PEB14

Well you're half correct on this joke: bmp has never been a super format, IIRC essentially a Microsoft stuff while Apple pushed for the tiff format. That's why I'm having issues basically, using Apple stuff. As 95% of the users are on Windows I guess it's indeed not a problem… But you're totally correct: BFC stayed with a format that is getting pretty old; the game is getting as old as its players… As for the issue: thanks for asking. No, I've checked that it's not related to the pixel size. I've even been much surprised to find stock scenarios with more than 170 pixels in one dimenension… and it works!!!!

My bad. I compared the expanded Master Map file size to the old, smaller Master Map. Not surprising that it was smaller !

And it works!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now the last thing that drives me crazy is this f****g bmp thing. They love old Windows stuff at BFC…

Finally I found a proper solution. Files shall be encoded using "Occidental (Windows Latin 1)" format, available in MS Word. A text file generated with this encoding is read without error in CM.

Thank you @OldSarge. FYI I also used the template but to no avail. Your file loads perfectly into a CM test scenario and the accents show propeerly. But just look at what your template file looks like when loaded into Mac OS TextEdit: CM scenario making is definitively not for Mac users…

Hi Kandu, You've not been idle these last weeks! I've noticed 4 new ASL scenarios that AFAIK you never released before, new (US vs AI) versions in the 82N series… I noticed that the Amfreville master map file size has changed, did you edit it? Similarly, did you make significant modifications to your 82N scenarios? (A personnal thank you for the credit in your campaign. You made me discover battles I didn't know of at all ,and now I've read much about them - I just have to go on site to see the La Fière site with my own eyes !)

Hi, To build a scenario for Combat Mission you really need multiple talents… Today I've become a gimp expert… Anyway, some questions remain unasnwered. Here's a question for top level modders around. I'm a perfectionnist, so I want my text briefings to show the correct FRENCH ACCENTS. Yes I do. And don't tell me it's impossible: in his Devil's Descent campaign, @Field Marshal Blücher make us fight for Sainte-Mère-Eglise, NOT for Sainte-Mere-Eglise (OMG!). But the question is: HOW???? I've tried various formating (Windows-Latin, UTF-8, UTF-16) for the txt file to import as a briefing — no way. I get bizarre characters instead of accentuated letters. Any ideas around?

And you're noticing that the new blood is all French! Allons enfants!...

Wow wow... Slow down Kohlenklau, that's very sweet from you but I've yet to produce something worthy! I'm just 12 years late after all! It is alt-B indeed. But the dark picture was on-purpose! Even though the mean age on this forum is somewhere around 50-55… (biggest glasses smiley I could find…)

Nice pics Brille. What is the scenario featuring the Brits against the Italians?

Faites gaffe! They're roaming at dawn… Coming soon into the FRANCE 1940 mod… Stay tuned!

Yes he does!

THAT's business acumen, isn't it?

No I don't. But I'm working with computer scientists that are making me regularly mad, as they tend to change things that were working fine into things that don't work as good anymore - or that doesn't work at all ! Looks like a computer science trademark. My good'ol pic still worked fine when I tested it this morning. So I just followed your advice, loaded it into gimp, and just saved it. Now it crashes CMFI to desktop. (Obviously I didn't change gimp version since ages so no idea what has changed…) If you wanted to get me crazy then go on, you're on the right track…

Unfortunately paint.net doesn't run on Mac. Anyway I can't understand how a bmp made using Gimp does perfectly work once, while another done the very same way shows the red line stuff. That's beyond my understanding.

Yes it was. But WimO temporarily removed all his stuff at the repository.

Sounds great but unfortunately it doesn't work for me! I really don't understand the issue. When I created a first test scenario I loaded a greyscale bmp pic using Gimp it worked perfectly (once the 24-bit issue was sorted). Now I tried with two different images and the same encoding options and it either shows the red line stuff… or crashes the game to desktop! That's the kind of silly thing that drives me crazy. Losing time on such a basic task is just plain stupid, it's as many time lost for optimizing the map or refining AI plans. By the way I'm working on a Mac, and my pictures tools are either "Preview" or Gimp. I'm able to create excellent overlays with Gimp and not a stupid 170x170 bmp pic? Naah…

Thank you gentlemen. That's perfectly clear, no more question on the topic! PaperTiger and IanL's advices are clear: one AI plan means no messing up with painting AI set-up zones. Painting AI set-up zones only makes sense for several AI plans, at the cost of randomness. @kohlenklau Don't worry, I'll make it simple. But in my first running test the AI messed up with my initial placement so I tried to figure why. Now I do!

I remember that it shall be encoded in 24-bit but apart from that…

The image is cut by a red line and part of the right side is transferred to the left side! Is think the issue is well known but I cannot find the whereabout… (Obviously the image file is read perfectly with any image viewer other that CMFI…)

OK. But inside a setup zone AI units are also placed randomly inside that area, correct? To avoid too much randomness I shall divide my forces in small AI groups and paint small setup zones, correct?

Thanks gentlemen for these detailed answers. So If I understand correctly, the better one to get my AI units set up like I want them to is NOT to use AI "Setup"? I tried the latter option at first and the result was quite terrible. And if I catched everybody's answers correctly, the "Set Up zones" from the map are only useful for human players, the AI makes no use of it. Correct?

Hello, I'm making a try at a new scenario and I'm getting confused by AI side initial unit placement. Three notions do collide and I haven't got a clear picture of the whole; these notions are: the "Set Up zones" that you paint on the map in the "map" menu; the AI "Setup" that you also paint on map (although in the "AI" menu), one group after another; the "Deploy" action in the units menu, in which yoiu are able to position the units very precisely on the 3D map. I somebody can paint a clear picture of how these setup actions work together, that would be most helpful… In particular, I would like to position tha AI units precisely, letting little to no freedom of action to the AI…

Now there is also a MS copy on my own hard drive either! Thanks.