Master Map?

[usgubgub]

Wow, Rocketman, what a treasure trove! They have a ton of very good maps. Enough to keep me busy for ages. Thank you very much for the link, I have been looking for something like this for ever.

I am bogged down trying to complete a scenario on a fictional map supposed to be happening in Abbruzzo, in January 1944. As it involves German Paras I am waiting for the fix to the German Para uniform bug. I must have started 30 scenarios but this one has progressed the furthest, I am busy testing different AI plans, it took me ages to learn to make them and testing them is very time consuming, plus it involves iterations as when playing them through one realises mistakes in dispositions or opportunities for better moves. This process itself can be a lot of fun.

From the Leonforte map it looks as though I might have to start again from scratch. I was using Google maps, but it looks as though the place has changed a lot more than I imagined. I also need to think through how much of the village to reproduce. I need to go back to the actual accounts of the battle as I seem to recall most of the fighting occurred inside the village.

I would be really grateful for any help in terms of working with an overlay. Last time I tried I made a total hash of it, I just could not get my head around it.

I probably will post some of my maps when I am satisfied with them, but I feel I need to improve first. 

 

Edited June 4, 2019 by usgubgub

[Zveroboy1]

Overlays are not that hard to use and they can speed up your mapping so much.

In Google Earth, either use the path or the polygon tool to draw a rectangle around the area of the map you have selected. If using the polygonal tool, lower the opacity by going into the style/colour tab of the tool properties. You need to make sure the lines are more or less straight. Use the U shortcut to reset the tilt of the view, so you're looking straight down.

Before you do that though, it can be useful to rotate the map in order to get the main roads aligned properly so they're at the right angle for the CM editor.

You might want to hide the tool bar at the top of Google Earth and go into full screen in order to have a slightly bigger overlay. Zoom in as much as possible on the selected area.

Take a screen capture by hitting print screen on your keyboard.

Then you need to use a graphic program, I bet even paint will do, to paste and crop the image you have saved in the previous step and which is now in your clipboard. Crop it so there is only the selected area left i.e inside the rectangle or frame.

Save it as a bmp named "special editor overlay". Then copy it in your my documents/Battlefront/Combat Mission/Shock Force 2/User Data

You need to relaunch the game. Now in the editor, create a new map with the same dimensions as the area inside the rectangle. And toggle the different levels of transparency with the O shortcut.

[BornGinger]

Is there a way or procedure to use a master map .btt file and in the editor "cut it up" in different sections for a campaign? Or does one have to find a map of an area on the internet and then make several scenario maps in the editor with that map as the overlay map?

[A Canadian Cat]

6 minutes ago, BornGinger said:

Is there a way or procedure to use a master map .btt file and in the editor "cut it up" in different sections for a campaign?

Absolutely. Many campaign maps are done that very way.

1. Take you large master map .btt file and plan out how you want to split it.
2. Once you have your plan, pick one small map section you want for your first battle and shrink the map size using the controls along the top towards the right of the editor in such a way that you cut away everything but the part you want for your first map.
3. Then press Save and give the "new" map a different name.
4. Open the original master map again.
5. Pick another section you want to use for your second battle and use the size controls to shrink down to just that part of the map
6. Press Save and give that "new" map a different name.
7. Repeat as necessary.

Then you can use those newly created .btt files as your scenarios.

[BornGinger]

Thanks IanL.

I guessed there was a way inside the editor but haven't read any description of it anywhere.

Or maybe I just missed that part when I was reading the Engine Manual.

[A Canadian Cat]

3 hours ago, BornGinger said:

Thanks IanL.

I guessed there was a way inside the editor but haven't read any description of it anywhere.

Or maybe I just missed that part when I was reading the Engine Manual.

Yeah I don't think that is explicitly listed in the manual. It's more a case of experience and taking in the big picture and putting 6 and 6 together to get a dozen. (more work that 2 plus 2 and getting 4)

Edited November 1, 2019 by IanL
typo

[MikeyD]

The intent of master maps is for scenario designers interested in a specific historical event to sub-divide the map into separate discrete engagements. But we see few 3rd party scenarios based on master maps (or third part scenarios of any sort) popping up for downloading. Half the fun of CM is making-your-own. Its a shame more people don't get into it. I think one problem is wannabe scenario designers start out too ambitious then get discouraged or intimidated. Build yourself a small scenario before you build a medium one, before you build a large one, before you build a huge one. That way you won't get overwhelmed by the task.

Edited November 1, 2019 by MikeyD

[Artkin]

On 6/2/2019 at 9:03 PM, Broadsword56 said:

It's pointless and unnecessary to fully detail a home-made master map, since you never know in the beginning which places on it you'll be fighting.

Select the battle area first, then add details.

 

 

???? 

master maps are meant to be played in their raw state ok lets get this settled

[Glubokii Boy]

10 hours ago, Artkin said:

???? 

master maps are meant to be played in their raw state ok lets get this settled

IIRC a side effect of changing the size of a map is that flavoured objects gets moved out of place...Atleast when you change the mapsize in two of the 4 directions...

This makes it fairly unneccesary to add flavoured objects to these master maps..

Add the flavour ones you have the mapsize decided..

 

[Artkin]

boom repsol got my bk bros u watch out now lmao