst and Ringworld to 2.9 and 2.5 megs (zipped) respectivly and sent em off for hosting. There is noticable loss, but if you aint looking too close they look fine for playing on (and should be identical, so a network game will not care if one person has one, one person has another.. though you will have to update and use the Miirunst.map file (instead of the smallmiirunst.map file) if you wanna try this).

I went to work on the valhalla map, but got mad at all the little provinces, increased the size of the map... when I was done it was twice the download size http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

Re: Maps available
 

ok, about the size of maps,
SOME ARE HUGE!!!!
but what would be the difference in taking the map's tga file and converting it to jpg and post the jpg. people can download the jpg and then convert it to tga on their own computer so they can use it. there are freeware image converters out there that can be downloaded. I have been running tests on my computer and can see no loss in image quality between jpg and tga so that isn't an issue. a 35 meg tga file is just over 2 megs in jpg format.

Re: Maps available
 

If you do make compressed, lower quality maps, please make the high quality Versions available also. Lots of people can download large files with little difficulty, so it would be annoying to be stuck with the low quality Version when a better one exists.

Re: Maps available
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Interesting. Id never considered that. But it would be almost the same as zipping the files. On the one hand, more people probably have unzippers than have graphic converters. On the other hand, it would be easier to display the maps for download on a website. Hmmm no come to think of it making the maps viewable on a website isnt really a problem so ZIP would probably be better.

Re: Maps available
 

Ello ello,

How does 'Dominions II' know where each province is? Does it look for the single white pixel and simply go from top left to bottom right scanline style. Numbering each pixel as a province, as it goes along?

Does this mean that the border-line graphic is just for human ease of use, rather than of any use data-wise to the software? In other words; there is no edge detection routine necessary.

Just trying to figure this out so I can make a map definition tool (it would not be pan-platform since I would be working in lingo). I want to put together a tool that will generate names based on racial themes, terrain etc... and provides for supplying an external name list. Also drop down terrain definitons and other applicable dropdowns for creating the .map file. It would be gui driven of course.


EDIT: The only place I can see borders being needed would be for auto-neighbour detection...

Thanks in advance.

[ January 09, 2004, 18:59: Message edited by: Strages Sanctus ]

Re: Maps available
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Single white would be nice but its any white (255,255,255 RGB) so mapmakers need to avoid using total white for things like snowy mountaintops. The numbers was UpperLeft to LowerRihgt for Dom1 but seems to be LowerLaft to UpperRight for Dom2

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Im not sure. I think Dom2 uses the boundarys less than Dom1 did. I think I also remember something about red being a good ingrediant in border lines for something. Maybe Kristoffer will jump in on that.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">sorry for my ignorance but what platform would that be then?

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I did some work on that if you want to look at it. Nothing fancy but it was workable. Basic though. Look at the .bas files here http://www.techno-mage.com/~dominion/
and examples of the output are here.
http://www.techno-mage.com/~dominion/maps/

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">That would be nice but if I could make a request I think that an option to automatically do things then offer editing would be helpful. Even if it did bad guessing as to terrain from colors used, bad guessing on neighbors, bad naming, anything. I just find it easier to see it and fix it than to tackle it manually. In fact, I think Id rather edit manually using notepad and paint than use an editor that didnt try to fill things in. Just IMHO.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Oh rats. Even if it was linux I prefer my linux boxes GUI-less.

There is a map generator that was done for Dom1 and the source is available. But its in C. Would that be helpful?

Re: Maps available
 

Quote "Interesting. Id never considered that. But it would be almost the same as zipping the files. On the one hand, more people probably have unzippers than have graphic converters. On the other hand, it would be easier to display the maps for download on a website. Hmmm no come to think of it making the maps viewable on a website isnt really a problem so ZIP would probably be better."

Gandalf Parker, I have to disagree about it being almost the same. jpegs are around 1/4 the size of a zipped tga file. here is my findings:
tga 1: 26,065,978 compressed to 8,781,802 zip file
tga 1: 26,065,978 converted to jpg : 2,891,790

tga 2: 39,233,987 compressed to a 12,103,218 zip file
tga 2: 39,233,987 converted to a 4,785,664 jpg

Big difference for dial up people, and a free graphics converter can be found at
http://www.softpile.com/Multimedia/I...830_index.html
I have dsl and the map files arent a problem, but i do remember my dial-up days. anyway, food for thought

Re: Maps available
 

Lingo is Director's internal development language.

It runs on mac and windows, shockwave is the web product created from it. It also creates stand-alone executables for mac and windows.

It would be easy enough if there are only single white pixels (as being the only pure white in the image) defining each province ALONG WITH true red borders defining each province area. (the borders could be removed once the map data file was generated).

This would enable the code to find a single white pixel and then find the entire area around it that is within in the confines of a true red border (I have fill code similar to this).

It could then look at the color of the pixels in that area to define the territory or multiple-territory types (like mountain/forest or mountain/waste). It could then look at a set of teerain lists and generate a name for that province(your bas files is exactly the type of thing I am talking about.)

Even without the red borders it could expand out in its detection process only a certain range and generate its data that way. But then neighbour detection would be very haphazard since it would have no way of knowing its relationship to other provinces except for proximity to the other province indicating white pixels.

Edge detection for both the above process and the process of determing adjacent neighbours is much easier when you have a set of defined points from which to 'expand' from out to a definied color border(in this case the single pixels of true white and a border of true red.)

I think for the first run I would do this, and then see if it is possible to incoporate some kind of ability to automate blocked off borders (the double thick borders in current maps).

The automated process could of course all be done gui-less. The gui would come in for doing things manually.

It would be also be neat to consider it being able to look at other graphic data to do more complex automation of things (a graduated color overlay indicating neutral areas, racial make-up of neutral provinces, strength etc...) this would work really well with something like your randomizing routines.

Edit: it's and its (grammar is evil)

[ January 09, 2004, 19:48: Message edited by: Strages Sanctus ]

Re: Maps available
 

"what would be the difference in taking the map's tga file and converting it to jpg and post the jpg. people can download the jpg and then convert it to tga on their own computer so they can use it."

In my experience, when you convert to jpg (or gif, or any format) if you degrade the picture in any way then when you expand it back to tga size the single-pixel captials can change color and sometimes expand to 2 pixels. 2 pixels means you have 2 provinces basicly on top of each other, a bad thing.

"How does 'Dominions II' know where each province is? Does it look for the single white pixel and simply go from top left to bottom right scanline style. Numbering each pixel as a province, as it goes along?"

Yes, but bottom left to top right scanline. Borders are just eye candy (maybe they are used for guessing provinces, but guessing does not work well). When I make a map, all that counts are where the single pixel 255 255 255 capitals are, I then rename some other .map file, delete all the #neighboors, point it to the right .tga and use the Load Map command on it and manually set the borders.

When making a map, place the captials Last, right after you filter the image to remove all other pure white (I use Filter > adjust color > levels and set output level maxing at 254, which works fine.)

BTW, since borders do not matter, you should be able to open up Dominions I maps, remove the single white pixel hidden in the top left corrner, copy another .map file and edit it to point to the dom1 tga, set the borders and be done.

Re: Maps available
 

You can use lossless formats, like lossless JPG or PNG. But never use lossy compression on an image where non-visual data is stored in the image file. Lossless formats do not compress nearly as well as lossy ones, of course.

The freeware program IrfanView can interconvert all common graphics formats, and you can specify quality on lossy formats. It is the best freeware program I have ever used.

-Cherry

Re: Maps available
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Will Dom2 accept to load non-TGA image files? I was assuming not...

One solution (to excessive download size) would be to offer the .tga files in a variety of resolution - the person making up the map should be able to do that with little hassle.

Re: Maps available
 

what will not work with DOM2:
</font>

• <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">using any other format than .tga, at least unless the developer add support for it with a patch. I#m not shure, but I think the SDL library supports other formats as well, but than there's still the problem that other routines have to read the graphic file as well.</font>
• <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">compressing/resampling/resizing the map pics with any paiting programm, unless doing lots of work by hand or maybe someone could write a script for Gimp http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif
  This is because provinces are detected (and flag graphics shown) by pure white pixels (255,255,255/1x1). Making a .jpg from the .tga will result in artifacts, which will shurely kill some of these pure white dots here and produce some more there .. provinces screwed up badly. Resizing/resampling will do basically the same ..</font>
• <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">changing the resolution. In fact, the resolution set in the graphics file doesn't matter at all. (You may set it to 72 dpi or 305 dpi, however you wish. DOM works based on pixels, not graphic size in mm. Changing the number of pixels is [i]resizing/-sampling[/] and will screw up the map. (see above)</font>

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">
What will work is :
</font>

• <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">using sufficient size (in pixels) for each province so that everything on the map is displayed where it belongs, and leaving out any non-map/province areas from the file</font>
• <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">using few (256) colours when making the map. Using big, flat single-color areas doesn't look that neat, but keeps the file size very low, especially as the RLE compression works better the more uniform an image is.</font>

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">
I resized and modified my old DOM1 map, so I have gone through all this hassle before. BTw., did anyone check this map out? Despite being 1600 pixels wide, it's only 1,6 MB big ... . I'm working on an extended Version at the moment, I'll post it (link) when it's finished.

A.

Re: Maps available
 

what will not work with DOM2:
</font>

• <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">using any other format than .tga, at least unless the developer add support for it with a patch. I#m not shure, but I think the SDL library supports other formats as well, but than there's still the problem that other routines have to read the graphic file as well.</font>
• <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">compressing/resampling/resizing the map pics with any paiting programm, unless doing lots of work by hand or maybe someone could write a script for Gimp http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif
  This is because provinces are detected (and flag graphics shown) by pure white pixels (255,255,255/1x1). Making a .jpg from the .tga will result in artifacts, which will shurely kill some of these pure white dots here and produce some more there .. provinces screwed up badly. Resizing/resampling will do basically the same ..</font>
• <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">changing the resolution. In fact, the resolution set in the graphics file doesn't matter at all. (You may set it to 72 dpi or 305 dpi, however you wish. DOM works based on pixels, not graphic size in mm. Changing the number of pixels is resizing/-sampling and will screw up the map. (see above)</font>

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">
What will work is :
</font>

• <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">using just sufficient size (in pixels) for each province so that everything on the map is displayed where it belongs, and leaving out any non-map/province areas from the file</font>
• <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">using few (256) colours when making the map. Using big, flat single-color areas doesn't look that neat, but keeps the file size very low, especially as the RLE compression works better the more uniform an image is.</font>

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">

I resized and modified my old DOM1 map, so I have gone through all this hassle before. BTw., did anyone check this map out? Despite being 1600 pixels wide, it's only 1,6 MB big ... . I'm working on an extended Version at the moment, I'll post it (link) when it's finished.

A.

edited: code & spelling, but it doesn't help much..

[ January 10, 2004, 06:36: Message edited by: Arralen ]