BATTLETECH MAP EDITOR Version 1.4 ------------------------------------------------ ---------------- Code, Graphics, Mouse Interface by Brian Futrell Sprite overlappi ng routines by Fred Sexton Jr. (QB News Vol 2, No 3) and modified by Brian Fut rell to include 2D and 3D array support Other routines from the PBClone QuickBASI C library v1.7 (registered) by Thomas G. Hanlin III Battletech is a registered t rademark of FASA Corporation QuickBASIC is a trademark of Microsoft Corp. NOTICE!! ! ========= This program is SHAREWARE. This means that a person or a group of peo ple decided to release this software on a "try before you buy" basis. Try the pro gram out for thrity (30) days. If you continue to use the program after that, se nd a $12.00 check or money order to: Brian Futrell 2633 Pleasant Hill Dr. Zebulo n, NC 27597 For support or the latest versions of my programs call: The Cat's Cr adle (919) 269-6517 Running VBBS 6.1 at 14.4 k-baud WWIVNet @19988 I'm user #7 on this bulletin board Registered users will recieve the latest version of this p rogram along with a software key that will remove the shareware screens for futur e versions of this program. WARRANTY ======== This program is distributed AS IS, mea ning that there is no warranty of any kind attached to this program. I, Brian Fu trell, am not responsible if this program damages your computer (it shouldn't) or is not suited to a particular task. I have tried the program on my computers (a 386 operating at 40 and 16 mhz and a 286 operationg at 10 mhz) and the program h as worked without difficulty. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS ==================== A knowledge of the Battletech science fiction combat game, An IBM PC/XT/AT/386/486 with 512k of memory (AT or above recommended - the faster your computer is, the faster t he screen is updated), A Microsoft or compatable mouse and mouse driver, A MCGA/VG A video graphics card and monitor, A 720k or higher capacity floppy disk or hard drive (hard drive recommended) At least 64k of free disk space after archive expa nsion for temporary files. Also highly recommended is a disk cache of approximate ly 512k to speed up disk operations. BATTLETECH MAP EDITOR Version 1.4 ------------- --------------------------------------------------- STARTING THE PROGRAM ========= =========== To load this program, switch to the directory that the map editor is in and type in BTMAEDIT. The program will then check to see if all of the files are present, and then for a mouse and a VGA/MCGA graphics card. If the program fi nds both of the forementioned items, it will load data into the computer's memory , then display the title screen. To start editing maps, press the OK button. To exit back to dos, press the EXIT button. NOTE: The program stores much of its d ata on disk and retrieves it as needed. PLEASE KEEP THE PROGRAM DISK IN THE DRIVE IF YOU ARE RUNNING THIS PROGRAM ON A FLOPPY DISK! TO PREVIOUS USERS OF THIS PROGR AM: ================================== Please read this documentation to learn abo ut new changes in the program. I have registered users now! A big thanks to: Jason Riley of Austin, TX; Wil Vargas of Queens Village, NY; and Zack Knowlton of Onondaga, MI for their registrations. They are the main reason that this update was coded. OS/2 USERS ========== The printing should work without modi fying the printer object. To speed the program up some set the following two swi tches in the Settings/DOS Settings area: VIDEO_8514A_XVGA_IOTRAP to OFF, VIDEO_RETRACE_EMULATION to OFF. BATTLETECH MAP EDITOR Version 1.4 ---------------- ------------------------------------------------ THE SCREEN ========== The screen i s divided into three sections, as shown below: +----------------------+------- --+ | | | | | | | | Terrain | | Map | | | | Area | | Area | | | | | +----------------------+---------| | Menu | | Area | +----------------------- ---------+ The Map area is where a window of the map is displayed. To scroll aro und the map, use the blue arrows under the Map Area. The Terrain Area is where the selected terrain and the terrain height is changed. To change the height, use the 2 buttons on the top of the Map Area. The Menu Area is where the map is named , saved or loaded, printed, or viewed in miniature. Each of the items is describ ed in detail below, although I have tried to make this program as easy to use as possible. The empty space on the right of the Menu area is for future expansion. MAIN MENU ========= The main menu contains everything to manipulate the map except the terrain controls. This has been changed from version 1.35o. The commands l isted are starting from the left. To exit any choice press on the EXIT button di splayed under the option's window after it has been displayed on the screen. +---- ---------+ EXIT Button: Press this button to exit the program. | | A window will come up to confirm your choice. | E X I T | | | +-------------+ +-------------+ NAME Button: Press this bu tton to change the name of | /\ | the map. The name is displaye d on the bottom of the | /__\ | file window when loading or saving maps. | / \ | +-------------+ +-------------+ RESIZE Button: Pres s this button to resize the map. | |_____ | | There are four sizes ava ilable: 16 x 17 hexes, | | | | | 32 x 17 hexes, 16 x 34 hexes, and 32 x 34 hexes. | |_____|_| | WARNING: Selecting a map size will CLEAR t he map, so +-------------+ use this option with caution. +-------------+ ERASE Button: Press this button to erase the map from | +-------+ | memory, but keep the same size. This also erases the | |_______| | name of the map. | | | | +-------------+ BATTLETECH MAP EDITOR Version 1.4 ---------------------------------------------------------------- +-------------+ LOAD Button: Press this button to retrieve a map from | +---+ | the disk. This button uses the file window, described | < | o | | in detail after these button listings. | +---+ | +-------------+ +------- ------+ SAVE Button: Press this button to save a map to the | +---+ | disk. This button uses the file window, described in | > | o | | detail after these button listings. | +---+ | +-------------+ +------ -------+ MINI MAP Button: Press this button to view a scaled- | +------- + | down view of the map you are working on. To relocate | | | | the map window, click on the mini map where you want to | +-------+ | move to. +-------------+ +-------------+ PRINT MAP Button: Press this button to print your map. | | After you press this butt on, a window will be displayed | Printer | showing which pages will b e printed. Pages filled in | | with pink are not present in the current map. Click +-------------+ on a page to toggle it as printe d (yellow) or unprinted (red). Click PRINT to send the output to the printer . The other items on the "Select Pages" window are described in detail after the button listings. +---+ MOVE MAP Buttons: Press on thes e to scroll the map in | ^ | the direction indicated. For long -distance scrolling, +---+---+---+ use the Mini Map button to relocate the map window | < | v | > | quickly. +---+---+---+ EDITING THE MAP ===== ========== Editing the map is quite easy. To change a hex in the map window, cli ck on it with the left mouse button. To undo your last terrain change, press the middle or the right mouse button. BATTLETECH MAP EDITOR Version 1.4 --------------- ------------------------------------------------- LOADING OR SAVING FILES ======== =============== When the Load Map or Save Map button is pressed, a file window wi ll be displayed, looking similar to the one below: +--------------------------- ---------------------------+ | +-----------------------------------+ +---++- --+ | | o | | | ^ || ^ | | | o | | |/ \|| ^ | | | o | | +---++---+ | | o | | +---------+ | < Load or save, | o | | |Load Save| | depends on | o | | + ---------+ | function chosen | o | | +--- ------+ | | o | | | New | | < Displaye d when | o | | +---------+ | saving only | o | | +---++---+ | | o | | |\ /|| v | | | o | | | v || v | | | +------------------------- ----------+ +---++---+ | | Map Listing | | XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX | | Current Map | +--------------------------------- ---------------------+ There is room on it to display twelve (12) map names at on e time, and the current map name on the bottom of the window. If there are more than twelve, the scroll buttons used to move the listing will be highlighted when there is more names to display in that direction. To scroll quickly through the listing, use the right scroll buttons to move through the listing twelve names at a time. To select a filename, click on the map you want. The square beside the map will light up indicating that the file has been selected. Then press the Loa d or Save button, whichever is displayed. If you are saving a map and want it ad ded to the list of names, press the New button. If saving over another name, yo u will be asked if you want to overwrite the filename. Press on the YES button to do so. BATTLETECH MAP EDITOR Version 1.4 --------------------------------------- ------------------------- PRINTING MAPS ============= Much to everyone's relief, GR APHICS.COM is no longer needed to print out maps. Since I now control how the pri nting works from within the program instead of relying on an outside one, I have added a few items to the Select Pages window to help out. The first addition is t he "F.Feed" toggle (form feed). When the toggle is active each map section will be printed on a separate page. If the paper was positioned properly before prin ting a section will not fall on a perforation. Another addition is the "S. Dens" toggle (single density). By default, printing is done using the double density g raphics mode on the printer at 120 dots per inch. By making this toggle active, printing is done using the single density graphics mode at 60 dots per inch. Sin gle density graphics prints faster, but is not as dark since it only has half of the resolution of double density graphics. Finally the "Choose" button has been added to change printer manufacturers. If your printer is not Epson-compatable, press Choose and move the up and down arrows to change between printers. When t he currently selected printer is displayed the text background will be gray. To selet the displayed printer press the OK button. Currently there are only defin itions for Epson and IBM Proprinter models. BUG FIXES FROM V1.35o ================ ===== There were two bugs in V1.35o: 1) The undo function did not work properly. It made the last terrain modified Cliff 0. 2) This one was not a coding bug: For the key on the Mini Map window, the lowest level number was displa yed as one, not zero. Both of these "features" have been fixed. FUTURE RELEASES === ============ At least one more release of the Map Editor is planned, with 24-pin printer support (they print at a 1:1 aspect ratio so the output seems stretched), land mine markers, sinkholes, and buildings. Verion 2 of the Battletech Mech Edit or is planned, with Clan/Inner Sphere weapons and items. Version 1 was programme d using the Second Edition rules, which do not contain these items. Hopefully th e first release of this program WILL have the execautable file in it. :> Also plan ned is Digital Battletech, where with the maps from my map editor and the Mechs f rom the planned revision of the mech editor will play your FAVORITE game on your computer! All that will be needed is a knowledge of the Battletech game itself, and some time. Until next time, enjoy!