[AT_Stalky]

Purely on Strategy map moding of WaR

As we are soon get the WaR on market…
The strategy map, how will it be mod in WaR..
In CC5 we used the strategy edit tool, and made mask and set the arrows etc and it then generated the ?? Many hundreds of images.

Im really want to know how this is done in WaR, can we get some info how the arias is defined and how arrows/movements etc is set in WaR strategy map?

[platoon_michael]

That and what about the filters applied.

Are they editable?

[squadleader_id]

Hmm...I asked about this over at CSO a few weeks ago...and received some flak for my troubles
From what little intel I could gather back then...basically the Strat Map data is now a text file editable using a spreadsheet (so connection data should be in this text file)...P_Michael should be familiar about this bit of info
As for graphics editing...looks like it will have to be done manually (yup, manually cutting up the jigsaw pieces of images). I'm not sure if StratEdit can handle 64 maps without an upgrade of the tool.
Getting StratEdit to work with WAR's 64 maps, combined with the simple text file should be cool though.

Keep in mind that for Stratmaps with 44 maps should be no trouble...graphics can still be done with StratEdit and generated automatically (but we won't need the new exe from Stratedit). Then edit the connections data in the text file.

[mooxe]

The actual job of cutting the maps up is not that difficult. The lasso tool of Photoshop is quite handy. Its just the tediousness of it all. How did stratedit break them up?

[squadleader_id]

In StratEdit you just need the StratMap artwork...and a mask of the jigsaw map pieces (the strat map segments or individual tactical maps)...then make connections. StratEdit generates all the graphic pieces automatically...there's a lot of them!

[AT_Stalky]

Yah stratedit generates the many many hundreds of images totaly automatic, and the strat tool make it 16 bit and flip (they must be fliped) it so one dont need to go over each and every image wich would take like forever.

An asnwer to this q from developer would be really cool.

[AT_Stalky]

Just to explain a bit more,
When one have made the strategy map, one make a mask like the one attached, the strong coloured field is made as each aria of the strat map, and then one set the arrows of allowed movements. The strat edit even set the position X&Y for each of the extreamly many small part, so one need not do any such tedious work. I belive its like 500 images, (maybe u can sheck that number id as all my files is lost and maybe at backup hopfully)
The program see the coloured arias, and use them to cut out the small parts of the map and make em in all needed coloures.

[AT_Stalky]

Apart from abow one need a second mask and images that will be shown when a map is controlled either by germans or by allied and if the map is contested, this is for the the GC debrief screen, so by just make patterns or coloure shange to the debrief strategy map, one need just make 3 maps, and the stratedit tool make all tha many many hundred of small images, and even better it also place em corect on th screen so no need to fiddle with the X&Y cordinates for each map.:
The top map is the debrief if the aria is contested:
The second map is for the arias that are german controlled:
The third map is for the arias that are allied controlled:
The forth map is the "pure" stratmap wich no contest or any controll of the arias:
And the fifth map is the mask, wich defines the small stratmap arias, and help the strat edit tool to know how to cut out all them many images that is needed to make a debrif screen, and it also see how the small aria is placed and set X

[AT_Stalky]

This is a debrief screen in CC not the same images as i have abow though:
We see the red arias, they just made the germans controlled (corolates to the second map in post abow) readich and it cut out all the small parts, and the allaied was made very greenish (corolates to the third map a bow), and contested was made brown striped (corolates to the first map in post a bow):

[AT_Stalky]

Again, how does this work in WaR, is the stratedit tool modified to work with the 64 maps and all the new amount of arrows?
Or how is it made? Please

[squadleader_id]

I'm still very curious too...manual graphics editing of the stratmap is certainly doable...but not practical.
And Shreck...this time don't just answer repeatedly "it has been moved into a text file that can be easily edited" like when we discussed this (a bit prematurely) over at CSO

[platoon_michael]

The CCIV strat map sounds a lot easier to edit to me than CCV's
Yes the images neded to be created manually and was very tedious (12 images for each map) but atleast the user had total control over what his strat map looked like.

Having generated images from a tool and not myself isnt a really good option to me.
But I doubt very seriously they took the time to implement a CCIV type of strat map.

Geuss time will tell.

[img][/img]

[AT_Stalky]

Hm 12 images / map times 64 maps = 768 individual images... Make a single little change in coloure or in the borders of the maps or so and one need redo basicly all or fined the specifi maps that are affected.. ..
When instead you use the strat tool and u make a shange and click the button and the tool generate all the images...

Considdering, that one dont really need do much in strat edit, its automatic, and all CC5 mods is made with it, and never any need of tweaking or adjusting apart from get the mask allined with the debrief images, and thats really easy, and also just drag and dropp the dimonds in the schenario maker screen and set wich maps shall have the naval barrag, and wich not, it all PROVEN the stratedit tool work v vell as its used in all mods.
And is a grate super time saver, and it make perfect 500?? generated images with a click of the bottun.. Isnt that grate?
And it set the position on each of them map parts wich is a major puzzle if made manualy, so one may just totaly forget X&Y cordinate strat tool make it for you. Why would you whant to make something that is so easy with strat edit tool so much harder by manualy make all em images and fit em in michaels?
Making that manualy must take month and month and month to make, when it takes minutes to do with strat edit tool..

[squadleader_id]

PM, so you prefer to manually edit the stratmap jigsaw pieces and don't like tools that can process the thing automatically? Strange indeed

Like Stalky said 768 images...that's a lot!
With something like StratEdit (as Stalky explained in the previous posts) you only need a few basic Stratmap images and the mask design...that's editing/creating less than 10 images and automatically generating the needed 768 images. Compare that to editing manually 768 images...even with Photoshop Automation tasks and Batch Processes...still very very tedious.

[Sapa]

Reading this means to me that modding the "new" Close Combat stratmap isnt anything for me

And i thought this updated game was more mod friendly!

I sure hope that some kind soul make a tool for it.... :no2

Mats

[Tejszd]

WAR has a new strat map so lets wait to hear from them on how it was done. They should be able to say once the game goes on sale, as I believe that will get rid of the NDA concerns....

[AT_Stalky]

Yes, true, but its a v importent q, as modding friendliness is the key for a long life for this WaR product, and the excelent stratedit tool has been the major thing for let us have so many mods in CC5. So how this is done in WaR is V imp.. Im v eager to know..

[Roel]

[CSO_Linebacker]

You will have a max of 64 stratmap area images... max of 128 X 2 arrow images...and max of 64 X 3 Debrief Images for a total of 384 images. Having never done it before, it took about 1 week to go from nothing to a working stratmap for WAR.

Using the PS lasso, or magic wand tool to make the pieces doesn't take long at all. I just did all of the pieces for a 44 map stratmap in about 2 hours. Entering the coordinates into the text file can take some time. But if you work with a partner, one collecting the info and one inputting the info, it can go really fast.

As far as I know, I am the only person to do it from scratch so far...really wasn't nearly the trouble that I thought it would be.

[Roel]