BI: Anyone achieved to make a new map for BI ?

**Meneldil** · 10-03-2005, 17:15

I'm currently trying to have AovaF map working with BI, and I'm struggling for nothing.

I'm using a map region with only 3 regions. All of them are listed in descr_region_and_settlement_names_lookup, descr_strat, descr_regions (with Legions' names), descr_region_and_settlement_names (also with legions' names) aswell as descr_win_conditions.

I have deleted references to all other regions from all text files, descr_win_condition and descr_harvest included.
I've edited descr_win_condition according to my new map_regions
I've added settlements to descr_strat according to the new format (which is a bit different from RTW one). And the last but not the least, I deleted the entries in the bottom of descr_strat (with road level and all these things).

Yet, the game CTD when I try to launch a campaign.

Is anyone encountering problems with BI map editing ?

**Stuie** · 10-03-2005, 18:06

Originally Posted by Meneldil

Is anyone encountering problems with BI map editing ?

Yes. I know the map that was built for FRRE is not working, and I cannot get the TFT map working either.

A better question might be "has anyone successfully added a new map in BI?" Followed by an explanation as to how.

**Dromikaites** · 10-03-2005, 18:46

I think this has to do with the fact map_heights.tga is useless and instead map_heights.hgt has to be present. That means the situation is exactly the reverse of what used to be the case for RTW 1.0 - 1.2.

**Meneldil** · 10-03-2005, 19:14

I've started a new post here :

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=34344

**Dromikaites** · 10-03-2005, 19:51

Originally Posted by Meneldil

I've started a new post here :

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=34344

Great job Meneldil! Now this map_heights.hgt story reminds me of the sprites generator. Jerome said in this thread https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showt...07966&posted=1 (post #2) that a lot of stuff is actually generated by the .exe file if properly ordered to do so. So maybe there is a command that generates map_heights.hgt from map_heights.tga

**Lysander** · 10-03-2005, 23:15

I was looking at this problem as well. I think it is true that the game uses map_heights.hgt instead of the map_heights.tga. I thought I might have had a way to get around this, see below, but I did not get it to work. sorry.

This is what I tried:
First, if you delete map_heights.hgt and leave the map.rwm file intact, then the game will still load and work fine (so technically you don't need the height file). Now, if you are making a new map you would not have the map.rwm to use as a replacement for map_heights.hgt. So, secondly, to solve this problem, use a separate installation of RTW (pre 1.3) to generate the map.rwm file. Lastly, port the new map.rwm file into your RTW 1.3/BI installation, using it as a replacement for map_heights.hgt (i.e., delete it).

After doing some experiments it seems that the map.rwm files from RTW 1.2 are not compatible with RTW 1.3.

**Dromikaites** · 10-05-2005, 08:01

Originally Posted by Lysander

I was looking at this problem as well. I think it is true that the game uses map_heights.hgt instead of the map_heights.tga. I thought I might have had a way to get around this, see below, but I did not get it to work. sorry.

This is what I tried:
First, if you delete map_heights.hgt and leave the map.rwm file intact, then the game will still load and work fine (so technically you don't need the height file). Now, if you are making a new map you would not have the map.rwm to use as a replacement for map_heights.hgt. So, secondly, to solve this problem, use a separate installation of RTW (pre 1.3) to generate the map.rwm file. Lastly, port the new map.rwm file into your RTW 1.3/BI installation, using it as a replacement for map_heights.hgt (i.e., delete it).

After doing some experiments it seems that the map.rwm files from RTW 1.2 are not compatible with RTW 1.3.

The fact the map.rwm from 1.2 doesn't work anymore for 1.3 makes me think that the .exe has the ability to generate .hgt files from .tga, like it does with the sprites. Now we need to know the proper command. Maybe Jerome would oblidge like he did for the sprites.

**lt1956** · 10-05-2005, 08:28

THis explains alot, As I have been unsuccessful also on the SPQR map. There may not be a command if not we are in trouble. lol Lets hope there is.

Right now I am playing with BI to learn it, but I have no plans for PORT SPQR over to BI anytime soon, until we get some answers, there are too many issues popping up making its a modding nightmare. The biggest besides our maps is the -mod: switch which seems no different than with RTW in that you cannot play custom battles. its wierd to say the least.

Also I noticed Vertex Buffer errors OR lockups when trying to load certain models that we NOT a problem for RTW 1.2 Thats a real pain as I am sure everyone knows how hard it is to get modelers.

Lets hope Jerome helps, as I have not heard word from him in posts since about week or two before BI release.

**Dromikaites** · 10-06-2005, 07:13

It seems the problem was indeed related to the .hgt file. Alpaca developped a tool that converts map_heights.tga to map_heights.hgt. We (Imperium:TW) tested it for our version of map based on MM2 and it worked.

So anyone who wants to make a map playable for BI should convert the .tga file into a .hgt first. Thank you Alpaca!

**NihilisticCow** · 10-06-2005, 17:09

Originally Posted by lt1956

The biggest besides our maps is the -mod: switch which seems no different than with RTW in that you cannot play custom battles. its wierd to say the least.

Are you sure that it doesn't work for custom games? In 1.2 I occasionally played a mod made by Mordred that used the -mod tag on command line to load it, and custom games worked.

**Monkwarrior** · 10-06-2005, 17:45

Originally Posted by Nihilist

Are you sure that it doesn't work for custom games? In 1.2 I occasionally played a mod made by Mordred that used the -mod tag on command line to load it, and custom games worked.

I know very well that mod (of course

)
MCM installs part of the files in the original Data folder. If all the new files are in the mod folder -mod doesn't work. This was a trial-and-error process, which is really painful in case of a total conversion of the game. I think the problem is the distribution of the files between the mod folder and the normal data folder in RTW directory.
I tried a similar strategy with Iberia Total War and the game crashed.