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Help With Map Overlay


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I have just decided to start delving into map creation and scenario design but I have already hit a roadblock.  I snipped my Google Earth photo, converted the jpg into a bmp file, named it "Special Editor Overlay" and stuck it in my "Z" folder.  When I enter the editor I see only the CM map, so I press "o" and it simply makes my virtual map look darker until it goes black then it cycles back to its original state.  What did I do wrong and if I didn't screw up, why can't I see my map overlay?  Help will be much appreciated!

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I just gave it a quick try in CMBS, threw a random photo into my mods folder named special editor overlay.bmp and up it popped in the map editor. Hitting o increased the percentage of it like it ought. I'm trying to think... is it an RGB file? Is it a HUGE file? I can't imagine what's going wrong.

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12 hours ago, JonS said:

could you post a screenshot of your folder showing the file in it please?

 

Just a picture of the 'Z' folder opened up to show the Special Editor Overlay file?  If so, I'll do that as soon as I get back from running some errands.

1 hour ago, rocketman said:

I think the .bmp need to be 24 bit and not more to work.

If this turns out to be the problem how do I fix it?

 

16 hours ago, MikeyD said:

I just gave it a quick try in CMBS, threw a random photo into my mods folder named special editor overlay.bmp and up it popped in the map editor. Hitting o increased the percentage of it like it ought. I'm trying to think... is it an RGB file? Is it a HUGE file? I can't imagine what's going wrong.

It might be huge, I'll have to check out the numbers later when I have more time but it is going to be a 2000x1500m map, so yeah, probably pretty big, eh?

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Get GIMP, an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It has many capabilities. It will take a little bit of time to understand and become comfortable.  Open the desired image file in GIMP and in the "file" command of the menu bar, export, not save, to another image file name ending in .bmp and, when prompted, use "advance" save settings to save as 24-bit *.bmp.

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16 hours ago, Badger73 said:

Get GIMP, an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It has many capabilities. It will take a little bit of time to understand and become comfortable.  Open the desired image file in GIMP and in the "file" command of the menu bar, export, not save, to another image file name ending in .bmp and, when prompted, use "advance" save settings to save as 24-bit *.bmp.

The 24-bit format was the problem and your fix above did the trick.  I am not the most computer savvy fellow around and I was still able to figure it out with the above instructions so, I am much obliged to you, sir.  Now we are on to the bigger problem of me being bollocks at this editor!

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You're welcome for the help.  Real men use Photoshop.  I just limp with GIMP.  B)

Most of what I cared about at this point involved "images" (scaling to valid size for scenario briefings) and 24-bit *.bmp saves.  There are Youtube tutorials.

Note - one thing I found with GIMP is that the colors were off in CM.  I fixed that by opening the 24-bit image again in a Windows picture/image editor, making an insignificant change, then saving.  This "touch" brought back the correct colors in CM.

Edited by Badger73
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  • 2 years later...
  • 1 year later...
On 9/3/2017 at 6:06 AM, Badger73 said:

Real men use Photoshop.

I gave up my subscription when I discovered Affinity Photo. When you first see it, and somebody tells you it is a major update from Photoshop you believe it. $50 it is and no subscription it is yours forever.

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7 hours ago, Heirloom_Tomato said:

@brisbane I downloaded your file and it worked for me. I assume you have spaces between each word in your file? So the file name is special editor overlay? I also assume you know to go to "map" in the editor and press O to change the level of transparency?

Combat Mission Battle For Normandy 411 Patched Screenshot 2022.02.06 - 11.14.22.72 (2).png

Yes, my file name has spaces between each word.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/mOHvytZ.jpg[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/mOHvytZ.jpg[/img]

 

Then when I go to the map editor,

[img]https://i.imgur.com/0QQ91nk.jpg[/img]

And I push the "O" key, nothing happens.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/0QQ91nk.jpg[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/0QQ91nk.jpg[/img]

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