map modifications ideas

[smoothielover]

multilevel maps

obviously some maps are not easy to read with different floor levels froma default loading position

how is it best to veiw maps like this ? i am unsure on the developers ideas when they designed the mapping side

im assuming that you can drill down through floors in some method as the maps seems to impress that upon me.

also having asked this can Spawns be filterd based on the map view level in any way? the locs include a height as would the maps im guessing so applying filter to this map height viewing variable could be tickable im guessing somewhere. i havent see anything i recognize to be this in menus.

alsoa 2nd idea again i looked in pulldowns for similar thing

a bacgroungd jpg/gif/png/IMAGE file for the track screen.

this would allow for topology looking maps to be superimposed under the EQ logical mapping lines.

things id expect would be required would be images to be set to the same dimensions of the map and to allow zoom into these images also. i expect pixelization etc but we can work hi rez files as they are local if its too annoying im guessing.

not sure how much color capabilities and image capabilities you have available to you and this is probably a astectic change also but i also fall of cliffs etc so maps that are colorful show where th e cliffs are.

im thinking as an example DL/ OT for a quick idea has hills trees nice open map shape etc the eqatlas map under a screenshot of s
SEQ looks pretty niffty
DL works well with the Grass to dirt changes as well mountains prolly neet to be traced the curvature lines etc

the kewlest incarnation of this would be to have a boundary line set by eq show with the 3d maps coming from wrl converter etc being used by SEQ to show gradient color based on the fill color for the area. i

ie low altitus e brown is dark high altitude brown is light brown and eq applies color based on Z vector form World file export.

its nice in my head. what are your thoughts. i think be a great way to make it a great look. more lieka war map etc

[MeTh_HeD]

These functionalities you speak of have been in ShowEQ for quite some time.

Right click on the map area and in the menu you'll see 'Show Bottom Controls'. Make sure that is clicked and make sure in the slide out Menu Entitled 'Bottom Controls' the option 'Show Depth Filter Controls' is checked.

The depth filter controls will be on the bottom of the map now and you can set how far above and below the depth filter will affect. In order for those depths to take effect, you need to make sure that Spawn Depth Filter(ALT + 5) is activated, as well as Map Depth Filtering(ALT + 2).

:)

[malakin]

background image support was in Sins, I'm not sure if that made it's way into showeq or not. I always planned on making a topology map of a zone but never got around to it. I don't think it would be overly useful but it would look cool ;)

You should be able to export the map data into some program and generate the topology map somehow, shouldn't be too hard.

[KaL]

There's a very primitive background support option in ShowEQ, but it used some lame black and white images. Look in the map section for my posts.

Basically, the graphics don't scale well for the map. The map extents need to match up with the real zone or something. That mechanism isn't in place.

http://www.eq-toolbox.com/~gondola/ponightmare.jpg

If we could use these types of images for the ShowEQ backgrounds, that would be awesome. Unfortunately, programming Qt confuses me, so someone familiar with the API would be better off figuring out how to do that.

KaL

[Spook]

I have true 3D mapping for SEQ but it is 2 years old and requires an accelerator. I will contact what devs I can find and, if they have a few moments, ask about changes. I gave my old code to Casey or his predecessor before leaving EQ, but since it isn't in.... Anyway, I need to talk to them first :)

[Blaze]

Spook, what did you use to open the s3d files under linux?

[Spook]

I didn't ;) This was not at a stage to release. Part of the reason not to release was because some of the test code was working on Win32. The next step was porting that to Linux. However, the display code worked just fine - with no frills.

I'm interested in digging this back out, but need to talk about any new changes etc., after I've looked over it myself and the new layout of SEQ in more detail. One of the things I did before was make it a KDev project but I see that is now included so this may go fairly fast.

If I work steady on it and there are no file format issues then I expect it to be working again in about a month. It depends on the above and time, of course.

[KaL]

Spook,

I actually remember the discussion back then about your 3D display of EQ maps.

There have been big changes in the world file formats. If you're interested in picking this back up, you'd do well to contact the people that have already done the work of figuring out the new formats. Check the "EQ Zone Viewer" and "EQ Mapmaker" posts, by different people. The "EQ Zone Viewer" is the most effective, as it's a live rendering of the EQ map.

Good luck with this.

And for those without 3d acceleration; I'd still like to see 2d bitmapped backgrounds.

KaL

[Spook]

Hey, thanks for the heads up, Kal. This one is a real time viewer as well. In fact, I used it on my day job as a benchmark for our simulation project, heh.... 149K polys for Dreads.

You may be pleased to know there is a overhead only view option that can be set to follow a Z range and filter spawns that way. Also, while not put in, it was on the wish list to make a 2D topography out of the files. It wouldn't be that hard at all.

For now, though, I need to do a little research to bring myself, and the code up to date. Thanks again, and feel free to use my email for any more information.

[Mandelbrot5]

I did a search on this board and google and couldn't find anything for "EQ Zone Viewer"... anyone willing to post a link?

[KaL]

The post and link to downloading the EQ Zone Viewer is actually on HackersQuest.