Town Map Art

[Robert B]

So in the context of working on my new mod, I determined that I wanted to create new Town Map Art. This is the graphical screen that shows up when you are entering a town, so you can click on the entrance you want.

In doing some exploration, I can see how the town_map_idx variable is used to select which graphic to display. I also am familiar with the fact that you need to enter your new graphic in the INTRFACE.LST file found in subdirectory Fallout 2 [My Mod]\data\art\interface. This is also where I put my file TWNSSand.FRM.

What I don't see is a file where I maintain the relationship between my new file TWNSSand.FRM and the index variable town_map_idx. Does anyone know where this is done (or if it can't be)? I'm guessing this relationship may be hard coded.

My fallback position is to simply use one of the existing locations in the CITY.TXT file and replace the existing TWN*.FRM file for that location. I'd rather "save" those locations for other purposes if I possibly can, but if it's the only way to use TWN*.FRM files for the town map art, then I guess that's my solution.

Any thoughts out there?

RB.-

 

[Lexx]

I'm not exactly sure what you mean. "townmap_art_idx" and "townmap_label_art_idx" are the (line)number of the graphic in the intrface.lst file, that's all there is to it.

 

[Robert B]

Ugh, I forgot I need to count from zero in identifying the line numbers in the Interface.lst file. That's why I was getting the wrong FRM files. Thanks @Lexx

 

[Robert B]

Strange... So when I assign the new FRM number in City.txt (townmap_art_idx=469; ), it comes up with a blank screen when entering the town. I have re-verified my INTERFACE.LST file and the new filename is properly entered. I also reconfirm my file is in the correct FO2 FRM format. So, I attempt my backup approach of using an existing city.txt location. In this case I chose NCR.

I rename my town art file to be twnncr.frm and put it in the Fallout 2 [My Mod]\data\art\interface folder. townmap_art_idx is set to 162 (this is the original file default). ...but when I enter the town, it comes up with the original NCR Town Art file; not my new content (which was put in the renamed file twncr.frm).

Just to make sure my test is complete (though I am sure it would not work); I also put the file twnncr.frm (which is really my FRM content) in the Fallout 2 [My Mod]\art\interface folder. This should not change anything, and as expected, it doesn't.

I must be missing something...

 

[Robert B]

So here's my entry in the CITY.TXT file. It replaces the entry for NCR in the default game file. I'm getting three results that I don't expect...

[Area 10] ; Shady Sands
area_name=Shady Sands
world_pos=1123,1422
start_state=On
size=Medium
townmap_art_idx=162; NCR Map Art
;townmap_art_idx=469; FO1 Map Art
townmap_label_art_idx=380
entrance_0=On,205,327,Shady Sands West,-1,-1,0
entrance_1=Off,190,190,Shady Sands East,-1,-1,0

Here is my entry in the MAPS.TXT file...

[Map 042]
lookup_name=Shady Sands West
map_name=shadyw
music=01hub
ambient_sfx=gntlwin1:25, gntlwind:25, brdchir1:10, brdchirp:10, blank:30
saved=Yes

What is working? Well, I'm getting correctly redirected to my map file shadyw.map so I know the entries are being processed.

What isn't working?

#1 - Even though I've replaced the original NCR Town Map Art *.FRM file with my own *.FRM file, I'm still getting the original NCR version.
#2 - On the world Map, it is still called NCR under the location circle (I'm ignoring the WM Button text at the moment as I haven't created that graphic)
#3 - On the Town Map Art, it's giving the location "Bazzar" rather than "Shady Sands West"

Thoughts?

 

[Lexx]

#1 - Even though I've replaced the original NCR Town Map Art *.FRM file with my own *.FRM file, I'm still getting the original NCR version.

This is very weird. Are you sure you replaced the graphic in the correct location?

#2 - On the world Map, it is still called NCR under the location circle (I'm ignoring the WM Button text at the moment as I haven't created that graphic)

That should be the short city name, found at the bottom of the map.msg file.

#3 - On the Town Map Art, it's giving the location "Bazzar" rather than "Shady Sands West"

I guess that's entry 338 in the map.msg file.

# 46: NCR, .MAP
{338}{}{Bazaar}
{339}{}{}
{340}{}{}

The "Shady Sands West" in the entrance_x line is the lookup_name from the data/maps.txt file, and not the display name from text/game/map.msg. It tells the game which map to load on that entrance point. In vanilla Fo2, "Bazaar" is elevation 0 of map 46.

/Edit: Actually, the above is for the automap text. What you are looking for, I think, is "Bazaar" from the worldmap.msg file.

# New California Republic
{300}{}{Bazaar}
{301}{}{Council 2}
{302}{}{Downtown}
{303}{}{Council Hall}
{304}{}{Westin Ranch}
{305}{}{Grazing Lands}

This are all entrance point texts. Sorry, I mixed it up.

 

[Robert B]

This is very weird. Are you sure you replaced the graphic in the correct location?

Well, I dropped the renamed file "twnncr.frm" into the Fallout 2 [My Mod]\data\art\interface folder. I was pretty sure that was the correct location, but I was WRONG. The folder name is spelled "intrface" with no "e". First mistake on my part... PROBLEM RESOLVED

That should be the short city name, found at the bottom of the map.msg file.

The version of the map.msg file that I updated with the short city name was the one located in Fallout 2 [My Mod]\text\english\game NOT Fallout 2 [My Mod]\data\text\english\game. Second mistake on my part... PROBLEM RESOLVED

I guess that's entry 338 in the map.msg file.

Correct, it does look like entry 338 in the MAP.MSG file is the one being pulled, but shouldn't it be entry 326 based on the MAPS.TXT entry being #42? I did confirm that when I made the updates to the map.msg file it is in the correct location of Fallout 2 [My Mod]\data\text\english\game. So we did have the correct file path.

Here's the original entry I made based on my assumption that MAPS.TXT location #42 would correspond to MAP.MSG location #42.

[Map 042]
lookup_name=Shady Sands West
map_name=shadyw
music=01hub
ambient_sfx=gntlwin1:25, gntlwind:25, brdchir1:10, brdchirp:10, blank:30
saved=Yes

# 42: Shady Sands West, .MAP
{326}{}{Shady Sands West}
{327}{}{}
{328}{}{}

Of course, even when I change entry 338 under location #46, it still displays "Bazaar" instead of "Shady Sands West2"

# 46: NCR, .MAP - TESTING as Shady Sands West Entry
{338}{}{Shady Sands West2}
{339}{}{}
{340}{}{}

This problem still exists. @Lexx any more ideas on what I can dig into?

 

[Lexx]

Yep, see my edit. Entrance map text is in worldmap.msg file, not in map.msg - this one is for automaps.

 

[Robert B]

Hurray! \o/ Thank you @Lexx, I'll test it out!!!