Tutorial for Creating ABattleMap Modules v1.0


  • Section S: Uploading for internet distribution

    An ABattleMap module is hardly any fun if you are the only one who has it.  Thankfully, there are online file hosting websites like Mediafire.com that allow you to upload your files for free and provide you with a link that can be given to others who wish to download your files.

    To upload your filesR to Mediafire, you should first follow the instructions to create a user account (free).  With a user account, uploading files is pretty easy and straight-forward.  Once you have uploaded a file, you should see it in your online folder.  If you click the “Share” button to the far right of your uploaded file, you will get a drop-down display that shows 2 different sharing URLs for that file.  Copy one of the URLs and post it in the AxisandAllies.org forums for everyone to download and enjoy!


  • Section T: Glossary
    This is a work in progress.  If you have any questions or suggestions for adding to this section, please post them on this thread.

    convoy: can refer to “convoy disruption” or “convoy route”

    current sector:  the sector currently being edited in the SektorEdit window.

    at-war status: for the purposes of ABattleMap, the at-war status of a power determines whether or not that power can afflict convoy disruption damage.  SektorInfo.txtN/SektorInfo.sekL must contain pseudo-sectors to define which sector must be controlled for each power to be considered at war with each other power.

    convoy disruption: a set of rules included in some games that involves naval units reducing the income value of neighboring enemy territories.  Convoy disruption is subject to “at-war” status of the aggressing power.  Convoy disruption can not cause more income damage than the total income value of the territories it affects.

    convoy routes: additional sectors that must be controlled in order for a power to receive the income of a specific sector.

    power: a nation-player in a game.  Powers are designated and numbered by their corresponding rows in ToolPieces.bmpG.

    sector: any designated space on the map in a module.  Sectors are territories, sea zones, and other spaces used for any of various purposes.  Modules must contain working SektorInfo.mapF and SektorInfo.sekL files in order to have designated sectors.


  • Section U: The FAQ
    This is a work in progress.  If you have any questions or suggestions for adding to this section, please post them on this thread.


  • Section V: Change log

    v1.0  (June 16, 2010)
    -(original document)

    v1.01  (October 27, 2010)
    -Section P, changed @Stoney229:

    type “rsek.exe SektorInfo.sek > SektorInfo.sek”

    to @Stoney229:

    type “rsek.exe SektorInfo.sek > SektorInfo.txt”

    -(updated on 10/20/2013 to corrected for UTF-8 characters gone missing, presumably due to forum software upgrade)


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  • Does anyone know how I can adjust the column width of my tables in Section C?

    Also, my browser does not load all the images, though it used to.  I am curious to hear if you are or aren’t also having this problem.


  • @Stoney229:

    Also, my browser does not load all the images, though it used to.  I am curious to hear if you are or aren’t also having this problem.

    No problems with Firefox, Opera, IE (latest versions).

    Great job, Stoney, thank you!!!
    This thread should be stickied :-)


  • @P@nther:

    @Stoney229:

    Also, my browser does not load all the images, though it used to.  I am curious to hear if you are or aren’t also having this problem.

    No problems with Firefox, Opera, IE (latest versions).

    Great job, Stoney, thank you!!!
    This thread should be stickied :-)

    Good to hear, thank you.  Maybe it’s my browser (chrome), or maybe it’s my slow internet connection.

    Glad you like it.  Thank you!


  • This is Great! Excellent work!

    I’ve been having trouble with my Toolbar in 0.80… it disappears… got any fix for that? I’m using Windows Vista… never had the trouble until now.


  • @TMTM:

    This is Great! Excellent work!

    Thanks very much!

    @TMTM:

    I’ve been having trouble with my Toolbar in 0.80… it disappears… got any fix for that? I’m using Windows Vista… never had the trouble until now.

    Is it not the same problem that is solved by the ABattlemap.ini trick?  That bug should be fixed if you care to upgrade to version 0.80+.  Also, Sektor Editor is a little buggy in version 0.80, but it works (with one exception noted in the tutorial) great in version 0.80+.  Dont worry, it won’t break any compatibility or anything!


  • Do you have a link to downloand the 0.80+ version? I can only find 0.80

    **I got it… just needed the P40 installed.


  • Well explained!  :mrgreen: thanks!


  • @Stoney229:

    To use rsek.exe to create a new SektorInfo.txtN file out of an existing SektorInfo.sekL file, type “rsek.exe SektorInfo.sek > SektorInfo.sek” (no quotes).  SektorInfo.sekL will remain in your folder and a new SektorInfo.txtN will appear.  Note that the required “>” between the source and destination files is unique to this tool.

    It should be “rsek.exe SektorInfo.sek > SektorInfo.txt”, or otherwise sektorinfo.sek will corrupt trying to convert to itself. Check this, Stoney (I found this while I was trying to update F40 module)


  • @Funcioneta:

    @Stoney229:

    To use rsek.exe to create a new SektorInfo.txtN file out of an existing SektorInfo.sekL file, type “rsek.exe SektorInfo.sek > SektorInfo.sek” (no quotes).  SektorInfo.sekL will remain in your folder and a new SektorInfo.txtN will appear.  Note that the required “>” between the source and destination files is unique to this tool.

    It should be “rsek.exe SektorInfo.sek > SektorInfo.txt”, or otherwise sektorinfo.sek will corrupt trying to convert to itself. Check this, Stoney (I found this while I was trying to update F40 module)

    By jove, you’re right!  sorry about that!  Look forward to seeing your module.  I actually expect to have electricity installed to where I am living before the end of the year, and so I may continue (even if for my own personal fulfillment) to finish what I had started, but even if I do it will be many months before being completed.


  • A very important question: is there a limit for the number of powers that can do convoy damage? I can make all the other powers do damage, but the last 2 powers in the list (China and France) cannot do convoy damage, no wonder what I try. I don’t care about China (at least in this module), but France is important because of the Madagascar dd. I cannot change the positions of India and France because it’s needed that axis can raid India’s Income


  • @Funcioneta:

    A very important question: is there a limit for the number of powers that can do convoy damage? I can make all the other powers do damage, but the last 2 powers in the list (China and France) cannot do convoy damage, no wonder what I try. I don’t care about China (at least in this module), but France is important because of the Madagascar dd. I cannot change the positions of India and France because it’s needed that axis can raid India’s Income

    Well, if there’s no solution, at least you can take comfort in the fact that French convoy raids will be few and far between.


  • @Stoney229:

    • Subsequent lines identify listed powers as allied together.  This information is used, for example, for convoy route or “national objectives” purposes, where a sector or group of sectors must be controlled by a power’s side for that power to receive an amount of income.  These lines must begin with the word “allied”, followed by a list of single-digit integers representing powers.  The line “allied 1 3 6” shows that powers 1, 3, and 6 are allied together.  Powers are numbered by their order in ToolPieces.bmpG and BigPieces.bmpH.  Note that powers numbered 10 or greater cannot be a part of these lists (as far as I can tell).

    Not totally true: since it’s a hexadecimal system, the max number is f (15). In my G40 module, France uses ‘a’ and still sums the income right. However, I’m not sure if powers with a number greater to 8 can do convoy damage (based on my experience)


  • @Funcioneta:

    A very important question: is there a limit for the number of powers that can do convoy damage? I can make all the other powers do damage, but the last 2 powers in the list (China and France) cannot do convoy damage, no wonder what I try. I don’t care about China (at least in this module), but France is important because of the Madagascar dd. I cannot change the positions of India and France because it’s needed that axis can raid India’s Income

    I cannot specifically remember what my discovery was on this matter, but you are quite likely right that it can only support up to 8 (idk why Attila didn’t think of the Globabl game when he instituted the system for P40).  If this is the case, I guess you will have to find some way to work around it until a someone with C/C++ programming know-how to remedy the deficiency.
    @Funcioneta:

    @Stoney229:

    • Subsequent lines identify listed powers as allied together.  This information is used, for example, for convoy route or “national objectives” purposes, where a sector or group of sectors must be controlled by a power’s side for that power to receive an amount of income.  These lines must begin with the word “allied”, followed by a list of single-digit integers representing powers.  The line “allied 1 3 6” shows that powers 1, 3, and 6 are allied together.  Powers are numbered by their order in ToolPieces.bmpG and BigPieces.bmpH.  Note that powers numbered 10 or greater cannot be a part of these lists (as far as I can tell).

    Not totally true: since it’s a hexadecimal system, the max number is f (15). In my G40 module, France uses ‘a’ and still sums the income right. However, I’m not sure if powers with a number greater to 8 can do convoy damage (based on my experience)

    that’s what I would have assumed, but I tried “a” and it didn’t work for me.  Either my trial had some other error, or you are misunderstanding (slash-I have miscommunicated) the function of these ally groupings.  Where I have written “convoy route” here in this post, I am speaking of the “convoy routes” of games released before AAP40 (as opposed to the “convoy disruption” system of the AA1940 series), which functionally work in the modules basically the same way as the National Objectives (since the old system of convoy routes was that you had to control a specific sea zone in order to get the income of a certain territory or something like that).  So in the 1940 modules, the only function of the ally grouping in the MapInfo text file, which is only a function IF you implement automatic NO-calculation in your module, is that (in accordance with the rules) any one of a power’s listed allies can control the sectors required for NO fulfillment in order for that power’s NO to be automatically calculated.  This is why, in my P40 module, the USA (Oki + Iwo) NO requires the special “OCVR” designation (which was specifically created by Atti for that NO), since the rules state that the USA only receives income for that particular NO if the USA (specifically) controls both territories (e.g. UK or ANZ owning either one or both means USA does not get the NO).  Does that make sense?  This is why I had said before that I could not include France in the auto-NO calculations.

    Now that I have tediously explained all this to you, you will tell me that you already understood all this and that France being listed as “a” actually works (and my own trials were somehow erroneous) so my explanation was pointless.  I’ll be happy anyway, because that only makes it easier for you if you are wanting to implement Auto-NOs.  If you are not implementing Auto-NOs, then the ally groupings have no function (that I can think or am aware of)

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