I'm still pretty new to this... how do I test it in game? And I ran the excel script/macro for the zonerect, do you want that file or just the last line with the zonerect info?
EDIT: I've attached the zonerect run as a spreadsheet with the xyz coords and the values calculated from the min/max formula in the zonerect line.
Last edited by jacobian163 : 01-21-2009 at 11:26 AM.
Reason: Attaching zonerect spreadsheet run
Also forgot to mention, I used the log fileand ran it through the gui version of the svg file mapper, then opened it in inkscape. Then transitioned to both photoshop and illustrator (CS4), before using photoshop (CS2) to create the .dds file. So I didn't do any of the .xml stuf... not sure how that works. Also, is the zonerect sufficient? I read in another post on here that you need some min/max height values. The tricky part is that there's really 3 levels to this zone, but my map looks like there are only 2 because the first 2 don't overlap and are connected by a LONG stairway. So do I need height values for the first level, halfway up that stairway, and then again for the transition up the spiral staircase to the third level to make this work?
I also have a bunch of POI's to add once we can get this up and running.
Last edited by jacobian163 : 01-21-2009 at 11:36 AM.
If you didn't move or resize anything the calculated zonerect is probably correct. You don't need to bother with height values unless you want to split you map into several images.
You could test the zonerect by pasting the following in the file <YourCustomUI>\eq2map2\_User_MapStyles.xml:
First, please take the zone name out of the file. Your name in the corner is OK, but if SOE reuses the zone we can reuse the map as well so zones don't get their name hardcoded into the image.
Next... you need a height min/max if and only if it's split into multiple maps. This one doesn't really need to be split up, although some shading on the overlap area (to let folks know it's 'above') may be nice., maybe some lines on the stairs to make them look more like stairs.
Another option would be to split it into two maps, one for the bottom and one for the top, above the spiral staircase. But that is probably more work than it's really worth. You would only need height min and max if it was split this way, in which case you'd probably split it about halfway up the spiral staircase.
First, please take the zone name out of the file. Your name in the corner is OK, but if SOE reuses the zone we can reuse the map as well so zones don't get their name hardcoded into the image.
Also make sure to save as DXT1 with 1bit alpha next time.
I got the files in the right folders, and changed the information in the xml file as you said. Then I tested a bunch of /loc's against pixels from the .dds file (using photoshop) using Tacoman's zonerect calculator, and tried several different zonerect settings, and even tried changing the SourceRect settings. I think the problem is that perhaps the image size is different that it's supposed to be? The Map itself is 362x438 pixels, not including the blank space outside the map area. The "whole" map is the "normal" 434x506 pixels. The problem I run into when testing it in-game is that the location in game at the entrance (top of the map) is at the top of the brown background area, rather than the top of the blue map. The lower part seem to line up ok. I've attached another .jpeg showing the two points I'm talking about. I've also crudely marked the current positions with circed x's and marked where they "should" be with another x with an arrow between them. It just seems like the image needs to be stretched a bit both vertically and horizontally, anchored from that lower point that lines up. How do I fix this? I'm so close I think to having it ready to post, but this has got me stumped.
Leave the image size and the sourcerect alone. The problem is the zonerect. Seems like you modified the map dimension in photoshop and the spreadsheet can'T know that of course. However, it can be calculated manually from two ingame /locs (ideally as far as you get to e.g. the top left and bottom right corners of the map) and their respective pixel locations on your map image. For this you can use, for example, this tool.
I've tried everything you suggested. I've gotten dozes of POI's and their corresponding x,y pixel coordinates from the .dds file (using photoshop), and nothing seems to work. I even tried messing with the sourcerect but that didn't seem to help either. For some reason, no matter what numbers I change now, the alignment and map size don't want to change. Now I see the whole map when I enter, as well as a portion of the top of the map repeated at the bottom. I took the lowest and highest x,y coordinates from the /loc and their corresponding pixel locations and plugged it into that tool:
As I said, don't edit the sourcerect, it needs to remain the same. And remember you need to reload the game for changed settings to take effect (or you can do /loadui <YourUIname> followed by a /quit <YourCharName> for a faster refresh)
Yah, those pixels are from drawing a box that exactly encompasses the drawn map in the image. I then got those point from highlighting the corners of it. And I got the correspoding x,y values of the /loc from going to the far north, east, south, and west points on the map to get those max values. I'll try your suggestion about reloading the game. I thought I could just leave the zone and when I zoned back in the new settings would take effect.
Awesome, I reloaded with the new zonerect and it's almost perfect. It's shifted to the right just a little smidgen... I'll see if I can tweak it. If I need to go in and remove the zone name and change the .dds file settings, it'll have to wait until tonight when I'm home with my other laptop. There isn't a plugin for .dds files for Photoshop CS4 on a 64bit system :-(.
Once I post the updated file, how soon can it be posted so I can add POI's?
Final Zonerect (fixed the slight misalgnment now):
-120, -102, 159, 243
I'll attach the fixed images this evening in a few hours! :-D Can I post here all the POI's as well? or will I need to wait until it's entered into the system and do it manually?
Yah, those pixels are from drawing a box that exactly encompasses the drawn map in the image. I then got those point from highlighting the corners of it. And I got the correspoding x,y values of the /loc from going to the far north, east, south, and west points on the map to get those max values.
Oh ok, that certainly works, good work.
As soon as you post the final .dds image as well as a 436x506 pixel crop in jpeg format (quality 6) I'll usually make it available quite quickly. And congratulations on your first map.
Here are the final files! I tested it again, the new zonerect works fine:
-120, -102, 159, 243
Here are all the POI's too (just in case there is some way to upload them in bulk). If not, please let me know when I can go into the POI submission form and I'll put them all in.
Shard Mission POI's:
-7.53, 0.00, -25.95 Brick 1 - Picking up the Shards Mission Quest
-45.82, 0.00, -28.41 Brick 2 - Picking up the Shards Mission Quest
-86.25, 0.00, 9.93 Brick 3(1st Floor East Room) - Picking up the Shards Mission Quest
-114.25, 0.00, 37.81 Brick 4(1st Floor East Room) - Picking up the Shards Mission Quest
36.47, 0.00, 4.27 Brick 5 - Picking up the Shards Mission Quest
55.00, 2.01, 5.19 Brick 6(1st Floor West Room) - Picking up the Shards Mission Quest
-8.10, 15.72, 156.96 Brick 7 - Picking up the Shards Mission Quest
-56.58, 15.71, 133.84 Brick 8 - Picking up the Shards Mission Quest
-103.22, 15.83, 84.60 Brick 9 (2nd Floor 3-named room) - Picking up the Shards Mission Quest
-104.19, 16.43, 121.62 Brick 10 (2nd Floor 3-named room) - Picking up the Shards Mission Quest
-104.96, 0.08, 22.72 Notes on Miragul's Work - Trials of Miragul DD Mission Quest
49, 1, 45 Notes on Miragul's Travels in Everfrost - Trials of Miragul DD Mission Quest
-120, 14, 102 Court Minutes from the Tribunal of Miragul - Trials of Miragul DD Mission Quest
42.56, 16.81, 100.41 Notes on Miragul's Travels to Other Planes- Trials of Miragul DD Mission Quest
-39, 51, 211 Notes on Miragul's Life After Exile - Trials of Miragul DD Mission Quest
1st Floor POI's:
-19.84, 0.81, -53.58 Zone out to Everfrost
82.40, 1.09, 36.33 Exile Shard Mob Roams Here
78.79, 0.00, 45.55 Exile Shard - West Room
-37.00, 2.16, -55.01 Exile Shard Pedastle
83.17, 1.17, 13.39 Void Shard Chest
-82, 0.37, 33 Tome - Getting There Before the Coalition/Making Sense of Miragul, Part 3
-119, 0, 25 Phantom Red Book (Quest Starter on Shelf) - A Ghostly Runed Tome
-104, 0, 25 Page 1 - A Ghostly Runed Tome
-99.85, -0.99, 22.74 Knowledge Shard Mobs (clear room?)
-108.50, 1.09, 9.01 Knowledge Shard - East Room
-3.20, 2.16, -54.97 Knowledge Shard Pedastle
-104.49, 0.00, 40.15 Key Mob - Book (? name/level)
-20.23, 2.87, -3.39 Aimedaca - 1st Floor Named
2nd Floor POI's:
64, 15, 81 Page 2 - A Ghostly Runed Tome
44.88, 17.43, 91.74 a tiny tree Icon Pedastle
59.48, 17.45, 83.40 a tiny fish Icon Pedastle
74.36, 17.47, 108.54 a tiny fearling Icon Pedastle
59.75, 17.50, 117.29 a tiny cloud Icon Pedastle
61.24, 16.48, 99.80 Narciss (mini named, West Room)
61.24, 16.48, 99.80 Xorlac the Cleanser (Main Named, West Room)
73.92, 16.08, 91.93 Planar Shard - West Room
8.48, 17.87, 141.46 Planar Shard Pedastle - West Room
-87, 15, 131 Page 3 - A Ghostly Runed Tome
-104, 15, 96 Page 4 - A Ghostly Runed Tome
-127.11, 14.64, 107.28 Master Velihan
-129.49, 14.64, 111.15 Master Rayne
-127.11, 14.64, 115.47 Master Delar
-122.47, 14.64, 111.15 The Master
-126.18, 14.64, 111.16 Master Shard - East Room
-108.15, 16.11, 111.49 Red Pad - Master Velihan
-108.15, 16.11, 121.18 Blue Pad - Master Rayne
-108.15, 16.11, 101.21 Green/Yellow Pad - Master Delar
-48.35, 18.57, 141.18 Master Shard Pedastle - East Room
3rd Floor POI's:
0, 50, 211 Page 5 - A Ghostly Runed Tome
-2.81, 50.79, 138.61 Page 6 - A Ghostly Runed Tome
-20.31, 49.67, 214.92 Master Miragul npc
-11.82, 50.76, 222.58 Torch 1 (on wall)
-28.32, 51.12, 223.45 Torch 2 (on wall)
-19.12, 49.67, 201.01 The Codexicon
-1.58, 50.01, 207.90 Rune Chest - Shadow Odyssey Chapter 5 Update
There you go gm9, jnils bulk poi submission.. Get to coding ;P
Lol there's actually a older post from me on that somewhere in the team forum. We could do bulk submissions if we allowed users to upload the custom POI files they can save via the ingame Add POI function. But the risk of getting bad data that way (in particular duplicates) and the fact that most people are probably happy to do them one by one (they'd need to do them one by one ingame also) doesn't really make this possibility a worthwhile venture, so we won't do it.