Reading the MapMaker manual...

[Grognerd]

It says that 0 altitude cannot be drawn. It always covers the whole map as the base layer.

But it can be broken up as land/sea by using the 2 line commands (corner points/control points)? I hope!

The map I'm entertaining to draw is the coast of Guadalcanal.

 

[john connor]

I think rather, iirc, you will have to draw in a water object to do the sea, draw this object over the base layer, I mean. You do that using the points command tool, yes (preferably control and not corner, I would think, to give it a more natural appearance?) I've never done a map with sea, but have done rivers and it's essentially the same, I think, just a different object. But many maps have been made depicting the sea (look at those showing Crete, for example, in the Foothills of the Gods pack), so it can be done.

In fact, you could open up one of those Crete (for example) maps in mapmaker and find out exactly how the sea was done by picking various objects down the side (sea, river etc) and then clicking on the object on the map with the pointer tool, which will reveal the lines used to draw it.

 

[Grognerd]

Good point, I need to import those maps and see (pun intended) how they were done.

 

[jimcarravallah]

Good point, I need to import those maps and see (pun intended) how they were done.

I looked at the Malta maps as a guide for an island scenario I am (slowly) developing.

The "lake" terrain feature is tiled around the landmass to create an island.

In Command Ops 1, I tried changing the base layer to "water" but as I recall, it wouldn't allow me to draw "land" on top of it to create an island.

While I'm thinking of it, have you looked into this archive for your map?

https://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/history_ww2.html

 

[Grognerd]

Well after doing some reading and practicing, creating a shoreline was not too bad. Still just practicing though, need to thoroughly understand the tools and their use.

The area I'm going to make has Mt. Austen in it. This is a bit of an issue because I go from sea level to 320 meters. I will experiment with 20 meter per elevation ans see if this makes the transitions too steep. Or I will just cut the top of the mountain off! No real fighting on top anyway (at least historically).

The other interesting feature to do will be the sandbars at the mouth of the Matanikau river giving the armor access across.
The jungle terrain will use a lot of memory maybe as the manual discusses the differing techniques of Corner Points and Control Points and their memory use.
Jungle will be mostly Control Points as it's very convoluted and asymmetrical.

Thought about making some simpler maps first in the Russian Front - Chir River battles or the relief attempt of Stalingrad along the Aksay river. But these require establishments also, which in my opinion might be the most tedious part of scenario design!

 

[john connor]

Yes, good luck with doing a whole new EF estab. I too find using the estab editor hard going - too hard, in fact, so I've never done it.

Chir river is meant to be the focus of the official EF pack, if we ever get it, so I guess somewhere those maps already exist in development. But not so as we can get out hands on them.

When I did an EF scenario (from Kursk) I used an EF estab but together by Chris Maiorano, which you can probably still get on his site - 'The Sharp End Gaming' - to give you a start. It would need tinkering with to make it properly accurate, as there were things like panzerfausts in there at dates too early for such weapons (there were none at Kursk), for example. But it might save you some time. If you asked I'm sure Chris would be happy to let you tamper with it. He's a helpful guy.

 

[jimcarravallah]

Well after doing some reading and practicing, creating a shoreline was not too bad. Still just practicing though, need to thoroughly understand the tools and their use.

The area I'm going to make has Mt. Austen in it. This is a bit of an issue because I go from sea level to 320 meters. I will experiment with 20 meter per elevation ans see if this makes the transitions too steep. Or I will just cut the top of the mountain off! No real fighting on top anyway (at least historically).

The other interesting feature to do will be the sandbars at the mouth of the Matanikau river giving the armor access across.
The jungle terrain will use a lot of memory maybe as the manual discusses the differing techniques of Corner Points and Control Points and their memory use.
Jungle will be mostly Control Points as it's very convoluted and asymmetrical.

Thought about making some simpler maps first in the Russian Front - Chir River battles or the relief attempt of Stalingrad along the Aksay river. But these require establishments also, which in my opinion might be the most tedious part of scenario design!

I might be able to save you some work.

Attached is a custom estab used for a CO1 1944-era Japanese vs. American conflict.

It opened in my SceneMaker experiment just now, so you should be able to use it at least as a guide.

Unfortunately, I lost the XML from which it was compiled in a computer crash, so it will be difficult to address variations in formation types between the 1942 era for your battle and the 1944 formations.

As I recall, the Japanese formations were relatively static, but the Marines obtained enw equipment, particularly a newer version of LVTs than what were available in the Guadalcanal era.

A good portion of the Marine Corps Estab was developed by Ranger X3X who I collaborated with in the CO1 Matrix Forums: https://www.blogger.com/profile/06935147333140536471

 

[Grognerd]

Wow, that was kind of you!

I have not read much on Establishments yet. Just looked at some existing in the editor. Am I wrong in assuming that an establishment can list all equipment lets say for the Marines, from 1942 through 1945 and when you create the units from the estabs you only use what equipment is relevant to the date of the scenario? Hopefully this is how it works anyway. Hate to think of creating multiple establishments for every year (or equipment change) for any scenario I have a mind to make.

 

[jimcarravallah]

Wow, that was kind of you!

I have not read much on Establishments yet. Just looked at some existing in the editor. Am I wrong in assuming that an establishment can list all equipment lets say for the Marines, from 1942 through 1945 and when you create the units from the estabs you only use what equipment is relevant to the date of the scenario? Hopefully this is how it works anyway. Hate to think of creating multiple establishments for every year (or equipment change) for any scenario I have a mind to make.

The X3X Establishment started out as a Marine Corps prepared by Ranger X3X, and I adapted it to support a 1944 scenario.

Marine unit structures, formations, and assigned equipment were modified to meet a 1944 standard if necessary. As I recall, that included adding some artillery and particularly the LVT transport models that supported invasions by that date.

Because I did the Japanese units from scratch, they reflect the 1944 era unit composition, formations, and equipment. I don't recall there was much discrepancy between 1942 and 1944 models for Japanese infantry and tank equipment when I was researching it. But, by that time, unit sizes and formations had been adjusted to require fewer personnel or a smaller deployed structure (number of regiments assigned to a division for example) to account for the attrition that the Japanese Armed Forces had been undergoing from 1933 onwards.