mapper.xml wanting more info

[GenesisRage]

would like to get more info on how to exactly make my own maps, ive worked on making maps for websites, but never had to deal with the ZoneRect, multi-levels (how they auto-change), or large multi-part maps. i know its a bit ambitious, but i would like to redo many of the maps, basically so they are all the same look (i like uniformity)... and gives me something to do when im bored, or waiting on that rare spawn

also mapper.xml is this REALLY needed, or is it just for extracting the /loc's?
if it is needed, where can i get it from, the site is currently down

[Dolby]

There is a map tutorial on the maps.eq2interface.com site that should explain more about it.

edited your main thread title since you edited your post.

[GenesisRage]

i posted before finding info on mapper.xml... but still trying to find more info on how to get from nothing, to a finished map.

the tutorial is nice, but doesnt give me all the information i need if i would like to create them myself... still have no idea what the zonerect is actually used for (on multi-part maps)

[Dolby]

Originally Posted by GenesisRage

the tutorial is nice, but doesnt give me all the information i need if i would like to create them myself... still have no idea what the zonerect is actually used for (on multi-part maps)

Ahh ok, hopefuly some one can help you then.

[taco-man]

Originally Posted by GenesisRage

i posted before finding info on mapper.xml... but still trying to find more info on how to get from nothing, to a finished map.

the tutorial is nice, but doesnt give me all the information i need if i would like to create them myself... still have no idea what the zonerect is actually used for (on multi-part maps)

The zonerect is just a ratio between the in game x, y coordinates to the map images x, y pixel coordinates so that the game knows where to put the red dot as you move around

i also use it on the website to calculate where to place the different points of interest when someone submits one on the website.

Hopefully that explains it, if not let me know what isnt clear and i will be happy to go into more detail about it.

[GenesisRage]

would be nice if i could get more info...
i know how to get alot of the information so far, as what the final .dds must be named, how to setup PoI's...

main thing i dont know how to do, is get the /loc's into an image program, and how to line it up so the location of the player is accurate. also how the multi-level and multi-part maps work.

if you would like to, you can IM me at [email protected] or [email protected] ... because i would like to learn more about this, i like knowing stuff, its fun

[tonyis3l33t]

best way to learn is on public forum, not IM's. This way anyone else can learn too

the map tutorial tells you everything you need to know to make the image itself, name doesnt matter to you unless you are able to put it in the site, which only the main team can do. we also do the zonerect calculations...nobody else but us can change them.

Buuuut you could always add them yourself. So heres how i do the zonerect.

FIRST of all, think of a zone as a big grid. The zonerect tells the game which part of the grid this parchment image is behind. If you tell it a really big zonerect, it will show the pointer, but it will be way off since its covering more of the grid than whats shown by the map.

I use my zonerect tool to find the furthest points NSEW of my /locs i made for that zone. These coordinates WOULD be perfect if the map was stretched to touch the edge of the parchment. But since it looks crappy that way it isnt perfect.

So since your map doesnt reach the edges of the parchment, all the points are kinda stretched outwards. You have to shrink down the zonerect square so it tells the correct spots on the big grid. I punch the 4 /locs into the website (admins get 4 custom loc points on the site). I go in and shrink the area the zonerect covers on the grid til it matches the edges of the map.

Im not very good at explaining this...i think ill end up drawing pictures changing the map to a new lvl or east/west transition is a lesson for another day

[GenesisRage]

i know the public changes can only be done by you guys, but like i said earlier... im really ambitious, and want to redo the maps so they look all the same. this is basically for myself, not trying to be a competitor or anything, i just find it fun to do stuff like this from time to time.

i am already changing some stuff around, so its easier to add new maps (dont like using the UIBuilder, i hard-code everything).
but dont worry, all the changes i make are for my own benefit, and i dont give them to others... unless its really good, then i would give it to you guys.

[tonyis3l33t]

the filenames dont matter as long as you point the xml to the correct file. The zonerect however does matter. it is found by zoning into a zone, then checking the last modified file under eq2\cache\ioplans
if it says
qey_north+antonica.iop or something like that, then your internal zone name is the second one. This shows the transition from one internal zonename to another.

[GenesisRage]

yup, found that info somewhere else on this site.

for mult-page zones it the availablerect or something like that to split it into seperate pages. but how does it know which map to display (i.e. blackburrow_0 or blackburrow_1)?

[tonyis3l33t]

you tell the mapstyle the availablerect. based on the availablepriority it will show. If two maps share the asame availablerect, the one with the lower availablepriority will show.

[GenesisRage]

if they dont share the same availablerect or min and max height, is the availablepriority needed... i ask because blackburrow doesnt have an availablepriority, or availablerect, just the hieght.

is it just smart enough to ignore the "_1" part of the name and load the correct map based on your position? or is there more involved?

side-note: (if this entire thread isnt )
is there a way to get rid of the POI information, and replace the SOE maps, such as in-town zones?

[tonyis3l33t]

if a zone map has multiple floors it uses the min max hieght
if a zone map is way to big like RoV it uses availablepriority / availablerect

as for replacing maps and hiding POI's im working on that in the thread called view any zone plugin or something like that in this forum.

[GenesisRage]

looks like you can change the maps easily enough by adding the info into the <namespace>, tried it by changing qey_village01 to load the village02 map and worked, but changed antonica_0 to load village01 map, but didnt work (prolly because i didnt change the zonerect info)

[tonyis3l33t]

the zones with the forced fog are locked down pretty tight. Cant really do much with them. I cant get them to show with my Select Map plugin either...