I'm definitely excited about this. One small problem that I've picked up: the color scheme in the little thumbnail is off. Maybe the coloration is off due to it being shrinked---I don't know. But if that isn't the case, you've got the colors wrong. You should be able to get an appropriate color scheme simply by viewing maps with WinBolo.
I would definitely say that first priority should be an undo button. However, since this is entirely your project, you may do as you please.
Oh! It seems you've already taken care of that. Guess I should've downloaded it before I spoke. :-)
I'm definitely in love with the fact that you can jump around on the map by simply clicking on the thumbnail, and the fact that you can see things that are even in the mines. It doesn't get cut off.
I really appreciate your effort so far. I'd like to list out some problems I see with the current editor; disregard any you've already planned to fix:
1: As Nova said, the undo button is most important. It'd be nice to be able to back up 5 or 6 times.
2. As Nova said, the ability to jump around with a handy thumb is awesome. This is in fact how I navigate quickly on the game Command and Conquer: Yuri's Revenge.
3: As Nova said, It'd be helpful if colors on Cartographer matched winbolo thumb colors exactly. As it is now, we have vastly differing colors on the editor thumb as compared to the map selection thumb on winbolo; even that thumb differs slightly from the ones we see on winbolo.net.
4: I'd like to be able to copy and paste pills, bases and starts.
5: We'd all love a circle-maker.
6: It'd be nice if Cartographer started new maps pre-centered.
7: The icons for terrain are small and color-blind people like me accidentally click on swamp or rubble instead of grass. Could they be bigger? There is lots of toolbar room for bigger everything. It may look cartoonish, but it would really speed up mapmaking.
8: There is an issue with some cut-off of the borders on Boloreich. I forget what the breakdown is, but it's like 'so many squares bottom and left' or something, get cut off.
9: I'd like to be able to select areas to copy and paste, down to the pixel. I can't copy and paste 1/8 of a circular map on Boloreich. If I could select by individual square, that'd be awesome. Additionally, it'd be easier to have nice fat 'C' and 'P' buttons in the toolbar instead of always opening file-copy and file-paste. As I said before, as many large icons as you can fit in the toolbar makes for quicker mapmaking.
10: Partially - completed maps should be able to be saved IN the editor and accessed via a drop-down menu. For instance, I have loudspeaker design software, and I can access current designs right in the design window under the file menu.
I'll add more if I think of anything.
The only thing that makes that a attempt to start a flame, is you thinking it was. So why don't you stop jumping at ghosts and perhaps refrain from the assinine remarks. On that note, I don't really see the purpose of implementing a feature that only you would use. Since most other people don't have a fear of control functions. I'm sure there is more important things he can concentrate on, such as .. making it work.
Min
Perhaps for once it'd be nice to break the classic WinBolo tradition of turning every thread into a flamewar? Just forget it and move on.
I never meant to imply that you were posting flamebait. I also noted that Acro had made posts after this, but I considered the possibility that he had a list of things to do and making a rebuttal was coming up afterward.
Oh, and also:
Acro, you don't have to worry about going in to the menu to cut and paste. Almost all Windows applications have "cut", "copy" and "paste" icons on the toolbar (even WordPad) so Cartographer will eventually follow that convention.
The thumbnail colouring setting will be stored in the registry. I'm also considering defaulting to the original colouring. I had intended to make the option to switch colour schemes a button under the thumbnail itself, but because of the way the thumbnail float thingy is implemented it is difficult to place buttons on that window.
The other feature high on my list is to allow you to define a "sticky" copy and paste on a map. For instance, if you do a "sticky" paste from the left side of the map to a right with an x-axis flip, any changes you make to the left side of the map automatically end up on the right side. The same would work with 1/4's of the map, 1/8's and on subsections of the map, etc. You could then draw a symmetric map and watch the other sides of the map (on the main screen and the thumbnail, pills, bases and all) appear as you're drawing.
How about zooming? its always nice to draw large areas at a time without caring about doing it exactly.
also, some ideas for more filters:
- 'war' - it makes lots of random rubbles, destroys buildings, makes random craters, takes away trees, etc.
- 'clean up' - creates road, fixes buildings, etc.
- 'mine out' - mines most of the map(following patterns exectued by n00bs)
mwa .02 us dolars
yes
- zooming
- gridlines
- shapes
- lasso tools
- copy and paste
- import/export
and some other things I prolly fergot, I will find you the list I have if you like.
It'd be nice to be able to have access to all versions of Cartographer for future reference. If your host does not allow you the space, you can always try hosting it on the www.winbolo.us FTP site.
I definitely love, love, love the filters. I'm also looking forward to using the sticky feature. It's definitely less work to copy and paste objects rather than having to do it all by hand (nudges early Acro maps) but still can be a pain (especially if you're constantly checking how your map looks as a whole).
However, I'd still like to stress that I mostly want to see a working map editor that has an undo feature. While that's not the only thing that I want, it's definitely #1 on my wish list.
Unmentioned items on my wish list are:
a) An image translator: This enables you to copy an image from say, MS Paint, and then paste it into the map editor. When you're done, the thumbnail will look like a rough rendition of the image.
b) Two files for each saved map. One file will be the Winbolo map file. Two clicks and you've got Winbolo open with your map of choice and you're set to go. The other file will be the Cartographer file. Two clicks and Cartographer will open with that map. This was also done in BMapEdit, which saved you the trouble of having to go to the Open menu every time you wished to edit a map.
c) A thumbnail picture, much like Winbolo has in its Open menu. As you're going along selecting maps, it'd be nice to get a rough idea of what you're going to open. I've got thousands of maps on my computer, I hardly can recall what they all exactly are. A little thumbnail left of the open menu would help.
d) I'd like, if possible, for the thumbnail to be a little window of its own. Or perhaps you could have the option of either it being a floater or a window of its own. Whatever works for you. My problem with it being a floating window is that you cannot re-access it if you close it down merely by clicking on the taskbar. It is merely a matter of convienience, not really high priority.
I also do not see the starts or mines. Am I missing something? I'm pretty damn sure I've got the right copy open---I see "filters" on the top menu.[/b]
Undo is a done deal. The undo you can use on filters will carry through to any other features:
An abstract "map" object is used internally, and anything that wants to change the map loaded in to the editor has to go through it.
If anything (pens, filters, fills, etc) attempts to modify the map, the changes are automatically intercepted by the "Undo Manager" and recorded in the list of multiple level undo's.
So basically, it is now impossible to write a tool/filter/etc in Cartographer that does not support undo. :)
now you just need to implement a undo history list, so you can view all the changes you've made, and undo to any point without frantically pressing the undo button ..... and of course .. making it so there is more undo's in the undo buffer thingy ... I wasn't very happy with only getting like 100 undo's ...
Min
Finally was able to have a closer look and I am impressed with whats there so far. The filters will add a lot of creativity to map variation.
It's also nice to see a coder that has a good creative eye. Your logo has a nice clean (mac-like) look
Keep up the good work. Can't wait to see pill firing range added in. Are you thinking of added in a "paintbucket" feature to fill-and-replace a certain type of terrain?
And what are your thoughts of going open-source once you are done?
- sheeps
What about a "launch map" button? I'd also like to have a warning that informs you if your map has no starts.
Heh, a dummy siren?
*BEEP* You screwed up
*BEEP* You moron
*BEEP* Get outta here, you pathetic excuse for a mapmaker.
Hrm, maybe that's a lil' over the top. :D
Lol, I've been slamming ME for years and never heard that one.
