[WIP] Conduct Mappin: BOBBAK to BN

[Japanzer]

Conduct Mappin is a tool for user who converts CMx1 map to CMBN map.

Conduct Mappin consists of Export tool from CMx1 and Import tool to CMBN.

Conduct Mappin handles the map tile like the cell of spreadsheet program.

If the top-left tile is wood, Conduct Mappin considers it "A1,Wood", and generates and reads csv file.

You can see the beta verasion here:

Conduct Mappin: Import

Conduct Mappin: Export

[Aragorn2002]

That is amazing!

[kipanderson]

Hi,

Crikey... yes amazing!

It constantly amazes me just how many smart people CM seems to attract as fans. How you do what you do I have no idea .

I am not one of the smart fans.... Just a fan!

Congratulations...

All the best,

Kip.

[z1812]

Marvelous. Very impressive . Combined together how long is the export import process?

[Sergei]

That's pretty far out.

[Fredrock1957]

This looks really fantastic, how does one get a copy of the beta

[Mord]

Someone with the time could theoretically use this to produce thousands of QB maps...As in quick map CMX1 quick map generation to CMX2...pretty interesting stuff.

Mord.

[RockinHarry]

Marvelous. Very impressive . Combined together how long is the export import process?

From watching import video he says Wiltz map (960x960m) takes about 1-2 hours to import. Exporting process seems to be much faster.

Interesting tool for sure. :cool:

[Bil Hardenberger]

Excellent work!

[Sgt Schultz]

WOOT!!!

<bows before greatness>

-

[Other Means]

Wow...just...wow.

[Erwin]

+1 to that.

[Vergeltungswaffe]

Nothing short of amazing.

[Mad Mike]

Great work .. don't want to imagine how long this is taking you.

I'm wondering, how do you handle conversion between the different tile sizes between CM1(20mx20m) and CM2 (8mx8m)?

Maybe it would be possible to write a program that generates the input for the CM2 map from map programs like GoogleEarth (or Maps), so that instead of CM1 information, real world information is used?

Anyway, terrific effort .

[Japanzer]

Thanks for your interest. I have just uploaded Conduct Mappin.

Honestly to say, this tool can not make a perfect copy map because of many things. Tile size difference, tile layer, complex road tile, CMBN editor's response, etc.

Nevertheless, this tool, I think, is useful for mapmakers. The map generated is not so bad as a guide map. You can use CMx1's map generator.

Conduct Mappin.zip files has a Wiltz.btt generated by this tool, so you can see the extent of reproduction.

[Japanzer]

A few reply.

Import Process time

Tiny(200msq), flat, open import : About 5-10min

Middle(800msq), large hills, woody, many bulidings : About 60-120min

Export Process time

1-3 min

Tile size

CMx1's tile size is 20m x 20m, while CMx2's one is 8m x 8m. For the exact scale, Conduct Mappin makes 5 CMx2 tiles(5x8=40m) express 2 CMx1 tiles(2x20=40m). But it causes one problem. It's impossible to divide the 3rd CMx2 Tile.

Conduct Mappin deals with this problem by 3:2 CMx2 tiles. One CMx1 tile for 3 CMx2 tiles, other CMx1 tile for 2 CMx2 tiles. If there are A, B, C, D, E columns and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 rows of CMx2, Conduct mappin paints by 3x3 tiles brush and click to D4, B4, D2, B2 cells. Later clicked tiles have larger area.

Other idea

I think it is possible to make a script that uses Google map. No, Google Earth. The difference of the two is color. The color of map is very simple, so it is easy to recognize data.

Layer over map editor screen: If the layer is Ascii map, it might be possible. Click editor through the layer is impossible.

Only idea. The realization is another problem.

[BletchleyGeek]

This is awesome Japanzer Many, many, many thanks for doing this.

PS: I just hope Steve & Charles take note of this and provide a simple button for loading those CSV's (or something similar)

[DesertFox]

Thanks for your interest. I have just uploaded Conduct Mappin.

Honestly to say, this tool can not make a perfect copy map because of many things. Tile size difference, tile layer, complex road tile, CMBN editor's response, etc.

Nevertheless, this tool, I think, is useful for mapmakers. The map generated is not so bad as a guide map. You can use CMx1's map generator.

Conduct Mappin.zip files has a Wiltz.btt generated by this tool, so you can see the extent of reproduction.

Mate,

absolutely lovely :-)

Where can I download your tool to start converting my old Cintheaux map.

Thanks for your effort!

cheers

[Broadsword56]

This is such groundbreaking work -- thank you for developing this tool.

A version that "reads" Google Earth imagery -- even imperfectly -- and turns it into CM x2 tiles would be the Holy Grail for generating authentic maps quickly.

Just having all the basic land patterns in place in the Editor, already scaled, would make mapping go faster, because all you'd have to do is "clean up" and edit the tile types, and add elevations, to get the basic map ready for placing objects.

[Davek555]

Wow this is fantastic. Great work Japanzer. Any chance we could see a screenshot of the 3D map to see how the maps compare?

[Broadsword56]

This is such groundbreaking work -- thank you for developing this tool.

A version that "reads" Google Earth imagery -- even imperfectly -- and turns it into CM x2 tiles would be the Holy Grail for generating authentic maps quickly.

Just having all the basic land patterns in place in the Editor, already scaled, would make mapping go faster, because all you'd have to do is "clean up" and edit the tile types, and add elevations, to get the basic map ready for placing objects.

I have no idea how to code this, but here's the basic concept of how I would imagine that tool working:

1. Input any Google Earth image you want up to 4km x 4km as an rgb color image.

2. The tool breaks the image into 8m x 8m tiles.

3. Within each tile, the tool looks at the rgb value and compares that value to the rgb value of an existing CMBN tile type (grass, light woods, etc). It should be a pretty basic filter that defines most areas as grass, but will recognize a stark contrast such as a blonde wheatfield or a forest, water, or the gray of a built-up area. The hard part would be setting the "cutoff values" for each tile type, so that the tool generates a useful basic map pattern. If the filter is too tight, it will introduce a lot of wrong terrain and not be a useful tool. If the rgb filter is too loose, it won't capture enough terrain types.

4. The tool assigns each tile type to a spreadsheet cell, as in the existing version, and outputs a .csv file that either makes a CM x 1 map like the existing tool, which can then be turned into CMx2, or maybe someday BFC gives us a way to import the .csv files directly into the CMx2 editor.

[Redwolf]

Maybe it would be possible to write a program that generates the input for the CM2 map from map programs like GoogleEarth (or Maps), so that instead of CM1 information, real world information is used?

Panzer Command's editor has that, and their editor (including that part) always output to XML files. It should be little problem picking them up with JGPanzer's tools.

[BletchleyGeek]

Panzer Command's editor has that, and their editor (including that part) always output to XML files. It should be little problem picking them up with JGPanzer's tools.

My thoughts precisely

[Scipio]

Am I the only one who gets error messages from the program?

The usw script files has several errors, it doesn't accept for example sleep(0.3).

I was able to repair the export script (likely, I'm not sure), but absolute no go for the import script!

[ClarkWGriswold]

Does this tool handle the heightmaps too, or just the terrain types? If it does do terrain types, then I'm thinking you could use the Google Earth "shaded layers technique" to take care of the height mapping.