MegaGlest Forum

Modding and game content creation => Maps, tilesets and scenarios => Topic started by: Omega on 19 December 2010, 08:27:59

Title: How to take an image of your map
Post by: Omega on 19 December 2010, 08:27:59
The forum has often had people posting maps without any image, leaving us with no clue what to expect. It is recommended that you have an image of your map when you upload it to the forums, but seeing few people know how to do this, this topic will explain how. Both GAE and MegaGlest versions are included below.


MegaGlest Version

Step 1: Start the game

Step 2: Start Custom Game and Enable Advanced Options - When starting the game, be sure to turn off Fog of War then Allow observers. Also, be sure to choose an appropriate tileset for the map.

(http://i.imgur.com/spC9hjm.jpg)

Step 3: Switch Your Slot Faction to Observer

(http://i.imgur.com/mfJHKTB.jpg)

Step 4: Screenshot - Start the game and press "F8" to toggle photomode. Now zoom way out until you can see the entire map in the window. The game WILL lag a lot (even on the best graphics cards), but you'll just have to cope with it. Don't expect to be able to screenshot anything larger than 256x256. Once the entire map is visible, press the "e" key to take a screenshot.

Step 5: Modify the screenshot - The screenshot was saved to the personal folder, in the screens folder. Open up the file and trim out extra borders before saving as a more suitable filesize (such as JPG). Upload to a site like imgur (http://imgur.com/) or imageshack (http://imageshack.us/) and post on the forums.
(http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/7666/screen0y.jpg)

Bravo, you have just uploaded a screenshot of your map! To repeat, you only have to do steps 1-5.


GAE Version

Step 1: Locate the INI - Glest's INI stores all its settings. In this case, we must change how far we can zoom the camera out, and how far the camera will render. The INI will be located in either your install directory (the folder you installed GAE to) or your personal folder/glestadv (ie: on windows, this would be C:/Users/Your Name/glestadv). This file is called glestadv.ini and should be opened in any plain text editor (such as Notepad++ (http://notepad-plus-plus.org/)).
(http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/9769/fileez.jpg)

Step 2: Modify the INI - Find these lines in the INI and replace the value to the right of the equal sign as follows:
Code: [Select]
CameraMaxDistance=1024
RenderDistanceMax=1024
(http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/4372/xmlmf.jpg)

Step 3: Start a new game - When starting the game, be sure to turn off Fog of War in the game settings. Also, be sure to choose an appropriate tileset for the map.
(http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/3880/fowt.png)

Step 4: Toggle photo mode - Open the menu with "Escape" and choose photomode to hide the graphical user interface.

Step 5: Screenshot - Start the game and zoom way out until you can see the entire map in the window. The game WILL lag a lot (even on the best graphics cards), but you'll just have to cope with it. Don't expect to be able to screenshot anything larger than 256x256. Once the entire map is visable, press the "e" key to take a screenshot.

Step 6: Modify the screenshot - The screenshot was saved to the personal folder, in the screens folder (in the same place as the INI). Open up the file and trim out extra borders before saving as a more suitable filesize (such as JPG). Upload to a site like imgur (http://imgur.com/) or imageshack (http://imageshack.us/) and post on the forums.
(http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/7666/screen0y.jpg)

Bravo, you have just uploaded a screenshot of your map! To repeat, you only have to do steps 3-5. Steps 1 and 2 are one time only.[/font]


Help! My map is all foggy/rainy/night-y!
So your tileset is obstructing your map? Fog in tilesets, even the slightest amount, can prevent you from taking screenshots. Optimally, you'll want to remove the fog and weather. In the tileset XML (https://docs.megaglest.org/XML/Tileset), find the line that says <fog ....> and replace it with <fog enabled="false"/>.

Now to remove the rain/snow effects, find the line that says <weather ....> and replace it with <weather sun="1.0" rain="0" snow="0"/>.
Title: Re: How to take an image of your map
Post by: ultifd on 19 December 2010, 09:39:33
Good guide, but have you tried the latest version of GAE, Omega? All you have to do now press "Esc" and press "Toggle PhotoMode"...but I still think we need this thread to teach how to do it for MegaGlest...  :| So yes, it's now really easy to do it with GAE, but I don't think MG users would just want to download GAE just for... In the end, we should describe how to do it on MG. If you won't, I guess others or I will. Now now, of course.
Title: Re: How to take an image of your map
Post by: Omega on 19 December 2010, 11:43:49
Quote from: ultifd on 19 December 2010, 09:39:33
Good guide, but have you tried the latest version of GAE, Omega? All you have to do now press "Esc" and press "Toggle PhotoMode"...
Yeah, I know, but I just assumed that it only hides the HUD. Does it affect the zoom and render distance too? I wouldn't know, as my INI was already modified when I tested the latest version.

Quote from: ultifd on 19 December 2010, 09:39:33
If you won't, I guess others or I will. Now now, of course.
Be my guest.
Title: Re: How to take an image of your map
Post by: ultifd on 20 December 2010, 07:10:21
Oh yeah, I'm pretty sure that's true. I think that you forgot the most obvious step in your guide though...pressing ESC and toggling PhotoMode. Later on I'll update this thread for MG...I pretty sure the process is very similar.
Title: Re: How to take an image of your map
Post by: Mapmaster on 13 January 2011, 00:54:16
thanks this makes it way more simple.
Title: Re: How to take an image of your map
Post by: ElimiNator on 6 February 2011, 04:54:46
Quote from: Omega on 19 December 2010, 08:27:59
The forum has often had people posting maps without any image, leaving us with no clue what to expect. It is recommended that you have an image of your map when you upload it to the forums, but seeing few people know how to do this, this topic will explain how.

This topic will be using MG because of it's simplicity for performing this function. Both GBM and MGM maps are compatible with MG.


Step 1: Go On Game

Step 2: Start Custom Game and Enable Advanced Options
 When starting the game, be sure to turn off Fog of War then Allow observers. Also, be sure to choose an appropriate tileset for the map.

Step 3: Switch Your Slot Faction to Observer

Step 4: Take a Screenshot Start the game and zoom way out until you can see the entire map in the window. The game WILL lag a lot (even on the best graphics cards), but you'll just have to cope with it. Don't expect to be able to screenshot anything larger than 256x256. Once the entire map is visable, press the "e" key to take a screenshot.

Step 5: Modify the screenshot - The screenshot was saved to the personal folder, in the screens folder. Open up the file and trim out extra borders before saving as a more suitable filesize (such as JPG). Upload to a site like imageshack and post on the forums.
(http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/7666/screen0y.jpg)

Bravo, you have just uploaded a screenshot of your map! To repeat, you only have to do steps 1-5.


Help! My map is all foggy/rainy/night-y!
So your tileset is obstructing your map? Fog in tilesets, even the slightest amount, can prevent you from taking screenshots. Optimally, you'll want to remove the fog and weather. From the install directory of MG, go into the tilesets and open the folder of the tileset you will be using. Now open the XML file of the same name. Find the line that says <fog ....> and replace it with <fog enabled="false"/>.

Now to remove the rain/snow effects, find the line that says <weather ....> and replace it with <weather sun="0.70" rain="0.30" snow="0"/>.

Getting too technical? A modified copy of the Evergreen tileset with many improvisations is available bellow.

Download Now (6.67MB) (http://www.filefront.com/17669237/evergreen.7z)
See its just as easy with MG as GAE.
Title: Re: How to take an image of your map
Post by: ultifd on 9 March 2011, 09:38:14
Huh, apparently photomode is in MG too... Apparently the key for it is F8, and it's been implemented since September 2010... Never knew that.  :|
Title: Re: How to take an image of your map
Post by: Mr War on 18 January 2012, 20:42:10
how do you zoom right out in MG? Using a laptop with no mouse wheel.
Title: Re: How to take an image of your map
Post by: ElimiNator on 19 January 2012, 06:21:45
I don't know, maybe check your key settings?
Title: Re: How to take an image of your map
Post by: Mr War on 19 January 2012, 12:35:39
Zooming is not listed
Title: Re: How to take an image of your map
Post by: softcoder on 20 January 2012, 05:54:52
I think there is no keys for camera zooming around thus far. Put them in feature requests.
Title: Re: How to take an image of your map
Post by: will on 20 January 2012, 07:16:16
Mr War, you don't have a scrollwheel?  Laptop?  Often its down the right-hand-edge of any touch-pad area.
Title: Re: How to take an image of your map
Post by: Omega on 20 February 2013, 08:34:59
So, it appears that the MegaGlest instructions here no longer work. I also cannot find any INI options for removing the camera constraints. Anyone?
Title: Re: How to take an image of your map
Post by: softcoder on 20 February 2013, 15:18:46
Default key for photo mode in megaglest is f8:

TogglePhotoMode=f8

You cannot zoom out everywhere in a network game as this is known to cause more lag.

Thanks
Title: Re: How to take an image of your map
Post by: tomreyn on 21 February 2013, 06:40:46
You can in a local game with or without CPUs, though, and this still works fine (as long as you have a mouse scroll wheel).

Even without a mouse wheel, you can start MG with ./megaglest --preview-map=conflict, enable photo mode, and take a screenshot.