Edit SH4 Nav Map

[Captain Wreckless]

How would I go about editing the Nav Map? I want attempt to add names to some Islands, Channels, etc. I can't seem to find the Nav map.


Thx

[propbeanie]

If you open the SH4MissionEditor in the root directory of your SH4 install, and then open the file "Data / Campaigns / Campaign / Campaign_NMS.mis", you'll find all the names used. If you open "Campaign_LOC.mis", you will find all of the "cities" and docks, which is the easiest of the two to edit. Each of the places in the LOC file is a MapLocation. The best thing to do first is to open some of the "assets" already in use in the game, and get a feel for the settings used for what you already see in the game.

To then edit those, use the "Tools" menu, and click on the "Map Location Edit Mode" choice. You will notice that all those assets turn into little boxes on the map. Zoom in to where you want to place a new MapLocation and right-click on the NavMap image. Choose the middle "Add Map Location", and you'll get this dialog:




Do your edits as you see fit. The set-up is rather finicky, as you'll find, and can be quite frustrating to work with to accurately place stuff on the NavMap. Trial and error and do-over are key... lol - The "X" on the image above are fields generally not used for MapLoactions such as docks or names, but they are needed at times. If you are placing something "physical", such as a lighthouse, then the "Height" setting might be needed. Some assets will "automatically" assume the height of the terrain, others do not (such as the lighthouse), and will need that set. If placing a "city" or "Industrial" area, the "Slope" is needed. btw, some assets, such as a few of the docks and the Industrial area do NOT have 2D images, which makes those even more difficult to properly place. For those, you'll need to go into the game to see (or not see) your efforts, and then have to guess again for any corrections. That "Scale..." setting is a percentage, btw, so "1" is 1% size, while "100" is 100%.

The "Sea", "Island" and similar names in the "Campaign_NMS.mis" file also use the MapLocation dialog, but you only use the 2D settings for them. You would still choose a 2D image from the "Data /Terrain /MapLocations" drop-down box, but you need a dds image first to use that. Most of the images are 1024x1024 pixels, and you can use Paint dot Net, or GIMP or PhotoShop or whatever you have available that can save or export to the dds format. Choose an appropriate font for you display text, and place it on a transparent background, and put that image in the "Data /Terrain /MapLocations" folder, then choose it in the SH4MissionEditor MapLocation dialog.

There are other mods similar to this, but this is what I did for an earlier release of FotRSU:
PacificLocationMaps.7z
Notice that if you see a name or location you see in a different copy of one of those two LOC and NMS files, all you have to do is copy the text in the file, paste it into your current file, and renumber the header to match the numbering that your file has. Like all other similar files in SH4, they must be numbered consecutively. Then all you need to do is copy the files used from the Terrain folders into your set-up. It is, as always, best if you build a JSGME compatible mod with copies or the original LOC and NMS files from the game, and add any new images to that. That way, if you do happen to make an egregious error, it's an easy rollback.

[Captain Wreckless]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

If you open the SH4MissionEditor in the root directory of your SH4 install, and then open the file "Data / Campaigns / Campaign / Campaign_NMS.mis", you'll find all the names used. If you open "Campaign_LOC.mis", you will find all of the "cities" and docks, which is the easiest of the two to edit. Each of the places in the LOC file is a MapLocation. The best thing to do first is to open some of the "assets" already in use in the game, and get a feel for the settings used for what you already see in the game.

To then edit those, use the "Tools" menu, and click on the "Map Location Edit Mode" choice. You will notice that all those assets turn into little boxes on the map. Zoom in to where you want to place a new MapLocation and right-click on the NavMap image. Choose the middle "Add Map Location", and you'll get this dialog:




Do your edits as you see fit. The set-up is rather finicky, as you'll find, and can be quite frustrating to work with to accurately place stuff on the NavMap. Trial and error and do-over are key... lol - The "X" on the image above are fields generally not used for MapLoactions such as docks or names, but they are needed at times. If you are placing something "physical", such as a lighthouse, then the "Height" setting might be needed. Some assets will "automatically" assume the height of the terrain, others do not (such as the lighthouse), and will need that set. If placing a "city" or "Industrial" area, the "Slope" is needed. btw, some assets, such as a few of the docks and the Industrial area do NOT have 2D images, which makes those even more difficult to properly place. For those, you'll need to go into the game to see (or not see) your efforts, and then have to guess again for any corrections. That "Scale..." setting is a percentage, btw, so "1" is 1% size, while "100" is 100%.

The "Sea", "Island" and similar names in the "Campaign_NMS.mis" file also use the MapLocation dialog, but you only use the 2D settings for them. You would still choose a 2D image from the "Data /Terrain /MapLocations" drop-down box, but you need a dds image first to use that. Most of the images are 1024x1024 pixels, and you can use Paint dot Net, or GIMP or PhotoShop or whatever you have available that can save or export to the dds format. Choose an appropriate font for you display text, and place it on a transparent background, and put that image in the "Data /Terrain /MapLocations" folder, then choose it in the SH4MissionEditor MapLocation dialog.

There are other mods similar to this, but this is what I did for an earlier release of FotRSU:
PacificLocationMaps.7z
Notice that if you see a name or location you see in a different copy of one of those two LOC and NMS files, all you have to do is copy the text in the file, paste it into your current file, and renumber the header to match the numbering that your file has. Like all other similar files in SH4, they must be numbered consecutively. Then all you need to do is copy the files used from the Terrain folders into your set-up. It is, as always, best if you build a JSGME compatible mod with copies or the original LOC and NMS files from the game, and add any new images to that. That way, if you do happen to make an egregious error, it's an easy rollback.

Thanks. Looks like I'll have to set aside a day and several hours to play with this.

[propbeanie]

Oh, be ready to lose more than a day and a few hours on this... Beware of the bite! You will be hooked on modding, and life will never be the same...

[Captain Wreckless]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

Oh, be ready to lose more than a day and a few hours on this... Beware of the bite! You will be hooked on modding, and life will never be the same...

[KaleunMarco]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

Oh, be ready to lose more than a day and a few hours on this... Beware of the bite! You will be hooked on modding, and life will never be the same...

yes, i've felt the bite.
cannot remember how many times i have spent an hour re-doing a mission using the ME, only to click on the Accept button for one of the mission elements and.....CTD.
Objectives, Triggers, Events, RGG's, Units, whatever.
All GWTW.