Screenshot of the radar

[Red Spot]

I thought I saw something about it some time ago but cant find it.
Usually I just delete the playership and make a screenshot and cut out the radarmap to get the picture for in the shell, but came to believe there is a command for it. Am I correct and does anyone know which command this is, I cant seem to find it ....


edit: Incase you're wondering why I dont use the method of deleting the playership .. I cant, 1.3ta5 removes the ability to delete the playership (it seems).

[TheJamsh]

there is indeed.

when you start the game, go straight into the map with the editor via a shortcut, and use the following example (e.g., to create one for hilo, use the following shortcut:

C:\Program Files\Battlezone II\bz2edit.exe hiloi.bzn /shellmap 256 256

The two last numbers must be a power of 2 and define the height and width of the bitmap it will create. Its never really perfect, but its the best way to do it i feel. i often make mine draw a 512x512 and then scale it down to 256x256 in XnView. (stock are actually 128 x 128)

The outputted bitmap will be in youre BZ2 folder, or in "My Documents\My Games\Battlezone II" if you use vista.

[Red Spot]

Thanks again TJ, +1 karma for you

[GSH]

/shellmap is documented in the readme13.rtf. Recommend you read it.

-- GSH

[Red Spot]

/shellmap is documented in the readme13.rtf. Recommend you read it.

I've read pretty much everything in the 1.3ta5 BZ2 folder, except for all packaged odf's .. perhaps I read a bit too much as I cant recall what I need .. 
Thanks for the heads up though

[AHadley]

An interesting and useful method is to move the player ship out of the edge of the map in the editor, and take a shot of the map in the editor. Then you get to have fun as you fly back in

[Red Spot]

An interesting and useful method is to move the player ship out of the edge of the map in the editor, and take a shot of the map in the editor. Then you get to have fun as you fly back in

tried that, but couldnt get a screenshot that quickly ... the flight was cool though .. after 20 times back and forward I needed to use the editor to get to a hold again

[AHadley]

Take the shot in the editor then, from the minimap there.

[Red Spot]

I already placed pools and scrap, so the editore wasnt really an option. (shellmap didnt work this map either, cause the map is too dark, its just a plain black picture )

Went with a nice screenshot with the hud disabled (had to ctrl-alt-del out of the game though as I couldnt get it back up ...)

[Avatar]

The shellmap generated in BZ2 will depend a lot on layer 3's alpha setting.   There's an excellent tutorial about the various layers out there, I think by TimeVirus, (been a while since I've seen it) that explains this.  You can lighten/darken the minimap by changing the fill in Texture Layer 3, and I've often found my messing around with Winter has caused a totally black minimap to be generated.

That being said you can replace that minimap with any image you choose, so you can always just draw something if you're talented enough.

-Av-

[TheJamsh]

if you save youre map in the bz2 editor Avatar, then re-open it (if generated with winter), the minimap will re-sample the terrain and everything will look right.

[Red Spot]

or use the reset function of the console

Thanks for the tip though Av

[Avatar]

if you save youre map in the bz2 editor Avatar, then re-open it (if generated with winter), the minimap will re-sample the terrain and everything will look right.

Not if you've played with the Alpha settings for layer 3...  that can permanently lighten/darken the map.

You can use layer 3 to lighten/darken the minimap for a reason...  the tutorial I mentioned recommends using this trick to highlight the pools on a map so they show up better on the minimap.  I wish I had a link to it, but maybe someone else knows what tutorial I'm referring to.  It's the only place I've seen that mentioned.

-Av-

[Nielk1]

Its TV's tut IIRC. Whoever's it is, it is on www.bzcommand.com now.

[Avatar]

It's "must read" for all map makers...

-Av-