Advanced Map Window Development Section
 

Download the mod here:
http://www.eq2interface.com/download...fo.php?id=3391


Map Creation/Insertion Guide:
http://maps.eq2interface.com/index.php?ID=createmap


Add more points of interest (POI (the little information dots)) here:
http://maps.eq2interface.com/


This thread is meant for developmental purposes only!
Please post your questions, concerns,complaints,praises :) here:
http://www.eq2interface.com/forums/s...ead.php?t=1133

I like it
 

I think this is a great idea...but I dont know enough about how to put the maps in dds format to use it. Please continue it would be very helpful :D

I think this would be a very popular mod... please continue :)

This could be the best mod ever :) plz keep working :D

ok ill keep goin:) The first zones i add will most likely be zones i need for my aq's...or whatever other quests im doing. Then ill add whatever other maps i find on downtime.

A very good mod idea!

Now, will it show your present position? ;)

not unless someone can figure out how to get the location icon to show up in a nomap zone. Im pretty sure that whether or not that shows up is "hard-coded" :( bummer

This is an awesome mod! No more alt-tabbing to look at maps! Please please put every map you can find into this mod. :)

Awesome!
 

Thank you!!!!! :D

I wish someone would find a way to clear the fog of war on the maps we have now...and maybe a way to add notes.

the fog I can live with, keeps me knowing where I havent been, when looking for certain areas in new zones, but a way to add notes would be awesome, for example adding a special npc or place you know you gonna need later on.

I started working on this, i started modifying what he posted but then ended up starting from scratch...it looks basicly the same, but it isn't because i had to start over to get it to do what i wanted it to.
The idea is tonyis3l33t's and i wont release it without his permission, because it was his idea. I will continue working on it and then release it once tonyis3l33t says it is ok. but here is a picture, the main new feature i made is that if a zone has more than 1 level the tabs for the levels of the zone are in that levels page, the screenshot will show what i am talking about.

Side note: Before either of you release, you'll definately want permission from the map creators as well. :P

yea, i was planning on getting that but i figured it would be a while still before release, and if they wont give permission(hopefully they will) i can always describe how to make the .dds files for people who have photoshop.

you have my permission, just give me some props:)

Ok .. im mental and your "readme.txt" didnt give much assistance
 

How do i put the maps into the UI ? do i need a seperate folder for them and how does it give me the ability to choose from the maps if i add more , it seems that the 3 buttons you have there are default.


- Kab

you would have to add more buttons and pages for the new maps as well as converting the new maps images to .dds format. What he posted is basicly a template.

Just a cocern?
 

Won't adding maps cause UI bloat? It will be interesting to see how much memory is used up for maps when this is done. Some experimenting with their map window might be interesting to see if they load maps from disk only when needed.

UI bloat could be reduced or avoided completely if only 3 maps are used...just replace the maps in the ui/images/maps folder (or whatever you point the ui to) to the ones you will be using. You can map the ui to 1.dds, 2.dds, 3.dds, then just drop 3 maps in there and rename them.

This *should* impliment personal notes dragable in the game. Just made a floating text piece that is user movable...havent tested yet.

Im wasn't really concerned much about that when i started on it because my "bad" computer has 2gb of ram and my good one has 3, but hopefully it wont use too much.

No worky. Enclosing the text in its own page with UserMoveable="true" doesn't work either. :mad:

here ya go, this one works just fine.
shows notes AND allows you to move them

There we go, that was silly of me. I removed AbsorbsInput="false" from the text to try and move them. When that didn't work, I put a Page around it but forgot to put that back in, so the text was blocking the mouse from moving the page. :o

Nuts. The note/marker positions save on window close but not on log-out.

As for sorting the maps, would you be able to make a side menu like the quests have? All the maps would be listed there and people could just click on them.

Also if you want to discribe how to make the map files, I could probably spend some time converting a bunch of them. This is a really neat idea.

the way i converted them was opening up a big ddf in paint shop pro, then copy and paste the new map in there. Resized and saved with a short name.

How do you use the notes exactly? Have it installed, and i can move it, but how do i edit the text and/or add new ones?

to edit the notes you have to go inside the journal_quest.xml file that is in there and edit the 1, 2, 3. Havent figured out a way to allow you to edit them in-game yet. When and if i do i will post it as an actual mod. Until then...youll just have to know what ya meant when you drag the 1, 2, etc there:)

This mod will make you famous. Famous I say!

.. ;)

Now that the flattery is done I do agree. This is a great idea. Please add all the maps you can find or perhaps setup a directory / text index.

The text index would contain the EQ2 reference to zone or some code identifying that (this part you guys would prepare) and then a filename supplied by the user. The user could then supply their own mapfiles (if there are directory or size limitations these could be spelled out in a README file).

Not sure if it's that simple but if it is that might be one way around having to try to track down and convert all these maps as well as having to constantly update with new expansions / etc.

well heres what i got...

size limitations are based on how much memory you want to eat up. Since the UI resources are loaded constantly, the images will always be im memory.

the text is going to be easy and cool:) i think im going to get all empty maps (or try to) and manually insert floating text on top of them. Kinda like
http://www.***************/eq2/index.asp

(good site!)

as for converting maps, ya i dont feel like doing them all but i might end up doing just that.

if someone else is working on this let me know so we can work together instead of making the same stuff twice

tony, I've been working on this thing for a few weeks now. I think the system I have going is turning out better than gry-online's system. if you want to get with me and we can do some maps each I'll be more than happy.
I would upload it but I've made some custom images and the whole thing as it sits now is about 12 megs. If you want me to email it to you or have a site I can upload it to lemme know. The tooltip in the SS comes up when you mouseover any of the icons

And yes, this is what I was asking about in that other post, if you recall. I've decided not to though. Lets just leave it at that instead of having a flame war which is where that will go everytime.

That is very nice Eola, I can see where you were coming from with the post :) But you would be a very loved person to release something like that, hehe :p

12 megs? thats a bit steep....hopefully we can find a way to downsize that...
how many maps make that up?

Ya ill PM ya.

12 megs. I run at 1280x1024 and like the maps big. They are DDS and as such are a power of 2. So all the maps are saved as 1024x1024 making them a little over 1 meg each. That 12 megs is with 7 maps and 1 new icon map (512x512).

what can you use besides DDS? 1 meg seems a bit much even for that size. Can you use jpegs and convert them to TGAs ?

I guess I could change them to tga. I just haven't. I haven't really given much thought to it. If someone wants the maps, they can dl 12 megs :)

I'll change them and see how small I can get'em

I know. Maybe I should distribute with a few maps then I can do some crazy coding so that you can donate gp or sp to keep the project going and make more maps :P

I'll get'er done. If I lose interest I'll pass it to someone else so it can get done.

I'm definately interested in this. As for getting it, I dunno if you can send 12 megs to AOL, heh. If you can, and feel like uploading it, hit me up at [email protected]

Unless it's on the web somewhere already.

It will be. All: There will be a link to it here later.