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[Eagle of Fire]

Markavian: I went to the link you gave me, but I was lost for a moment until I realised that I needed to allow my JavaScript to kick in to be able to see the map download link. If I didn't visited your site especially to look for that, I would probably have missed it.

I downloaded the compressor, but it appears I don't have the .net 2.0something required to run it... Any idea where I could get that?

[Markavian]

quote:Originally posted by Eagle of Fire:
<STRONG>I downloaded the compressor, but it appears I don't have the .net 2.0something required to run it... Any idea where I could get that?</STRONG>

To use SL's Map Compressor you need:

Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0 Redistributable Package (x86)

I'm suprised that the orange message didn't show up with JavaScript disabled. That does worry me. What web browser are you using Eagle?

Hey Mzbundifund, I'm glad you like the site. Maybe you're right about people being busy with other things - even I have started visiting the site less over the past few weeks.

Best regards,
- Markavian

[ September 24, 2007: Message edited by: Markavian ]

[Savok]

Can you try to remove the orange box for Firefox users?

Odd: When the flash animation is blocked by Flashblock, the orange box only shows after I allow the flash animation.

[Arkan15]

Have you considered how 3-D fortresses are going to work on the Archive?

[Eagle of Fire]

quote:What web browser are you using Eagle?

I use Firefox 1.5, like any good net users who knows what they're doing should. Death to IE!  

Edit:

quote:System Requirements

   * Supported Operating Systems: Windows 2000 Service Pack 3; Windows 98; Windows 98 Second Edition; Windows ME; Windows Server 2003; Windows Vista Business; Windows Vista Business 64-bit edition; Windows Vista Enterprise; Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit edition; Windows Vista Home Basic; Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit edition; Windows Vista Home Premium; Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit edition; Windows Vista Starter; Windows Vista Ultimate; Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition; Windows XP Service Pack 2

I have none of that and have no intention to upgrade to SP2... *sigh*. Let's forget about this then...

[ September 25, 2007: Message edited by: Eagle of Fire ]

[Markavian]

quote:Originally posted by Savok:
<STRONG>Can you try to remove the orange box for Firefox users?</STRONG>

Hey Savok, I've moved the orange box to the left bar and grouped it with the original "Problems" box. Both are now hidden when the map successfully loads (provided JavaScript and Flash are both working). If things are working as they should, uou can see them for about a second before the map loads.

Arkan15, yes; ShadowLord has already updated his compressor to make a 3D .FDF-MAP file format that is generated from a series of sequentially numbered bitmap files. I still need to write a new version of the map viewer that supports this format. I also need to update the map viewer to provide better caching / re-rendering of tiles to keep the memory footprint down. I imagine I'll have use the Page Up / Page Down keys to move vertically through the levels. I may add a control toolbar in the next version for people who prefer to use the mouse.

Eagle of Fire, if you haven't upgraded to SP2 yet then I'm labelling you as a lost cause. I've done as much as I can to support you, but you have to help yourself at somepoint along the way.

- Markavian

[Slartibartfast]

quote:Originally posted by Markavian:
<STRONG>Slartibartfast, I understand, but I decided that it would be incorrect to assume a PoI should always be shared. There are many 'instance' based PoIs such as herds of elephants, dead goblins, etc. that get documented; the submitter is less likely to accidently submit these types of PoIs as shared then they are deliberately making them shared when need be. This prevents confusion of PoIs which weren't meant to be shared displaying something completely different (such as a patch of grass where once the elephants were). Don't mind me, I think about these things too much.</STRONG>

Its been so long since I wrote that post. IIRC what I was talking about is that you can set a time limit for a PoI without having it shared, which seemed rather pointless to me, because then the time limits are meaningless, so I suggested that PoI's with time limits would automatically be tagged for sharing. (But even then, you could probably still disable the sharing bit manually)

[Eagle of Fire]

Don't worry Markavian, it was only a suggestion to try to make the whole thing work on my computer. I don't absolutly need the map archive, it would simply be nice to see what the heck is about 90% of the times people post links to the archive instead of posting a pic.

I never upgraded to SP2, and this was donne willingly. SP2 cause more problem than it solve for old games, and that's mainly what I play.

I am intrigued, though, why does people who make some programs for fun (and thus are not professinals who do that all the time) always either use Flash, Java, or something which require that .net thing. All external programs which need to be installed on a computer prior to use. And which are security risks for computers (well, I am guessing the .net thing is one too).

I've read such a discussion in another forum not too long ago. They were saying that using aforementioned programs is way easier in term of code than what it was before with, let's say, C. But which is probably also why there is such a slipup in coding (and thus bugs) in new games, as the effort required to do something so big so good is now gone, reducing greatly the time needed to do the coding itself...

I guess I'm just wondering why we just don't see some standard executables (.exe) files for things such as the map archive or another other fan made programs anymore...

[Slartibartfast]

quote:Originally posted by Eagle of Fire:
<STRONG>I am intrigued, though, why does people who make some programs for fun (and thus are not professinals who do that all the time) always either use Flash, Java, or something which require that .net thing.</STRONG>

My guess is that the reason is that it is much easier to program a GUI in Java or Flash (or using VB.NET which requires the .NET framework. I'm pretty sure all "visual <something>" languages require the .NET framework).
You'll notice that all none Flash/Java/.NET applications for DF have a CLI or no interface at all. (And are thus less convenient for most users)

[ September 26, 2007: Message edited by: Slartibartfast ]

[gonbon]

quote:Originally posted by Eagle of Fire:
<STRONG>I am intrigued, though, why does people who make some programs for fun (and thus are not professinals who do that all the time) always either use Flash, Java, or something which require that .net thing. All external programs which need to be installed on a computer prior to use.</STRONG>

Java/.NET don't require the programmer to manage memory as intricately as languages like C/C++, among other things. With a tradeoff against performance, which for most applications isn't a problem at all considering how fast computers are these days.

Also:

quote:<STRONG>And which are security risks for computers (well, I am guessing the .net thing is one too).</STRONG>

is just laughable, especially considering your suggestion:

quote:<STRONG>I guess I'm just wondering why we just don't see some standard executables (.exe) files for things such as the map archive or another other fan made programs anymore...</STRONG>

Which is a much greater security risk than flash could ever be.

And your point about new games being more buggy because of .NET/Java/whatever is pretty much moot considering most new (large, commercial) games still don't use a managed language because of the performance hit.

[Markavian]

Brand new shiny update, visit http://mkv25.net/dfma/ to find out more.

2007-11-08

New! Multi-layer map viewer to support (DF v0.27.169.33a) multi-level fortresses.

Dwarf Fortress now outputs multiple bitmaps, one for each layer of your fort, prefixed with the name of your fort (thanks Toady)

New version of SL's map compressor now automatically combines and compresses these bitmaps into version 2 of the equally small .FDF-MAP file format.

Upload to the map archive, share with your friends, browse up and down through layers! (Use the Page up / Page down keys)

Add points of interest on any layer, help visitors quickly navigate through the coolest parts of your fortress design.

Here are some examples:

Axegear (28 layers...) 70KB

SL's first upload: Ancien-region1

Here's hoping for a new generation of fantastic creations.
> 'LET THE GAMES BEGIN.' <

   

SL's DF Map Compressor: http://shadowlord13.googlepages.com/dfmap-index.html

Call for action
Please, if you have spent your time uploading multi-layer forts as separate layers, I salute your efforts... but this is not the way the map archive was intended to be used. It is my own fault for not publishing a warning sooner, but; Anyone who has uploaded multi-layer forts as separate layers, please remove them and upload a new version using the new .fdf-map compressor.  

(Any forts not switched over will be removed some time in by the end of next month.)

Did you know, you can do this now?:  http://mkv25.net/dfma/map-axegear  ... handy for sharing links.
- Markavian

[ November 08, 2007: Message edited by: Markavian ]

[Gaulgath]

Excellent job, Mark. Verily, you have created a wonderful and useful tool for the entire DF community. Long live the DFMA!

[Freddybear]

Stupid question, but how do I navigate between layers on the map viewer?

I'm using Firefox and the Flash 9 plugin, if that matters.

[Lord_Phoenix]

quote:Originally posted by Freddybear:
<STRONG>Stupid question, but how do I navigate between layers on the map viewer?

I'm using Firefox and the Flash 9 plugin, if that matters.</STRONG>

Echo.

I'm using a laptop with no numpad either, and 4 6 8 and 2 don't seem to do anything when using the numbers across the top.

[Gaulgath]

Page up and Page Down to view different z-levels.