Slaggg Posted October 15, 2002 Share Posted October 15, 2002 Am I missing something? Or has the procedure for creating overlays changed? Using the this board's search feature (I'm learning ) I found instructions given by Mr. Sterrett back in 2000: Options-->Enable CPX Umpire Mode Reports-->CPX Overlay to File The CPX Overlay to File option seems to be missing, I've even started a Multiplayer Network game as host to see if it 'appears'. No dice. Any ideas? And thanks to all for bringing a newbie up-to-speed 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MajorH TacOps Developer Posted October 16, 2002 Share Posted October 16, 2002 That feature is now gone from TacOps. The old "CPX Overlay file" was a sort of a saved game file that could be loaded into TacOps v3 as a secure, one sided snapshot of the current game situation. It and the style of CPX play that it supported was made obsolete by the addition of multiplayer network mode to v4. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slaggg Posted October 16, 2002 Author Share Posted October 16, 2002 ok, thanks again. Guess I'll have to find another means. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Sterrett Posted October 16, 2002 Share Posted October 16, 2002 You should be aware that it might not do what you really wanted, in any event. The v3 Overlays were a non-playable TacOps file that provided a snapshot of friendly positions and spotted enemy units. v4 Overlays are Overlays in the traditional sense of a map overlay, which TacOps can load and "overlay" onto the map so to display control graphics and the like. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slaggg Posted October 16, 2002 Author Share Posted October 16, 2002 Well, my idea was to create a few different shots of the map: intel of enemy spotted via "satellite", an overlay with objs and movement corridors outlined via a paint prog as if it were "drawn" w/ a grease pencil, and perhaps different graphical versions of a map reflecting how a military unit has a much older map of a region with terrain and infrastructure having changed since the map was created. Something my unit had to deal w/ often in Germany. Thought it would make for an interesting addition to the game. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MajorH TacOps Developer Posted October 16, 2002 Share Posted October 16, 2002 User Guide, Chapter 17, page 77 through 78 View Overlay. Loads a map overlay file which was saved in bmp format. This feature is intended to allow an expert user to create and then display optional military operational control graphics on a TacOps map. The first time that this menu item is selected, the user will be asked to select a bmp file. The selected bmp file will then be loaded and blended into the current TacOps battle map display. Any part of the bmp file that is not "perfect" white, will be added to the TacOps battle map. Any part of the bmp file that is perfectly white will be ignored. Subsequent selection of the "Map/Menu Overlay View" menu item will toggle the map overly display off and on. Shortcut. Press the F5 key. Change Overlay. Allows the user to load a different overlay without having to restart TacOps. Shortcut. Press the Shift + F5 keys. Creating an Overlay. The best way to create a map overlay is to use a paint program that is sophisticated enough to allow editing in layers. With such a program the user can place a bmp file for a TacOps map into a background layer and then use one or more layers above the background for the placement of the operational control graphics. Once the overlay is finished, the user can temporarily hide the background layer and then save or export only the layer or layers with the operational control graphics to a bmp format file for subsequent use as a TacOps map overlay. A less efficient way to create a map overlay would be to use a simpler, program without layers such as Microsoft Paint to open a copy of a TacOps map file in bmp format and then add the operational control graphics directly to the map surface. The drawbacks to this approach are mainly that drawing errors in the overlay are difficult to correct and the overlay is not easily changed after completion. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Gilbert Posted October 16, 2002 Share Posted October 16, 2002 Great info. One question though. Does anyone know of a set of already made "Graphic Control Measures" that would save me from drawing them from scratch? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MajorH TacOps Developer Posted October 16, 2002 Share Posted October 16, 2002 See FM 101-5-1 Operational Terms and Graphics. It is in the TacOps Library Folder on your v4 CDROM. The filename is "101-5-1 Op Terms Graphics.pdf". 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slaggg Posted October 16, 2002 Author Share Posted October 16, 2002 Yes, great info indeed. Thanks again! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Gilbert Posted October 16, 2002 Share Posted October 16, 2002 I knew about the 101-5-1 ... thanks. I guess my question should have been phrased differently. What I meant to ask was: "Has anyone already done the <work> of creating .bmp type files of different unit symbols" Basically, being lazy, I was trying to avoid work. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slaggg Posted October 17, 2002 Author Share Posted October 17, 2002 Found a nice bit of software that not only has all of the symbols made for you, but also helps create an overlay, supporting many different type of file formats: http://www.esri.com/software/mole/index.html And it can be yours for a cool $250 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hub Posted October 17, 2002 Share Posted October 17, 2002 Jeff Gilbert: Try here- might be helpful for your graphical needs: http://www.mapsymbs.com/ 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Sterrett Posted October 17, 2002 Share Posted October 17, 2002 The older version of the map: create an entirely new overlay, without any transparent sections (nothing in white) with the new data. Import as overlay. Tada! 8) "intel of enemy spotted via "satellite", an overlay with objs and movement corridors outlined via a paint prog as if it were "drawn" w/ a grease pencil" --> Get a good screenshot program that can snap the entire TacOps screen (not just the part that is shown); Hypersnap is probably your best bet. Take the screenshot, edit, and load it in. Getting it done in a timely manner may prove a challenge. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibertyOrDeath Posted October 31, 2002 Share Posted October 31, 2002 Originally posted by Hub: Jeff Gilbert: Try here- might be helpful for your graphical needs: http://www.mapsymbs.com/Hey, that's a nice link. I just downloaded the font. This link should be included on the "Resources" page for TacOps. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hub Posted October 31, 2002 Share Posted October 31, 2002 If you've already set up the new font, go back here: http://www.mapsymbs.com/maphome.html and scroll down to "Click here to download MilIcons". I think you'll really like that app... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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