Exiting units off the map

[danstudentvcc]

Hello.
The direction of East-West, North-South is easier to design with if you remember that the games must be made to play out as left to right or right to left.
This way you can rename either side of the map to be N-S or E-W.
The other day I was completing bitmap images [1600] for a very large battle. Since the Chlanda program allows you to draw a map from an image for SP. This means that I can take a map, scan it, cut it up, then make the spmap in seconds.
Since the maps originate in bmp form I can rotate any town or hill or map section.
After I rotate it, the game map is in the familiar left to right or right to left format of SP.
It is neat since this means that you can attack from any direction in the real world's N-S, E-W but still have it look like the usual SP maps. Afterall, this is much like the days when we played cardboard games and could only fit the map on the table in one direction. Of course we could sit in different spots, much like the SP maps.

Gus
Danstudentvcc

[Pepper]

danstudentvcc said:
Since the Chlanda program allows you to draw a map from an image for SP. This means that I can take a map, scan it, cut it up, then make the spmap in seconds.

Hello. Could you please explain more about this Chlanda program, and perhaps provide a link for where to obtain it?

Thank you in advance.

[danstudentvcc]

Hello Pepper.

Chlanda's program comes with the SP'WAW' game. It has it's own separate folder in the SPWAW root directory.
Next time I am at the library I will post and email you Fred's homepage that is chock full of editors. He has editors for both the Camo SPMBT/SPWW2 and Matrix SPWAW games.
I can also gather all the other links on the various forums that detail edits possible with Fred's programs. [One of my favorites for example [aside from being able to make a complete map from a bmp image] is being able to edit a town road so that once 1 or two vehicles are kaput, no other unit of any type may enter that hex. This is a cool sim of the narrow streets and alleys found in many towns!!

Gus
Danstudentvcc

[DRG]

http://blake.prohosting.com/fchlanda/

This will bring you to Freds homepage

Don

[danstudentvcc]

Hello.

Thanks DRG.

By the way does SPCAMO have any plans to make compatible such game editors for the WinWW2 or WinMBT games;
now that the games have evolved to Windows enviroments?

The Ectizen and Chlanda programs are a gamers delight!

I would fully support such a move by buying any CD's made available.

In case some did not know what Ectizens and Chlandas programs can do:

Ectizens' allows for complete map terrain changes in one step:
add/remove mud; rough; change summer trees to winter trees;
raise every hex by 30m increments; and so on.

Chlandas' allows for hundreds of contiguos maps to be created in mere minutes - on scale even, from cartographic resources! As well, his programs can edit the defense values and height of individual buildings and terrain etc....

Happy holidays to all.

Gus
Danstudentvcc

[danstudentvcc]

Hello. Continuing from the previous post on map/game editors.
For my own personal use: I am nearing the completion of 740 maps of the Ardennes from cartographic sources. Once that is complete I will be rounding up my favorite 30 SP aliases to conduct a mile by mile play out of the Battle of the Bulge Dec 16th to 25th '1944. On the 26th the Allies unleash 1500 aircraft - hence it is not much fun for the NAZI's after the 25th Dec 1944.
That works out to about a battalion for each alias. Since the maps can be cut and created quickly, and easily as required; we would thus have both worlds of wargaming occuring. The 'Tactical', tank vs tank combat, to the Operational, Corps to Division by Division, strategic game.

I had attempted to do a Sicily game but qucikly became bogged down in the limited 4 distinct levels of SPWAW. I believe that the multi-elevations of Sicily would best be handled by WinWW2. It is simply too much work for the much more limited SPWAW game. As well, SPWW2 by SPCAMO has more units available.

Gus
Danstudentvcc

[danstudentvcc]

Hello.
Apparently, SPWW2/WinMBT game maps can also be made from BMP images. However, the process is quite long and requires committing to making scen. files to facilitate the conversion of Topographic/road maps from previous versions of SP123 to SPWW2.
Lacking a one step creation, it is clear that only small battle fields - Operations - can be attempted. Afterall opening and converting 700+ files is quite simply, an inefficient use of game time!!

In a previous post I asked if maybe SPCAMO could facilitate the update and inclusion of the editors in CD form.
If not, how about if SPCAMO were to instead develop a program that would scan an image, then create the scen or map file.
Already there exists voice recognition software; OCR and handwriting recognition software; not mention that a piece of music can be scanned then played by some digital music programs like Sibelius [html even].
-colors for roads/towns/rivers/flags/reinforcement-retreat flags/terrain and buildings
-for units and formations
-colours for supply and damage etc
with associated icons.

Possible?


Gus
Danstudentvcc

[DRG]

First off just WHICH "Chlanda Program" are you talking about? He has dozens. Don't you think a NAME might be useful ?

Second, since Fred built this program for WaW don't you think asking him if it ( whatever it's called ) could be adapted to our games would make a bit more sense since it *IS* his program rather than asking us if we plan to adapt our games to it?

Third, do you own a CD copy of the game? There is a much more advanced map editor included on the CD

Don

[Double_Deuce]

DRG said:
First off just WHICH "Chlanda Program" are you talking about? He has dozens. Don't you think a NAME might be useful ?

He probably means Fred's SPWaW Map program. I use it alot for WAW but it it hasn't been kept up to date with the revisions to SPWAW but still works quite nicely. It hasn't really been kept up to date mainly due to Fred having had an accident/medical issue that prevented him from pursuing his programming work several years ago. With this program you can take a map, converted to a bmp and them import it into his program. Basically, it reads the different colors as terrain and creates a map based on that.

[danstudentvcc]

DRG said:First off just WHICH "Chlanda Program" are you talking about? He has dozens. Don't you think a NAME might be useful ?
Dvcc--- Yes, all the SP Chlanda programs.

Second, since Fred built this program for WaW don't you think asking him if it ( whatever it's called ) could be adapted to our games would make a bit more sense since it *IS* his program rather than asking us if we plan to adapt our games to it?
Dvcc--- No, there are programs for SPMBT and SPWW2 and "S P W A W". Actually, I don't have to ask Chlanda for anything at all since it is also possible for individuals to work co-operatively and to thus get the ball rolling. In fact my posts go further and ask for such editors to be developed for the games of MBT and WW2. I do not think that Chlanda's programs are the final word on the subject of SP Editors.

Third, do you own a CD copy of the game? There is a much more advanced map editor included on the CD
Dvcc--- Clearly, if you had spent time with the Chlanda programs you would've realized that I can post on the forum for SPMBT/SPWW2 'because' Fred deigned to work on WW2 and MBT programs.
In fact as my posts point out you can make SP maps from bitmaps using Chlanda programs for SPMBT/SPWW2/SPWAW. The only difference being that WAW's editor can do it in one step. While the WW2/MBT Chlanda editors require you to make scen files and to then convert them up to the Windows/DOS based versions.
Gee, Don I can't tell if Gus has bought an MBT CD or not; clearly he must have left that off of his post history. Since it is a required purchase for civilized posting according to you then I must apologize for being remiss.
In the future I will endeavour to mention it all the time.

Gus
Danstudentvcc

"Has bought an MBT CD; has offered to buy more CD's as the game is updated; has offered to buy game editor enhanced CD's"

By the way, no the map editor that comes with the game is insufficient. It played 'zero' in my choice to buy a WinMBT CD. Hence, I post to let others know that the SPWW2 and SPMBT Chlanda programs can exceed the basic SPMBT game editor and that we would all want such editors, for the games of MBT/WW2 to be further developed including if SPCAMO/Shrapnel Games were to release them.

DVCC