Campaign from a small part for 1.4 BI

[SirNateofWessex]

I am copying the post by Monkwarrior to reflect the 1.4 map for this tutorial:

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=50447

The end result will be:



GENERAL REMARKS

Prepare the new folder
bi\Data\world\maps\campaign\small_map

It must contain:

\bi\data\world\maps\base

descr_disasters.txt
descr_regions.txt
descr_regions_and_settlement_name_lookup.txt
descr_terrain.txt
map_climates.tga
map_features.tga
map_ground_types.tga
map_heights.tga
map_regions.tga
map_roughness.tga
map_trade_routes.tga

delete map.rwm and map_heights.hgt
files water_surface.tga and map_FE.tga were not modded.

bi\data\world\maps\campaign\barbarian_invasion

descr_events.txt
descr_mercenaries.txt
descr_strat.txt
descr_win_conditions.txt
radar_map1.tga
radar_map2.tga

files descr_harvests.txt, map_factionname.tga and all ingame_maps files were not modded.

bi\data\text

barbarian_invasion_regions_and_settlement_names.txt


Once you have these files collected in a safe place other than their orginial location, you may continue.

Tools: Adobe Photoshop and ImageReady 7.0 (if you have other programs you should find the same tools)
As general advices:
- Cut only in one direction each time.
- Save the successful cut in another folder (as many versions as you do)
- Cut all the maps at the same time
- Change also the txt files at the same time.

Also the hgt_converter.zip:

http://www.totalwar.org/Downloads/Rt...ads/RTWupload/

As an example we are going to make a map of the greek peninsula, with most of Minor Asia and Cyprus.

[SirNateofWessex]

Please refer to the orginial tutorial by Monkwarrior for any images from Photoshop or Image Ready

CUTTING THE MAPS

CHAPTER 1. CUTTING THE EAST

Process 1. Open map_regions with both Photoshop and ImageReady.
Take slice tool in the tool menu of Photoshop.

Mark a slice (mouse click and drag from the upper left corner) of the total height (156 pixels) up to the east limit of your map.
Double click on the icon next the number 1 of the slice and we have the information of the slice: width 210 pixels, starting point (0,0).

In ImageReady we have the same division in two slices. Take the slice selection tool, click on the symbol of slice.

In the menu Select, option Create Selection from Slice.
In the menu Image, crop. The non-selected slice (number 2 in the example) is deleted and the map is now 210x156 size.
In Photoshop save the new map_regions as tga, 24 bits/pixel.

Process 2. Repeat the steps of process 1 with the files map_features, map_trade_routes and radar_map1.

Process 3. Repeat the steps of process 1 with map_roughness and radar_map2, but giving to the slice total height (312 pixels) and 420 pixels width.

Process 4. Repeat the steps of process 1 with map_climates, map_heights and map_ground_types, giving to the slice the total height (313 pixels) and 421 pixels width.

//This step was skipped
Process 5. Repeat the steps of process 1 with water_surface.
The slice size must be proportional to the cut in map_regions: width 256*210/255 = 210.
Once the new map has 210x256 size, it is necessary to resize it to 256x256.
In the menu Image of Photoshop, Image size (Figure 4).

Deselect the option constrain proportions. Set the new width (256) in pixels. Then in the resample image options select nearest neighbor (Figure 5). OK.

This is the method for resizing any tga map. The nearest neighbor option is necessary to keep the color palette.
Save as water_surface.tga.
//End of step skipped

Process 6. It is advisable to cut also one map_factionname at the same time.
These maps have 384x237 size. My advice is to cut one with the zone to be enlarged completely empty. For this zone I chose map_burgundii.
Repeat the steps of process 1, with the slice width proportional: 384*210/255 = 316.
With all these operations you have a full set of functional map files.

[SirNateofWessex]

CUTTING THE MAPS (2)

CHAPTER 2. CUTTING THE NORTH

First of all, make a back-up of your small_map folder.

Process 1. Open map_regions with both Photoshop and ImageReady.
With the slice tool mark a slice (mouse click and drag from the bottom left corner) of the total width (210 pixels) up to the north limit of your map.
Double click on the icon next the number 1 of the slice and we have the information of the slice: height 90 pixels, starting point (0,66).
In ImageReady select the slice and Create Selection from Slice.
In the menu Image, crop. The map is now 210x90 size.
In Photoshop save the new map_regions as tga.

Process 2. Repeat the steps of process 1 with the files map_features, map_trade_routes and radar_map1.

Process 3. Repeat the steps of process 1 with map_roughness and radar_map2, but giving to the slice total width (420 pixels) and 180 pixels height, starting point (0,132).

Process 4. Repeat the steps of process 1 with map_climates, map_heights and map_ground_types, giving to the slice the total width (421 pixels) and 181 pixels height, starting point (0,132).

//Step Skipped
Process 5. Repeat the steps of process 1 with water_surface.
The slice size must be proportional to the cut in map_regions: height 256*90/156 = 148. Starting position (0,108), width 256, height 148.
Once the new map has 256x148 size, it is necessary to resize it to 256x256, with the nearest neighbor option.
Save as water_surface.tga.
//End Step Skipped

Process 6. The map_burgundii has 316x237 size.
Repeat the steps of process 1, with the slice height proportional: 237*90/156 = 137. Starting position (0,100), width 316, height 137.


CHAPTER 3. CUTTING THE SOUTH

As every time, make a back-up of your small_map folder.
Now the operations are exactly the same as in Chapter 2, but the slice must be started in the upper left corner of the maps. That means that the starting point will be (0,0).
The dimensions of the slices for the different maps are collected below.

Files: map_regions, map_features, map_trade_routes and radar_map1.
Dimensions: 210x59.

Files: map_roughness and radar_map2.
Dimensions: 420x118.

Files: map_climates, map_heights and map_ground_types.
Dimensions: 421x119.

//Step Skipped
File: water_surface.
Dimensions of the slice: 256x170.
Resize to 256x256.
//End Step Skipped

File: map_burgundii.
Dimensions: 316x90.

CHAPTER 4. CUTTING THE WEST

I will repeat again, make a back-up of your small_map folder.
Now the operations are exactly the same as in Chapter 1, but we will always select slice number 2.
The dimensions and starting points of the slices number 2 for the different maps are collected below.

Files: map_regions, map_features, map_trade_routes and radar_map1.
Starting point: (110,0)
Dimensions: 100x59.
The results can be seen in Figure 6.

Before we go on, please look at this image to see what regions I eliminated and plan according:



The map_regions map has some portions of eliminated regions (see Figure 6) that must be erased to prevent the existence of non-coded zones.
The easiest way: eyedropper tool (Figure 7), click on the color of the neighbor region, pencil tool (Figure 7) and painting those parts as corresponding to that region.

The result is shown in Figure 7. It remains also one region without settlement (upper left corner). We put a single black pixel indicated by the red spot in Figure 7.

Files: map_roughness and radar_map2.
Starting point: (220,0)
Dimensions: 200x118.

Files: map_climates, map_heights and map_ground_types.
Starting point: (220,0)
Dimensions: 201x119.

//Step Skipped
File: water_surface.
Starting point: (134,0)
Dimensions of the slice: 122x256.
Resize to 256x256.
//End Step Skipped

File: map_burgundii.
Starting point: (166,0)
Dimensions: 150x90.

At this point we should have a fully functional set of maps. The only issue is that this map has the same size of the original small part of the global map.
We can enlarge the map in order to have room for more provinces and factions.

[SirNateofWessex]

ENLARGING THE MAPS

It is logical that a provincial map is designed to have more details than the original one.
Thus it will be important to enlarge it. My advice is to enlarge up to the original size at most, either in width or in height.

Process 1. Open map_regions with both Photoshop.
In the menu Image, choose Image Size. Click option Constrain Proportions (see Figure 4) and nearest neighbor.
Put width 255 and height will change automatically to 150. These dimensions are equal or lower than those of the original map.
The pixels representing settlements and ports are now converted into rectangles of several pixels. It is necessary to reduce them to only one pixel.
Use eyedropper and pencil tools to paint the excess of pixels with the color of the region.

Process 2. Resize map_features and map_trade_routes in the same way. The final maps present rivers and trade routes as 2-3 pixels thick lines. With eyedropper select the black color of the background and with the pencil tool paint (eliminate) the thickness of those lines, taking into account the connectivity between the pixels.

Process 3. Resize radar_map1 in the same way.



Process 4. Resize map_roughness and radar_map2. In this case the constrain image option leads to a map size of 510x301. Thus, deselect the constrain image option and change it to the correct size 510x300.

Process 5. Resize map_heights, map_ground_types and map_climates to 511x301 (without constrain image option).

Process 6. Resize map_burgundii to 372 pixels width.

//Step Skipped
Copy, paste and rename it as many times as playable factions are intended to be included in the mod.
In this case, as an example, I put map_seleucid, map_illyria (greek_cities), map_macedon and map_thrace.
//End Step Skipped

[SirNateofWessex]

TEXT FILES

It's time to edit the text files.

As we all are expert modders , we will try to edit the text files with this rather complex map_regions.

STEPS

1) descr_terrain: it is easy but very important. It is necessary to put the correct dimensions of map_regions at the beginning of the file:

dimensions
{
	width  255
	height  150
}
heights
{
	min_sea_height  -3122.256
	max_land_height  7511.272
}
roughness
{
	min  50.000
	max  200.000
}
fractal
{
	multiplier  0.500
}
lattitude
{
	min  22.000
	max  56.000
}

2) descr_regions: if I aren't wrong, the map has 16 regions, with the original colors. Thus we must look for the correct names of the regions and delete all the other regions from the file.

;
; regions list
;

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
Southern_Italy
	legion: Italica
	Tarentum
	empire_west
	Latins
	198 13 174
	silver, timber, wine, slaves, copper
	5
	9
	christianity 70 pagan 30
Illyricum_et_Dalmatia
	legion: Illyricorum
	Salona
	empire_west
	Illyrians
	58 173 177
	gold, timber, iron, olive_oil, wine, slaves
	5
	3
	christianity 25 pagan 75
Achaea
	legion: Gemina
	Athens
	empire_east
	Achaeans
	58 177 106
	silver, timber, iron, olive_oil, slaves, marble
	5
	9
	christianity 40 pagan 60
Macedonia
	legion: Macedonica
	Thessalonica
	empire_east
	Edones
	177 58 145
	gold, timber, slaves
	5
	10
	christianity 75 pagan 25
Moesia
	legion: Flavia_Felix
	Sirmium
	empire_east
	Paionians
	131 33 100
	slaves
	5
	7
	christianity 50 pagan 50
Thracia
	legion: Claudia_Pia_Fidelis
	Constantinople
	empire_east
	Thracians
	218 246 61
	gold, timber, slaves, bosphoran
	5
	10
	christianity 75 pagan 25
Creta
	legion: Cretae
	Kydonia
	empire_east
	Cretans
	193 162 206
	iron, slaves, purple_dye
	5
	7
	christianity 45 pagan 55
Asiana
	legion: Asianae
	Ephesus
	empire_east
	Phrygians
	131 83 77
	silver, timber, olive_oil, wine, slaves, marble, textiles
	5
	12
	christianity 75 pagan 25
Pontus_et_Bithynia
	legion: Pontica
	Sinope
	empire_east
	Paphlagonians
	202 156 17
	timber, iron, wine, slaves, bosphoran
	5
	10
	christianity 70 pagan 30
Cappadocia
	legion: Fulminata
	Caesarea
	empire_east
	Cappadocians
	177 58 148
	silver, slaves, lead, bosphoran
	5
	8
	christianity 70 pagan 15 zoroastrian 15
Galatia
	legion: Galatiae
	Ancyra
	empire_east
	Galatians
	17 165 202
	slaves, textiles
	5
	8
	christianity 60 pagan 40
Cilicia_et_Lycia
	legion: Isaura
	Tarsus
	empire_east
	Cilicians
	17 202 52
	silver, pottery, timber, slaves
	5
	10
	christianity 70 pagan 30
Syria_Coele
	legion: Flavia_Firma
	Antioch
	empire_east
	Syrians
	13 244 165
	iron, wine, slaves, textiles, incense, silk, camels
	5
	9
	christianity 85 pagan 5 zoroastrian 10
Phoenicia
	legion: Gallicia
	Sidon
	empire_east
	Palmyrans
	33 131 128
	timber, slaves, glass, incense, camels
	5
	9
	christianity 85 pagan 5 zoroastrian 10
Palaestina
	legion: Palaestinae
	Jerusalem
	empire_east
	Judaeans
	244 13 29
	olive_oil, wine, slaves, purple_dye, camels, berber
	5
	8
	christianity 95 zoroastrian 5
Cyprus
	legion: Cyprica
	Salamis
	empire_east
	Cypriots
	126 144 111
	gold, timber, slaves, purple_dye, copper
	5
	9
	christianity 50 pagan 50

3) barbarian_invasion_regions_and_settlement_names.txt: we must edit this file in Data\text. In this file we must have the same names as in descr_regions_and_settlement_names_lookup

¬ Regions names generated by Romans Campaign Editor
{Southern_Italy}			Southern Italy
{Italica}			Italica
{Tarentum}			Tarentum
{Illyricum_et_Dalmatia}			Illyricum et Dalmatia
{Illyricorum}			Illyricorum
{Salona}			Salona
{Achaea}			Achaea
{Gemina}			Gemina
{Athens}			Athens
{Macedonia}			Macedonia
{Macedonica}			Macedonica
{Thessalonica}			Thessalonica
{Moesia}			Moesia
{Flavia_Felix}			Flavia Felix
{Sirmium}			Sirmium
{Thracia}			Thracia
{Claudia_Pia_Fidelis}			Claudia Pia Fidelis
{Constantinople}			Constantinople
{Creta}			Creta
{Cretae}			Cretae
{Kydonia}			Kydonia
{Asiana}			Asiana
{Asianae}			Asianae
{Ephesus}			Ephesus
{Pontus_et_Bithynia}			Pontus et Bithynia
{Pontica}			Pontica
{Sinope}			Sinope
{Cappadocia}			Cappadocia
{Fulminata}			Fulminata
{Caesarea}			Caesarea
{Galatia}			Galatia
{Galatiae}			Galatiae
{Ancyra}			Ancyra
{Cilicia_et_Lycia}			Cilicia et Lycia
{Isaura}			Isaura
{Tarsus}			Tarsus
{Syria_Coele}			Syria Coele
{Flavia_Firma}			Flavia Firma
{Antioch}			Antioch
{Phoenicia}			Phoenicia
{Gallicia}			Gallicia
{Sidon}			Sidon
{Palaestina}			Palaestina
{Palaestinae}			Palaestinae
{Jerusalem}			Jerusalem
{Cyprus}			Cyprus
{Cyprica}			Cyprica
{Salamis}			Salamis

4) descr_regions_and_settlement_names_lookup: the same in this file, taking into account that here both the regions and settlement and legion must appear. This is the result:

Southern_Italy
Italica
Tarentum
Illyricum_et_Dalmatia
Illyricorum
Salona
Achaea
Gemina
Athens
Macedonia
Macedonica
Thessalonica
Moesia
Flavia_Felix
Sirmium
Thracia
Claudia_Pia_Fidelis
Constantinople
Creta
Cretae
Kydonia
Asiana
Asianae
Ephesus
Pontus_et_Bithynia
Pontica
Sinope
Cappadocia
Fulminata
Caesarea
Galatia
Galatiae
Ancyra
Cilicia_et_Lycia
Isaura
Tarsus
Syria_Coele
Flavia_Firma
Antioch
Phoenicia
Gallicia
Sidon
Palaestina
Palaestinae
Jerusalem
Cyprus
Cyprica
Salamis

5) descr_events: just to simplify we will delete all the events associated to a position in the map. They can be added afterwards if necessary.

6) descr_mercenaries: just to simplify we will delete all the pools associated to a region in the map. They can be added afterwards if necessary.

[SirNateofWessex]

THE MODIFICATION OF descr_strat

This is probably the most difficult file, as it contains a lot of information. We are going to modify it to keep all the information about families, but to simplify at maximum all the other information.

a) Selection of factions: at the beginning of the file we must select the playable factions just below the name of the campaig. This is the result:

campaign		barbarian_invasion
playable
	empire_east
	empire_west
end
unlockable
end
nonplayable
;	sassanids
;	alemanni
;	saxons
;	franks
;	vandals
;	sarmatians
;	huns
;	goths
;	romano_british
;	celts
;	burgundii
;	lombardi
;	roxolani
;	ostrogoths
;	slavs
;	berbers
;	empire_east_rebels
;	empire_west_rebels
;	slave
end

b) landmarks and resources: in an initial step we eliminate all those data just to keep the file as simply as possible.

c) Disappeared factions:
After that it is necessary to remove completely all the information about the disappeared factions. We will delete all entries for every faction except the 2 roman factions.

d) Setting the positions to the characters:
With the map_regions file, we must notate the position of all the settlement, to put the armies in them. How to do? Open map_regions in Photoshop and open Window>Info. It is a good idea to go to Image > Rotate Canvas > Flip Vertically. That way we get the right coordinates.

If we pass any tool (I prefer eyedropper just to prevent any accident )by the map the position will be shown in the info window. We are looking for the position of every settlement. You can right down all the province names, their RGB color and right down all the coordinates. The rgb colors can be found in descr_regions.txt.